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Pepe Carvalho #2
Tatuaje
Un cuerpo de hombre joven desnudo sobre la arena, y en la piel, un «He nacido para revolucionar el infierno.» Nace un enigma y nace un investigador privado, Pepe Carvalho, que a lo largo de la historia descubre la azarosa vida de superviviente de un hombre que tenía buena entrada con las mujeres. La retina de Carvalho le permite descubrir las pistas que conducen a la solución, pero también describir el entorno social y sentimental que ha hecho posible el crimen. Tatuaje, primera novela en la que Carvalho ejerce como investigador privado fue llevada al cine por Bigas Luna.
198 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1974
50 people are currently reading
654 people want to read
About the author
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
282 books351 followersManuel Vázquez Montalbán was a prolific Spanish writer: journalist, novelist, poet, essayist, anthologue, prologist, humourist, critic, as well as a gastronome and a FC Barcelona supporter.
He studied Philosophy at Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona and was also a member of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia. For many years, he contributed columns and articles to the Madrid-based daily newspaper El País.
He died in Bangkok, Thailand, while returning to his home country from a speaking tour of Australia. His last book, La aznaridad, was published posthumously.
He studied Philosophy at Universidad Autònoma de Barcelona and was also a member of the Unified Socialist Party of Catalonia. For many years, he contributed columns and articles to the Madrid-based daily newspaper El País.
He died in Bangkok, Thailand, while returning to his home country from a speaking tour of Australia. His last book, La aznaridad, was published posthumously.
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November 25, 2025
LA SOLITUDINE DEL DETECTIVE
Manifesto del film omonimo diretto da Bigas Luna nel 1978.
Nella lunga storia di Pepe Carvalho, questa è la sua seconda apparizione.
Anche se potrebbe essere considerata la prima, visto che il romanzo precedente Ho ammazzato J. F. Kennedy lo introduce sì, ma non come investigatore, bensì come guardia del corpo del presidente americano: e lo stesso romanzo è abbastanza un pastiche, molto poco in linea con la serie dedicata a Pepe.
Comunque la si voglia mettere, per me è stato il primo incontro con questo strampalato, ma affascinantissimo detective privato, che il commissario Contreras, suo eterno antagonista, definisce “annusapatte”, vista la tendenza degli investigatori privati a occuparsi di corna e tradimenti.
L’ho seguito per anni, ho letto parecchie sue avventure: ma non tutte, non l’ho seguito fino in fondo, perché poi, come più o meno sempre succede, mi sono stancato di leggerlo prima di quanto il suo creatore si sia stancato di raccontarlo.
Il tatuaggio del titolo è quello che spicca sul cadavere ritrovato in mare col viso sfigurato che Pepe è chiamato a identificare. Al centro della schiena del morto è tatuata questa frase: Sono nato per rivoluzionare l’inferno.
Da qui prende inizio l’indagine di Carvalho che da Barcellona lo porta lungo i canali di Amsterdam.
E se ricordo bene, non è l’unica volta che il detective si troverà a indagare in questa bella città.
La trama conta poco, secondo me nella serie di Carvalho perfini meno che in altre saghe di investigatori: più che mai il fascino del libro è da cercare nel personaggio protagonista e nel suo ambiente.
Pepe Carvalho ha un ufficetto di investigazioni private sulle Ramblas di Barcellona, e con me ha così già segnato diversi punti a suo vantaggio: luogo mitico, ci ho preso la mia prima manganellata.
Nel piccolo ufficio c’è un minuscolo sgabuzzino dove lavora e alloggia il suo assistente, una strana sorta di animale umano, Biscuter, capace dei migliori manicaretti, che cucina proprio lì, in quello spazietto esiguo e angusto.
Biscuter e Pepe si sono conosciuti in carcere: il primo era dentro per furto, il secondo per motivi politici (comunista in epoca franchista).
Ma quello che Biscuter cucina, e i suoi giri di acquisti culinari per luoghi e mercati di Barcellona sono uno spasso e una libidine.
Lo scrittore insieme al regista.
Carvalho vive in collina e si muove in automobile.
Nella villetta di proprietà dove abita riceve l’amico commercialista, Fuster, e l’amante prostituta, Charo: a entrambi ammansisce mangiarini mitici (tanto che Vázquez Montalbán scrisse un libro di ricette di Carvalho), accendendo il fuoco nel caminetto con i libri della sua sterminata biblioteca, letti, e ormai inutili, perché incapaci di spiegare il mondo e la vita.
Charo è l’amore e l’amante: Pepe accetta che faccia la “vita”, la rispetta, non cerca certo di redimerla.
D’altra parte il genere femminile piace molto al nostro investigatore: e lui stesso piace spesso alle donne che incontra. Di conseguenza, Charo non è l’unica con cui fa l’amore, o più semplicemente, si congiunge.
