Rafflesia: The Banished Princess

by Gautam

RAFFLESIA The Banished Princess The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold... As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess.He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place. What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia - The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!

397 pages, Paperback

Published March 9, 2017

Reviews

[Alok Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not being smug, but this is a book which suits readers who are mostly like myself - calm, patient and ready to combat with the slow development of the story. Appu is there; Appu is there; Appu is there and Appu is only there... his life keeps evolving, moving, pausing, jarring, halting, resuming and people come and go... Rahul is there; Jharna goes; other college friends disappear in the inn of past... This novel has been written with details, patience and a clear motive - write something which isn't following the trails of contemporary jargon! I liked the idea and I commend Gautam for his bold decision to come up with such a psychological novel in his debut attempt! Bravo!

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first look at "Rafflesia: The Banished Princess" by Gautam gave me an impression of a fantasy genre. And blurb was somewhat unclear of what the story could. 400 pages long book has friction in beginning but smoothens out once you catch the storyline.

Rafflesia is the story of Apurva Sharma, a shy and undemonstrative boy from a poor family. He spent his entire childhood and teenage in and around Guwahati. Poverty and misery had taken a heavy toll on his family. His family's only hope was Appu and his good grades. Appu considered his struggle and sorrow would ruin others' life. He had even created a wall around him to protect his beliefs. Unable to open up in front of others became his biggest weakness. Even his best friends and his family members were not exceptions. Appu's mother and grandmother always tensed for Appu's wellbeing. Small happiness factor in their family was Rahul, son of Aabir's friend Vikram. Rahul considered Appu's family as his own. The bond between Rahul and Appu was the main theme of the story. The story is divided into various phases of Appu's life. And each part has Rahul in it. Apart from Rahul, each part has a supporting character who understands Appu. Life was cruel towards Appu but at the same time friends he made in his life were a great boon. The irony of the story was the relation between the storyline and the title. "Raffalesia - the Banished Princess" is shown as fairy tale book in the story. And it was Appu's favorite book from childhood, he has collected multiple editions of the book. But his life was nowhere near to fairy tale.

There are ways to portray characters. Gautam has used other characters to portray Appu's personality. Each character has its own importance in the story, barring few extreme side characters. The book is not made for fast-track, entertainment-oriented readers. The story evolved very slowly. The author has taken enough freedom to create the plot around Appu. I admit that it took me more than 100 pages to get grip on story. Though at some point I felt the author could have reduced the number of pages by removing few extreme side characters. I liked the fairy tale of Rafflesia a lot. I wish Gautam can give more emphasis on that and make a small novella for a fantasy genre people like me.

I am not sure whether my copy was advance review copy or not, but I found many formatting errors in the book.

Detailed Review Link - http://chevusread.blogspot.in/2017/06...

[Surabhi Sharma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apurva Sharma, fondly known as Appu was a small kid when he comes across a fantasy book Rafflesia – The Banished Princess. A mystical and alluring tale of a princess gifted by his childhood friend Pinky before bidding the last goodbye to Appu to shift in a new city for good. He became fond of the tale and the book and started to believe it true. He came to know the harsh reality of the real world much later in his life.

The character of Appu is lovable, righteous, and earthly. He believes in the good of the world. The story is simple and relatable. You can find yourself in the character of Appu and hardships and challenges he faces. The book is a joy ride and a good read

Full review on thereviewauthor.com

[Sheetal Maurya - Godse (Halo of Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review is on the blog here Rafflesia the Banished Princess by Gautam - Book review

I have received this book from the author in exchange for an honest book review. So at first I would to thanks him for giving me a chance to read and review his debut book. The first thing which catches the attention of readers is enchanting book cover and you might end up thinking it is a story of any girl but to the contradictory, it is a totally different story.

Plot summary

The protagonist of this book is Apurva Sharma aka Appu. The story starts in past, his childhood where all the school children are on the bus and eager to see the tower. Unlike other children, Appu is not interested in anything. Pinky, his neighbor is his best friend, she was the one who first gives him the story book ‘Rafflesia, the Banished princess’

Appu is a shy, calm, reserved kind of personality who hardly opens up with anyone. At present, Appu is working as a language expert in Leeuwarden. Though he is totally different from the other people but still he has some good friends who care for him. Some of them are Misha, Sujata, Jeet and Rahul, though each one of them has their own problems.

Appu was a bright student but due to the poor financial condition, he has to struggle hard to achieve a place in society. Aabir and Trina, his parent runs house on shoestring budget. The most engaging part of the book is to read about the blooming friendship between Rahul and Appu.
He comes to meet various people in his life, who left an unerasable impact in his heart. Like Pinky, Anand, Nanujaan, Misha, Ghazal, Vijayan, and Rosemary but due to various reasons, the stay with them was very short. The most inspiring character of this book is Trina, Appu’s mother who is the backbone of his family.

During all these, the one thing which remains the same is his love toward the fable of ‘Rafflesia: The Banished princess’.

Right now, Appu is struggling with an inner turmoil which he cannot explain. Read this book to know further.

My perception

This is not a story which goes happily. This book will remind you the people, whom you have left and met in your life journey. The incident of separating from his Nanujaan literally brings tears. There are many characters in this book with a back story which I don’t think is required then too I loved reading about them. Perhaps, the author wants to depict that you are not the only one who has troubles in your life. However, if he has avoided that then the book has been 100 pages short.

All in all, I loved the story it is totally different from regular books but still, it is an appreciable work and there is something in this book, which I can’t explain but will touch your heart. Recommend reading it!

[Shivangi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for an honest review in return.

This is sort of a spoiler filled review so please avoid reading the pros and cons listed below.

The story follows Appu from his poor childhood days to his adult life as a divorcee. Appu's life was never filled of rainbows and unicorns. His family had struggled with meeting the ends from the very the starting yet he had a secured childhood with loving parents and Rahul as a friend. Still Appu never opened up to anyone. He kept on bottling up emotions. He can be termed as sensitive but keeping people at bay while you are hurting doesn't help the cause. When the bank of emotions breaks it leaves deep scars behind. His constant motive to not getting attached to people came off more as stubborness.


Pros :
1 Appu's love and respect for his parents and his Thamma
2 Appu's friendship with Rahul with and without complications
3 The letter Exchange (I am a fan of letter writing)
4 Appu's mother - a strong and supportive character throughout the book
5 Sujata's adoration for Appu
6 Different places to discover. The story was not stuck in only one place
7 Vijayan's character
8 The enactment of Rafflesia- The banished Princess
9 Appu's love for the books in his possesion

Cons :
1 Appu's hesitation in opening up to Rahul after years of friendship
2 Rahul's suicidal attempt
3 Appu pushing away each and everyone who wanted to get close to him
4 Too many interwoven stories and too much back and forth in time
5 Aabir (Appu's father) giving up on his violin

This was a good story that made me escape reality even though for a couple moments

[Saumya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

You can check out my video review here : https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&...


