Book Review of The Princess of a Whorehouse

The Princess of a Whorehouse by Mayank Sharma  is a thought provoking novel. This novel throws light on those factors and issues which we people mostly ignore. Actually we hate to talk about such topics. Through this book, Mayank has brought a revolution in the world of writing.

Starting with the cover of the book, this looks marvalous and it is difficult to describe those emotions that one feels after this cover encounter. The cover designer might tell the technique but as a naive person to this world, I can iterate that the merger of the pictures surely fits the thought process of the author.

The title has sub title, ‘The Story of a Swamp Princess’ and the title The Princess of a Whorehouse. The title seems ironical to some of the readers, as they think, how can a princess and a whorehouse be connected? But here is a very strong connection to this story.

Coming to the story, Aparajita is a tenacious go-getter. Her name means unconquerable in Sanskrit, and she lives up to its meaning.
Just like any other ambitious girl, she desires to fulfil her dreams and become an independent individual. Far and wide, the shadow of her melancholy past chases her passage. The fact that her widowed mother is a former sex worker irks the community. Nonetheless, she is not ashamed to reveal her mother’s past.
Will she lose hope, or will she defy an enigma that is centuries-old? Will she ever conquer the hearts of a prestige-obsessed community?
See the world through Aparajita’s prism in a tale stirred by some real life events.

The plot is enthralling and the way the author has executed is the just perfect. It kept me focussed to the book till the end. There were many twists and turns in the story and the author proved me wrong at all the places which is a success for him.

The characterisation is fantastic and the author has created multiple characters with many roles. Even the minor characters had major roles to play. I really loved Aparajita’s character and the way her desire never let her fall. She is replica of her mother. Her mother had a desire to make her daughter study. Both of their desires changes their lives.

Through this book, the author’s message is crystal clear. This type of topics are never discussed. We consider sex workers as cursed people but what about their children? Don’t they have wishes? Even they want to study. It is not written in any book that children of sex workers will become sex workers only and they are forbidden to study. I was deeply touched by the book and these questions kept on hovering over my head.

Technically speaking, the story was fast paced. The characters were so many and at times I got confused. The style of writing was simple and this simplicity sometimes turns out to be a turn off. The pages were just 112 and I completed in one go, but accordingly, the book with such a storng plot could have been more detailed. The descriptions were apt though. Further, the language could have been improved. If the author is coming with such a powerful topic then the language should be more powerful. Otherwise, it is a must read book. Not because I am saying , but because this book deserves to be read and to be talked about.

Grab your copies from here.