Sakina’s Kiss

by Vivek Shanbhag, Srinath Perur (Translator)

Venkat answers urgent knocks on the door to his flat one evening to find two insolent young men claiming to have business with his daughter Rekha. He deals with them shortly, only to find his quiet, middle-class life upended by a bewildering set of events over the next few days.

Even as Venkat is hurled into a world of street gangs and murky journalism, we see a parallel narrative unfold of a betrayal and disappearance from long ago. Could there be a connection? Set over four mostly sleepless days, we see Venkat lose grasp of the narrative even as he loses grasp of his wife and daughter.

Exquisitely translated from the Kannada by Srinath Perur, Sakina’s Kiss is a delicate, precise meditation on the persistence of old biases—and a rattled masculinity—in India’s changing social and political landscape. Ingeniously crafted, Vivek Shanbhag interrogates the space between truth and perception in this unforgettable foray into the minefield of family life.

Genres: Fiction, India, Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Indian Literature, Drama, Asia

194 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only once in a while we come across a novel that can be perused in two different ways. This is a novel belonging to that category.

The first way to read it is as an easy weekend read, which takes us through a few days in the life of an ordinary middle-class family. The author shows us the problems that the generation gap can build in an average middle-class family and their struggles to tackle it. The beauty of this book is that you can thoroughly enjoy it by reading it as a creation that starts as a simple plot-driven one discussing a few events in the life of three family members.

It is the second way in which you can read this book that makes it more poignant, engrossing, and dazzling to much more serious readers. The author silently shows the clash between patriarchy, idealism, realism, feminism, socialism, and communism through his characters. He shows us the pros and cons of each of these Philosophies and ideologies brilliantly hidden in the behavioral patterns of the characters. He prompts the readers to have a cerebral debate by getting into the skin of each character while slowly proceeding through the novel. The danger of this writing style, especially including so many themes in such a small novel spanning just 180 pages is that the author can easily cross the limit which might make the reading experience quotidian. Vivek Shanbag brilliantly maneuvers this intricate situation convincingly by traversing through this labyrinthine pathway in one of the best ways possible.

He shows us how lousy patriarchy was in the previous generations through the characters of Venkat's father and Antanna. He slowly shifts our focus to Socialism and communism through Ramana's character and shows us how Socialism toned down the patriarchy and helped to build awareness in the minds of the people during the 1960s and 1970s.

I believe the author has deliberately given specific characteristics to his characters to make them representatives of certain ideologies. Just like Antanna representing patriarchy and Ramana representing socialism, Venkat is more pragmatic and leans towards realism, intermittently showing shades of patriarchy; his wife, Viji, shows us the feministic aspect, while Rekha is an ardent follower of idealism. The author doesn't even stop there; he takes the reader to the other side of the spectrum and shows us the other side and why it is challenging to follow idealism. We can see the idealist in Rekha ironically turning into a totally different person when she is body-shaming a politician, narcissistically manipulating Venkat to cast his vote for a different person, calling unwanted foul names, and losing her temper in situations where she should have held her composure. The brilliance of this novel is that the author effortlessly criticizes the pseudo-liberals of the older generation and pseudo-intellectuals of the newer generation simultaneously.


What I learned from this book
1) How should you have a productive conversation with others?
There is a book called, 'How to Talk to Anyone' by Leil Lowndes. In it, the author shows us how to have productive conversations and the way to talk to anyone. It is a useful book that will give you a lot of takeaways. The problem with that book is that Lowndes becomes too preachy at times in it.

Vivek Shanbag also shares similar lessons in this book. His brilliance is his ability to share valuable lessons with us without being too preachy or technical, like what Lowndes did in her book.

The importance of talking less and listening is shared through his characters via his simple narration style.

"How could I have forgotten what my guru, Tiwari, had once whispered in my ear: Never say more than what is asked."

2) Job satisfaction of Engineers in India
There is no doubt that Engineers from India are few of the best in their respective fields. This is one of the reasons why Indians hold key positions in almost all the MNCs, especially in the IT field. Everyone knows about these people who excel in their field of work. But what about the other Engineers who haven't reached their peak yet?

Engineers have been facing a tricky situation for some time all around the world, especially in India. The demand for Engineers is very high in specific fields, like the IT sector. Most of them are pretty comfortable working in the fields that they didn't study during their college years. However, a few of them are forced to work in fields outside their field of expertise, especially the IT sector, due to peer pressure, better packages, and even the bandwagon effect to a certain extent. The author brilliantly addresses regarding them in this book

"Something I have not been able to come to terms with after all these years is the fact that my work has no connection to the electrical engineering I studied. Maybe I should not complain about this. After all, my salary grew steadily everywhere I worked."

3) Why should you never ever negatively comment on a woman's attire?
It is always great to be appreciated for what we wear. It is also our duty to dress appropriately according to the occasion to maintain the decorum. It is still a person's choice to decide what to wear. The problem arises when people start unnecessarily criticizing women for what they wear. This sort of unhealthy criticism takes dangerous turns during elections and in cases where women are molested. It is disheartening to see educated people verbally supporting those who directly and indirectly attack women if they don't like the woman's dressing style. The people who say that women were attacked just because of the way they dress must have some terrible lack of common sense and insight.

These topics related to women's attire have been discussed multiple times in various national media programs and debates. Surprisingly, some people still exist in this world who think that women's dress is the root cause of all the problems. The author brilliantly trolls them through Rekha's character in this book.

"It gives off a rotten smell when personal matters like the clothes people wear become politicized. However tightly anyone closes their doors and windows, it enters everyone's house."

My favourite three lines from this book

"Votes are kept secret so that families stay together."

"A woman can make a scene if a stranger touches her in a bus. But what can she do when it's her husband?"

"Who were his friends? Did he mention any names?' I said, Orwell. Shakespeare. Marx."

What could have been better?
Are self-help books a double-edged sword that makes or breaks you? The author is trying to discuss this sensitive topic through Venkat's character. He shows us the inferiority complex associated with people reading self-help books, from how Venkat tries hiding a book from his newlywed wife during his honeymoon to when he unhauls books. He also shows us some of the positives of reading self-help books. I expected Vivek to take us through a tiny sojourn into the realms of the dangers of toxic positivity as he did regarding patriarchy in this book. Sadly, the author decided to take a superficial approach by only taking tiny peeks at it. It might be me being too ambitious and expecting so much from this small book. But I felt that the opportunity was certainly there in the character arc of Venkat, which sadly went underutilized.



Rating
5/5 The beauty of this novel is that it is open-ended and makes you ask several questions. The novel is crafted in such a way that each of these questions will have a deeper meaning and can be deciphered according to your depth of understanding. For example, a reader might ask what happened to Ramana. If you think a little more deeply, the same question will change: what happened to Socialism? When we see how Ramana changed the way Venkat thinks, there is a hidden meaning in how Socialism tried to remove patriarchy to make our society into an idealistic one, just like Rekha's wish. Instead, it turned into a much more realistic and tolerant one (which is sadly intolerant at times), like Venkat's personality. Socialism definitely had a positive impact, but is it enough for our society to become idealistic? Will Ramana, who might still be alive, remove the remaining bit of patriarchy from Venkat to make him fully understand Viji and Rekha and show him that family values are more vital than any ancestral property?

The open-ended ending will make us ask many questions. In a battle between patriarchy, feminism, socialism, communism, realism, and idealism, who will ultimately win? The author indirectly gives hints to answer this question in multiple parts of this book. If you go into a contemplation mode after finishing this novel, you can easily find the answer to it.

This is one of the most complex novels discussing many socially relevant topics like toxic masculinity, children of divorced parents, the safety of women during public night programs like music concerts, the impact of black money in politics, the plight of widows (who were solely dependent on their husband's income) in husbands joint families, social media exposure and the influence of western culture over Indian youngsters, problems associated with generation gap and inherent greediness of a few people for money and property. The author convincingly integrates all these intricate topics in a convincing manner to entertain and enlighten the readers at the same time. This is a novel that has many layers embedded in it that you should never miss.

Huge thanks to Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book.


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[Tanuj Solanki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivek Shanbhag's Ghachar Ghochar looked at moral reformulations after the opening up of the economy in the early 90s. Sakina's Kiss has its eye turned on our more recent moral confusions. The timing goes well with talk of the 'New India novel' in Indian English, one that looks at a post-2014 India through new prisms. Shanbhag's novel moves towards its historical time mildly, tangentially, from the dining table, even -- an approach that appears different from most examples one has read this year of this still-developing genre. Perhaps the novel it can be claimed to resemble is Anjum Hasan's History's Angel. In both novels, no names are taken; the thud of Event is missing; there are no life-and-death situations, only suggestions of harm; there are no pressures to move the cast beyond the so-called bourgeoisie; and the drama is juxtaposed with long streams of interiority. 

What is stunning about 'Sakina's Kiss' is its inclusion, despite its modest size, of multiple themes without seeming to get into any kind of labour. Rural land grabs and politics, Naxalism, male-female relations, cinema-fuelled urban masculinity, the difficulties of fatherhood, the cults of self-improvement, urban 'society' living, the awkwardness of encounters with police -- we find all these here, laced with a dafuqness that can only be called Kafkaesque, any gaps filled in by our current national natratives. Some oddities of middle-class life inevitably seep in. Like how, even during an emergency, a couple who owns two cars decides to travel to the village by bus.

The translation by Srinath Perur is perfect, even self-effacing, I would say, which is a quality that, I believe, it shares with Shanbhag's narrators. I can think of no higher compliment.

To me (and this took some reflection), the novel's unique ending is a signifier of the terrifying open-endedness of our contemporary reality, where Event, non-Event and Total Catastrophe are all clear possibilities -- possibilities that we can only see (because that's our only training) through the lens of corporate-y positivity.

[Nayaz Riyazulla · Rating 4 out of 5]

ಕೆಲವರ ಮೋಡಿಯೇ ಹಾಗೆ, ಅವರ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳು ಎಂದರೆ, ಅದರಲ್ಲೂ ಹೊಸ ಪುಸ್ತಕವೆಂದರೆ ಬೇಗ ಓದಿಬಿಡಬೇಕು ಎನ್ನುವ ತುಡಿತ. ಹೀಗೆ pre-book ಮಾಡಿ ತರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಒಂದೇ ಗುಕ್ಕಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಓದಿದ ಪುಸ್ತಕ ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗರ "ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತು"

ಇದು ಪ್ರಸ್ತುತ ಕಾಲಗಟ್ಟದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಮನೆಯೊಳಗೇ ಎರಡು ಗುಂಪುಗಳಿವೆ, ಆ ಗುಂಪುಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾರದೋ influence ಇದೆ. ಅವರೇ ಸರಿ ಎನ್ನುವ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಭಕ್ತಿಯಿದೆ. ತೀರ ಹಚ್ಚಿಕೊಂಡು ಮನೆಯವರನ್ನೇ ದ್ವೇಷಿಸುವ ಕರಾಳ ಮನವು ಇದೆ. ಆ ಕರಾಳತೆ ಜೀವನದ ನೆಮ್ಮದಿಯನ್ನೇ ಹೇಗೆ ಹಾಳುಗೆಡುವುತ್ತದೆ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ನೇರವಾಗಿ ಅಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ, ಪರೋಕ್ಷವಾಗಿ ಲೇಖಕರು ಮಂಡಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ

ವಿವೇಕರ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕಥೆಗಳಂತೆ ಇಲ್ಲೂ ನಿಗೂಢ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಿವೆ, ಆ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳ ಒಟ್ಟು ಕ್ಯಾನ್ವಾಸ್ ನಮಗೆ ಸಿಗುವುದೇ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಸಿಗುವ ತುಡಿತ ಉಚ್ಚಾಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ��್ದರೂ ಕೈಗೆ ಸಿಗದೇ ತಲೆಗೆ ಹುಳ ಬಿಡುವುದು ವಿವೇಕರ ಶಕ್ತಿ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದಲ್ಲ , ಹಲವು ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳಿದ್ದು, ವಿಕ್ರಮ ಬೇತಾಳದ ಕಥೆಯಂತೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹೆಗೆಲೇರುತ್ತದೆ , ಬುದ್ದಿವಂತರಾಗಿದ್ದರೆ ನಾವೇ ವಿಕ್ರಂರಾಗಬೇಕಷ್ಟೆ.

ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಏನೋ ನಡೆದಿದೆ, ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಮುಂಚೆ ನಡೆದ ಘಟನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ತಳುಕು ಹಾಕಿ ನೋಡುವಂತೆ ಮಾಡುವ ವಿವೇಕರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ ನೂರಕ್ಕೆ ನೂರರಷ್ಟು ಗೆದ್ದಿದೆ. ನನಗೆ ಇನ್ನೂ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಿದ್ದು ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಶೀರ್ಷಿಕೆ ತೆರೆದುಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಪರಿ, ಅಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಕಥೆಯ ವೇಗ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತದೆ. ಇದೇ ಅನುಭವ ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್ ನೀಳ್ಗಥೆ ಓದುವಾಗ ಆಗಿತ್ತು.

ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ಓದಿ ಕಪಾಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇಟ್ಟು ಮರೆತುಬಿಡುವ ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ವರ್ಗಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇರುವ ಪುಸ್ತಕವಲ್ಲವಿದು. ಓದಿ ಇಲ್ಲದ ಯಾವುದೋ ವಿವರಗಳನ್ನು ಹುಡುಕಿ ನಮ್ಮ ದೃಷ್ಟಿಕೋನದಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದು ಮುಗಿಸೋಣ ಅನ್ನಿಸುತ್ತೆ.

ಕಥೆಯ ಒಂದು ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶ ಅಥವಾ ಪಾತ್ರದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಬರೆದರೂ, ಇದು ಕಥೆಯನ್ನು ಹಾಳುಗೆಡುವುತ್ತದೆ ಎನ್ನುವ ಭಯದಲ್ಲೇ ಬರೆಯುವಷ್ಟು ವಿಶಾಲವಾಗಿ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ನನ್ನ ಮನದಲ್ಲಿ ಹರಡಿದೆ

ಒಂದೇ ತರಹದ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳನ್ನು ಓದಿ, ಏನನ್ನೋ ಹೊಸತು ಹುಡುಕುವ ಓದುಗರಿಗೆ ಇದು ಈಗಷ್ಟೆ ಮಾಡಿಟ್ಟ ಬಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿಯಾದ ಜಿಲೇಬಿ.

[Prashanth Bhat · Rating 5 out of 5]

ಒಂದೊಂದು ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದೊಂದು ಅರ್ಥ ಕೊಡುವ ಬರಹಗಳು ಇವರದು

[Ahtims · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second book by the author and I marvel at his ability to focus upon the darker sides of human relationships, even the most benign seeming ones!
I would have given it 3 or 4 stars till 80 percent through, and only at the end did the horrendous beauty and depth of this story abut upon me.

[That dorky lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler alert- ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ‌ ಸಕೀನಾಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲ ಮುತ್ತೂ ಇಲ್ಲ! ಮತ್ತೇನು ಓದುವುದು ಎಂದರೆ... ಬಹಳಷ್ಟಿದೆ.
ಕೆಲವು ಕತೆಗಳು ಪೂರ್ಣ ಅಪರಿಚಿತ ಪರಿಸರದ ಘಟನಾವಳಿಗಳಾಗಿದ್ದು ಓದುವಾಗ ಸಂಪೂರ್ಣವಾಗಿ ಹೊಸತೊಂದು ಲೋಕಕ್ಕೆ ಒಯ್ದು ಓದಿನ ಖುಷಿ ಕೊಟ್ಟರೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಕೆಲವು - ಈ ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತಿನಂತವು ಪದೇಪದೇ ನಮ್ಮದೇ ನೆನಪಿನ ತಿಜೋರಿ ಕೆದಕಿ ಕಚಗುಳಿ ಇಡುತ್ತವೆ.

ವೆಂಕಟನ ಸ್ವಭಾವ ಮಧ್ಯಮವರ್ಗದ; ಅತಿ ಸಾಧಾರಣ ಕನಸುಗಳನ್ನು ಹೊತ್ತ, ಜೀವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಏರಬಹುದಾದ ಎತ್ತರಕ್ಕಿಂತಲೂ ಕೈಕಾಲು ಚಾಚಬಹುದಾದ ವಿಶಾಲ ಜಾಗಕ್ಕೆ, ಹೆಚ್ಚೇನೂ ಆಚೀಚೆಯಾಗದ ಕಂಫರ್ಟಿಗೆ ಮಹತ್ವಕೊಡುವ ನಮ್ಮನಡುವೆ ಸರ್ವೇಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಕಂಡುಬರುವ 'ಮೇಲ್'ವರ್ಗದ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟ ಚಿತ್ರಣ.
ಲಾಲಿಸಿ ಬೆಳೆಸಿದ ಮಗು ತನ್ನದೇ ಸ್ವತಂತ್ರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ಹೊಂದುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಅವಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಹೊಸಯುಗದ ಓಘಕ್ಕೆ ಒಗ್ಗಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಒದ್ದಾಡುತ್ತಾ, ತಂದೆತನದ ಹಿಡಿತ ಕೈತಪ್ಪಿ ಹೋದಂತೆ, ಮಗಳು ದೂರವೇ ಆದಂತೆ ಆತಂಕಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತಾ ಆ ದೂರಕ್ಕೆ ಸೇತುವೆ ಹೊಸೆಯಲು ಸೋಲುತ್ತಾ, ಮತ್ತೆ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾ ಬಹಳಷ್ಟು ಸಾರಿ ನನ್ನದೇ ಅಪ್ಪನಂತೆ ಕಂಡಿದ್ದು ಸುಳ್ಳಲ್ಲ. (ಮಗಳ ಅಪ್ಪಂದಿರಲ್ಲೆಲ್ಲಾ ನನ್ನಪ್ಪನೇ ಕಾಣುವುದೊಂದು ಮಜ)

ಬರೀ ವೆಂಕಟನ ನರೇಟಿವ್ನಲ್ಲೇ ಇಡೀ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ನಡೆಸಿದ್ದು ರೇಖಾಳಿಗೂ ವಿಜಿಗೂ ಮೋಸವಾಯ್ತು ಎನಿಸಿತು. ಹಾಗಾಗದಂತೆ ತಡೆಯಲೇ ಬಹುಶಃ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಅಂತ್ಯವನ್ನು ಅನಂತ ಸಾಧ್ಯತೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಓದುವ ನಮ್ಮದೇ ಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿಯಾಗಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೋ ಏನೋ.... ವಿವೇಕರ ಇತರೆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಂತೆಯೇ ಇದೂ ಕೂಡ ಒಂದಷ್ಟು ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಯೇ ಮುಗಿಯಿತು.

[Gorab · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highlights: Art of weaving stories! Smooth translation.

Why it was picked?
It was on my list since i loved Gachar Gochar, and the translators book - If it's Monday it must be Madurai. Received it as a gift and immediately jumped on it.

What I loved:
1. Descriptions of daily life.
2. Subtle humor and digs on self help books.
3. Lovely translation. Though wondering if some Kannada could have been infused - hot ghee in mouth example.
4. The character of Venkat. Especially in the last few pages depicting confused hypocrisy 😆

What I didn't like:
1. Random meanderings.
2. What started as a decent plot went haywire and kept getting sidetracked time and again.

Till the penultimate page, i kind of hated the book for being pointless! What's the significance of the title? Why the narrator keeps rambling random stuff. But the last 2 pages made up for it. In spite of it not being a thriller!

Overall:
Not anywhere nearby the league of Gachar Gochar. There are times when a series of short stories feel interconnected. This was the inverse of it as a novel!

[Smitha Murthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't of too many Kannada novels that get translated into English. Translated well, that is. The last Kannada novel I read that was impeccable in its translation was Vasudhendhra's 'Tejo Tunghabhadra.'

'Sakina's Kiss' is a strange-sounding book, isn't it? It reads like a literary thriller. I was turning each page wondering what is going to happen. The events in the book seem outlandish, even, but they are commonplace. But Vivek's genius lies in giving us a composite of life. A critique of society. And a gentle look at a bewildered man left to cope with society's changes.

Nothing is ever resolved in the book. Perhaps, that's the point. There's no plot. Not structured story. You hate the narrator - I really disliked Venkataramana. Yet, you finish this spare, sparse, complex novel. And think over all the different points in the novel in bewilderment and fascination.

[Kate O'Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm afraid this book confused me somewhat. I had expected a little more action from reading the synopsis. What I think I got was a long essay about the changing nature of the roles of men and women along with a little dodgy politics. I'm afraid I'm still unclear as to what the author was trying to say.

Perhaps I was the wrong audience but I was unsure by the end exactly what the book had been about. Or perhaps some of the nuance was lost in translation.

I found some of the book interesting, mainly the roles men and women play in more conservative countries but the politics and Venkat's attitude to both his wife and daughter quite irritating. Certainly his overactive imagination and flights of fancy regarding his daughter felt a little over-egged.

Again, I was perhaps not the right audience for this novel.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the advance review copy.

[Girish · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a cracker of a book! On reflection, In thriller as a genre, what scares you the most is the unknown. This book with more fear driven conjectures than solid resolutions ticks all the boxes. This timely book set in Bengaluru, exploring the mindset of a family man bought up in village is a study of human nature.

Venkataramana who yields to his peers and becomes "Venkat" considers himself a liberal man who is reasonably successful and happy with his wife Viji and daughter Rekha. When one day some goons turn up at their door in search of his daughter who is in his village, the next four sleepless days with so many twists makes us question what we know for certain (of the narrator too). The events, rather than coherently building up to a story, opens new doors and unsettles Venkat and you.

There are so many subtexts in the seemingly simple narrative. One category is the more macro themes around caste, prejudices, influences of ideas such as naxalism, political hooliganism and cut throat journalism. On the other hand is the domestic casual patriarchy, sexism, adolescent rebellion and an unsaid angst of getting used to changing times. Does a man who grew up in a conservative patriarchal household with secrets adapt to being a liberal city dwelling family man? Isn't this the story of most people who have now become the working class?

The characters of Viji and Rekha are written well. Viji's transformation from the new bride in an arranged marriage to the practical parent is so subtly suggested. Also her sharp comments that could be innocent or loaded as per the context keeps you (and Venkat) wondering. Rekha who challenges her dad at every opportunity and her secretiveness from the POV of the father haunts you. You are never sure what is the family dynamic in the household.

Vivek Shanbagh has already established himself as the voice of new Indian novels. With Srinath Perur's translation that still keeps it Indian, I found the flavor of reading a regional book. Ex: Pouring Ghee in the fire instead of changing it to adding fuel to fire is a smart translation.

A book that will be as discussed as Ghachar Ghochor.

[Vasanth · Rating 4 out of 5]

ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗರ “ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್” ಪುಸ್ತಕವನ್ನು ವರ್ಷದ ಹಿಂದೆಯೇ ತಂದಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದರೂ ಸಹ 2025ರ ಮೊದಲ ಓದಿಗಾಗಿ ನಾನು ಕೈಗೆತ್ತಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದು ಇತ್ತೀಚೆಗೆ ಕೊಂಡ “ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತು”, ಆದರೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಸಕೀನಾಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲ ಮುತ್ತೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಹಾಗೆಂದು ನನಗೇನೂ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪವೂ ನಿರಾಶೆಯಾಗಲಿಲ್ಲ.

ಪುಸ್ತಕದ ಸುಂದರ ಮುಖಪುಟಕ್ಕೆ ಒಲಿದು ಇದೊಂದು ಸರಳ ವಿರಳ ಸುಂದರ ಪ್ರೇಮಕಥೆಯಿರಬೇಕೆಂಬ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆಯೊಂದಿಗೆ ಓದಿದ ನನ್ನನ್ನು “ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತು” ತಳ್ಳಿದ್ದು ಗೋಜಲು ಸ್ಥಿತಿಗೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮದೇ ಅನುಭವಗಳೆನಿಸುವ, ಭವಿಷ್ಯತ್ತಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಘಟಿಸಬಹುದೆನ್ನುವಂತಹ ಘಟನೆಗಳಿವೆ, ವಿರೂಪಕ್ಕೊಳಗಾಗಿರದ ಆದರೆ ವಿಕ್ಷಿಪ್ತ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಿವೆ. ಗೊಂದಲಕ್ಕೊಳಪಡಿಸುವ ವಿಲಕ್ಷಣ ಸನ್ನಿವೇಶಗಳಿವೆ.

ನನ್ನ ನಿರೀಕ್ಷೆಗೂ ಮೀರಿದ ಶಾನಭಾಗರ ಬರವಣಿಗೆಯಿತ್ತು. ಮನಸ್ಸಿಗೆ ನಾಟುವ ಮರಳಿ ಓದಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಸಾಲುಗಳಿದ್ದವು, ವಾವ್ ಎನ್ನಿಸುವಂತಹ ಅದ್ಭುತ ರೂಪಕಗ���ಿದ್ದವು. ಓದುಗನಿಗೆ ಇನ್ನೇನು ಬೇಕು..?

ಧನ್ಯವಾದ,
ವಸಂತ್
10.01.2025

[Krutika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to what others have to say, I liked Sakina’s Kiss as much as I liked Ghachar Ghochar. Both books have a certain amount of quietness to them, something that makes you want to read them on a Sunday when the whole world slows down. I’m glad Srinath Perur has translated of both novels because he never misses. The essence of the story is transferred intact from Kannada to English. In Sakina’s Kiss, we see Venkataramana, a middle class man who fails to see his own misogynistic side. The story is set at a time when our country is changing and evolving socially and politically and we see Venkat struggling to understand his teenage daughter’s progressive views. A sudden involvement of goons into their normal life shakes Venkat and henceforth begins a slow unravelling of the story.

Although the story may seem normal on the surface, it brings together a lot of interesting topics. We see a patriarchal head who is paranoid about his wife and daughter keeping secrets from him, fails to acknowledge change, and parrots lines from the many self help books that he reads. I’m quite certain that many of us growing up in the late 80s and early 90s have someone like Venkat within our families. He doesn’t trust liberal journalists and secretly believes condescending things a politician says about women. What really amazed me was the accuracy with which Shanbhag managed to capture this image of an Indian man who believes himself to be the perfect husband and father while carrying these backward notions in his head.

Sakina’s Kiss reads like a slow burn mystery but in the end, it turns out to be so much more than that. But I also feel that his books probably wouldn’t be everybody’s cup of tea. He has a very nuanced way of writing and making statements through minute details that strikes a chord with the audience. But I’d highly recommend you to give it a try.

Thank you for the advance copy @penguinindia.

[PeaceOfGod · Rating 3 out of 5]

The ending was not it. After reading 2 books by Vivek, Ive realised that open ended writing is his jam.



PLOT- 7/10. This book ended abruptly, I do understand that Vivek writes open-ended stories, but this had a LOT of unresolved secrets, why did Rekha leave? Where did she go? Was there anything going on with her and Manju? Who knocks at the door in the end? What did the thieves take when they broke in? What happened to Ramana and Nila? , there were so many mysterious things happening in the book, that when they were left unresolved, It angered me to a whole new level. Yeah call me shallow or 'not looking deep enough' or 'its literary creativity.' Well 90% of humans lack that creativity, so what?


CHARACTERS- 9/10. It did a good enough job of portraying social issues across generation, with Antanna being heavily misogynistic, to Venkat being moderately misogynistic to Rekha being totally intolerable of misogyny...... this did a fine job of portraying how different generations think about social issues. Idk if readers realise this but.......as the story progresses, Venkat isin't the good lover boy/caring husband he used to be, he becomes a fraction of Antanna towards the end. And lemme say this, I didn't like Rekha either, sure im progressive and everything , but she was a little too..... how do i put it? Spoiled and immature? Suresh kept saying 'Your daughter is smart and intelligent.' But not ONCE did the author write anywhere how she is smart........I mean......just by being an activist you can't call anyone smart. From what I see she was irresponsible, VERY irresponsible, mouthy, spoiled and one of those girls you see at school who just have the resting bitch face. On the other hand, I feel like Viji was better and...somewhat of a victim as well.



I did't very much like this book.That ending spoiled everything. Ghachar Ghochar is deeper and more ......I guess realistic.

[26 Albhabets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Impactful story telling that provides a microscopic view of a typical middle class family. Detailed descriptions , character arc of the narrator keeps swinging back and forth . Sakinas kiss is a gentle slap on politics , journalism and seeping masculinity.

[Anshita Agarwal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on eroding patriarchal beliefs and a man's take on it but the book didn't tie any of the open endings and the end wasn't satisfactory. Was hoping for a lot more, disappointed.

[WndyJW · Rating 5 out of 5]

All politics is personal and we see that in this story that covers 4 stressful days in the life of Venakataraman as he and his wife Viji try to find out where their college age daughter has gone.
Venkat is our unreliable narrator, he is honest with us, but not with himself, as he muses about the history of his marriage trying to discover why there is distance between himself and his wife, and recalls his daughter’s growing up, trying to understand why he is at odds with his daughter.

It took me until the end of the book to realize that the story was not in what Venkat was telling us, but in what he didn’t see and what his wife and daughter kept from him. This all made sense when I heard an interview with the author Vivek Shanbhag and translator Srinath Perur in which Shanbhag said that, “Surveillance is a kind of manifestation of masculinity, in the government and in the family, in the guise of protecting it is an expression of power…and refusing to disclose…withholding is a form of protest.”
In trying to understand his relationships with his family Venkat is forced to examine his own views on masculinity in the context of marriage, fatherhood, career, and politics in the modern world.

Shanbhag claims his novels are not about ideas, they are about people, and this story does not feel didactic, we spend a lot of time in Venkat’s mind as he reminisces about his family, the early days of his marriage and his daughter’s life, but through this story of Venkat we explore unconscious biases, gender roles and traditional roles in a changing world.

Highly recommended.

[Arunima Phadke · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a small book, it sure had thought meanderings as if it possessed the luxury of having a much longer page count. Quietly unsettling yet insightful!
I really wanted the book to be longer but that's less criticism, more wishful thinking as an absorbed reader.

[Areeb Ahmad (Bankrupt_Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good enough, a little aimless. It of course cannot compete with Ghachar Ghochar.

[The Bibliophile Doctor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sakina's kiss by Vivek Shanbagh
Translated by Srinath Perur
Narrated by : Sunil Malhotra
Book rating : 2.5 stars
Audiobook rating : 3 stars

The audiobook was good but I felt sometimes the narrator had a weird way of narrating female character's dialogues. It irked me whenever he narrated those otherwise he was good.

Now coming to the book, Sakina's kiss didn't make much sense to me. There are multiple layers to the story, like patriarchy, socialism, feminism , toxic musculanity and the urge to control your surrounding and your kids to uphold your social status. I think this book had potential but coz of lack of structure in the book, the book falls short in making the impact. The changes are so abrupt that you are deep into the story and suddenly the author will start talking about his childhood and his uncle and others.

Not a single character is likeable but, personally I felt that was the intention. With men in Vivek shanbagh's book you start seeing ugly side of Indian men and it feels somehow scary to even think that most men are like this and most women are having them for fathers and husbands and can't do anything about it.

The title makes no sense either as it was a really silly thing if you ask me. The book kind of mocks both the older generation which followed and still follows toxic patriarchy but the way Rekha and Viji 's characters are done they too don't feel righteous in their behaviour. I almost hated every characters in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for the audiobook ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[Joseph Schreiber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Shanbhag’s acclaimed novella Ghachar Ghochar, this is a novel about a family narrated by man who cannot understand the women in his life. Venkat’s marriage is loveless and his daughter is too strong willed for his comfort, but his attachment to self-help books and fragile masculinity keep him from taking the time to actually understand those around him. He continually wonders if he should have paid more attention—not just in the present but with his own parents and uncles— but he can always seem to find something or someone else to blame. However, there is more at stake. Thugs are showing up at the door, his daughter temporarily disappears, and there is a huge unresolved matter from the past that he has managed to ignore. The neatness and order of his life and the maintenance of his role as the head of the family must be preserved. Politics, social justice, women’s rights, and more come into play and, once again, Shanbhag resists easy answers and tidy endings.
A longer review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2023/11/20/a-...

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just cannot get over the fact that the book was written by a man. How could anyone except a woman understand the psyche of a woman who is forced to carry the emotional load in a relationship, and create a character who weaponises her vulnerability to feel good about himself?

[Vedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

^4.5 stars

I had HIGH expectations. I went in expecting a modern classic that would wow me completely. It didn't fully deliver. But it's a good book, simple, well-written, unnerving, makes you think.

I'd like to believe that this is a feminist book and takes a strong feminist stance, baring the hypocrisy of patriarchy and the men who support or are enabled by it. But I can't be sure. It feels like the book supports everyone's views and the lens you read it through is what you'll see it as. I saw reviews of men talking about it shows the two-facedness of feminism (because this 22 year old girl called a misogynistic politician ugly) and the uselessness of idealism. I didn't see that, I saw the characters these man are bashing as powerful, fierce women trying to stand up for their beliefs. Maybe that's the beauty of the book? But it makes me uncomfortable.

The book is first person pov, we're experiencing everything through the eyes of the man of the house - someone trying to navigate his fears and the strong feminist beliefs of his household. While I sympathise, I also found myself feeling exhausted. So much of value is being done by the women, yet none of it is really delved into because (i) the protagonist isn't included in the conversations and (ii) he doesn't seem to find their views or actions as significant as I do.

It's an interesting read, for sure. I'm just not sure what to do with it.
I hope this one stays with me forever. (this realisation has made me change the rating from 3.5 to 4.5 stars)

I think what's really bothering me is how uncomfortable this book made me feel. Does that make it a good book? I think so but I really hope it gave men the same food for thought?

[Manjunath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Follows the lines of Ghachar Ghochar easily abiding, mildly annoying lead character. Manu Joseph-esque.

[Debasmita B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read Ghachar Ghochar, Shanbhag's previous and much acclaimed work, so I had no idea about what kind of writer he is, how the translation works (both by Srinath Perur), and what themes he might touch upon. Which was a good thing because this novel touches upon the nearly everything debatable in this country.

Venkatramana, a late 40s family man and a run-of-the-mill employee answers a knock on his door one fine day. And this opens up a Pandora's box of questions, most of which are not answered. Venkat lives with his wife Viji and college-going daughter Rekha, both headstrong and 'liberal' women. But as the book unfolds and goes back and forth between Venkat's life in his village and his marriage to Viji, to the present day where Rekha has seemingly disappeared, a world of details open up.

Is Venkat a liberal man as he thinks? Or does he like the idea of being one? In his desire to affirm to the people he finds the epitome of masculinity and confidence, he begins to lose who he was as well as the people in his life. He questions the unconditional love people show to their loved ones, and doubts his own. He is swept up in the desire to win and be right than acknowledge the amount of things which are wrong.

The book is excruciatingly aware of the way modern readers think, which allows it to jump ahead of our own conclusions to a gotcha moment, almost as if it's mocking our conditioning. You think this person is the poor victim? Wait till you see what a piece of sh*t they've been. Oh you're angry at this character? Do you know what they are fighting for is bigger than all of us? This also reflects in the title, because there is no Sakina and there is no Kiss, yet it fits perfectly.

Sakina's Kiss also never answers the most pressing questions it gives rise to in a reader, instead posing its own questions and indirect answers, which matter much more than the trivialities a reader may get caught up in. For my own peace of mind I will hope Shanbhag writes a sequel, but for the sake of literature I hope it never happens.

[Aditi Mittul Saraswat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dove into Sakina’s Kiss expecting some “ghachar ghochar” entanglements and suspense, but the story left me drifting at a cliff’s edge, without the thrill I had hoped for.

From Venkat’s early memories to a cliffhanger ending, I kept reading, hoping the story would catch fire. Venkat’s wife, Viji, and their rebellious daughter, Rekha..had potential for depth, but instead, Rekha’s character felt jarringly disrespectful toward her father. I couldn’t connect with her at all, and it added to my growing sense of disconnect. Just when I thought we’d finally dive into their lives, the plot shifted focus to the mysterious past of Venkat’s uncle. By this point, the plot felt oddly… disconnected. 180 pages flew by, not from excitement, but from confusion (and several coffee breaks to try to process it all).☕☕☕
The translator? Maybe missed something. Or maybe my expectations were just too high. Either way, I found myself yearning for some climactic moment that never arrived.

Hints like robbery, family rebellion and the narrator’s( Venket’s) mysterious uncle…suggested a potential thriller or drama. But instead, it felt like lost breadcrumbs. I hoped for intrigue 🙄
I got a series of loose ends. I was amazed at the high Goodreads ratings and glowing reviews…..am I missing something?
For me, this one lands at 2.5 stars ⭐️🥹.

Has Sakina’s Kiss left you as puzzled as I was, or did it charm you differently? Maybe there’s a layer I missed!😉

[Jayaramachari · Rating 4 out of 5]

ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ ನನ್ನ ಇಷ್ಟದ ಈ ಕಾಲದ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಕಾರ. ಓದಿರುವುದು ಬರಿ ಊರು ಭಂಗ ಹಾಗು ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್ ಆದರೂ ,ಎಲ್ಲಾದರು ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ ಹೆಸರು ನೋಡಿದರೆ ತಟ್ಟನೆ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ಓದುತ್ತೇನೆ. ಯು ಟ್ಯೂಬಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಅವರ ಮಾತು ಕೂಡ ಸಿಗುತ್ತೆ, ಅವರೇ ಸಂಪಾದಿಸಿರುವ ತುಂಬಾ ಒಳ್ಳೆ ಒಳ್ಳೆ ಬರಹಗಳುಳ್ಳ ಅವರ ದೇಶಕಾಲದ ಅಷ್ಟು ಸಂಚಿಕೆ ಓದಲು ಶುರುಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇನೆ.

ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ ಯಾಕೆ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗಿಬಿಡುತ್ತಾರೆ ಎಂದು ಪದಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಹೇಳೋದು ಕಷ್ಟ, ಅವರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ತಾಕಲಾಟಗಳು ದ್ವಂದ್ವಗಳು ಇಲ್ಲೇ ಎಲ್ಲೋ ನೋಡಿದಂತೆ ಇರುತ್ತವೆ ಇಲ್ಲ ಥೇಟು ಅನುಭವಿಸಿದಂತಿರುತ್ತವೆ, ಊರು ಭಂಗಕ್ಕಿಂತ ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್ ಸಕತ್ ಮಜಾ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು. ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್ ಎಂದರೆ ಏನು ಎಂದು ಬರುವ ದೃಶ್ಯದಲ್ಲಂತೂ ಸಕತ್ ಮಜ್ ಕೊಟ್ಟಿತ್ತು. ಅವರ ಲೇಟೆಸ್ಟ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತು ಈಗಷ್ಟೇ ಓದಿ ಮುಗಿಸಿದೆ. ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಬಂದಾಗ ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗ ಓದಿಕೊಂಡವರೆಲ್ಲ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಬೇಸರ ವ್ಯಕ್ತ ಪಡಿಸಿದ್ದ್ದರು ಒಬ್ಬರಂತೂ ಇದು ಓದಲು ಲಾಯಕ್ಕಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಫೇಸ್ ಬುಕ್ಕಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದ್ದೇ. ಫೇಸ್ ಬುಕ್ ಸದ್ಯ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯದ ಕಸದ ಡಬ್ಬಿ, ಅವರಿಗೆ ಕಂಡದ್ದು ಅರಿವಾಗಿದ್ದೆ ಸತ್ಯ ಅಂತ ಬಡಬಡಾಯಿಸುವಾಗ ಅವರ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ ಓದಿ ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಒಡದ್ದಿದರೆ ಹೇಗೆ ಅನಿಸಿ ಓದತೊಡಗಿದೆ

ಊರು ಭಂಗ - ಘಾಚರ್ ಘೋಚರ್ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿಕೊಂಡರೆ ಕತೆ ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲೇ ಇದೆಯಾದರೂ, ಕಥನ ನನಗೆ ಇಷ್ಟ ಆಯ್ತು, ಹಳೆಯ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಹೋಲಿಸಿಯೇ ನಾವು ಹೊಸ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಯಾಕೆ ಓದಬೇಕು ? ಅದು ಇನ್ನು ಗೊತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲೂ ವಿವೇಕ ಶಾನಭಾಗರ ಟಿಪಿಕಲ್ ಸ್ಟೈಲ್ ಇದೆ ಬೆರಗಾಗಿಸೋ ದೃಶ್ಯಗಳಿವೆ, ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿತ್ವ ವಿಕಸನ ಪುಸ್ತಕಗಳಿಂದ ವ್ಯಕ್ತಿ ಬದಲಾಗನು ಅವನ ಆಂತರಿಕ ಗೊಂದಲಗಳಿಗೆ ಅವನೇ ಪರಿಹಾರ,ಒಂದೇ ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಪರಿಚರಾಗಿಬಿಡುವ ಜೀವಿಗಳು, ಏಕಾಏಕಿ ಕಾಣೆಯಾದ ಮಗಳ ಹುಡುಕುತ್ತ ಹೊರತು ದೋಸೆ ಸವಿಯುವುದು, ರಮಣ, ಅವನ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು, ಸಾವಿನ ಮುಕ್ತಿ ಸಕೀನಾಳ ಮುತ್ತು ಆಗುವ ಅವನ ಬರವಣಿಗೆ, ಮನೆಯೊಳಗೇ ಯಾರೋ ಬಂದು ಹೋದ ಅಪರಿಚಿತ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆಗಳು ಅದನ್ನು ಬೆನ್ನಟ್ಟಿ ಹೋದಾಗ ಸಿಗುವ ನೀಲುವಿನ ಪತ್ರ, ಕರಿಮಣಿ, ಹೀಗೆ ಎಲ್ಲವು ಬೇರೇನೋ ಹೇಳಲು ಹೊರಟಿವೆ ಅವು ನಮಗೆ ಎಷ್ಟು ತಾಕುತ್ತವೆ ಅನ್ನುವ ಮೇಲೆ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ನಿಂತಿದೆ . ಅಸಲು ಬರೆಯುವುದೆಲ್ಲ ಓದುವುದೆಲ್ಲ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠವೇ ಆಗಿರಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ವ್ಯಸನ ನಮಗೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಹತ್ತಿದೆ ?!