PLOT

This is a story about a guy named Appu, who, from being a happy kid turns into a serious man because of the trials and tribulations that he has to go through. Hailing from Guwahati, Appu comes from a humble background where life is not exactly a piece of cake for his family but he lives happily in his own world. His love for a fairytale called Rafflesia The Banished Princess remains constant from his childhood to his adulthood. This is the only thing that remains same about Appu as he grows into a young man because as a person he becomes quiet and inexpressive. This story oscillates between past and present of Appu’s life. In the present scenario, he works as a language expert in the Q and Zi company in the Netherlands. He prefers his own company and doesn’t like mingling much but people around him tend to like him a lot because of a general good vibe that emanates from him.

This is a story about his life as he carries on struggling going with the flow.

Characters :

There are many characters in this story that Appu comes across and many of them have a temporary stay in his life. Some of these people have a deep impact on him and they stay with him in his heart.

Appu : The protagonist of the story. A person who doesn’t express himself too often and doesn’t talk much. Many people find a good listener in Appu and he is someone who always leaves a positive impact on people. He goes through a lot of ups and downs, yet he carries on. His attitude his not that of a defeatist, but he isn’t exactly a fighter either. He has a striking personality and he always has female admirers though he steers clear of them.

Rahul : Appu’s childhood best friend. Rahul is the opposite of Appu in many senses. He is a confident person who is very vocal and shares everything with Appu about his life and everyone who knows Rahul knows Appu because Rahul tells everyone about him. Rahul and Appu share a very strong bond and treat each other like brothers. Rahul often feels that Appu doesn’t let him in his world but he keeps this to himself. Rahul is also apparently very attractive .

Sujata : Sujata is the wife of Appu’s colleague Jeet and she has quiet nature and she doesn’t mingle with everyone but she formed a connection with Appu the very first time she met him and she considers him as her brother in law and she treats him like her own child. Sujata has her own sorrows to deal with and she tries to lead a content life but overall she is a disappointed woman because of how life turned out for her.

Appu’s parents : Both his parents, Trina and Aabir are simple people who want the best for their son but they are not always able to help him because of the fact that they are not very financially sound. Aabir and Trina are two honest people who are unfortunately get exploited many times because of their simple nature.

There are many other characters like Misha, Appu’s colleague in the Netherlands who is like a sister to him, Ell and Harry, two adorable kids in Appu’s neighbourhood in the Netherlands whom he loves dearly, Aga Ali Sheikh, with whom Appu as kid forms a strong bond and refers to him as his nanujaan and a few others.

My Review

The intial assumption that I had made about this book was that it must be a fantasy novel because of the title but apparently that wasn’t the case. This book is set in the modern real world with characters going through very human problems. Being a human being is no mean feat after all. The writing style of this book is poetic and simple at the same time and there are moments in this book when I wished that some sentences were framed better but on an overall basis I liked the writing style. The story is definitely a sad one and there is poignancy right from the beginning till the end. The ending is somewhat open ended and there is room for the reader’s imagination which is a good thing . I wasn’t very happy with Appu’s character in general because his inexpressiveness. His personality was difficult to break through and the way he kept his emotions guarded was a tiresome thing sometimes.

I was happy with the story on an overall basis but I do believe that the pace could have been a little faster. In the first 200 pages the story moves at a good pace but I think it would have been better if the pace had picked up somewhat in next 200 pages.

This book has writing style as its winner, although the story is good too but when I finished reading it, it was the writing style that I was all praises for.

If you are someone who likes a relaxed paced poignant read, then you should go for this book.

[Maniparna Sengupta majumder · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating: 3.5

They say we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I've never found the saying more precise than with Gautam's debut publication, Rafflesia, the Banished Princess. What I thought to be a sort of modern fantasy symbolizing life, turned out to be the story of a kid, Apoorva Sharma, lovingly called Appu, his journey of life from the small town of Guwahati, Assam to Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

My review: Good things first

Appu is the prominent protagonist of the story revolves around him. He is a kid who finds nature more attractive than anything. From the very first chapter, we get acquainted with the nuances of his persona; contemplative, introspective, naive and an introvert. These traits accompany him as he grows up and as an adult also, he fails to conform with or confide in anyone, even to his best friend since childhood, Rahul. The story, though essentially is of Appu, we come to know of him and his life chiefly from the perspectives of other characters. It is, as if, someone is narrating, with a neutral point of view, the life of Apoorva Sharma.

The main storyline is thus quite simple. But like me, one who has grown up in the same time-frame portrayed in the story could relate to it easily. Appu's parents, Aabir and Trina, their mediocre way of life and related problems, their worries and joys, all has been made realistic and, occasionally I did find whiffs of nostalgia hovering over as I turned the pages.

Appu's character apparently appears to be simple, but, somewhere deep within, he keeps on holding up his emotions. Throughout his life, he has been liked by a lot of people, but seldom able to make any friend except Rahul and Pinky, his friend in the Little Point school who gifted him the book, Rafflesia, the Banished Princess, the book which he holds to his heart, literally and figuratively.

The characterization of Appu, Misha, Sujata, Trina and Rahul are worth mentioning. In all of them, the author has probed deep into to make them tangible to the readers. Especially, a person like Appu is a kind of his own, rarely found and more rarely understood by others. A gossamer of emotional webs plays in his mind always, he loves to live within the encasement of those webs, delicate looking yet difficult to pass through. His naïveté puts him in a morass of confusion and chaos, happiness being fugacious in his life. There is a melancholic melody in Appu's characterization, and, I liked that most.

The not-so-good things

Gautam has delineated the story with a laid back attitude. He takes every incident in stride be it related to the main story or not. A motley of characters has thronged the book making it voluminous (396 pages). And, each and every character has a story of its own which at times, seems monotonous, dragging and absolutely unnecessary. The book could have easily curated some of those 'character stories'. It would have made it a more interesting and compact read.

There are quite a number of grammatical errors along with poor editing. Even there are typesetting errors at places making the things incomprehensible and, you have to re-read the whole paragraph arranging it accordingly to get the meaning.

The verdict

In spite of the above-mentioned not-so-good things, I would like to recommend the book to those who like a breezy read on a Sunday evening or while enjoying a quiet holiday in the midst of nature. The ambience alluded will work for the book.

The ending is not concrete and leaves room for reader's imagination. But the last two lines of the epilogue are suggestive enough when you compare them to the last few lines of the prologue. There lies the finesse of Gautam's writing. After all, "the road to freedom is bordered with sunflowers."

Read more reviews on https://maniparna.com/

[Rajan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life is real and fantasy is not. But in case of mental illness like depression there is tendency to escape. When the reality becomes too harsh to face person withdraws in a fantastic world. This does not solve the problem but helps to keep the sanity.

Apruva Sharma aka Appu is a shy, timid, introvert and depressed person. He has his own reasons like his wife Jharna. She married him for a brief period under duress and pressure of her parents. She can’t stand him and wants to dissolve the marriage. Appufather Abir and mother Trina raised him with love and care. Abirplays Violin and so does Appu. Vikram is an Army captain and is floored by Abir Violin recital. They become friends and Vikram is posted to their town. Vikramvisits them with his wife Amla and son Rahul. This is the start of a lifelong friendship of Appu and Rahul. Rahul is unlike Appu and they become like brothers. Then Appu moves to Netherlands and start his job there. He has relatives Jeet and his wife Sujata there. Misha is Appu’srakhi sister and she is having the same story of marital discord as Appu. Nothing much happens after that and it’s a prod.

