Words&Notes are a tribute and memory of some better times, but also an announcement, like a kind of mantra, as in Peđo Ristić’s composition that Better time will come. From the second half of November 2021, you can buy the book in Roman and Vulkan bookstores or through the Balkan Creative Workshop.

If you have been eagerly waiting for a multimedia work, your wishes will be fulfilled with this one. The multi-talented creator, Peđa Ristić, achieved what many failed to do. With this collage in the book “Words & Notes”, he united all three literary genres: poetry, prose and drama, only in a slightly different order. In addition, the content of this book can be read, but one part can also be listened to, as well as the domra music performed by this creator.

The pearl of this collection is a multi-part, unusual collection of four stories about hostages, consisting of: “Vupi”, “Lapot”, “Hospis” and “Dobrica”. There is no single framework like the one in the “Decameron”, but the backbone, the framework, is the motif of victim and hostage and the different understanding of these concepts in different times and cultures. Although the characters in these stories sacrifice themselves for different reasons (sick dog / sick wife / sick mother / sick child) and put themselves in hostage positions, unfortunately, they do not reach reward and redemption that way.

But that is not the only quality of this modern prose by Peđa Ristić, but only one in a series that will make you happy to read these works. The innovativeness and breadth of this writer’s talent are illustrated by the alternative and open endings of these stories (multiple variants), so active participation, consideration and judgment remained open to the reader.

(From Marina Đenadič’s review)