“Rakkont mimli ħolm u maġija, mibni fuq pedament ta’ realtà. Ma xtaqtx nistenbaħ mill-ħolma.” — Trevor Żahra
Nahel jitnaffar mir-rix, jistmellu daqskemm jistmell lil missieru, u l-bqija tal-Furraniżi. Ħal Furran joffrilu biss kenn fejn jistaħba min-nies u minnu stess.
Sakemm tfeġġ hi. Amira, it-tfajla li tafu aktar milli jaf lilu nnifsu, it-tfajla li taf x’qed jinħema fil-ħemda ta’ madwaru. Għax is-sinjali, fis-sema u fl-art, qed juru li wasal il-waqt li titwettaq il-profezija: Meta tfeġġ is-sħaba ħmajra, meta tasal magħha t-tajra, id-demm jiġri mill-kustat …
Bla ma jaf kif, Nahel jinġarr miċ-ċirkostanzi dejjem jinbidlu fi vjaġġ li jħabbtu ma’ ħbieb u m’għedewwa, vjaġġ li jwasslu jagħraf dak li minn dejjem kien hemm, stendut quddiemu.
David Aloisio huwa lecturer tal-lingwa u letteratura Maltija ġewwa l-Junior College tal-Università ta' Malta. Qiegħed jirriċerka għal PhD mal-istess università, dwar Dialectic of the Canon: the Maltese Literary Context. L-interessi ta’ riċerka tiegħu jiffukaw fuq ir-relazzjoni - spiss waħda kunflittwali - bejn xogħlijiet letterarji u l-kif jiġu kkategorizzati, konxjament jew inkonxjament, mill-psike kollettiva f’listi informali jew anki f’kanoni letterarji.
“This is a rich novel which unfolds with rereads … Like a jigsaw there many pieces and Aloisio manages to put everything together with a lot of surprises thrown in.
Not only is it a book bountiful with themes but linguistically this is a delight. David Aloisio has a way with wording his metaphors and similes. There are times when the sentences flow so well that it feels like poetry. Clearly, and this will stand out, there is not just a love for Maltese but an adoration for the complexities that Maltese can yield.”
— mir-reċensjoni ta’ Robert Pisani: The Bobsphere
“Il-ktieb il-ġdid ta’ David Aloisio jpaxxi fuq diversi livelli — dak lingwistiku, poetiku, umoristiku, soċjopolitiku, filosofiku, u immaġinattiv … fil-ktieb insibu l-lingwa mill-ifjen li jħaddem Aloisio (…) u deskrizzjonijiet perċettivi li jisfidaw lil kull min jisħaq li l-Malti lingwa fqira.
Dan il-ktieb għandu jkun kontribut qawwi għal-letteratura lokali — ħrafa miktuba bl-akbar ħila u poeżija filwaqt li tagħmel kummentarju soċjali essenzjali.”
— mir-reċensjoni ta’ Miriam Galea fl-ILLUM: Distopja niffieda għal żminijietna (05.08.2025)
“Li kieku Fis-sema hekkda fl-art baqa’ ħsieb, kienet se titnaqqas xi ħaġa mill-kanonu letterarju Malti … Dan hu rumanz inkredibbilment Malti”
— mir-reċensjoni ta’ Ħaley Xuereb f’IT-TORĊA: Agħtina llum (07.09.2025)
“Few scenes/set ups in Maltese literature will excite me more than that of the Scarecrow and the Crow and their philosophical dialogue, sitting/standing in an abandoned wheat field overlooking the sea, waiting for godot. There is of the fable in the interactions between these two wonderful creations and also elements of a chorus, commenting obliquely about the philosophical undercurrents of the story unfolding beyond their knowledge. There is so much richness here I don’t know where to begin.”
— mir-reċensjoni ta’ The Maltese Reader