The story is tedious, boring and protracted. It is sad and depressing. Most of the characters are sad God knows why. Amla doesn’t smile. Misha is angry is sad. So is many other motley characters. There are so many of them I lost track. Appu is most depressed and idiotic as expected from hero of a depressing novel.

The story moves between his childhood and present in alternate chapters. This breaks the flow but then it is writer’s prerogative how to keep the chronology and how to tell the story.

The story of Raffelesia comes in the late and it had no connection with his story whatsoever. At least I can’t see the connection. Maybe there is one.

Where to buy:

http://www.amazon.in/Rafflesia-Banish...

Blurb:
The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant coloursblaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold

As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place.

What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of
Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia — The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!"

About the author:

A B-School graduate, Gautam is a business analyst by profession. Considers the laptop as among his best friends and nurses a secret desire to turn an entrepreneur someday.

[Dalia (book_o_creativity) · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW:
Who is Appu? Appu is a shy and self conscious child. Like so many other children Appu is adorable but his childhood was not so adorable. From being a lower middle class family which never bothered him because he was the king of his own kingdom and maybe richer than other children, because money never makes a person rich, it is love that makes a person rich. At a very tender age he lost his Maa, who was no less than his biological mother, with this loss he lost his ever so cheerful friend rather say brother. A family going through tough times, a marriage that lasted only for few days. Amidst all of this Appu is growing up as a man and everyone near him is going away from him... friends, famiy. Struggling with life to support his family economically Appu is losing a part of himself. He is losing his whimsical world of Rafflesia, The Banished Princess, where the world is rulled only by happiness. Life was unfair with him in every possible way until...until Appu met a pair of blue eyes. But then again life played his tricks on Appu.
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Though the pace is slow because the the story develops slowly I really enjoyed reading this book. I really enjoyed how slowly and neatly every scene is plotted describing the story of friendships. Everything is coherent and relatable with the preceding chapters. A well written book with correct choice of words. Most importantly written in understandable English. Going through every chapter was a rollercoaster ride to so much powerful emotions and experiences. Our protagonist is different from a typical protagonist in various aspects. Even the supporting characters are well developed. Although the title is apt for this book it may not be convincing for everyone and it may misguide readers. I didn't find any other flaws in this book except the the title and the cover.
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PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:
Please, don't judge the book by it's cover or the title. Later you'll regret badly for doing that. I'm telling everyone that it's not a fantasy or fairytale kinda book. But it's an amazing book.

[Rohit Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really consider myself lucky now after so many instances of getting incredible books as gifts from friends, family, acquaintances, book club friends and some superb ones from Authors directly. This beautiful book (inside out) too was one of those cases where the book practically walked into my collection and how amazingly it worked. Second book back to back from an Indian (foreigner) Author which worked incredibly for me and I developed such an amazing connection with the two leads that it was too hard for me to let go of them in the ending (of-course not before I wished and prayed for them to do well in their fictitious futures). As if an amazing story is not enough that the Author Gautam had to put so many of my favorite things in his book that I felt as if he wrote it actually for me :). I am at a loss of words as how to put my feelings forward to you guys now. Author's love of books and bookish characters is so much evident from one of his own character's love towards two incredible books which keeps getting mentioned almost in all the chapters one way or another. The entire story is written in flashback manner where the author shows his master touch in the very first chapter (read prologue), which I kept going back to now and then. Very smartly written in one chapter from the past immediately followed by one from the present and then in between he leaves the reader to put two and two together, totally glued in suspense to what to expect next. An incredible journey called (Indian) life captured beautifully in the form of a book especially for those born in the mid or late 70's who will have an amazing connect with the characters and their story.

Terrific story of two childhood friends who are exact opposites of each other in all the possible ways one could. They are more like inseparable siblings and brothers from two different set of parents yet joined together with an unbreakable thread. How they need, have, standby, care and love each other is the story is all about. With their own set of struggles right from the childhood to adult life, affairs, profession, marriage etc. One of the main lead is Appu (one of my favorite characters from 80's and reminded me of my all time favorite Satyajit Ray's one of the most incredible character). On top of that Appu and his dad has a mastery in one of those musical instruments that I would love to learn in my life. And it is the same instrument which is a big reason behind the deep friendship between his dad and his friend's dad (who again are exact opposites of each other in the first place). And Appu has a favorite book which he keeps collecting in various formats throughout his life and how the story in his favorite book criss-crosses with his own life, you've got to read this book to know about that book. This book and its story has such deep characters and connections but the most beautiful and incredible of them was the connection of two friends Appu and Rahul. How they grow up (not always together), yet they keep a close contact with each other, how they address each others parents and the heart-touching episodes from their childhood choked me up big time. I have read so many books from some amazing masters of the arts but let me tell you this, that the way this story choked me at least three times and it indeed made me spend sleepless nights in suspense of what to expect next. A big part of the story takes place in cities where I myself lived a decade or more ago and a few areas mentioned were actually the ones that I went through while I was there. It kind of refreshed my memories. One of the most touching aspect of the entire story was the mother son relationship, imagine a character who has two mothers and he is almost loved equally by both of them and he too loves both almost equally.

Author Gautam is not at all easy on his readers as he surely is a master of suspense, especially the way he builds up the story and kept me thinking of so many ways the story could have gone differently yet keeps it very straight forward and simple. And he is not at all easy on his own characters too yet the way he has carved them out, made them struggle to further make them better at so many things in their own lives was totally unbelievable. This book is not a story I would say but a journey that the reader takes with his characters, as they grow in their life, it is actually us learning so much from them not only about their lives but taking lessons for our own lives too. It has everything that one looks forward to in life, best friends, fight for daily lives, little wishes that go a very long way to be achieved, Appu's parents self respect, twist and turns in Rahul's life, Appu's friends coming to his rescue and finally finding true love and meaning in life. The greatest of them all was to have a friend on standby at all times who would go to any extent for his friend's happiness was one thing that I totally loved in this book. And I so much wish and hope that I will be able to make a few of my incredible friends read this amazing book. The way he has written the entire book, I must say that one can take an Author out of India but one cannot take out an Indian out of an Indian Author. This book and story has so much of an Indian heart in it that I totally loved it. 400 pages of sheer fun, suspense, drama, so much love and emotion, although the book was heavy for its size but was totally way more than its actual worth.

Gautam's characters are so life like that I am finding it tough to not to mention that we all have people like his characters in our own life. Friends who are more brothers and sisters to us, who understand way better than our actual siblings and parents at times. Friendship where money or status doesn't matter. Friends and colleagues in foreign lands who become our family and reason of happiness in a very short time. A sister you never had but the one who never makes you feel that she isn't your real sister. Or a sister in law whose affection may beat your own mother's affection to you. A big brother that you never had, the one who will come to your rescue right on time (every-time you need him). Or a younger brother not from the same mother who will teach you very important lessons in life without expecting anything from you in return in the first place. And even those Chennai Auto drivers who will even beat a Formula 1 car on any given day :). He has a dozen or more of these amazing characters that I will never forget in life.

Have you read Rafflesia? if you have, do let me know how you like it and if you haven't, I suggest you better get a copy at the earliest, sit back and enjoy the story of two amazing friends.

