Book Review: A Handful of Nuts!

A funny and stimulating story of being young and adventurous in small-town Dehra in India. A Handful of Nuts written by Ruskin Bond. It is a story of a couple of companions who have enormous aspirations yet void pockets. Ruskin Bond is an Indian author born in Kasauli of British descent. The first novel he wrote was The Room on the Roof, for which he received the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in the year 1957. In my school days, I read a couple of his stories like the Grandfather's private zoo, astounding will make you laugh like heck, a blue umbrella, a long walk for Bina, Rusty runs away, and some more. He writes the story based on his childhood experiences more often and gives it a realistic picture. The composing is candid yet captivating load up with humorous sentences and mockery. The same goes for A Handful of Nuts.

I was sensing dejected and exhausted this book serves me with easing up my mind. The story is about a struggling author who resides in Dehra native's place. The story is set in 1950 only a couple of years later India got Independent from the British. The story spins around him and his nuts comrades. Jai Shankar is one of his companions who has passed from Doon school wants to be an incredible craftsman. He is additionally a writer and diarist motivate to resemble Andre Gide. He loves jalebis so much at whatever point he meets the author request that he treats him with jalebis. The other one is William Matherson who is from the Swiss and fills in as a French foreign legion. He likewise used to borrow money from the author and never return them. The most excellent bond he shares is with Sitaram. A logical soul who is a washer man’s son and tried of his parents quarrelling as his father was drunker. This story opens by portraying the author's room describing it's a large room with a balcony in front and a verandah at the back where plants pots of red geraniums and many more planted by Sitaram. The room rent was modest only thirty-five rupees a month paid ahead of time to the brave Punjabi widow who had a child who ran the provision store downstairs. The writer was not a decent cook. In the first half of the day he used to sit and compose stories as no light in the evening. He feeds his stomach with samosas and vegetable patties. Whenever he got a prize for his story he would treat himself with ham and a loaf of bread or make sandwiches. He prior has lived four years in England has never worked on his health. The author was eating from cheap restaurants like Komal's, run by a broad Sikh refined man close to the Orient cinema. Due to which he experiences the ill effects that are often stomach disturbances which made him underweight and unhealthy. The three companions often visited Indiana for some coffee which was the only thing they could afford there. Larry Gomes was a Dehra guy of Goan origin who used to play the piano in Indiana. He used to earn 300 rupees every month alongside free lunch. His father claimed a little music and record shop a couple of miles away. The author used to think he is in a much better place than us three. Another two regular visitors to the cafe were Maharani of Magador, a woman with big eyes accompanied by her little-boned, simple and fashionable butterfly daughter Indu. The author had strong feelings for her. He thinks an adolescent life without cash and a young lady is a waste. Sitaram was a guardian soul for him compare to Jai and William. The author used to reveal his concern to him. Sitaram used to remain with the author and aided him at various instances from making his verandah look wonderful to arranging trousers and bed-sheet sets for him. Sitaram should be a sixteen, thin boy yet savvy. But, the starting writer was reluctant to keep fellowship with him. Later it strings into a wonderful bond. There were no lights in the author's room as his landlady had failed to pay the electricity bill for as long as a half

year. The author was turning twenty-one, he had to give a party. Jai Shankar had an interest in jalebis and beer. William demands French toast and Suresh Mathur needs something stronger. Sitaram lends him trousers for his birthday. Sitaram on his birthday along with the red germanium and accompanied with the sweet-smelling of squashed germanium leaf tossed over his face. Alongside a pot of geranium wishing him a cheerful birthday. Sitaram bought a few samosas, jalebis and cakes with icing made with ghee. The author brings few bottles of beer, some lemonade, and a sweet syrup drink call Vimto. Landlady sends him pakoras made of green chillies. Jai, William and Suresh enjoyed a lot towards the end went Maharani of Magabor with Indu showed up. Maharani can't take the hot pakoras and grabbed a glass of beer and gulped in one swallow. Later wish the author a cheerful birthday and left in hurry along with her daughter. Suresh needed something more than beer so they dropped off at Royal Cafe except for Sitaram. Around there the author came to know about the Great Gemini circus which happens only once in five years. So, he rushed and educate Sitaram about it. The room got cleaned and both sit at a solicitation for the author to open the Maharani gift. It was a little box of nuts that contained pistachio and cashew alongside a couple of dried figs. The author spluttered it out as it tasted bad. He stated that it is appropriate for a bundle of nuts like them.

Sitaram when to watch the circus with the author and succumbed to the South Indian young lady. He began to engage with the circus individuals. Help them in the frivolous and tried to win the young lady. Sooner or later, he started to work in a circus. When the circus moves to Ambala, Sitaram leaves with them in such a rush that he forgets to say goodbye to the author. This makes the author sad and he returned to the terms of isolation and started focusing more on writing. Yet, soon Sitaram makes a return complaining that Ambala is too hot to even consider living. Be that as it may, as a general rule, he missed both – the author and the glorious climate of Dehradun.

Something I did not like about the book is I wanted more. I was enjoying reading it. I liked the complete description of the episode done by the author when Sitaram and he when for cycling in the woods. He felt the presence of his father who was not alive anymore. It looks as if his father was guiding him as he was very attached to him. Ruskin Bond can cause you to envision while you are reading the book and re-visit your childhood days. Everyone in their childhood days has a trustworthy companion like Sitaram and Jai who were somewhat eccentric, terrified and have a crush. The best thing about this book was I was able to relate also enjoy the fun and kinship. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 as I needed something more from it. One thing common these days with all the age groups is stress. This book can help in reliving it. The cycling memories and the birthday celebration, circus, tiger escape, Jai witnessing the tiger in a drunk state, Maharani falling for the author and chasing him so forth make you laugh. So, the landscape of Dehra with the 21-year-old author and his companions did magic on the readers.