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मोनोक्रोम: रेशीम मार्ग-भाग १ [Monochrome: Reshim Marg-Bhag 1]
'कोबाल्ट ब्लू' ह्या बहुचर्चित कादंबरीनंतर वीस वर्षांनी प्रकाशित होणारी सचिन कुंडलकर ह्यांची ही दुसरी कादंबरी. 'कोबाल्ट ब्लू' पेक्षा जास्त व्यापक काठासूत्र आणि मानवी वेदनेची खोल बाळगणारी. 'मोनोक्रोम' ह्या दीर्घ कथासूत्राचा हा विलक्षण असा पहिला भाग - रेशीम मार्ग
118 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 30, 2025
कोबाल्ट ब्लू नंतर वीस वर्षांनी प्रकाशित झालेली कुंडलकरांची ही दुसरी कादंबरी. ह्याची जाहिरात त्यांनी कोबाल्ट ब्लू पेक्षा जास्त व्यापक कथासूत्र आणि जास्त वेदनादायक अशी केलेली (which I don't agree to ofc).
ह्या पुस्तकाची पहिली चाळीसेक पानं प्रेमात पाडण्यासारखी आहेत. कुंडलकरांच लेखनच इतकं rich आहे की प्रत्येक ओळ अधोरेखित करावीशी वाटते. पुन्हा वाचण्यासाठी.
परंतु त्यापुढची बरीचशी पानं ही बिनमहत्त्वाच्या पात्रांची character development आणि त्यांच्यातले unnecessary explicit scenes यात वाया गेली असं मला वाटतं. At one point it almost felt like a well written erotic piece rather than a novel.
शेवटची काही पानं मात्र पुन्हा कथेकडे परततात आणि तिथेच अगदी अर्धवट मोनोक्रोम चा पहिला भाग संपतो आणि दुसऱ्या भागाची announcement होते- 'बेट'.
•
मोनोक्रोम मध्ये एका chapter मध्ये कुंडलकरांनी magical realism ही वापरलाय. मुख्य कथेशी त्याचा तसा काही संबंध नसला तरी मराठी मध्ये असा प्रयत्न करणं वाखाणण्यासारखं आहे.
एकूणच ह्या पुस्तकात वापरलेली लेखन शैली, पात्रांचे विचार, त्यांच्यातले नातेसंबंध मराठी वाचकांसाठी खूप नवीन आहेत. म्हणजे मी जरी इंग्रजी खूप वाचत असले आणि ह्या सगळ्याची सवय असली तरी मराठी मध्ये असं सगळं वाचताना वेगळं वाटतं. कोणीतरी त्यांचे नग्न, कोणत्याही आवरणाशिवायचे विचार कागदावर लिहून आपल्याला वाचायला दिलेत असं वाटतं जे वाचणं आपल्याला अवघड जातं.
३.८/५ 🌟
ह्या पुस्तकाची पहिली चाळीसेक पानं प्रेमात पाडण्यासारखी आहेत. कुंडलकरांच लेखनच इतकं rich आहे की प्रत्येक ओळ अधोरेखित करावीशी वाटते. पुन्हा वाचण्यासाठी.
परंतु त्यापुढची बरीचशी पानं ही बिनमहत्त्वाच्या पात्रांची character development आणि त्यांच्यातले unnecessary explicit scenes यात वाया गेली असं मला वाटतं. At one point it almost felt like a well written erotic piece rather than a novel.
शेवटची काही पानं मात्र पुन्हा कथेकडे परततात आणि तिथेच अगदी अर्धवट मोनोक्रोम चा पहिला भाग संपतो आणि दुसऱ्या भागाची announcement होते- 'बेट'.
•
मोनोक्रोम मध्ये एका chapter मध्ये कुंडलकरांनी magical realism ही वापरलाय. मुख्य कथेशी त्याचा तसा काही संबंध नसला तरी मराठी मध्ये असा प्रयत्न करणं वाखाणण्यासारखं आहे.
