[attach id=271904 size="medium"][/attach]

Alfred Massa: Il-Ħajja Mqallba taz-Zija Rhoda. Agius & Agius, 2012. 192 pp.

Alfred Massa is a novelist, a poet and for a long time president of the Maltese Poets Association (Għaqda Poeti Maltin), of which he has very recently been most-deservingly appointed honorary member ad vitam.

His first novel, Is-Salib tal-Ġiżirana, was published way back in 1973. It was the first in what was to be a long series of novels that always appealed to, and captivated the imagination of, the Maltese reader. Il-Ħajja Mqallba taz-Zija Rhoda is the 10th.

Massa’s style of writing is highly personal in its approach to a seemingly commonplace situation.

The author invariably opts for the simple storyline, without missing out on the crude reality of life. The moral, which is always present in Massa’s works, subtly and effectively complements both the situation and the characters themselves, imbuing them with a humanity that is credible, self-redeeming and free from any dramatic plasticity and affectation.

Like Massa’s previous works, Il-Ħajja Mqallba taz-Zija Rhoda has all the elements that make for a good read

Like Massa’s previous works, Il-Ħajja Mqallba taz-Zija Rhoda has all the elements that make for a good read. There is romance, tension, intrigue and a touch of mystery. The Sciberras family receives news from Aunt Rhoda, once better known as Rożi, that she is coming over from Australia on a three-month holiday in Malta. The family offers to host her.

During her time in Malta, Rhoda behaves oddly to the point of eccentricity and enough to cause suspicion. Anna and her husband Philip, her familial hosts, little by little get caught up in frequent dissensions and embarrassing moments.

Eventually, they both start wondering about Rhoda’s past in Australia. The plot thickens and the tension soars, breeding more and more unrest until Rhoda’s last day with the Sciberras family in Malta arrives.

The ending, as usual, is highly typical of Massa’s climactic twist, which makes for a very unexpected way of ending the whole drama.

The book’s colourful cover immediately captivates the eye, the print is large, very neat and clear, and the sporadic, vivid descriptions of Australia’s natural beauty are a delightful backdrop to the equally vivid descriptions of a modern Malta. Positively an added bonus to all those who will be reading this fine Maltese novel.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.