Imate li Ršuma?

Do You Have Ršum? is the first novel by Serbian writer Ljubivoj Ršumović, better known as a poet for children. Unlike his most famous children's books, this work is intended for adult readers and represents an unusual combination of autobiography, a coming-of-age novel, and a literary game. At the center of the story is the main character, who has many similarities with the author himself, and through a series of encounters, memories, and reflections tries to understand his own life and literary path.

The plot is not built as a classic linear story. Instead, it is composed of episodes that connect the past and the present. The hero returns to memories from childhood, youth, and his first literary attempts, meets people who have marked his life, and questions his own successes, misconceptions, and disappointments. A special place is occupied by events from his past that resurface and force him to confront himself.

One of the novel's greatest peculiarities is the constant mixing of reality and fiction. The work features real places, real people and elements of the author's biography, but Ršumović processes them through humor, irony and literary imagination, so the reader is never completely sure where reality ends and fiction begins. At the same time, the prose parts are often intertwined with verses, which gives the novel an original structure and additional emotional depth.

Through humorous situations, self-irony and comments on literary life, the author talks about maturation, human weaknesses, social relationships and the role of an artist in society. Do you have Ršum? is therefore not just a story about one man but also a novel about creating identity, the power of memory and the constant search for one's own place in the world.