एकूणच ह्या पुस्तकात वापरलेली लेखन शैली, पात्रांचे विचार, त्यांच्यातले नातेसंबंध मराठी वाचकांसाठी खूप नवीन आहेत. म्हणजे मी जरी इंग्रजी खूप वाचत असले आणि ह्या सगळ्याची सवय असली तरी मराठी मध्ये असं सगळं वाचताना वेगळं वाटतं. कोणीतरी त्यांचे नग्न, कोणत्याही आवरणाशिवायचे विचार कागदावर लिहून आपल्याला वाचायला दिलेत असं वाटतं जे वाचणं आपल्याला अवघड जातं.
३.८/५ 🌟
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November 22, 2025Cobalt Blue is a book that has stayed with me ever since I first read it, so when I got the opportunity to review this book, I couldn’t pass up the chance.
And just like that, this book dug its sharp, twisted fingers through my heart & held it fast in its grip. Interestingly, the first part of this book reminded me of Cobalt Blue, where siblings have a common subject of desire.
The writing has a hypnotic quality, which sucks you in and envelopes you in vivid stories filled with depth & meaning. The stories meander, threading through peoples lives, stringing them together, awakening senses and meaning, and at the same time leaving an aftertaste of eerie dread in its aftermath.
We follow the journey of Nishikant, who leaves his home, after a family scandal involving his sister. Subsequently, he explores his sexuality with Shiv in a university dorm and Shrinivas in London, which leaves him adrift. Years later, content as a Professor in a University in Mumbai, all hell breaks loose when Shrinivas goes missing, with whom he was in constant contact through letters.
The beauty of this book lies in what is left unsaid, the lingering questions waiting to be answered, the eerie sense of doom we perceive with the events happening behind closed doors, hidden relationships burning in the dark.
Jules, Shrinivas and Shiv have powerful arcs of their own that leave a lasting impression on the reader. With its references to the Holocaust, nationalist British Indians who are often more steadfastly Indian than those at home, and Tanjavur royalty secretly selling historic family artefacts, the narrative is both colorful and riveting. I devoured the book in a single sitting, that’s how strange and compelling it is.
The first few pages still reverberates through me -he forgets a book on his bus seat and wonders who will pick it up next — a simple thought, yet brimming with meaning.
This book is translated from Marathi, the original of which is called Reshim Marg, and is the first in a three part series. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
And just like that, this book dug its sharp, twisted fingers through my heart & held it fast in its grip. Interestingly, the first part of this book reminded me of Cobalt Blue, where siblings have a common subject of desire.
The writing has a hypnotic quality, which sucks you in and envelopes you in vivid stories filled with depth & meaning. The stories meander, threading through peoples lives, stringing them together, awakening senses and meaning, and at the same time leaving an aftertaste of eerie dread in its aftermath.
We follow the journey of Nishikant, who leaves his home, after a family scandal involving his sister. Subsequently, he explores his sexuality with Shiv in a university dorm and Shrinivas in London, which leaves him adrift. Years later, content as a Professor in a University in Mumbai, all hell breaks loose when Shrinivas goes missing, with whom he was in constant contact through letters.
The beauty of this book lies in what is left unsaid, the lingering questions waiting to be answered, the eerie sense of doom we perceive with the events happening behind closed doors, hidden relationships burning in the dark.
Jules, Shrinivas and Shiv have powerful arcs of their own that leave a lasting impression on the reader. With its references to the Holocaust, nationalist British Indians who are often more steadfastly Indian than those at home, and Tanjavur royalty secretly selling historic family artefacts, the narrative is both colorful and riveting. I devoured the book in a single sitting, that’s how strange and compelling it is.
The first few pages still reverberates through me -he forgets a book on his bus seat and wonders who will pick it up next — a simple thought, yet brimming with meaning.
This book is translated from Marathi, the original of which is called Reshim Marg, and is the first in a three part series. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
December 14, 2025
could have been enjoyable if it wasn't wildly misogynistic from start to finish. the main character goes through all of his relationships like a rolling stone, gathering no moss. he has no empathy for any of the people in his life, he feels no pain or grief when he loses them. he is almost angry with his loved ones for dying, as if it was not something tragic, but a deliberate act of abandoning him.
the story meanders wildly, its not "surreal", its just plain lost, with the author inventing a mystery at the last moment to justify writing sequels and have atleast one redeeming quality about the plot
TLDR : The main character is a self obsessed POS, the plot has no structure, there is a useless cliffhanger at the end.
the story meanders wildly, its not "surreal", its just plain lost, with the author inventing a mystery at the last moment to justify writing sequels and have atleast one redeeming quality about the plot
TLDR : The main character is a self obsessed POS, the plot has no structure, there is a useless cliffhanger at the end.
