A BOOK ABOUT THE ETERNAL AND THE HUMAN (ON CHILDHOOD IS MORE AMARCORD BY VLADIMIR PETKOVSKI)

Abstract

Amar + cord = “to remember with a brilliant linguistic coinage and neologism that may be translated as “a loving remembrance.” In this context, the phrase functions not merely as an echo or variation of the renowned film of the same title, but as an original, evocative, and deeply affective framework for Vladimir Petkovski’s exceptional novel. The work, belonging to the genre of fictionalized autobiographical prose, skillfully transports the reader into the luminous sphere of the past, along the alleys of youth particularly that of the generations preceding our own. It recalls the glorious Skopje of earlier times, a city immortalized in memory through its remarkable figures, events, and spaces a city that, in its historical form, no longer exists.
Situated between the eternal and the human, Petkovski’s novel unfolds as a profound literary achievement marked by sincerity, openness, and an earnest desire to share the vitality and tenderness of youth. The text emerges as a significant contribution to contemporary Macedonian literature, serving as a poignant monument to the “paradise of childhood,” to youth itself, to the beauty and essence of life, and, ultimately, to the highest of all human experiences love. This “queen of queens,” transcending both time and space, reigns throughout the novel as its central and unifying force, imbuing the narrative with both emotional and existential resonance.