Customer Reviews

Jukebox Queen of Malta

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The atmosphere created by Nicholas Rinaldi in this novel is authentic: this was Malta in WWII, when there was constant bombing, little food and a common desperation that led to individual acts of heroism, ingenuity, folly. Having lived in Malta for 27 years, the scenes, characters and dilemmas created by Rinaldi reawakened in me a kind of nostalgia; reminded me of the steadfast, ingenious Maltese: their seige mentality, pious irreverence and black humour. The writing is crisp, immediate and evocative, with passing references to literary and historical stuff, emotional and psychological stuff and religious and philosophical stuff: but it is never heavy, overbearing or dry. This is an engaging novel that entertains while it makes the reader wonder (because it is obvious the history on which it is based is real) how the human spirit experiences, endures and lives to overcome. There are insurmountable obstacles facing the characters in this books. There are classical juxtapositions of characters and scenes. There are locations that suddenly take on personalities of their own, taking charge and dominating the story. That's Malta for you: its history, presence, size and improbabilities arrest the heart. In this case, it made an author stay and write on. I found it hard to put down, and will find it hard to forget.

Being a Maltese myself I was more interested to find out about the portrayal of Malta and the Maltese by Rinaldi...and I must say I was impressed. This book is so well researched that it actually includes newspaper cuttings of the time (some of the shops advertised at that time still stand today!). His description of the hardship endured by the Maltese during the Second World War is absolutely spot-on without being over-dramatic or too romantic. His characters are so real, the plot so clever I could not put the book down.

Written at the tail of the Twentieth Century, "The Jukebox Queen of Malta" takes a look back to mid-Century, spotlighting characters and a people who defy a part of the horrific terror induced by WW II. In so doing, the novel touches upon many of the major intellectual themes of the past one-hundred years (Self-Other, Fragmentation, the Individual, the Absurd), providing a fitting synthesis of these currents for the closing of the millenium. The writing is fluid, lyrical and flows like a dream.

Rinaldi's The Jukebox Queen of Malta gives us Rocco Raven, an American radio operator trapped on Malta during the German and Italian bombardments of WWII. Rocco quickly learns he cannot escape the enchantment of the island, it's charismatic people and the love he feels for Melita. Rinaldi weaves history with stories of perserverence and will, providing a humorous and fantastical account of the human spirit in times of war. Through the lunacy of the constant bombing, servicemen like Fingerly hoard tidbits of Maltese history-Dragut's dagger, a one hundred pound suit of armor and mummies from Egypt. I loved this book, it's timeless characters and prescient storytelling!

The beginning of this story was a little rocky, and I almost gave up reading the novel. I persevered, and was rewarded with an entertaining and informational story.

At the start of the book there are many characters introduced and the story doesn't settle into its rhythm for a couple of chapters. Once the story progresses, the characters become interesting and the story of Malta during WWII is riveting. I am not into "war" stories, but the description of the pilots in Malta and the actions of the people stuck on the island was fascinating. There are some really wacky characters - the cousin who builds jukeboxes from salvaged parts to the prostitute with the wooden leg - that add a nice flavor to the novel.

I was sorry the story ended and am looking forward to the author's next novel.

The Jukebox Queen of Malta is a captivating narrative that takes the reader on a magical journey through time and place, through the human struggle with love and war. Keenly sensitive to the subtleties of language, the author creates an imagistic tour de force that weaves historical and literary concerns into a most compelling work of fiction. Highly recommended!

Really enjoyed this book. The author's deft handling of war, history, intrigue, romance and music makes JUKEBOX a truly compelling read. Though the setting for this work is restricted to the tiny island of Malta during the Axis bombing in 1942, Rinaldi's book is yet another important landmark in the literature of World War II.

Rinaldi's _Jukebox Queen of Malta_ combines the best of _Corelli's Mandolin_ and _Catch-22_. Against a backdrop of the World War II bombing of Malta, a half-desperate, half-comic romance takes place between a hapless American soldier and a Maltese woman who helps repairs jukeboxes. How Rinaldi manages to extract both love and humor from bombed-out buildings and a war-weary populace is a minor miracle, but he does. Highly recommended, especially for anyone despairing over arid modern novels.

I was puzzled by the reviewer who felt this was tougher to read than CATCH-22. How so?! CATCH-22 jumps back and forth in time; this book is chronologically straightforward. This one also has less characters. Oh well...Comparisons between this book and CATCH-22 are inevitable but they are certainly not identical. JUKEBOX QUEEN is much more of a love story, as well as a progressive embodiment of the isle of Malta itself. Malta indeed becomes an important character. Gentle humor and some priceless lines & turns of phrases, with some VERY subtle character shadings such as Rocco Raven's relationship with his father; also the examining of life under fire. A very enjoyable read, and kudos to author Rinaldi for sticking to his guns with a terrific ending.

Melita Azzard is a forthright Maltese girl who delivers and services jukeboxes. Her resourceful cousin Zammit collects the makings of these jukeboxes from the rubble of bombed out buildings in 1942 Mslta and transforms them into objects of beauty and artistry.

That is what Nicholas Rinaldi has done with this novel. It is a beautiful tapestry constructed from the fragments and debris left over by engagements of war and love.

Rocco Raven, a young, impressionable Brooklynite inserted into the chaos of Malta during an air raid in 1942 feels as if he has fallen through the looking glass instead. He cannot find his superior officer, instead falling under the influence of a very shady captain in the American Army intelligence corps. They, along with one other intelligence officer, constitute the total American presence on Malta. The other main military presence is that of a contingent of British pilots trapped in a very Catch 22-esque sort of duty—each time one of them gets shot down and survives-he gets promoted. Rocco sees-and falls for—Melita, and is swept into the chaos of life on Malta during the war helping out with the jukebox business when not trying to do his intelligence work and/or trying not to get sucked into the various shady deals his superior officer is embroiled in.

Rinaldi does a masterful job of truly developing the characters, the scene, the sense of unreality that was wartime Malta. The love story is genuine and moving. The wartime shenanigans of Rocco’s superior are just zany and dangerous enough to capture our imaginations. And the chaos, tragedy and farce that is modern warfare is in full evidence throughout the novel.

This is a truly great book. Read it.