For the Love of Roman - Phillip Pavlović - Review
Do you ever dive straight into a book without reading the blurb, thus giving yourself the greatest element of surprise possible? If you take this challenge with Phillip Pavlović’s For the Love of Roman, you may be rewarded with not just some unexpected twists, but also a journey with great scope and a turbulent dose of historical education. Whatever the case, this is a book you’re unlikely to forget in a hurry, as it is a piece of experimental writing containing a plentiful dose of substance and even more heart. If you haven’t already considered adding it to your reading list for 2023, then you are advised to do so immediately.
For the Love of Roman tells, at least in part, the story of Roman, an early twenties male living in present day UK who navigates the everyday life of a 9 to 5 mechanic, whilst battling an internal struggle with the prospect of taking his own life. As he spirals ever closer to committing himself to this decision, he notices with-ever increasing acuteness the world of his immediate surroundings, and the negative impact his pending suicide may have for the people closest to him, not to mention his beloved cat.
Worlds apart and in an altogether different time period, the humble farmer Drago toils tirelessly to care for his family and raise his two daughters in the country of Yugoslavia, as the horrors of World War II loom over his native homeland. Having endured Nazi occupation, his country is then torn apart by a civil war between royalist and communist factions, meaning Drago faces the prospect of unrivalled hardship and tragedy, the likes of which most would struggle to even imagine.
As unnameable cosmic forces come into play, these two time periods embark on a collision course in the most unlikely of fashions, and the lives of Roman and Drago soon become a great deal more than the sum of their parts. To go into much more detail about where For the Love of Roman heads thereon would risk giving too much away. Suffice to say, readers are encouraged to stay engrossed until the very last page, as more than a few astounding revelations can be expected along the breadth of this book.
Particularly during its latter half, Phillip Pavlović clearly demonstrates a field of expertise that only certain individuals of the modern world could relate to. Pavlović is the son of a man who fled wartime Yugoslavia to the UK in order to escape communist rule, so it’s no surprise that Phillip’s dramatic documentation of the harrowing history of the country of his ancestry comes from a very personal and earnest place. During this portion of For the Love of Roman, we get a deep dive into the traumas and horrors that Yugoslavian civilians endured during the Second World War. In this book, and by Phillip Pavlović’s hand, readers can expect a depiction that is as bittersweet as it is unflinching, and one that may resonate in the mind for some time afterwards.
Likewise, the story of Roman, who can be considered the central protagonist of the book, is told with equal consideration and true-to-life rawness. As Roman takes cautious steps to prepare for his suicide, the everyday characters that occupy his working environment take on hightened clarity and emerge as three-dimensional characters in their own right, enriching what some may view from the outside as a mundane journey through the norm. And as much of Roman’s introspect is given to the reader in meticulous detail, the countdown of days leading to his final decision is filled with a profound richness.
It may come as a surprise to learn that the crucial element binding all the above topics is something altogether unique and directly from the imagination of its writer. There is a cosmic and mysterious force operating beyond the blunt realism of Roman and Drago’s story which serves as not only a crucial plot device, but also as an extra layer that places fantasy upon reality. It allows For the Love of Roman to take on a greater sense of self and become a book truly unique in its message and identity, as well as keeping the reader one step behind as to what may occur next. Phillip Pavlović uses mysterious animals, surreal scenarios and exotic dreamscapes to pull audiences into a realm beyond reality, where his characters have the opportunity to live out what may or may not have been achievable in their more rigid waking worlds.
For the Love of Roman is a marvellous exercise that blends historical storytelling, drama, and surrealism which is guaranteed to catch most who read it off guard with its power, beauty and drama. In places it offers food for thought, and in others it provides education. But the highly imaginative way in which these components are pulled together means that if nothing else, those who pick up the book are promised a good story. The passion with which Phillip Pavlović writes means that feeling and substance takes precedence during every chapter. As beauty can often be found in the darkest of recesses and all is not necessarily as it seems, there is a lot to digest in For the Love of Roman. It contains the perfect mix of bewilderment and believability, thus holding great hopes for Phillip Pavlović's future endeavours as a writer, whatever they may be.
