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Qed Nistenniek Niezla max-Xita "Pierre Mejlak really comes into his own as
an astute narrator. As a child of the 80s, he describes what it
was like growing up in a very political active household. He speaks
of the political tension of the time in the matter-of-fact tone
of someone who had come to see violence and thuggish behaviour as
a way of life." "Short stories are not a genre that I go for,
generally, but I found myself moving from one to the other at quite
a clip, probably because the language and the style were such as
to engage me very strongly. One of the stories actually moved me
to, well, if not tears, very damp eyes. This was good stuff." "Pierre paints pictures with unusual colours
and brushstrokes, without explaining, because it is the story and
characters which paint themselves" "I had to read this book twice, some parts
even three times, not because it is difficult to understand, but
because it is addictively beautiful." "Fascinating" "I will never eat an apple in the same way
again" "Vibrant and forward-looking" "A young man's quest that seems as insatiable
as it is provocative to the reader. I have honestly not been this
excited by young Maltese writers since way back in the 1970s. Malta's
ever-growing cosmopolitan nature comes out like a laser beam, seeking,
finding and transfixing you. Mejlak is a keen observer and a great
collector of people's hearts and moods. This book will go a long
way towards confirming Mejlak as one of Malta's top young writers.
His uncluttered style and a penchant for the straightforward give
him the edge in present-day Maltese Literature that is struggling
albeit successfully, to claim tomorrow as a reality and not a myth." "Seeing a popular jazz club jampacked with
people for the launch of a book in Maltese, says a lot about how
eagerly awaited Mejlak's latest book was." "Extraordinary! Read it!" "Mejlak's voice ranges from the melancholy
to the comic, from the political to the personal - but always heartfelt
and intimate." "This book marks an important development in
Maltese Literature, quite simply because Maltese is being used to
describe the outside world first hand in the most natural way. The
resulting collection of stories is a breath of fresh air. This is
poetic pop literature, refreshingly unburdended by guilt or complexes." "Like his previous work, a compulsive page
turner" "A splendid collection of emotions" "It's a pity it took me so long to discover
this gem of a book. Incredibly beautiful." "Mejlak - probably the best writer of his generation
- is at his best." "Simply put, beautiful." "As the Maltese proverb goes, the early morning
sun bodes well for the entire day. Mejlak takes us a stride further
in the maturation of his writing. This book confirms Mejlak as a
natural born writer, whilst marking him as an important exponent
of New Maltese Literature." "Written as finely and as carefully as Gozitan
lace." "Mejlak casts a penetrating eye at life from
the various vantage points of eternal love, pure sex, petty politics
and friendship, all of which are soaked in rain, hence the title,
and bereft of the peace of mind one is hopelessly looking for." "A breath of fresh air." "Writing in his mother tongue is this young
author's greatest inspiration."
Rih Isfel "Mejlak writes in a simple, lucid style reminiscent
of Mark Haddon. Like Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in
the Night Time, Rih Isfel belongs to the cross-over genre appealing
to teenagers and adults alike. I'd recommend Rih Isfel to anyone
wanting to exorcise the mind-numbing Maltese study texts of past
school days. Actually I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good
read." "I'd wholeheartedly recommend Rih Isfel to
anyone who can read Maltese. If for no other reason, just because
it is a rare offering: a highly original, carefully thought out
piece of writing in the Maltese language. I'm mighty glad I found
the time to read it." "Rih Isfel strikes one
as innovative both in its narrative technique as in the issues and
themes it evokes. The story presents itself as a psychological novel
with a Maltese village, endowed with a mythical and universal significance,
as its setting." "I read Rih Isfel
with a feeling of relaxed contentment that could only be had by
the pleasure of a revival of multiple memories and familiar landscapes
safely entwined within a fertile vocabulary that immediately brings
the reader close to home."
Pierre J. Mejlak's Blog "Mejlak writes in splendid Maltese and his
work proves wrong all those who think that Maltese is only good
for saying hello, cheers and goodbye." "I think Pierre Mejlak has got the potential
to become one of the most important Maltese writers of this generation." "Having worked with Pierre Mejlak for quite
a few years now, I have been thrilled to follow his coming of age
as a writer. His affair with Brussels seems to have imbued his writing
with a smoke-and-streetlights atmosphere (sans murderers and pimps...
so far); one assumes his next character will be a mix of Bogart
in Casablanca and McGregor in Moulin Rouge keying away at his rusty
typewriter, and his blogposts are a publishing editor's dream of
a works-in-progress. Blending rural Gozo and cosmopolitan Brussels
can be tricky, but in Mejlak's case is working."
Enciklopedija ghat-Tfal "Published a mere month ago, with no launches
or fanfare, Merlin Library's latest Maltese publication - Enciklopedija
ghat-Tfal - has become a massive word-of-mouth success, smashing
first-month sales records for non-fiction in Maltese." "It's a runaway bestseller, exceeding all expectations."
Stejjer mill-Bibbja "If you only buy one book this year, make sure
this is it!"
Meta Nstabu l-Angli
Trab Abjad "The book is a solid adventure, well-endowed
with all the elements staple to that and related sub-genres within
juvenile literature. The very nature of the lack of complication,
and his good use of simple (and at times quaint and endearing) language,
will probably make this book a firm favourite in the 7-12 age bracket.
And I do not blame them, because at that age I would have devoured
it and probably reread it a dozen times myself. It is fun, very
readable and will probably be consumed by its young readers in one
sitting. It is as gripping as any Blyton books, which, given the
millions of copies sold by that author, says a lot. Mejlak handles
Maltese well. He has a natural flair for writing that will eventually
bear plots that are much more complex and characters more rounded
than in his debut. And he will handle them with ease, because the
indications are already there. Time will hone skills he already
has in abundance and possibly turn him into a very accomplished
writer. His first book is a very competent effort that will definitely
do what it has set out to do. Make children read it and ask for
more." |
