Delhi Is Not Far

Name: Delhi Is Not Far
Author: Ruskin Bond

by Ruskin Bond

English literature

One Of The Best Storytellers Of Contemporary India Tribune Momentous Things Happen Elsewhere, In The Big Cities Of Nehru S India. In Dull And Dusty Pipalnagar, Each Day Is Like Another, And There Is Not Exactly Despair, But Resignation . Even The Dreams Here Are Small: If He Ever Makes It To Delhi, Deep Chand, The Barber, Will Open A More Up-To-Date Salon Where He Might, Perhaps, Give The Prime Minister A Haircut; Pitamber Will Trade His Cycle-Rickshaw For The Less Demanding Scooter-Rickshaw; Aziz Will Be Happy With A Junk-Shop In Chandni Chowk. None, Of Course, Will Make That Journey To Delhi. Adrift Among Them, The Narrator, Arun, A Struggling Writer Of Detective Novels In Urdu, Waits For Inspiration To Write A Blockbuster. One Day He Will Pack His Meagre Belongings And Take The Express Train Out Of Pipalnagar. Meanwhile, He Seeks Reassurance In Love, And Finds It In Unusual Places: With The Young Prostitute Kamla, Wise Beyond Her Years; And The Orphan Suraj, Homeless And An Epileptic, Yet Surprisingly Optimistic About The Future. Few Authors Write With Greater Sensitivity And Skill About Little India Than Ruskin Bond. Delhi Is Not Far Is A Memorable Story About Small Lives, With All The Hallmarks Of Classic Ruskin Bond Prose: Nostalgia, Charm, Underplayed Humour And Quiet Wisdom.

Bridges

Books that connect different domains

Bridges summary

Ruskin Bond's "Delhi Is Not Far" offers a poignant exploration of dreams and resignation within the seemingly unmoving landscape of Pipalnagar, a stark contrast to the bustling metropolises often central to Indian narratives. This novel, however, finds surprising resonance with a diverse collection of books, revealing the complex tapestry of human desires and the quiet resilience that binds disparate stories. While the grand philosophical salons and shadowy pursuits of beauty in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" might seem worlds apart from Bond's gentle depiction of a small Indian town, both works, in their unique registers, delve into the undercurrents of human yearning. Wilde interrogates the superficiality of appearance and the insatiable quest for eternal youth, while Bond subtly portrays the modest aspirations of individuals like Deep Chand the barber, who dreams of a more modern salon, or Pitamber, who wishes for a scooter-rickshaw. The shared thread lies in the exploration of deeply held desires, whether they manifest in the pursuit of an idealized aesthetic or the quiet hope for a slightly improved existence.

Further bridging "Delhi Is Not Far" are narratives that, despite significant genre deviations, illuminate a fundamental human need for sanctuary and belonging. Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters, The Graphic Novel," and its accompanying series "Heroes of Olympus: The Complete Series (Books 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)," conjure worlds of epic adventure and divine quests, seemingly distant from the understated charm of Pipalnagar. Yet, both Bond and Riordan, in their distinct styles, craft meticulously defined worlds that offer a sense of order and belonging. For the characters in "Delhi Is Not Far," this sanctuary is built from the familiar rhythms of their town and the nascent hopes they cling to, while Riordan's demigods find solace and purpose within the structured mythology of their universe. The shared appreciation likely stems from a reader’s inclination towards narratives that provide a coherent framework, a place where characters, whether facing down mythical monsters or the quiet desperation of everyday life, can carve out their identity and find their footing.