Book: Rafflesia – The Banished Princess 

Author: Gautam Choudhuri

Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Pvt. Ltd, 2017

Page: 396

Reviewed by: Ashvamegh Staff

Buy the book: Amazon

Good books are always there. Sometimes, maybe hidden behind the pile of average ones or non-serious ones. My experience of telling so doesn’t come out of the blue; it has a story attached to it. I have been reading contemporary Indian fiction for years now. Occasionally, I come across some of the books which remain there even after years and usually, the books are 1-month life types. Rafflesia – The Banished Princess is a book which offers something different, if not completely new. Though the author is a debutant, Gautam Choudhuri, he has done what he could do the best. The book offers a multi-layered psychological fiction which pleases you (if it does not entertain like a masala thriller).

The book’s story is unique and accompanied by the well-handled plot and the narrative which is also good. It’s about a guy named Appu who, in spite of his ambitions and high aims, lands into an unhappy marriage. While searching for the causes of his wife’s disapproval of the marriage, he finds out many interesting things with the course of the time. Some things are good and some things are not good. Towards the end of the novel, we come to know that Appu begins to settle down and accepts that his life’s sad parts are over and he needs to begin a new. Which, by all means, is a good indication for him.

Talking about the merits of the book, the first thing that comes to my mind, of course, is the theme of the novel Rafflesia – The Banished Princess. The theme is based around a guy named Appu and his life. Therefore, it’s limited and it’s delicate; however, we have to applaud the way in which Gautam has handled it. So well handled that the novel has gone to a length of around 400 pages! Can you imagine? This novel, in short, is about life through a person’s experience… The plot is something like expose as it comes. You will have the narrative shifting to past and future and present as per the needs of the novel’s discourse. When we come to know about the death of Appu’s grandmother, we are taken back to her times. This might be a good experience for the readers as well as annoying for some of them too. The language of the novel is common people friendly and the readers should not face any problem at all. The can easily read the book and get it.

Personally, my reading experience will rate the book just below excellent. The book is really nice and as a reader, I had to admit the same. I enjoyed reading this psychological play of life which has different phases. The friendship of Rahul and Appu shows us some light amid so much of depth that the darkness holds. I will suggest this book to all the readers who want to read something different than the coming trail in Indian fiction. Once they read it, I am sure they will like it as I did!