ನನಗಂತೂ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಯ್ತು .

ಯಾವ ನೀರಿಕ್ಷೆಗಳಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಓದಿದ್ದಕ್ಕ? ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದು ಹೋದ ರಮಣ ನಿಂದನ? ಕೇವಲ ೧೪೪ ಪುಟಗಳಿವೆ ಅಂತಾನಾ ? ಇಲ್ಲ ಈ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಈ ತರದ ಸಾಲುಗಳಿಂದಲೇ ?ಇಡೀ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಆತ್ಮ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಮೊದಲ ಸಾಲೇ " ಕಾಕತಾಳೀಯವೆಂಬುದಿಲ್ಲ , ಕೆಲವು ಘಟನೆಗಳ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಸಂಬಂಧ ಸೂತ್ರಗಳು ನಮಗೆ ಗೋಚರಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಅಷ್ಟೇ "

"ಒಂದೆರಡು ವಾರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದೊಂದೊಂದಾಗಿ ಶಬ್ದಗಳು ತಮ್ಮ ಅರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ಬಿಟ್ಟುಕೊಡತೊಡಗಿ ,ಅದು ಸರಾಗವಾಗಿ ಓದುವ ಹಂತ ತಲುಪುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ಆ ಅಡ್ಡ ಗೆರೆಗಳಿಂದ ಲಿಪಿಯನ್ನು, ಲಿಪಿಯಿಂದ ಶಬ್ದಗಳನ್ನು, ಶಬ್ದಗಳಿಂದ ಅರ್ಥವಿರುವ ವಾಕ್ಯಗಳನ್ನು, ವಾಕ್ಯಗಳಿಂದ ಭಾವಾರ್ಥಗಳನ್ನು ಕಟ್ಟುವುದೆಂದರೆ ನಾಗರಿಕತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಭಾಷೆಯು ಬೆಳೆದುಬಂದ ಇದ್ದೀಯ ಪ್ರಯಾಣವನ್ನು ಹೃಸ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾದುಹೊದ ಹಾಗಾಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತು "

[Uttara Srinivasan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of Venkat and Viji and the layers of their life that peel off and become accessible to the author as a result of one incident concerning their daughter Rekha’s disappearance. I’d like to say more to define the plot of the book but there really isn’t much else.

And yet, Viji and Venkat could be any woman and man a stone you threw in the air would hit in Bengaluru even in 2024. And therefore, what is most unsettling for the reader would be shades of self, spouse, child, niece, uncle, father, grandfather that one would spot as they meet Venkat, Viji, Rekha, Ramana, Antanna, Appa and Amma.

The barely 200-page novel covers a variety of themes including but not limited to the clash between middle class ambition and easy access avarice, patriarchy of middle aged men and bitter struggle of feminism in the confines of social conditioning, the stubborn youth of a Gen Z citizen, the tug of war between familial peace and individual ideology – to name a few.

So it isn’t surprising that you cover not any of these in depth and that the author doesn’t try to tie everything else in a neat little bow. The ending remains open for the reader’s imagination – this can be frustrating and yet not very different from a piece in the Sunday newspaper hidden in the middle pages and crowded by ads and propaganda. If one does try and spend some time with the threads of the story, one would based on their own propensities, craft the next few chapters – and none of those, I suspect, would draw any vehement dismissals from the author.

Vivek Shanbag brings alive the days of modern Indian middle class men and women with great simplicity and prescience. The translation feels fairly effective too given I don’t find myself wondering about misplaced idioms and inapt sentences. An easy and a not-so easy read all at once.

[litwithneha ( Neha Modi ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read the author’s earlier book ‘Ghachar Ghochar’, you’ll know what you are delving into while reading Sakina’s Kiss. There isn’t going to be really a plot with a resolution but layers and layers of brilliant writing with an open end for the readers to ponder over much after the book ends.

Sakina’s Kiss revolves around the family of Venkat and his wife Viji covering a span of four days during which there is a lot of reminiscing a few earlier days from their lives and trouble brewing up concerning their twenty-year old daughter Rekha.

The book begins with two young boys knocking at Venkat’s door one afternoon asking the whereabouts of Rekha and interrupt their otherwise comfortable life. The local politicians and their power is displayed here and the couple is worried about her.

While they find a solution to the problem Venkat recalls his early days with Viji and their initial marital bliss where the couple is getting to know each other and realising their common love for self-help and personal development books. The contrast how their life has panned out over the years is remarkable.

Through the tapestry of words, the author takes us to a village where Rekha was residing with Venkat’s elder brother. While she is now where to be found, a lot of family dynamics is displayed delving deep into the patriarchal clutches we still find ourselves in. The author’s observation for minute details in the mundane which may be brushed aside as trivial comes to surface giving ample food for thought.

My review of the book would be incomplete without mentioning the title of the book. While it may sound raunchy at the first instance, it is such a cleverly thought of title, representing a significant part of the book.

[Kanarese · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sakina's Kiss" by Vivek Shanbhag is a captivating read, but I was highly disappointed by the abrupt and unsettling ending. The story begins with Venkat, a middle-aged man who seems powerless, capable of only barking without biting.

It feels like the author infused the novel with a heavy-handed feminist agenda, portraying nearly everything a man does as toxic. Personally, I felt pity for the male lead, who endures an unsupportive wife and a clueless daughter, trying to hold the family together yet being blamed for so-called toxic masculinity.

The title is misleading, leaving me puzzled as to why the author chose it. It seems to suggest that women are like nectar while men are toxic. Although I enjoyed Shanbhag's "Gachar Gochar," this book, while fast-paced and compelling, ultimately left me disappointed.

The ending does not satisfactorily resolve the story, making it feel more like an experiment in Kannada literature than a fully realized novel.

[Prakriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot to admire in this book, but despite all of that I didn’t end up loving it.

I don’t remember the last time I read something that captured the nuances of the Indian middle class so well. If you have migrated to a big city, you will be in awe of how accurately the details are observed. My favorite part was how beautifully it portrays the fragility of Indian masculinity.

That said, the ending didn't land for me. There are too many threads left hanging, and too many ideas touched upon but never fully explored. It is still a book I would recommend, provided you aren't too worried about open endings.