PS: I so much wish and pray that someone adapts this book into a Mini TV series if not a full-fledged movie. I would love to see it on big screen someday as it will make up an incredible movie. Or at-least a sequel by Gautam.
PS2: Especially for those who have read the book, I have deliberately not said anything about the Editing, Grammatical mistakes and at times broken sentences as fortunately that takes nothing away from the heart-touching story and I believe an Author cannot be blamed for the same, it is more of the publisher to be blamed here.

[Ravi Gurunani · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are books you start with different expectations and that turns out to be the most different one. Rafflesia is one such book and it turned out pretty interesting book.

I received the free copy of this book from Kalamos Literary Services in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Book Cover and Title- From the cover, book seems to be historical Fiction or fantasy but this is purely modern age book. Book is beautiful and it creates curiosity about the book. Title is appropriate.

Language and Narration- Language of the book is lucid and easy to comprehend. Writing style of author is simple and easy to follow.  Book is given in third person narrative. 
Though there are few grammatical errors but except that, book is well edited.

Characterization- As the story takes place in different places, there are many characters which support the main story. The one thing I liked about this book is  all the characters are justified properly with their own story and set of emotions.

Storyline and Plot- Story revolves around Appu, our main protagonist and his journey from childhood to Adulthood. Author has beautifully placed scenes in various places to bind characters with main story.

Likes- 1.Appu and Rahul's Bond 
2. Appu's love for Books.
3. The way Sujata adores Appu

Dislikes- 1. Story is slow paced.
2. Few grammatical errors

Rating-
Book Cover and Title- 3.5/5
Language and Narration- 3.5/5
Characterization- 4/5
Storyline and Plot- 3.5/5

Final Rating- 3.5/5

All in all, Rafflesia: The Banished Princess delivers us contemporary, relatable, fresh  yet equally interesting storyline which will surely entertain you.

[Aryan Sarath · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first saw the cover book, I was of the opinion that the story may be a fairy tale or a historic fiction. I was proved wrong. The story is a fiction but not on the lines of any of them mentioned above.

Who is this banished princess? What role does she have to play on the life of Apurva alias Appu who is the protagonist of the story?

Appu was born in a poor family though his parents always had kept him happy. His father Aabir was employed in a job which hardly made him to earn the money to make the ends meet while his mother Trina was a house wife. He had a grandma named Mrinalini.

Aabir had a friend named Vikram who held a top position in the Indian Air Force. He once viited his house with his wife and son Rahul. Ever since Appu and Rahul became close friends. Days rolled by. Rahul faced lot of turmoils in his life and so as Appu. While Rahul lived in the US and cimpleted his higher studies, Appu was employed in the Netherlands.

The loss suffered by both these characters were brilliantly explained in this story. It is not a fast paced one since it is not a crime thriller but will make you feel, once you finished reading it.

I felt there were way too many characters in the story honestly but since the story is set to happen at various places, these characters were quintessential without which it wouldn't have conveyed the message strongly.

A worthy read which has a different story line altogether. One should approach it with open mindedness without having a high expectation. When you do that, the book will surely fascinate you.

[RITU MAHESHWARI · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every Child has a favorite fairy tale. Appu's was Rafflesia. But his life was far from being a fairy tale. It was full of ups and downs with many challenges and heartbreaking incidents.

It is a simple story of a shy and reserved person Appu but written in an unique style. Since Appu seldom expressed his feelings and emotions, the author has used all the secondary and other characters to bring out how his story. Though it was irritating not been able to peep into the mind and heart of the lead character but author has brilliantly manage to bring out his story.

Characterization of all the characters were superb. No doubt they were all playing an important role in bringing out the untold and unexpressed feelings of Appu. So the author provided depth and space to every character.

The story is great but unnecessary description in the plot hampered the pace of the novel and at times the narrative dragged a lot. But overall it was a good read and not once the author lost his grip over the story or characters.

Follow the link to read the full review

http://thebookworld.org/rafflesia-ban...

[Samata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being the first novel of writer Gautam, Rafflesia provides the experience of evolved writing, The writer manages to capture the imagination of the readers from the word go with his engaging narrative and realistic character buildup. The book seems more like a celebration of the different aspects of life including the various relationships, its colors and even love and music. By the time, the readers are through with reading the book they feel a sense of déjà-vu. Overall I found the book to be extremely interesting and a great addition to my collection. I wish Gautam all the very best for its success.

Read full review here:
www.indiacafe24.com/book-reviews/book...

[Sayan Basak · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW OF- Rafflesia: The Banished Princess

By- GAUTAM

• Paperback: 397 pages
• Publisher: Leadstart Publishing Private Limited; First edition (20 March 2017)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9352017161
• ISBN-13: 978-9352017164

THE PLOT IN BRIEF-

"Rafflesia: The Banished Princess"
The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours
blaze across as mesmerising music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold…

As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place.

What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of
Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia — The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!"

THE TITLE-

Rafflesia is usually a parasitic plant which lacks chlorophyll and bears a single very large flower which smells of carrion, native to Malaysia and Indonesia. But the author very beautifully uses a metaphor to describe his title amalgamating both Rafflesia and the banished princess. The cover and the title gives us a hint that Fairy tales are not our escape from reality as a child; rather, they are our reality -- for mine was a world in which good and evil were not abstract concepts, and like fairy-tale heroines, no magic would save me unless I had the wit and heart and courage to use it wisely. I remember a quote which stated that the fairy tale, which to this day is the first tutor of children because it was once the first tutor of mankind, secretly lives on in the story. The first true storyteller is, and will continue to be, the teller of fairy tales. Whenever good counsel was at a premium, the fairy tale had it, and where the need was greatest, its aid was nearest. This need was created by myth. The fairy tale tells us of the earliest arrangements that mankind made to shake off the nightmare which myth had placed upon its chest. Its absolutely true that Once upon a time fairy tales were told to audiences of young and old alike. It is only in the last century that such tales were deemed fit only for small children, stripped of much of their original complexity, sensuality, and power to frighten and delight. Rafflesisa revolves around a beautiful plot keeping the theme of fairy tale and childhood in the backdrop.

REVIEW OF THE BOOK-

You know, it's pretty easy reading this book to see why I was angry and confused for all those years. I lived my life being told different stories: some true, some lies and I still don't know which is which. Children are born innocent. At birth we are very much like a new hard drive - no viruses, no bad information, no crap that's been downloaded into it yet. It's what we feed into that hard drive, or in my case "head drive" that starts the corruption of the files. Appu’s character in the plot beautifully demonstrates that we all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow and told to be responsible. Told to act our age. Told to grow up, for God's sake. And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they'd allowed to wither in them.
Another aspect which the book demonstrates is fairy tale and imagination. There's a flame of magic inside every stone & every flower, every bird that sings & every frog that croaks. There's magic in the trees & the hills & the river & the rocks, in the sea & the stars & the wind, a deep, wild magic that's as old as the world itself. It's in you too, my darling girl, and in me, and in every living creature, be it ever so small. Even the dirt I'm sweeping up now is stardust. In fact, all of us are made from the stuff of stars. We plan our lives according to a dream that came to us in our childhood, and we find that life alters our plans. And yet, at the end, from a rare height, we also see that our dream was our fate. It's just that providence had other ideas as to how we would get there. Destiny plans a different route, or turns the dream around, as if it were a riddle, and fulfils the dream in ways we couldn't have expected.
Appu’s journey of growing up was very beautifully conveyed through the book. When you're born a light is switched on, a light which shines up through your life. As you get older the light still reaches you, sparkling as it comes up through your memories. And if you're lucky as you travel forward through time, you'll bring the whole of yourself along with you, gathering your skirts and leaving nothing behind, nothing to obscure the light. But if a Bad Thing happens part of you is seared into place, and trapped for ever at that time. The rest of you moves onward, dealing with all the todays and tomorrows, but something, some part of you, is left behind. That part blocks the light, colours the rest of your life, but worse than that, it's alive. Trapped for ever at that moment, and alone in the dark, that part of you is still alive.
Rafflesia is story which says that growing up is never straight forward.
There are moments when everything is fine, and other moments where you realize that
there are certain memories that you'll never get back, and certain people that are going to change, and the hardest part is knowing that
there's nothing you can do except watch them. Even a flower looks bright and beautiful, it’s parasitic. Such is life. We grow up. Planets like Tiny get new moons. Moons like me get new planets.

YOU SHOULD READ THIS BECAUSE-

1. THE BEAUTIFUL AMALGAMATION OF FAIRY TALES WITH REALITY.

2. THE EMOTIONS DESCRIBED THROUGHOUT THE PLOT.


3. THE CHARACTERISATION OF APPU”

And lastly the novel will force you to say your childhood that ‘I won't ever leave you, even though you're always leaving me.’

RATINGS-

Overall I would like to rate the book 42 on a scale of 50.
4 stars out of 5
1. Originality of the plot and sub plots- 8/10
2. Net emotions in the story- 9/10
3. Usage of words and phrases-8/10
4. The title, cover and the illustration-9/10
5. The net impact on the readers- 8/10





Reviewed by-
Sayan Basak
Kolkata

[ANTONY · Rating 5 out of 5]

General :

The title "Raffesia The Banished Princess " makes me to believe that it to be a fairy tale. After studying the Prologue and go through the pages I find out it is a fantastic family saga running a period of four decades. It is my favorite genre.The story is so engrossing.It is lengthy and dense but it leads me to a heartwarming read about life , family bonding , friendship, pain and death.It is not only humorous at times but also intriguing.I want to read at a small but steady pace to fathom the unostentatious story .It is all about the social interactions and happenings in the life of Appu ,the protogonist and the darling of everybody.

The Plot :

There are two books .Totally they contain 31 chapters each having a caption to suit the content.It starts with a prologue and ends with an Epilogue.The story begins in the the year 1982 when the protagonist Appu is a small kid studying in a school and goes on till he reaches adulthood becoming an employee of Q&Zi, a leading Indian company engaged in information technology services. The story happens at Gauhati and then at Leeuwarden .in Netherlands. There are plethora of characters mostly Appu's friends and colleagues,parents and neighbours.

When the story begins Appu is a child living with his parents in Gauahati . His father Aabir and his mother Trina love him. He is their only hope. Hope for dignity . For Distinction . For acceptance And perhaps a roof of their own someday .Aabir has got a flair to play Violin and he is working for a concern for a meager salary.

Aabir has got a friend ,Air Marshall Vikram Mehta and his son Rahul becomes​ Appu's closest buddy.The friendship with Vikram is so sweet and affectionate. All of a sudden Vikram's wife Amala who is suffering from depression takes a lot of sleeping pills and expires leaving Vikram and Rahul devastated. At that juncture Aabir and Trina give moral support.

After clearing his school education with flying colours Appu joins college to pursue graduation in commerce. He comes as a topper in the university examination and after trying small jobs , he joins a Dutch company as a translator. He goes to Leeuwarden on a work assignment . He meets Jeet working at De Groet Bank.He and his wife Sujata are very fond of Appu and she treats him as her son.

Friendship has to stand the test of time. When the contact between Vikram and Aabir slows down , the same of Appu with Rahul thickens. They are charismatic and charming and their friendship adds credibility to the story.Likewise life is not fair to Rahul. His wife Mohna expires suddenly and he slips into depression and tries to kill himself.

Appu's, co worker Misha has got her own story. Her parents have chosen a bridegroom Aariyan and when he goes abroad he marries another girl. Misha has to bear the brunt of fate .

Jeet and Sujata make a good made -for- each - other couple , but they remain issueless for seven years.

Rosemary is the daughter of Mr Dennis Fairburn who gets married to Robert dowson .He leaves her after five years .Later she takes a job at a Government department . She has got transferred to Leeuwarden. Her father wants her to remarry. Whether she agrees for it or not?

Amidst all of these , Appu has to face a crisis in the form of divorce notice from his better half . What is the reason for such a sickening situation?What is the decision he takes ? What is the story of RAFLESSIA ?.As per the blurb if the answer lies for Appu what he sets for what it means? For these questions you have to read the book.

The Pro :

After a long time I am coming across a novel full of incidents and occasions of kindness , love and affection in the background of family atmosphere .

Appu has got a great charm and wise character . He has got all the qualities of his mother,Trina. Even though her husband Aabir earns a meager salary she manages so well with lot of patience and hardwork. She is wealthy. In a different way. In kind.From her Appu learns humility and empathy. He is comfortable with everyone and ladies are ready to confide and pour out their thoughts to him freely. He has got a great affection for pets from his childhood days . His exemplary way of treating the cat, Ivy is an example for his kindness .

I like Rahul who stands with Appu through thick and thin.All the characters are good barring a few like Sujit Sundar Rakshit who are bad in their own way.There is a lot of banter and jolly moments.

The characters are real and we can relate to them . I like the language of Gautam as it is poignant and touches my heart.This family drama carries all the nuances and details to entertain us to a great extent. The author uses words in Dutch to make the story realistic and enjoyable.



My favorite :

I like Bashir's father Aga Ali Sheikh who is the closest buddy of Appu. His words of wisdom would open our eyes.

It is not money that makes a person rich. It is love that makes a person rich.It is his honesty that makes him rich.

My verdict

I like the family drama as it contains all the suspense, humour , excitement and thrill . The story teller in Gautam has given a lot of attention and care to shape the characters,realstic storyline and bring out a blockbuster giving all the entertainment to the readers.Kudos to Gautam for having come with an outstanding novel . The first part portrays the family bonding and the second part speaks about the turmoils faced by married working professionals aged 25 -35


I recommend this book to all fiction lovers those who want to have a fantastic read.

[Sandeep Hati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafflesia is a book that gives you the feel of fantasy genre when you first look at it. But it is actually the story of Appu and a fairy tale of Rafflesia. While the book hooks you in from the first glance at cover, the story is a bit slow to start and evenafter 100 pages, it struggled to hold my attention.

What I liked about this book was that even though the book was centrally based on Appu’s character and his struggles, the side characters were well-developed and the author doesn’t neglect them. The book had certain mistakes which could be rectified by a good editor. Otherwise, it was a slow but a good read.

The tale of Rafflesia did tinker the fantasy lover in me.

[Jaideep Khanduja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafflesia The Banished Princess The Smell of Innocent Happiness

http://pebbleinthestillwaters.com/raf...

