"Bejn kafè l-Belt, permessi m'għand il-MEPA, religio et patria u Soċjalisti sexy, l-istorja ta' Flask hi forsi iktar veritiera minn dik li mingħalina nafu." - Claire Bonello
"Tidħaq … sa ma d-daħq jinbidel fi tħassib … Flask iħalli ’l-qarrej b'nifsu maqtugħ sal-gran finale fejn ma tkunx taf x'laqtek." - Ramona Depares
Robert, dak il-beżqa li kien l-klassi miegħi. Kien tela’ sparat dak minn Tas-Sliema eh, bis-saħħa ta’ missieru kien qala’ lil tnejn mill-antiki.
Sitting opposite, with enough glee I want to punch him, is that Daniel Borg who was at school with me. He’s in the mould of these new Labour poster boys, clean-shaven, blue tie, very able to navigate through the rapids with a ton of bullshit strapped to his waist.
Daniel u Robert għadhom kif bdew jagħmlu l-ewwel passi l-politika. Avversarji iżda kollegi, differenti iżda fotokopji. Ipoġġu fuq naħat differenti tal-Parlament ta’ pajjiż li ma jafx xi jrid, minn fejn ġie u fejn hu sejjer.
Imma Daniel u Robert jafu sew fejn sejrin, u jafu wkoll li qalb il-ħurrieq li jikber l-Parlament, is-sriep ħadd mhu se jarahom.
Li ma jafux, Daniel u Robert, hu li ’l fuq minnhom, fit-torrijiet, hemm l-id li qed tmexxi, tikkonsolida u tħejji għall-ġejjieni.
It-torrijiet iwaddbu dell fuq Malta moderna. Ħadd minn dawk li jħarsu ’l fuq lejhom ma jaf iwieġeb mistoqsija waħda: minn fejn ġejjin il-flus?
Qatt ma qrajt letteratura lokali li ħasditni daqshekk b’onesta fattwali tal-politika Maltija (u naħseb inġenerali, ta’ kullumkien). Il-ktieb huwa ġust fis-sens li semma kollox (iċ-ċirku sħiħ, minn kull ‘’naħa’’) mingħajr wisq konsiderazzjoni ħlief dik li l-kitba tkun ċara daqs kristall f’dak kollu li għandu x’jaqsam ma ‘’la ruota della politica’’, Anka jekk dak Il-kristall għandu ponta li ħa jniffed lil ħafna fl-idealiżmu politiku li jista’ jħaddan. Jew forsi, minjaf, iqajjimhom minnha
L-iktar ħaġa li għoġbitni għaldaqstant kollox huwa s-sens finali li ħareġ mill-istorja kollha. Għalkemm dan l-istorja hija fuq il-politika, nirrealizzaw kemm il-politika mhi xejn ħlief illużżjoni kredibbli u mdewwqa b’ħafna xinxilli (kuluri, riklami, kliem sabiħ u ffjurit). Kemm fl-aħħar mill-aħħar l-politika hi pupazz ta’ sistema ikbar. Sistema b’saħħitha li tiekol minn din id-daqxejn ta’ logħba bejn partiti u popoliżmu li jagħma wara dawn l-idoli li aħna nsejjħulhom mexxejja …li m huma xejn ħlief pupazzi ta’ nies b'saħħithom, għax għandhom wisq flus … nies li llum jistgħu jkunu kuntratturi, u għada jistgħu jkunu negozjanti ta’ whatever jkun dak in-negozju li ħa jqalla’ ‘l flus, akkost ta’ kollox.
Apparti li l-ktieb mexxej, u f’kemm trodd salib, taqrah, f’serje ta’ daħq, dwejjaq fl-istonku, u stagħġib.
Nissuġerrixxi li min għadu ma qrahx, jaqrah, għax qed jitlef bil-kbir. Temmen fiex temmen. U tħaddan xi tħaddan, dan il-ktieb ma jaħfirha lil ħadd.
Having read satirist Wayne Flask’s various writings and posts, I had an inkling that his debut novel Kapitali (Capital) would be full of barbed writing and jabs at major political figures. It turns out that my assumptions were semi-correct. There’s much more.
