I loved reading this book. The third book of Ruskin Bond's that I have read. Some chapters are several pages, and the shorter ones are 3-4 pages (short stories). The book draws you in and shows the humane view of life in the Indian foothills of the Himalays. Having met Ruskin Bond myself in 1998 in Mussoorie, reading this book was more interesting. I read it to soft Indian music in the backround, which heightened the realism. It was a great book and I also recommend two of his other books I read: The Room on the Roof, and The Night Train at Deoli.

Ruskin Bond is one of the very few authors who write not only for a living, but for the sheer pleasure of writing. His works are mostly semi-autobiographical and semi-fictional. Reading Ruskin Bond's books gives you that feeling of oneness with the author himself, while he skillfully mesmerizes you, not letting you sense the fiction in his writing. Time Stops at Shamli is a collection of simple yet compelling stories that happen in rural India. Ruskin Bond's characters are mostly ordinary men and women, who usually have a rather uneventful life. However, that does not make them less interesting in any way. The title story, Time Stops at Shamli, revloves around his adolescent love, and the other stories provide excellent variety. I can always feel that trace of subtle humor in all his stories, which is actually very difficult to embed.