I remember how impressed I was by a comment that novelist Alex Vella Gera once made as we chatted: all novels about the past, he said, even if their past dates to only a few years back, are “historical” novels; or something of the sort.
Now, when you refer to a “historical” novel, the tendency is to think of a story line that goes way back from today’s date, as in some “classical” Walter Scott novel or in “Taħt Tliet Saltniet”. But actually, when you get to think about and consider them, even relatively recent periods (or what a person of my age would consider as being so) have the same aura as the past that is laid out in a “historical” novel. For instance: the year 2013, when last there was a change of government.
The events of those days sound distant. To get them remembered and again given life, research or the imagined recreation of realities no longer present will be needed. All writing that focuses on earlier than 24 hours ago in this sense, ends up as “historical”.
Vella Gera was right; the past is a foreign country and it is not easy to revive it as if it still were the present.
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GRUMBLING
Grumbling is part of the way of life of the Maltese and Gozitan people. There can be little doubt about this. Generally it is directed at the government of the day, but not only. In my experience, it is mostly on the go during summer and December -- seasons of the year when people congregate at village festas or Christmas parties.
To grumble about what is happening is recognised as a staple part of the ways by which we communicate and socialise.
Still as in all matters, it is best to keep a sense of proportion. It is hardly wise to consider all criticisms as another grumble and simply dismiss them. After all, even a common grumble might contain the germ of other real problems that are developing. Ears should never be kept blocked, not even against grumbling. Which does not mean that by doing so, one is implicitly accepting that it is justified. You just have to listen and also be aware of what is being said.
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VALUES
Cries and whispers can be heard to excess about how this country has lost all hold on the traditional values which maintained alive a sense of family and solidarity. On reading what gets written by respectable individuals, one ends up believing we have lost all the values that define us as human beings.
Now, it cannot be denied that over a number of issues, society is becomng brutalised: racism, misogyny, immigration, drugs, animal care...
Still in the past, when so-called traditional values were paramount, was it really so much better? Poverty and unemployment would wreck all feelings of solidarity. Alcohol abuse and domestic violence were widespread. Religious practice frequently served to mask social realities.
We do need to reinforce the respect for social values among the population at large. There should be general agreement as to this. However to do so by constructing a myth about how we have abandoned the Garden of Eden which we used to inhabit some time ago is nonsense.