September 3, 2025
When was the last time a book felt like a train you didn’t plan to board, but once you did, you couldn’t step off? Silk Route by Sachin Kundalkar feels exactly like that. An unending chain of stories, each an epilogue that quietly opens into another. You think you’ve reached the last station, and suddenly, you’re already moving again with another story, another train, the journey of which is slowly becoming into a destination. If the author’s name rings a bell, that’s because he’s the same mind behind Cobalt Blue, yes, the one that became a Netflix film.
Originally written in Marathi as Reshim Marg and translated into English by Aakash Karkare, this first part of the Silk Route is a crisp 110-page read, yet it feels like an entire world in itself. The first thought after finishing this book? I can’t wait for the second part to come out. Sure, there’s a tiny glimpse of what’s next at the end, but that’s not why I’m eager. It's the sheer audacity and tenderness with which Kundalkar writes.
The story follows Nishikant, a queer man navigating love, loss, and desire; his story is tangled with that of Srinivas, his lover. But to reduce this book to a simple love story would be an injustice. Sachin Kundalkar's writing sprawls across lifetimes, histories, and continents, yet somehow makes it feel intimate, like he’s whispering secrets only you’re meant to hear. One moment, you’re inside the invasion of Poland during World War II. The next, you’re in post-war France, watching how the state showered scholarships and cultural privileges create an image of intellectual glory, papering over colonial sins with art and philosophy, pretending to be the moral torchbearer for decades. Then you’re in Delhi, in salons of hollow intellectualism where people congratulated themselves for engaging with each other’s work, even when nothing real came out of it.
Read the full review on my blog - http://bit.ly/47lBdQk
Originally written in Marathi as Reshim Marg and translated into English by Aakash Karkare, this first part of the Silk Route is a crisp 110-page read, yet it feels like an entire world in itself. The first thought after finishing this book? I can’t wait for the second part to come out. Sure, there’s a tiny glimpse of what’s next at the end, but that’s not why I’m eager. It's the sheer audacity and tenderness with which Kundalkar writes.
The story follows Nishikant, a queer man navigating love, loss, and desire; his story is tangled with that of Srinivas, his lover. But to reduce this book to a simple love story would be an injustice. Sachin Kundalkar's writing sprawls across lifetimes, histories, and continents, yet somehow makes it feel intimate, like he’s whispering secrets only you’re meant to hear. One moment, you’re inside the invasion of Poland during World War II. The next, you’re in post-war France, watching how the state showered scholarships and cultural privileges create an image of intellectual glory, papering over colonial sins with art and philosophy, pretending to be the moral torchbearer for decades. Then you’re in Delhi, in salons of hollow intellectualism where people congratulated themselves for engaging with each other’s work, even when nothing real came out of it.
Read the full review on my blog - http://bit.ly/47lBdQk
November 19, 2025
This is a long awaited book by readers of Cobalt Blue who liked it. The wait has been long but cannot say fully worth it.
The book is lyrical , has a certain flow and fluidity to it , writing is lovely and has a lot of emotion to it. It’s a beautiful read .
The issue is that story is very wayward and changes course and direction much too often. It is like author woke up everyday , had a new idea and added that to the story. There is no one track that actually develops through and holds you. Different characters come and go and leave the reader more bewildered than enthused .
This story is to be continued and I Hope the wait is not too long and author makes some sense and brings the story home in the next one.
The book is lyrical , has a certain flow and fluidity to it , writing is lovely and has a lot of emotion to it. It’s a beautiful read .
The issue is that story is very wayward and changes course and direction much too often. It is like author woke up everyday , had a new idea and added that to the story. There is no one track that actually develops through and holds you. Different characters come and go and leave the reader more bewildered than enthused .
This story is to be continued and I Hope the wait is not too long and author makes some sense and brings the story home in the next one.
December 12, 2025
Slow paced but lots of events happening in Nishikants life. A very contemporary novel.
Its tender, soft as if you are sitting on the seashore or on the edge of the river with cold wind and listening to these stories.
