In 2016, Ivan Bajovic wrote The Rock ‘n’ Roll Playbook, an appealing work that the author published and sold on his own.
The novel tells the story of a small-town student who comes to Belgrade to go to college. There, he experiences many things that represent the reality of society and its members: members, big-city life, encounters with rock ‘n’ roll, drugs, low-life friends, and sexual experiences. In Bajke’s story, there is neither alterification nor editings his simple but frank storytelling depicts the actual state of mind and soul of the protagonist, who is trying to find his place in this world. The author’s main character is a fighter seeking not only success but also his own identity, for which the rule of thumb is ‘happiness is out there – meaning that happiness is abroad, far from the uncertain surroundings of the chaotic reality in which he lives.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Playbook is a light and quick read but its concept and imagery are not easy to absorb – precisely due to the abovementioned adequately captured reality.
Bojan Uzelac – the author of the novels Radioactive
Mosquito – The Sting of Freedom and Extra