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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JULY 2021 6 BOOKS Corruption and violence in Maltese society Godwin Ellul BY and large Alfred Massa's new nov- el Ir-raġel li ġie mal-lejl (The Man who came during the Night), reflects the plot of the film Sommersby. A movie released in the US in 1993 by Warner Bros. It was directed by Jon Amiel and based on a sto- ry by Nicholas Meyer and Anthony Shaf- fer. 'Sommersby' itself was adapted from the historical account of the 16th-centu- ry French peasant Martin Guerre. The French film The Return of Martin Guerre was released in 1982 starring Gérard Depardieu and Nathalie Baye while the main actors in the 1993 version included Richard Gere and Jodie Foster. The theme of the film is that a man re- turns to his home town after a lengthy ab- sence spent fighting in the US Civil War. Although his apparent character trans- formation arouses his wife's and others' suspicions, everyone is delighted when his tobacco-growing scheme is profitable for the whole town. Just as he is settling into an idyllic routine with his family, he is accused of the murder of a man killed many years before. However, in Massa's work as in the works described above there is more than meets the eye. It isn't only a story of grief and love but more importantly a story about a corrupt and violent society led by imposters who feed on kind and gentle people. Massa sets his story in a late 20th-cen- tury Maltese village located in the south- ern part of the island. It is a village which, while still embracing traditional values, is experiencing both economic and so- cial change. The generation gap can be appreciated both through the characters presented in the novel as well as through the social customs described in the story. Massa for example recalls the time when the wedding reception used to be organ- ised at the local band club (p.8) and how during the summer months the family, inorder to while away the time, would go on the roof of the house to eat, relax and enjoy the fresh air. (p.14). It seems that Bettina's husband died a natural death. She does not intend to remarry but all of a sudden Konrad ar- rives. A person who feigns to be German, a Lutheran from Frankfurt. Initially, we hardly know anything about Konrad but gradually we learn that he had quite an eventful life. Bettina is attracted to Kon- rad because he reminds her of her dead husband (p. 69). While Bettina's family is unaware of Konrad's past, he increasingly starts to form part of the family. He works in the field belonging to Bettina, shares her house, influences certain decisions usu- ally taken by household members and even cooks macaroni for the whole family (p.88). In reality Konrad is a cheat, a liar, and a blackmailer. He is attracted to Kristina with whom he would like to have an inti- mate love affair. Being rejected by Kris- tina, Konrad starts scheming against her (p.78, 87). However, the snag for Konrad is that Kristina is a lesbian. The underlying theme of the story is that kindness is rewarded by selfishness. Bettina's good deed is compensated by deceit (p.19). The field, which is Bettina's main source of livelihood personifies the interaction between good and evil. Hence, in the nov- el it has a central role. A place where one does not necessarily reap what one sows. While Konrad desires Kristina with one aim in mind, he requires Bettina because she is providing him shelter (p.80) to con- ceal his real identity. Although Victor's character is simply mentioned in the novel, the reader is able to detect his presence as well as specu- late upon his past. Did Victor, Bettina's loving husband, form part of the mafia? Was there a relationship between Victor and Konrad? Massa states that even when Victor married, he did not marry in the local village church as often happened but in Wardija, a quiet, picturesque and forlorn village, in the chapel of Our Lady of the Abandoned (p. 9). After all, it may be that not all that glitters is gold (p.144). The Maltese village Massa presents in this novel is not completely rural, but it is a village which reflects the rest of the island, that is, an island in the process of economic development (p.10). For this reason although in the novel one can still feel the rural fibre, Tomma- so and Kristina, Bettina's children, rep- resent a departure from the traditional role models. Moreover Bettina herself is an avant-gardist (p.10). Even the farm- ers have their own union to defend their rights. Kristina's sexual behaviour is accepted by those surrounding her. She is no longer taboo even if Bettina and Saverja would have preferred otherwise (p.76, 140). The vigilant society that seeks to em- brace good values is an obstacle for a person like Konrad. The villagers in fact are unhappy with this intruder.They are sending a message that they do not want him around and would like him to leave the community (p.40). In his writing Massa makes use of prov- erbs to strengthen the plot of the story (p.96). As one can appreciate this is not a happy story. Bettina is continuously weeping for her dead husband. Konrad is a cheat while throughout the book the au- thor refers to the south east wind, a wind usually associated with storms. However, notwithstanding the depress- ing nature of the novel, it remains an interesting book to read given that itat- tempts to portray the reality of life. Massa focuses on the destiny of the human be- ing. There are questions in life that do not have an answer (p.87). The police sergeant finally informs us who Konrad actually is (p.129, 144). In his work Massa refers to two par- ticular personalities. First he refers to the work of Graham Greene, The Comedi- ans, and to Grand Master Ramon Perellos (1637-1720). The reader may ask what do these two people so apart in time have in common? The work by Greene takes place with Haiti as its background, where three men meet on a ship bound for Haiti, a coun- try in the grip of the corrupt Papa Doc and the Tontons Macoute, his sinister secret police. The comedians in the work of Greene take part in a plot set against a backdrop of corruption and violence. Similarly, Perellos, soon after his appoint- ment, became very active in correcting cases of corruption and abuse within the Order. One such case involved the re- quest by knights to receive graces and be nominated to the title of Gran Croce di Grazia. The pleas of Perellos to eliminate such prejudicial recommendations were considered legitimate by Pope Innocent XII who agreed to forbid them. Massa's book is a challenging work of literature. This should encourage discus- sion regarding the world surrounding us and the impact of modernization on our country. The author examines Maltese society and how this has developed. For this rea- son the novel appears to be an excerpt of our daily life. Massa is an experienced writer with a purpose. This can be ap- preciated from this work as well as from his other literary works published earlier. The hope in this work is that truth shall prevail because ultimately oil comes up to the surface of the water. Ir-Ragel li gie mal-Lejl. Alfred Massa, Horizons, 2021. 145 pages