Romantico quanto basta, sufficientemente misantropo, coriaceo e cinico come il ruolo pretende, Pepe sa intavolare discussioni - soprattutto con l’amico Fuster - di letteratura e umanità, di entrambe ormai con acuto disincanto.
Non sono noir, non li definirei tali, non foss’altro per il tono umoristico che Vázquez Montalbán imprime a ogni storia. Ma come nei noir migliori diventano occasione di denuncia, sociale e politica, un modo per raccontare le storture del mondo, la corruzione, il sempre pernicioso connubio di politica finanza ed economia, mai troppo lontane dalla criminalità.
Manifesto del film omonimo diretto da Bigas Luna nel 1978.
Nella lunga storia di Pepe Carvalho, questa è la sua seconda apparizione.
Anche se potrebbe essere considerata la prima, visto che il romanzo precedente Ho ammazzato J. F. Kennedy lo introduce sì, ma non come investigatore, bensì come guardia del corpo del presidente americano: e lo stesso romanzo è abbastanza un pastiche, molto poco in linea con la serie dedicata a Pepe.
Comunque la si voglia mettere, per me è stato il primo incontro con questo strampalato, ma affascinantissimo detective privato, che il commissario Contreras, suo eterno antagonista, definisce “annusapatte”, vista la tendenza degli investigatori privati a occuparsi di corna e tradimenti.
L’ho seguito per anni, ho letto parecchie sue avventure: ma non tutte, non l’ho seguito fino in fondo, perché poi, come più o meno sempre succede, mi sono stancato di leggerlo prima di quanto il suo creatore si sia stancato di raccontarlo.
Il tatuaggio del titolo è quello che spicca sul cadavere ritrovato in mare col viso sfigurato che Pepe è chiamato a identificare. Al centro della schiena del morto è tatuata questa frase: Sono nato per rivoluzionare l’inferno.
Da qui prende inizio l’indagine di Carvalho che da Barcellona lo porta lungo i canali di Amsterdam.
E se ricordo bene, non è l’unica volta che il detective si troverà a indagare in questa bella città.
La trama conta poco, secondo me nella serie di Carvalho perfini meno che in altre saghe di investigatori: più che mai il fascino del libro è da cercare nel personaggio protagonista e nel suo ambiente.
Pepe Carvalho ha un ufficetto di investigazioni private sulle Ramblas di Barcellona, e con me ha così già segnato diversi punti a suo vantaggio: luogo mitico, ci ho preso la mia prima manganellata.
Nel piccolo ufficio c’è un minuscolo sgabuzzino dove lavora e alloggia il suo assistente, una strana sorta di animale umano, Biscuter, capace dei migliori manicaretti, che cucina proprio lì, in quello spazietto esiguo e angusto.
Biscuter e Pepe si sono conosciuti in carcere: il primo era dentro per furto, il secondo per motivi politici (comunista in epoca franchista).
Ma quello che Biscuter cucina, e i suoi giri di acquisti culinari per luoghi e mercati di Barcellona sono uno spasso e una libidine.
Lo scrittore insieme al regista.
Carvalho vive in collina e si muove in automobile.
Nella villetta di proprietà dove abita riceve l’amico commercialista, Fuster, e l’amante prostituta, Charo: a entrambi ammansisce mangiarini mitici (tanto che Vázquez Montalbán scrisse un libro di ricette di Carvalho), accendendo il fuoco nel caminetto con i libri della sua sterminata biblioteca, letti, e ormai inutili, perché incapaci di spiegare il mondo e la vita.
Charo è l’amore e l’amante: Pepe accetta che faccia la “vita”, la rispetta, non cerca certo di redimerla.
D’altra parte il genere femminile piace molto al nostro investigatore: e lui stesso piace spesso alle donne che incontra. Di conseguenza, Charo non è l’unica con cui fa l’amore, o più semplicemente, si congiunge.
Romantico quanto basta, sufficientemente misantropo, coriaceo e cinico come il ruolo pretende, Pepe sa intavolare discussioni - soprattutto con l’amico Fuster - di letteratura e umanità, di entrambe ormai con acuto disincanto.
Non sono noir, non li definirei tali, non foss’altro per il tono umoristico che Vázquez Montalbán imprime a ogni storia. Ma come nei noir migliori diventano occasione di denuncia, sociale e politica, un modo per raccontare le storture del mondo, la corruzione, il sempre pernicioso connubio di politica finanza ed economia, mai troppo lontane dalla criminalità.
December 18, 2022
Το ανεξίτηλα ζωγραφισμένο στην πλάτη ενός πτώματος τατουάζ με την σχεδόν ταυτολογική φράση «Γεννήθηκα για να βάλω φωτιά στην κόλαση» θ’ αποτελέσει για τον ιδιωτικό ντετέκτιβ Πέπε Καρβάλιο έναν άλλον μίτο της Αριάδνης, που, ξετυλίγοντάς τον, θα τον οδηγήσει στην εξιχνίαση ενός ακόμη εγκλήματος.