Rafflesia The Banished Princess by Gautam is a story of two different worlds. These worlds are the world of childhood and the world of adulthood. The lead character of this story is Appu or Apurva who lives each of this world so innocently that brings back your own childhood memories. The story connects with your heart, soul, and mind at various points. In fact, you will find a different kind of maturity in Gautam's writing style. It is something very different that is coming straight from the heart. And probably that is the reason that it is able to connect so well right since the beginning. In addition, the flow of the story is flawless. It is an emotional story of Apurva's journey with a right mix of seriousness in it. In fact, Leadstart books are generally like this and that is why those are my favorite.

Rafflesia is a parasitic flowering plant. it has no stems, leaves, or roots. But still, it has its own beauty. And probably it is one of the largest flowers in the world. I could relate Appu in Rafflesia The Banished Princess as an innocent prince who has to banish his happiness at various stages of life. But still, there is a smell of innocent happiness in the book. In fact, Appu is a strong character that goes with the flow of life so innocently that there is no place of any manipulations. it is like accepting the life as it is in the most honorable manner and respecting every piece of happiness or pain it gives. Rather, it is like honoring every moment of life in the most graceful and respectful manner.

At some moment of time, the story of Rafflesia The Banished Princess might appear as a compilation of lovely short stories with a common factor as Appu. The life is about connection and bonding between various characters in Appu's life. In fact, it is a journey of life and a lifesize journey. For Appu, it could be a matter of irreconcilable differences. As a matter of fact, Appu is a lovable, innocent, matured and adorable character. Rather you will start finding that innocence in Appu within you that probably is lost under the dust of time. Overall, this is a lovely book that probably everyone would like to read. As it makes you stand in a valley of Tulips where you forget your pains, glories, and life for a while and become a part of Appu's journey.

[Ila Garg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafflesia: The Banished Princess
By Gautam
Review By Ila Garg

Rafflesia: The Banished Princess, a novel by Gautam, is published by Leadstart Publishing Private Limited. The cover shows a girl in black and white filter. Her eyes are focused all the more and grips the attention of the viewer at once. The fan covering her mouth further speaks of her strature and also of the mysterious nature of the female gender. It totally intrigued me to flip through the pages quickly and know the story of this ‘banished princess’.

A B-School graduate, Gautam is a business analyst by profession. Considers the laptop as among his best friends and nurses a secret desire to turn an entrepreneur someday. He blogs at www.gautamc.com and can be reached over email at authorgautam@yahoo.com

The blurb reads as, “The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold…
As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place.
What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of
Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia — The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!”

Rafflesia: The Banished Princess is a story about a guy named Apoorva Sharma, fondly known as Appu among his friends. The book is his journey from a small town of Guwahati, Assam to Leeuwarden, Netherlands. The book is divided in 2 sections – Book 1 and Book 2.

Read the complete review here - http://www.ilagarg.com/2017/05/raffle...

[Adv. Vandana Choudhary · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the book cover, I thought this story would be about princess and some kind of fairy tale. But when I started the book I found that the story revolves around the Protagonist Apoorva Sharma, fondly called Appu. Appu is an introvert guy. The book unfolds his life story from childhood to adulthood and story of his poor parents living in Guwahati, who try their best to keep him happy. He is their only hope. Appu is a brilliant student and is the topper in the University Exams. He goes to Leeuwarden on a work assignment.


Rafflesia-The Banished Queen is a book which is given to Appu by his childhood friend and this becomes his favourite book which he keeps close to his heart and have many copies of the same. Loved reading about Appu's love and respect for his father Aabir and mother Trina and his true friendship with Rahul. Rahul considers Appu's father and mother as his own and shares everything about his life to Appu's mother. This emotional bond between them and this unconditional love is rare. The story seems so realistic and really a different and fresh story. The author comfortably jumps back and forth between the past and future while revolving deeply around the main character Appu.

Appu keeps finding answers for his unsuccessful marriage and never share much about his life with others. He tries to hide his pain from everyone but Rahul understands his problems and emotional state very well even without him having to speak. I also loved how Sujata (his boudy) treats him like a son and advice him whenever he really needs it.

What I really loved in this book~
Appu and Rahul used to send letters to each other without fail and Appu's cute talks about his cat and birds.
Appu loved to live in his own fairy tale which helped him in staying distracted from his life's struggles.
Aabir's love for playing Voilen. The friendship between Appu's father Aabir and Rahul's father Vikram.
Lovely bond between Appu and his co-worker Misha.

I would say this is amazing debut by the author Gautam. Writing style of the author and the language used is simple and narration style is good too. I loved the interesting book cover and the title. I really did enjoy reading this book. The book keeps you engaged and you will find it quite relatable. I would recommend this novel to all fiction lovers who are looking for something new and for a fantastic read. I rate this book 4/5 stars.

[Enakshi J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rafflesia
Author: Gautam
Publisher: Frog Books
Rating: 3/5

Who doesn’t like to live on a cloud cuckoo land? Who doesn’t like the fairy tale endings? And why shouldn’t one like such stories? There are plenty reasons for liking the impractical and irrational life, for one cannot find the same contentment in the real life!
‘Rafflesia’ revolves around a similar concept where the protagonist admires the life of Rafflesia (a banished princess’ story) and desires to become like her- live in a world like her’s where there is no one to pierce the delicate bubble of happiness. But soon he is exposed to the flip side of the coin- the side characterized by the blasts of winter. Life isn’t a bowl of cherries and this realization comes down heavily on Appu, for his belief in fairytales lets him succumb to the facade of make believe.
The storyline is good; it portrays the bond of friendship between Appu and Rahul. But on the same lines, the desperate attempt to make the title look relatable to the plot is very evident. The author doesn’t refrain from mentioning the name of the book time and again in the chapters. The story oscillates between the past and the present life of Appu and the narration brings out essence beautifully. Barring the grammatical errors and incorrect vocabulary (for an instance: incorrect use of the word vowed), the setting and the atmosphere of the story are overwhelming.
The story lacks connection. The monotonous descriptive paragraphs could have easily been skipped and the page count could have been reduced. With a misleading blurb and cover, the story offers something that is not even remotely related to what the first impression might be. Nevertheless, the positive aspect of the book is that it makes the readers realize that every cloud has a silver lining and it is these fairytales that come for our rescue. We have to learn to dream and believe. The book also stresses on the importance of friends in life. ‘Blood is thicker than water’- the story proves this adage wrong as the relationship shared by Rahul and Appu surpasses all doubts.
Overall, I would like to congratulate the author for his debutant work.



Buy this book from:
Amazon


Book Courtesy: ARUDHA

[Shilpi Chaklanobis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first impression that I got from the cover of the book was that it is kind of a book based on some women with some sort of mystery and is a historic fiction, but the book is based on a simple story of Appu who is the male protagonist. It’s a contemporary fiction and involves many characters viz. Appu, Rahul, Sujata, Misha and Vijayan. The title has been derived from the title of a book “Rafflesia the Banished Princess “ that Appu’s friend Pinki gifted him in which Appu finds solution to all his problems.
Though there are many characters in the book but Appu is the one around whom whole the book is written and the ups and downs that he goes through during his life. The story switches between past and present and has been presented in a very impressive manner. Appu is presently all grown up and is working in Netherlands. Some circumstances trigger his memory and reminds him of some of his past experiences and his past life.
The plot is very interesting and relatable that talks about relationships, friendships, love, betrayal and broken marriage. The author has done a commendable job while handling so many characters and weaving such an interesting story around them. The story is very emotional and heart-warming and tells about the life struggles of Appu and the circumstances he or his family/friends come across. It is the tale of the life journey of Appu that touches the chord with the readers.