The book (mostly) sways between it’s two main protagonists: Daniel Borg, a typical working class character, who manages, through hard work and natural aptitude, to fare well at school and university and land a job in politics and is now a part of the newly elected Labor Party. Just a note that this is mirroring the events of 2013 and 2017 when the party won both elections.
The other narrative belongs to Robert Rutter Miceli, who comes from a long line of politicians. His narratives are in English, more specifically the type of English used by upper class Nationalist Party Maltese individuals. Robert manages to secure a position in the Nationalist Party, who are in opposition.
Both characters may seem different but then after a set of shady deals, in which their destinies cross, shows that when greed is involved, no matter what social sphere you’re in, you’re exactly the same.
I think it’s quite brave to write a social satire like this, also going a step further by naming and caricaturing prominent political figures. Like any good lampoon the events mentioned in the book can happen anywhere so Kapitali can be considered relevant. However. I think the book’s main strength is it’s local aspect and that is the descriptions of the two main protagonist’s. Flask captures both types of voices perfectly to a point where I imagined the accents and intonations clearly.
One little bugbear is that the book does feel overlong, although there is a pay off (no pun intended) I do feel it takes a while to get there but it’s a good book and the main message through: politics can be dirty.
Dan il-ktieb ħakimni sa mill-ewwel ftit kapitli. Qrajtu malajr wisq, u xtaqt li kien ħafna itwal. Għalkemm taf li qed taqra fiction, fl-istess ħin il-kliem jinfed ir-realtá donnu sikkina taħraq minn ġo blokka xaħam iffriżat. Bejn intriċċi politiċi, kuntratti, tixħim, drogi u kilba kbira għall-poter u flus, qalb il-paġni ta' Kapitali hemm xi ħaġa għaddejja l-ħin kollu, qisha magna li ma tieqaf qatt. Lanqas waqt funeral.
Għoġobni ħafna kif inhu miktub, f'kapitli jalternaw bejn il-karattri fl-istorja. L-użu tal-ewwel persuna kien ġenjali, għax l-awtur irnexxielu joħloq ilħna distinti (u intimi) ħafna għall-karattri prinċipali. Chapeau!
Purchased the book a while back but I've been refraining from reading it until "election season" in Malta. It's a stark reminder of the doldrums my country of birth is in politically and morally. The saddest thing, not captured in the book, is how the masses lap up all this corruption going on and actually defend it!
Anyway, I'm digressing here.... The book serves as a peek behind the curtain to the strings being pulled in the background, where politicians are merely just marionettes in the nefarious activities of crime syndicates. It might sound exaggerated but recent events that came to light after the book was published made the book eerily prophetic.
We could nitpick about the character development of some characters, the Rutter Micelis are as cliche as it gets for example, but that is beyond the purpose of the book. It should serve as a wake up call to a nation to firstly understand what's happening, and then to start expecting better from its leaders. Won't be holding my breath though.
It is masterly how he interweaves a solid base of fact with his story of Daniel and Robert. I had to stop and remind myself several times that this is a story, fiction. But is it? That is what is scary. Because ok Daniel and Robert might be figments of imagination but the rest .......? It is scarily and sadly true.
I really hate that we love our young nation so little that we've allowed the fat cats the total sway they have here. And how they swagger and sway across our streets like the buccaneers of old, well our ancestors really, for those who know our history. We still have not made this nation ours, still think of what's in it for us personally rather than us as a whole. Before that happens I doubt we have a chance to get out of this tangled web. A web that ferociously resists any type of de-entanglement because it's in the tangled web that the money is. When even those who shout corruption are corrupt who can you turn to, who can you trust? When even the media, that bastion of democracy, is a tool in the hands of the spinners. Oh I do believe that there are honest, stalwart ones, who tried and still try but the deviousness of it all is that the fat cats are everywhere and they de-fang anyone who has a hint of being a threat to their lair.
So so aptly shown by Flask. Kudos.
"Meta ha tqum il-folla u tghid "Daqshekk, ghajb fuq min qed jkasbarni, fuq min qed jisraqni."