You feel you are walking along with Nishikant. Very delicately framed.
Its tender, soft as if you are sitting on the seashore or on the edge of the river with cold wind and listening to these stories.
You feel you are walking along with Nishikant. Very delicately framed.
February 11, 2026
It took me a while to correlate the name of the book to the synopsis, and the synopsis is deceptive because it sounds familiar, so similar to Cobalt Blue.
However, I like this book a little more, and the form of it that distorts and moves rapidly, while trying to keep a core.
A constellation of characters and their disparate worlds, faintly reminds me of Marquez and the fatality of his families in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Dispersed along what I presume stands for the Silk Route, the many characters we encounter in the short read, having an underlying loneliness, with dysfunctional families; often underlying most queer experiences.
This is a witty book, with surprise, shock and humour folded into each other.
There are parts that feel or are misogynistic.
However, I like this book a little more, and the form of it that distorts and moves rapidly, while trying to keep a core.
A constellation of characters and their disparate worlds, faintly reminds me of Marquez and the fatality of his families in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Dispersed along what I presume stands for the Silk Route, the many characters we encounter in the short read, having an underlying loneliness, with dysfunctional families; often underlying most queer experiences.
This is a witty book, with surprise, shock and humour folded into each other.
There are parts that feel or are misogynistic.
February 14, 2026
Dude writes the same book over and over the way imtiaz ali makes the same movie over and over.
also makes one wonder if the misogyny is rooted in envy.
also makes one wonder if the misogyny is rooted in envy.
February 18, 2026
Interesting in parts, but also disappointing.
Silk Route is meandering, slightly abstract, sometimes fluid, and oftentimes 'constructed'... a lot of dialogues feel made-up to make a certain point, and not like real conversations that took place in the real world.
Nishikant the narrator takes you along a ride into his life, halting at Pune, Mumbai, London and back in Mumbai again. But the ride feels like you are on fast Mumbai local, missing several stops along the way.
The ending wraps up with an abrupt cliffhanger that promises a part 2 of this book, but part 1 is so small by itself that the author could've easily served 100 more pages.
Silk Route is meandering, slightly abstract, sometimes fluid, and oftentimes 'constructed'... a lot of dialogues feel made-up to make a certain point, and not like real conversations that took place in the real world.
Nishikant the narrator takes you along a ride into his life, halting at Pune, Mumbai, London and back in Mumbai again. But the ride feels like you are on fast Mumbai local, missing several stops along the way.
The ending wraps up with an abrupt cliffhanger that promises a part 2 of this book, but part 1 is so small by itself that the author could've easily served 100 more pages.
October 2, 2025
It happens rarely that I finish a book within a day. But it happened with this one. Maybe it was because it's just 120 pages long or the extremely alluring prose which flows like waves of the sea or a gentle river.
There are so many stories within stories and backstories to almost all the characters and all of them are brilliantly written. It left me wanting for more as this is Part 1 of a trilogy. I can't wait for the next ones. Aghhhhhh.
There are so many stories within stories and backstories to almost all the characters and all of them are brilliantly written. It left me wanting for more as this is Part 1 of a trilogy. I can't wait for the next ones. Aghhhhhh.
January 29, 2026
2/5 stars. What a massive disappointment from an author I’ve previously liked (see how I say liked and not loved? Well, it’s because I did enjoy Cobalt Blue, but to say I loved it would be a stretch). Silk Route, unlike its name, wasn’t quite smooth. The pacing is, to say the least, bumpy, and the narration meanders like a fibrous root. But the meandering was the best part. I liked it when Sachin Kundalkar provided the backstories and lore of all the characters. That’s when the book was at its most interesting. But when it switched to the story at hand (of Nishikant and his missing lover), I lost interest. There were scenes where I rolled my eyes so hard I thought I had just glimpsed the back of my damn skull. And to make matters worse, this is a freaking series. Anyway, I’m still giving it two stars because, as I said, the lore behind the different characters was brilliant. Kundalkar should have stuck with that.
January 5, 2026
The book is great but i feel that there are a lot of confusions. I couldn’t grasp a solid theme. I felt incomplete, ik this is to be a series but as a base, it did not amaze me like Cobalt Blue did, maybe the translation is not well!
Hope the next books are better!
Hope the next books are better!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews