Uncover What Happens In Brussels Stays In Brussels Developed By Ġużè Stagno Available In Physical Edition
flowing and effortlessly written, not least the very meticulous detailing of events which would usually go completely unnoticed, Loved the firstperson illustrations too, Has not had a more poignant end since 'Inbid ta Kuljum' Definitely worth a read! Flowing read, Though a bit of a 'list' at times read: a minipicaresque journey through Brussels, shot through the eyes of a jaded journo accompanied by loutish political canvassers, it settles into a tight narrative trench towards the end, exploding the dream of opportunity promised by Brussels and by extension, the EU for the Maltese as nothing more but a base scramble for petty power and status.
Great illustrations by Jimmy Grima too, Spot on Maltese character study, Honest account of contemporary life in Malta and the Maltese abroad, Candid writing that has you in hysterics sometimes but also makes you reflect sadly on the shallowness of some, Very good iece of writing, Very flowing. . Depicting the true Maltese character No one captures the typical Maltese character like Stagno, Another enjoyable must read! An undeveloped read,
Despite being a very fluid well written book, it merely launches few thoughts here and there that deserved to be discussed in depth.
Such issues would be the PL/PN attitude postEU membership, the university model that only raises noncreative pseudo intelligensia who is not able to go beyond and stays put, the typical Maltese attitude and its traits that often leaves much to be desired.
Overall, this book does serve to launch these discussions, It is clear that there are many caricatures of the many types that constitute the Maltese population, one which undeniably had lost its verve and identity.
Instead, it choses to focus on the populist discussions of the klandestini rather than looking further on our economy, social cohesion, environment etc.
. . of course, we do not care enough as well demonstrated by our choice of politicians and partisan politics, Maybe this book is the shake that we need to wake up unless we choose to grab what we can manage as Gustav does in the end.
. . Differenti, taddahk u jtik x'tahseb fuq diversi temi ta 'kuljum ta min jaqrah, This review was first published on The Sunday Times of Malta,
First sentences, So important in any book, They can turn you off completely, make your eyes skim uninterestedly over the words and your hands chuck it back to its shelf.
Or they can reel you in, like William Gibsons legendary “The sky over the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel” in Neuromancer.
Or Paul Austers ““I wasyears old the first time I walked on water”, in Mr Vertigo,
Ġuże Stagnos new offering comes with a first sentence that might not contain the depth of Auster, or the cyberweirdness of Gibson, but boy does it make you splutter into your coffee and laugh out loud.
And, more importantly, it makes you eager to devour the rest of the book, in the knowledge that more gems of the sort are bound to follow.
I will leave you to discover the precise nature of this introduction when you read the book, not least because this is a family newspaper and Stagnos rumanz pop comes with what we diplomatically refer to as strong language.
And it has to, not because it is based in gratuitous sensationalism, but because the anecdotes in What Happens in Brussels, Stays in Brussels are nothing but a slice of real life.
And like it or not, most Maltese adults use a vernacular that is heavily peppered with xrated colloquialisms,
This is real life as viewed from the sardonic viewpoint of Stagno, of course, The storyline revolves around Gustav, a journalist on a press junket to Brussels, organised by MEP Charlo Pulis, Gustav is there to interview the MEP, while the others are there because all Maltese politicians know that the best way to keep their canvassers happy is by piling on the free stuff at the taxpayers expense.
As soon as the group gets to Brussels, things start going haywire in the best tradition of Three Men on a Boat only in a much more chavtastic manner, of course, the way only Stagno can pull off.
The story works because we have all met the people he writes about they are stereotypes in the best way possible, because we recognise in them a neighbour, a colleague, a fellow bus commuter.
. .
Like Stagno himself says in the book, stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason, No matter how much we love this island and the quirks that make us Maltese, weve all been there, that cringeworthy moment when a fellow countryman ups the chav ante so badly that you would rather pretend to be anything but Maltese.
Stagnos story is very topical it takes place a few months before the last election, which adds to the attraction.
He also has an intriguing way of bringing together fact and fiction, He insists that Pulis is not based on anyone real, for instance, though we all have our suspicions, At the same time, he introduces to the story real life people like Louis Grech and Silvio Parnis accompanied by rather clever observations on said gentlemen.
He even manages to work in a reference to Clinton Paul respect!, Geeks of a certain mind frame, on the other hand, will appreciate the references to particular musicians like Morrissey and Gainsbourg, as well as to real life film lecturer Dr Saviour Catania.
A big part of the attraction of Stagnos style is the way his narrative rolls forward in a most easygoing manner.
Rather than reading, its almost like you are eavesdropping on a conversation, His spoton use of the vernacular contributes a lot to this, Stagnos Maltese because despite the title, the book is actually written in Maltese is the Maltese we hear in the streets the Maltese that is peppered with English phrases, and a couple of Italian ones too here and there.
But perhaps more importantly, what you will take from What Happens in Brussels besides the somewhat disturbing feeling of a continuous dejavu is a new wrinkle or two cause by the multiple giggles.
Because yes, this book will have you LOLing the internet acronym somehow seems totally appropriate in this case like a lunatic wherever you happen to be reading it.
I kept getting raised eyebrows from people in cafes while I was doing exactly that,
I cant bring this review to an end without calling Stagno out on the way he does a Kurt Vonnegut and a Douglas Coupland, referencing himself in his own book.
Tut, tuts all along but at the end of the day, we forgive him the vanity since there is one highly addictive book to back it up.
Wara li kont kemmxejn iddizappuntat bilktieb Xemx Wisq Sabiha nista nghid li What Happens in Brussels huwa hafna ahjar.
Guze Stagno jaghti stampa cara hafna talMaltin post dhul ta pajjizna flUnjoni Ewropeja, Bilpartitarju Laburist li huwa deskritt bhala ilhamallu u linjornat tassitwazzjoni u dak Nazzjonalist li huwa klassist, pulit u vergni, Dan kollu fuq sfond ta grajja kemmxejn romantika fejn ilkarattru principali jiltaqa ma ex tfajla tieghu,
Li huwa nteressanti hafna huwa li minkejja li lktieb ilu naqra li gie ppublikat Malta ghadha thabbat wiccha ma listess problemi specjalment fejn tidhol limmigrazzjoni irregolari.
Jigifieri nuqqas ta solidarjeta minn naha talpajjizi suppost shabna membri ta lUnjoni,
Ilktieb huwa miktub bilkitba tipika
ta Stagno ghalkemm inqas vulgari minn Xemx Wisq Sabiha u Mbid ta Kuljum, Bla ma nnaqqas millimpatt li kellu “Nbid ta Kuljum” fixxena lokali, flopinjoni tiegħi “Brussell” huwa laħjar ktieb ta Stagno sissa.
Apparti listil tipiku tiegħu li issa sirna nistennew, dan huwa lewwel wieħed li jista jiġi nterpretat fuq livelli differenti bħal ngħidu aħna litteralment, satirikament bħala statement għassitwazzjoni politika u anki bħala metafora ta pajjiż skizzofreniku jipprova jibbilanċja bejn listabilita, avventuri imprudenti u nostalġija lejn passat probabilment immaġinat.
Hilarious and nostalgic Aktar.tajjeb imma ma tantx jissodisfa wisq lgħaġeb li jġorr miegħu, Ilmaġġor parti talktieb kien attiranti u żammni interessat, speċjalment permezz tassempliċità flaġir talpersonaġġi li madankollu jinġibdu minn lenti mistħarrġa sew immens.
Lejn ittmiem sar naqra diżappuntanti għaliex spiċċa b'mod pjuttost mistenni u monodimensjonali u lbinja talkaratterizzazzjoni donnha ċediet ħesrem.
Ilkapitli tassess verament ma rajthom żiedu xejn għallktieb deskrizzjonijiet fjakki u naqra bla sugu, Saħansitra għoġobni kunsiderevolment, u listil ta' kitba ta' Stagno eskluż issess wieħed millaktar uniċi u interessanti li qatt qrajt.
Was a little disappointed with the book, although that has more to do with the hype surrounding the book than with the content itself.
Whilst it gives a very good description of the visitors groups that come to the EP from Malta, I felt that it could have gone deeper into the dynamics of the Maltese expat community.
Still one of thue best books I haver ever read in Maltese Having lived in Brussels I could relate to the description in the book which I loved as it got me memories.
The story brings out elements of Maltese people in relation to the EU which are still very real, Not a great plot but enjoyed reading it,.Wellcaptured observations of the stereotypical Maltese character, but otherwise rather shallow in my opinion, The synopsis at the back overestimates the depth of this book, But as usual, Stagno shows a good, albeit deriding, grasp of the Maltese character, .