L-ewwel inkontru tiegħi max-xogħol ta' Wayne Flask li m'hux artiklu. Fuq livell ta' narrattiva hemm ko-erenza fil-ktieb, imma l-pass tal-pott inkonsistenti għall-aħħar; filli kollox għaddej b'pass ta' bebbux fl-ewwel parti u f'salt BUM -- iseħħ kollox. Din teknika li ħafna awturi jużawha jiġifieri, imma nħoss li l-maġġorparti tal-ewwel parti tar-rumanz kienet tista' tinqata'. It-tmiem kien l-iktar ħaġa li waqqgħu dal-ktieb; l-aċċent taż-Żażà bil-kemm jinftiehem, apparti li ħassejt li kien naqra 'ċum bumm' u mingħajr wisq relevanza għall-bqija tal-ġrajja. Naħseb li kien jista' jkun hemm modijiet kif it-tmiem kien jista' joħroġ b'mod li jħalli aktar impatt. U verament ħasra għax rawwem tensjoni tajba fit-tieni parti, imma naħseb kien hemm bżonn tmiem aktar b'saħħtu għax il-punt tal-ktieb intilef. Għalkemm naf li l-iskop tiegħu huwa li jservi bħala paralell għall-korruzzjoni u l-ħdura li taħkem l-isfera politika Maltija, ħassejt li minkejja li l-lingwa użata matul il-ktieb hija 'komuni' u mexxejja, ħafna drabi sibt lili nnifsi rrid nagħmel xi riċerka biex nifhem ir-referenzi politiċi li frekwentament kont insibhom fil-ktieb li, personalment, għalkemm hi ħaġa tajba li ninfurma lili nnifsi, kieku kont napprezza li ma kinux jitqgiegħdu hemm mingħajr wisq kuntest u jwaqqfuni milli niffoka fil-kontenut.
Il-kliem li ħsibt jien u naqrah - Ċaqċaqli l-konsenturi ta' moħħi. Nammetti li qatt ma qrajt xi ħaġa bħal dan. Politika, ħaxi, xeni u mutetti - li naraw fil-ħajja ta' kuljum imma li kulħadd jgħatti għajnejh minnhom - "I'm ok, f*ck you Jack!" - Jiena qatt ma nteressajt jew għad nitħajjar ninteressa ruħi fil-politika imma nħobb inżomm ruħi konxja ta' kif jimxu l-pjaċiri permezz tal-voti u stejjer simili. Ktieb li jgħeżżek mid-dinja tal-ħolm u l-"unicorns" li hawn ħafna esperti (sarkażmu) mitlufin fiha. Kollox b'messaġġ sottili mirqum ma' ġrajja ta' familji Maltin.
Ktieb immens tajjeb - wieħed mill-aħjar li qatt qrajt - u li kien hemm bżonnu fix-xena letterarja lokali. Ktieb li jibda b'togħma ħelwa u nejjieka imma jispiċċa jinżel imrar meta l-qarrej jiġi wiċċ imb'wiċċ mar-realtà kerha u inevitabbli wara s-siparju.
One of the best local books I have read. A very sobering read that points out the realities about local politics that everyone has heard about, but the extent of which one does not really comprehend.
"Kienet qisha l-aħħar ċena fejn hawn tnax-il Ġuda jaqsmu bejniethom il-wirt li Kristu (assenti) ma laħaqx niżżel fit-testment."
Din il-kwotazzjoni se tibqa' mmarkata f'moħħi għal ħafna wara li għalaqt il-ktieb 'Kapitali', sempliċiment għax għall-ewwell darba f'ħajti xi ħadd poġġa fi kliem kif tinħass il-politika Maltija. Il-karattri miktubin brillanti; daqshekk differenti, iżda tħoss li qegħdin fuq l-istess frekwenza, isseparati biss fil-kamra tal-parlament.
Il-lingwa mqaħba bejn tlitt ilsna li juża Flask biex iwasslilna din l-istorja, hija rapreżentazzjoni perfetta tal-lingwa li tisma' soċjalment u allura żżid mal-awtentiċita` tal-istorja.
Dan il-ktieb, minkejja li jissottolinja d-differenzi taż-żewġ naħat u juri t-tħassir partiġjan li jinsab fil-qafas tas-soċjeta` Maltija, ipinġi biċ-ċar kemm hi mħabbla x-xibka minn taħt u jġelgħek tifhem għala fi stat (suppost) demokratiku, għada tbati l-liberta` tal-kelma.