The characterization is being done wonderfully. Each character has a soul of their own and appear so real that immediately connects with the readers.

The language of the book is beautiful and easy to read. The flow is nice and narration style is impressive. Every minute detail has been taken care by the author which amplifies the impact.
Overall reading Rafflesia: The Banished Princess was a pleasant experience for me. Though at some places the pace became a bit slow but overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story and the presentation is quite intriguing and I was able to relate with the story very well.
If you are looking for an emotional, heart warming family story then this book is highly recommended for you.

[Jayasree B · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I received this book, I was a little worried since it is exam season, and Rafflesia the Banished Princess looked like a rather long read. But, even though the book is quite thick one can finish it in a few hours.

The book is split into three parts – a prologue, book one and a very short book two. The prologue takes off brilliantly and then you are thrown into old memories. This style is used throughout the book – the to and fro between the past and the present. And somehow, it is not distracting but enhances the appeal of the story.

The story itself is, to put it plainly, about Appu’s life. It covers everything he has gone through in his life. Trials and tribulations; love and heartbreak; friendships – forgotten and abandoned; successes and failures – everything that has shaped the man is featured in this story. The truly remarkable thing about Rafflesia the Banished Princess is that all characters come with their own story. And Gautam has handled this very well, displaying well thought of characters and their tales. Plots and subplots are aplenty in this book as there are many characters and everyone, plays a part that is well written.

I could not possibly do justice to describing the entire plot of the story if I wanted to because the author has been thorough and done the job brilliantly. And so, I shall just say that it is the story of Appu – who he was, who he becomes and how. His life’s story is a fantastic read.


For the full review, visit Frost At Midnite

[Karthik H · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting novel that I have come across . With a different book cover, I didn't have the faintest clue of what this was all about. Maybe it was a Japanese woman , called Rafflesia and her life history. Or maybe a typical love story about a princess who was banished by an evil witch( yes we have come across that quite a bit ). But the book is actually about something completely different. Probably not too much related to the cover or the name. The author has given a bold narrative, something not many people may have attempted to do so. Book started like a children's story but suddenly shifted gears to a mature fictional novel. The author comfortably jumps back and forth between the past and future, while revolving deeply around the main character. He gives immense detail to the lead character and makes the readers sympathize with him and even feel sorry for him at times. The best part about this book is, its non descriptive. Unlike other authors, who takes time in describing a staircase for 2-3 pages, he gets straight to the point. Just one side of the book could be the numerous characters being deployed. It's almost impossible to remember more than 50% of the names being mentioned and I had to kinda make note of who's who. Apart from this, the book is a delightful slow read and would definitely recommend to people who's looking for something new.

[Khyati Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life has its own way of teaching you vital lessons and inculcating in you the much-needed wisdom. Our quest for truth is not satisfied by the material world; rather it is satiated once we look deep beneath our skin.

‘RAFFLESIA –the banished princess’ is a poignant account of the life of its protagonist Appu. Appu is the only child of his doting parents who love him dearly. They are able to make their two ends meet with the meager income of Aabir, Appu’s father. His childhood gifted him his best friend Rahul who is the son of Aabir’s friend Vikram. Rahul’s mother Amla is very fond of Appu and instantly gets connected with him. Her sudden demise brings the life of Rahul to a standstill. However, soon he comes to terms with life.

The dismal economic conditions of Appu bothers him a lot. A young prodigy is found struggling to secure a stable and bright future. His prized possessions include several copies of his favorite fairytale Rafflesia. He is grown up wandering into the magical world but when the harsh reality beckons, he finds it hard to cope up with his surroundings. Things get tougher and Appu tries his best to overcome the challenges only to turn into a miserable, coy and withdrawn personality. Will he be able to find answers to the questions that linger in his mind? Will he be able to wipe off the mist of uncertainty and misery from his life? Will the happiness embrace him ever? Will his beautiful princess bring him the peace of his mind? Will the magical story of fantasy world encounter Appu in his real world?



REVIEW:-

This is not an ordinary book that you will bump into frequently. This is an unusual book that grips the emotions strongly and firmly.

The characterization of the protagonist Appu touched me deeply. Though his story was not relatable yet I could put myself into his shoes and feel what he experiences throughout the narrative. The powerful writing of author made it possible. The manner in which the story progress hooks its readers and is capable of leaving an everlasting impact on their minds. The storytelling of the author is praiseworthy. A unique story is knit deliberately into a marvelous plotline with the help of rustic narration and plethora of emotions. The story is replete with the human emotions and the author has framed them beautifully. The bewitching details of different locations ranging from snow-covered mountains of Arunachal Pradesh to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala grabs the attention of its readers. The alluring places present a sharp contrast to the turmoil of the Appu’s and Rahul’s lives.

This is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal and the sanctity of human relations. The elixir of life is not an alien thing. It rests within us. All we need is to take peek through the superficial layer and delve deep.

Though the book is really a good one, I would suggest to edit it once properly so as to make it free of the abrupt shift in the sentences and other printing errors.

A story that strikes a chord with your heart and soul is rare to find these days;

Glad to have it!

[Gautam Yadav · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Rafflesia: The Banished Princess” doesn’t it sound like a catchy phrase. The first impression that we get by these words is that this book will tell the story of a girl who has been kept in captivity for a long time and was rescued by his prince charming. Something along those lines, somewhat a fairy tale. But let me tell you this book is very different and your preconceived notions will be challenged once you start reading this book.
The book opens by introducing Appu at age of 5. It describes how a child amalgamates his fantasies and imagination with the reality of life. The Author has done that beautifully by describing a daily life incident from Appu’s Life. When others find it curious to look at the clock tower located in Valley of Guwahati, Appu’s mind seems fascinated with Beauty of flowers.
As the story moves forward different characters are introduced in the journey of Appu’s Life. Most of them become his friends, find a place in his life as his family but many of them move on in their lives leaving Appu to feel lonely and alone. The only person who remained constant in his life apart from his parents was his best friend “Rahul”. The story portrays how their friendship grows with ups and downs of their lives.
The Book is divided into two main parts, the first part of the book is about the life of Appu in Netherland where an emotion, a word, a picture or a song brings back memories from his past. The second half of the book is about Appu’s life and struggles in India. Author has successfully achieved the art of transfusing, what many writers even after years of writing fail to grasp. Sentence structure and vocabulary kept it interesting.
Although the book had many twists and turns the biggest revelation came a bit late. The author tried to keep it mysterious but it started losing its touch and when the climax of the story was finally revealed I somewhat knew what it was. Another thing that author could have done better was to have it better edited as there are grammatical mistakes at few places in the book. Also, there are few extra details in the book which were not required at all for the plot, it would have looked much better without them. Finally, it is the story of Rafflesia, honestly, it is really hard to connect the story of Appu and Rafflesia with each other though once you read it you might be able to find some similarities they are hard to find and hence I couldn’t find the reasons why Author decided to name the story of Appu, Rafflesia – The Banished Princess.
But just for the story of Appu’s life, I would recommend it to someone looking to change their reading style from crime thriller to drama.


