It was his birthday. I called him up with a lot of enthusiasm and excitement to extend my wishes. But upon my wishing a long life full of love, happiness and success, the way I do most of the time, he replied in a disappointed voice, “What use is a long life, living till 80 years, when my eyesight would have fallen, joints gone weak, maybe no teeth? It’s better to live a short but healthy life.” And he was saying all this on the day when he had reached 42 years of age! In short, he poured buckets of cold water on all the warmth I was trying to convey. I wanted to ask his rationale behind associating old age with fragility, weakness, and maybe multiple illnesses. Why couldn’t old age remind him of the long experience which he would have acquired, several people he would have come across, several bitter and sweet memories, several events which he would have witnessed in his life and which will certainly go down in history books one day? I wanted to ask these and several other similar questions. But it was his birthday and I did not want to upset him, irrespective of the fact that he himself did not find any charm in that.

In broad terms, this is what the book The Golden Years: The Many Joys Of Living A Good Long Life by Ruskin Bond is all about. The book is arranged in the form of short chapters, and is a compilation of anecdotes from the writer’s own life, life lessons, few clever and witty remarks, and a fine observation of the beauty scattered around us. In his own words, the book carries some of his “… meditations, contemplations, and cogitations…”. The book captures your attention from the very first sentence itself, or rather from the book cover itself, which is simple, sober and elegant. Bond is perhaps the most appropriate person to write on this subject. He is 89 years old, and his long experience definitely makes him one of those “who do not allow the advance of age to deter them from their creative pursuits.“

In these pages, Bond takes a viewpoint that is contrary to the popular perception of old age being associated with illness, weakness, frailty, a time when the only occupation is spending days in anticipation of death and getting ready to face it. Indeed, I have met people who try to wrap things up, reduce their needs and choke their desires just because ‘there isn’t any time left’. On the other hand, Bond takes the opposite view. First, he reiterates the elementary and obvious fact that creative people never retire. There is no need to stop indulging in your creative pursuits simply because you have struck a certain date on the calendar.

“We no longer plan for the future, at least not in a big way. But it is necessary that we continue with our life’s work.“

Secondly, he notes that at this age we try to relive our childhood — whether in games or in eating habits — something which adults younger to us do not understand or appreciate. Third and most importantly, he encourages the readers to live in the moment, and enjoy the small fine details which life and nature offers and something which we might have missed till now.

“Living one day at a time—or if you prefer, one week or one month at a time—we come to appreciate all that’s beautiful and worthwhile on this earth.“

Few things will stand out even in a casual reading of the book. First, through this book Bond is not trying to impress you. None of the sentences seems to be crafted to demonstrate his writing skills, wittiness or clever remarks. He writes simply because he loves it. In fact, time and again he encourages the reader to do certain things simply out of love. At one place, he remarks that he would still be writing even if it didn’t bring any financial benefits to him. That is the key to success in any field. And that is what has kept him going all these years. Whether it is philosophy, life lessons, emotions, or plain innocent humour — writing comes naturally and effortlessly to Bond.

“There is a certain joy in writing, in putting words down on paper and creating a story or a poem or a novel or even a memoir; and if no one else enjoys what you have composed, never mind, you have done it for yourself and your own pleasure.“

Though he writes on several topics ranging from love, loneliness, siesta, dreams, food and so on, few of them keep repeating in different garbs, and only show the writer’s inclination towards them. For example, you will find remarks on reading, writing, loneliness and long walks scattered throughout the book. Consider the discussion on reading: “Reading is a minority occupation in a world that has so much that is trite to offer. But it’s more than an occupation, it’s a consolation—a joy not dulled by age; a selfish, serene, lifelong intoxication” or “Reading always helps”, and yet again “… a book in one’s hand is better than a sleeping pill.“

The design and presentation of the book is admirable, and is evident from the comfortable font size and style. There are no typographical or grammatical errors. My review is based on the Kindle version, but I am sure the hard copy version does not disappoint either.

I will close this review by highly recommending this book. It will surely make a worthwhile reading, and certainly a valuable and appropriate gift item for your loved ones, particularly those who are elder to you. I am not sure if I would gift this book to the fellow I mentioned in the opening paragraph because he does not carry any interest in reading, but I am certain that he definitely needs this book. Life is adequately long, and is very precious. It makes sense to live and enjoy every moment of it, irrespective of the stage you are now.

“Don’t put off your plans, your creative works, the project of your dreams. If you delay and prevaricate, they will fade away, become castles without foundations.“

Note: Text in italics are quotes from the book.

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Title: The Golden Years: The Many Joys Of Living A Good Long Life
Author: Ruskin Bond
Publisher: ‎ HarperCollins India
Publication Date: 19 May 2023
Print Length: 168 pages
Price (Kindle): ₹ 223
Price (Hardcover): ₹ 289
My Rating:
What Does It Mean?