Il-pass tal-ġrajja fil-bidu jimxi bil-mod wisq, filwaqt li lejn l-aħħar kollox iseħħ f’daqqa. It-tmiem kien diżappuntanti ħafna: l-aċċent taż-Żażà hu diffiċli jinftiehem u t-tmiem innifsu ma jidhirx marbut sew mal-bqija tal-istorja. Din hi ħasra, għax fit-tieni parti tinbena tensjoni tajba, imma mingħajr tmiem b’saħħtu, il-messaġġ tal-ktieb jintilef. F’Kapitali, l-awtur jagħti stampa qawwija tas-soċjetà Maltija u tal-mekkaniżmi tal-poter u l-korruzzjoni li jaħdmu fiha. L-awtur iqajjem kuxjenza u jħeġġeġ lill-qarrej jaħseb dwar ir-responsabbiltà kollettiva. Il-messaġġ ewlieni hu li l-bidla ma tiġix minn individwu wieħed biss, imma mill-għaqda tan-nies u mill-għarfien ta’ dak li jkun qed iseħħ madwarna.
Mexxej ħafna. Kont qed nistenna xi umoriżmu iswed, xi ħaġa satirika. Imma iktar ma bdew idubu l-paġni iktar qeleb minn Satiristan għal House of Cards. Onestament, jien waqaft nemmen li qed naqra novella u spiċċajt ħassejtni qed naqra djarji ta' vera. Diffiċli ma tinħassx dik l-għafsa personali, għax kollox niftakar naqra kollox fl-aħbarijiet, allura abbli dan il-ktieb qala' stilla iktar milli ħaqqu. Minkejja dan huwa thriller politiku tajjeb, jinħass biss li m'għandux tmiem (forsi tapposta), imma ħassejtni qisni ''uqq, ok''. Ktieb essenzjali għax-xena litterarja Maltija, kumplement tajjeb għal Fil-Parlament ma jikbrux fjuri .
Nibda billi ngħid li l-kitba u l-ħadna kemm tal-malti kif ukoll tal-ingliż huwa tajjeb ħafna. Ċar u mexxej anke bil-mod kif jirnexxielu jizviluppa il-karattri rispettivi ta' Daniel u Robert (iktar minn oħrajn) b'lingwaġġ naturali.
It-temi trattati huma b'saħħithom u jdaħħlu l-qarrej dritt fil-qalba tas-sistema politika maltija magħmula minn żewg partiti differenti imma l-istess, immexxija minn terzi li għalkemm ma jidhrux pero jafu u jgawdu l-iżjed. Jitqallbu bejn il-paġni insibu bosta intriċċi politiċi, kuntratti minn taħt (formali u oħrajn sottili), tixħim, droga u l-kilba għall-poter. Flask jiftah tieqa fuq realta ta' pajjiż marid, li kważi taħsdek tant kemm ho awtentika.
Għoġobni - għalkemm it-tmiem ma ħassejtux ċar u tlift il-messaġġ aħħari. Ħerqan għal kitbiet oħra minn dan l-awtur, u nħoss li hemm bżonn aktar kitba dat-tip - li taqta fil-laħam il-ħaj.
Hard to decide how I feel about this novel. (Is it even a novel when the plot is centered around real people and real events?) I found the organized corruption that pervades the story to be depressing; of course it’s a matter of taste (I should stick to humorous novels!) Nonetheless, I think Flask has done an excellent job of presenting the ugly truth about Maltese politics.
Storja intriganti immens u miktuba fi stil u bi djalogu realistiku hafna...u forsi propju ghalhekk kwazi tal-biza' ghalkemm nammetti li l-epilogu hawwadni xi ftit u ghalhekk ma hassejtx li stajt naghtih 5 stilel. Mill-bqija...Eccellenti!
I am not a keen reader but I bought this book on a Friday and read it during the weekend. Loved this book. Easy to read and short chapters so ideal for those who don't have much time to read daily.
Wiehed mill-iktar kotba relevanti ta'zmienna! Qrajtu darbtejn u probabbli nerga naqbdu kull darba li nhossni frustrata bl-istat ta'pajjizna bhalissa. Bellezza ta'ktieb