Author Ruskin Bond admits he was never 'the ladies man' in his latest memoir

Pack your bags and get ready for a trip down with author Ruskin Bond. The 84-year-old author recently published his new book The Beauty of All My Days: A Memoir, an introspection into his past to try to understand some of the events that have helped define the sort of person he has become.

The writer also admitted he was never a ladies' man and there was one occasion when he thought his neighbour was taking interest in him, only to realise soon all she wanted was a little help with her English grammar and composition. "Kamla, the girl next door, was certainly taking an interest in me; but when I got to know her, I discovered that what she really wanted was my help with her English grammar and composition," wrote Bond, adding, "I guess I was never really a ladies' man. I was too immersed in my writing to bother much with my clothes or appearance. Two pairs of trousers and three shirts were the limit of my wardrobe." 

At the age of 22, Bond had to wear glasses as he had some problem with his eyesight. His friends told him that his appearance improved and he now looked more like a writer. He likened this situation to celebrated poet Dorothy Parker's words, "Men seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" and concluded that it was vice versa. 

Longtime readers of Bond may also recall the affectionate relationship he shared with his dad and the matter-of-fact way he addressed his parents' marriage. In his memoir, he also shares his regrets that his parents died young after "not a happy marriage". He said, "It broke up for various reasons. My father's health suffered and he died before reaching 50. After years of struggle, my mother died in her early fifties." 

According to Bond, he inherited nothing of a material nature from his parents but got his father's "intellect" and his mother's "sensuality". And possibly the two combined to turn him into a writer, he says.

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