Rating: 3.25/5


Personal Recommendation:
Whole Package, A Book that will make you cry, fall in love, feel betrayed and believe in friendship. It is a carefully woven story and beautifully represented plot. It is the first book of the year that made me cry as well as laugh. If you are looking for something besides action thriller book then I would recommend this book for you.

[Dimple Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is provided by Arudha Club in exchange for a genuine review.

Title: Rafflesia

Subtitle: The Banished Princess

Author: Gautam

Publishers: Leadstart Publishers

Edition: First

ISBN-13: 9789352017164

Publication Date: 20th March 2017

Number Of Pages: 397

“Standing in the face of a separation is not the most pleasant of circumstances for a man to be in.”

Blurb:

The curtains draw up. the lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on the stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold…. As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as striking young man and struggles to find his palace. What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia- The Banished Princess…..because in her story, lay his!

Review:

The story starts with a flashback of Appu’s childhood days in which the reader is introduced to a few major characters of the story. The second chapter switches to Appu’s present life in which the reader is introduced to Appu’s close friend Jeet, his sister-in-law Sujata and her sister Misha. Sujata was unsatisfied with her married life. Appu felt depressive even in the presence of Jeet and Sujata. His past life and present life events are narrated simultaneously. The first few chapters basically introduce all the major characters of the story. The story moves forward at an extremely slow pace. There are too many unnecessary characters in the book that only distract the reader. There were even many events that were not required. Appu had a strong connection with his brother Rahul. They did not share any blood relation yet they considered each other as brothers. In the beginning, I wondered why the title of the book has been kept Rafflesia. The name of the book was mentioned again and again in the story as it was Appu’s favorite book. When the story almost reaches the climax it is then I understood the significance and the connection of the title. The banished princess had a strong connection with Appu’s life and was an inspiration to Appu. The cover was very attractive and royal like the title of the book. The blurb was very creative and catchy. The language of the book was simple. I found this book a bit boring in the middle as the plot was unnecessarily stretched like a TV serial. The plot was not boring, it was the narrative style that made it boring. The quantity of the pages can never define the quality of the book. It’s always the story that makes the book worth reading. Overall this book was an average read for me. I recommend this book to those who love their families and have lots of spare time to read.

Review:

Title: 4/5

Cover: 5/5

Characterization: 4/5

Blurb: 4.5/5

Plot: 2/5

Writing and Presentation: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

[Aakanksha Mishra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rafflesia

Blurb-
"Rafflesia: The Banished Princess"
The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colors blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold…

As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place.

What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of
Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia — The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!"

Review-

This beautiful novel is penned down by Gautam. The intriguing cover and title of the story gives impression that this is a fantasy fiction but the reality is totally different. This novel is fiction but not that fairy tale types. This book has a emotional impact which is really interesting.

This story is about a boy named Appu. Short starts from a scene where 4 years old Appu along with his friends is returning to home after the school and when each boy and girl is interested in watching a tower Appu notices lotus buds. This books has so much to tell. Each character, appu's friends, his parents has a different story. The bond between Rahul and Appu is the most admirable relation in the story. Appu’s journey of growing up was very beautifully conveyed through the book. The character of Appu is portrayed so beautifully in the book that it becomes a real image in our mind. Perfect blend of fairy tail with reality is described in this book.

The language used is simple and the writing style of the author is fresh and connecting. The title of the book 'Rafflesia' which is a parasitic flower is used metamorphically to give more beauty. The cover of the book is really amazing and beautiful but it fails to relate with the story. The length of the book is really good as I love reading day books. So it was a good read for me.

[Niharika Nag · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I was sent a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review)

1/5

Synopsis:The curtains draw up. Lights are dimmed. The musical is about to begin. As the beautiful princess descends on stage, the mythical creatures from her kingdom come alive. Flickers of brilliant colours blaze across as mesmerizing music pulsates from one corner of the theatre to the other. A fairy tale is about to unfold...

As young children, we often come across things that stay in our hearts forever. For Appu, it is a fairy tale about a beautiful princess.He lives with her in a world filled with the magical creatures from her kingdom until the real world beckons. A reluctant Appu steps into it as a striking young man and struggles to find his place.

What follows is an evocative tale of love and loss, friendship and betrayal, as the story travels through the snow-peaked mountains of Arunachal to the golden deserts of Jaisalmer, the tulip gardens of Holland to the lush greens of Kerala. Does Appu find what he had set out for? The answer lies in Rafflesia - The Banished Princess because in her story, lay his!

***

If it is not already evident, I did not like this book very much. Firstly, there is a problem with the editing of the book. There are a lot of grammatical errors in the book, and some of the sentence formations weren't the best.

"Vikram was vowed by Aabir's performance that evening."

"Don't say like that, Rahul."

The book is filled with unnecessary detail, and I was given so much information about things that had no role to play in the story as a whole. We were introduced to unnecessary characters, who appeared and disappeared, only to never come up again. Sometimes I found that the same piece of information was being repeated.

The book is named "Rafflesia-The Banished Princess", which is supposed to be the favourite fairy-tale of the protagonist Apurva Sharma. However, I did not come to understand how or why this particular fairy-tale had such an impact on his life.

The book is a very slow read, and I had to really push myself to read it. If you are okay with books like that, then this book might be suitable for you, but it was most definitely not for  me. I usually prefer books with a quicker pace.

The book is concentrated around the life of Apurva, more fondly known as Appu, and his friendship with Rahul. It is about how a boy from a poor background makes something of himself in the world, and the events that take place in his life that shape him. To be honest, the story failed to grip me. I felt like the whole story was just dragged on.

So this book is going to be one of the books which did not work for me this year and I would not recommend it. However, I have seen this book get 5 star reviews, so may be it was just not for me. :) I hope this review was helpful to you <3 

[Divya Ramnath Bandodkar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review:
I received this book from Arudhaa in exchange of an honest review.

Rafflesia - The Banished Princess is a story that primarily focuses on Appu, the protagonist and his life. Reading the title and the blurb, you might draw a picture of a fairy tale in your mind. Life isn't a fairy tale though.

Coming to the story, the pace of the story is slow. The plot is fresh and reading Rafflesia was a completely new experience to me. I had never read a story similar to this one. The book has approximately 400 pages. I felt that the length of the book could have been reduced a little. Since its long, you will find difficulty in reading it in one day. And you will have to re-read a few pages every time you pick up the book to read.

The characters of this novel develop as you read the book. Appu, the protagonist will become a dear one to every person who reads this book. He is a sweetheart. The author uses a simple language. I came across a few new words that enriched my vocabulary. The narration is lucid and keeps you engaged.

Give this book a read if you like reading stories centered around imagination and fairy tales.

I rate:
Cover: 3/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Story: 3.5/5

I rate 'Rafflesia - The Banished Princess' with 3.5/5 stars.