Βιβλίο ξεχωριστό, όχι μόνο γιατί είναι το πρώτο μιας μακρόβιας και εξαιρετικά επιδραστικής αστυνομικής λογοτεχνικής σειράς, ούτε γιατί πρωτοσύστησε τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο στο αναγνωστικό κοινό - είχε προηγηθεί εξάλλου η εμφάνιση του συμπαθούς ντετέκτιβ στο μυθιστόρημα του Μονταλμπάν «Εγώ σκότωσα τον Κένεντι» - αλλά γιατί, μέσα από την πρωτότυπη αφηγηματική γλώσσα του συγγραφέα του και την εξαιρετική πλοκή της ιστορίας, ο αναγνώστης βιώνει ένα ταξίδι σπάνιας ομορφιάς, έμπλεο χρωμάτων, στις πιο σκοτεινές έστω αποχρώσεις τους, και μυρωδιών (από τις γαστριμαργικές απολαύσεις του Καρβάλιο ή τα καμένα βιβλία του): κι από τη Βαρκελώνη και τις ετερόκλητες γειτονιές της βρίσκεται στο Άμστερνταμ, των βρόμικων καναλιών και των κόκκινων φαναριών, και στο πολύβουο λιμάνι του Ρότερνταμ, πλάι σε γυναίκες μοιραίες, που με το ίδιο πάθος ερωτεύονται κι εγκληματούν, ανθρώπους του περιθωρίου, που άλλοτε είναι εχθροί κι άλλοτε δεκανίκια του συστήματος, την Τσάρο, τη γοητευτική αυτή πόρνη – σύντροφο, και, φυσικά, τον αγαπημένο μας Πέπε Καρβάλιο.
Βιβλίο ξεχωριστό, όχι μόνο γιατί είναι το πρώτο μιας μακρόβιας και εξαιρετικά επιδραστικής αστυνομικής λογοτεχνικής σειράς, ούτε γιατί πρωτοσύστησε τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο στο αναγνωστικό κοινό - είχε προηγηθεί εξάλλου η εμφάνιση του συμπαθούς ντετέκτιβ στο μυθιστόρημα του Μονταλμπάν «Εγώ σκότωσα τον Κένεντι» - αλλά γιατί, μέσα από την πρωτότυπη αφηγηματική γλώσσα του συγγραφέα του και την εξαιρετική πλοκή της ιστορίας, ο αναγνώστης βιώνει ένα ταξίδι σπάνιας ομορφιάς, έμπλεο χρωμάτων, στις πιο σκοτεινές έστω αποχρώσεις τους, και μυρωδιών (από τις γαστριμαργικές απολαύσεις του Καρβάλιο ή τα καμένα βιβλία του): κι από τη Βαρκελώνη και τις ετερόκλητες γειτονιές της βρίσκεται στο Άμστερνταμ, των βρόμικων καναλιών και των κόκκινων φαναριών, και στο πολύβουο λιμάνι του Ρότερνταμ, πλάι σε γυναίκες μοιραίες, που με το ίδιο πάθος ερωτεύονται κι εγκληματούν, ανθρώπους του περιθωρίου, που άλλοτε είναι εχθροί κι άλλοτε δεκανίκια του συστήματος, την Τσάρο, τη γοητευτική αυτή πόρνη – σύντροφο, και, φυσικά, τον αγαπημένο μας Πέπε Καρβάλιο.
«Ο ήλιος του βορρά δικαίωνε τον Πίο Μπαρόχα. Απάλυνε τα χρώματα, δίχως να τα μεθάει με το σκληρό φως του νότου. Είναι αυτή η καθαρότητα του βορρά που δίνει τις πράσινες αποχρώσεις στη θάλασσα, που βαθαίνει τις κόκκινες σκεπές και ζωγραφίζει το κάθε φύλλο δέντρου στο Άμστερνταμ με μια διαφορετική πινελιά.»
May 21, 2016
This is the first book I have read by Montalban. Having almost completed the Andrea Camilleri series featuring Inspector Montalbano I was curious to read the writer who had inspired Camilleri enough to name his chief character in honour of Montalban. The parallels between the two are obvious, if you like the Inspector Montalbano series you are likely to like the works featuring Montalban's Pepe Carvalho. Less whimsical than Montalbano but similarly quirky with plenty of references to their mutual obsession with food; they both provide a clear political context for the issues raised in their plots. I look forward to reading more of Montalban's books.
March 21, 2020
Questo che ho letto è il primo romanzo con protagonista il detective Pepe Carvalho (e terzo che leggo dopo Quintetto di Buenos Aires e Il centravanti è stato assassinato verso sera). Come ho già ribadito nelle precedenti sue opere, Montalbán a me piace, nonostante il suo stile ironico e baroccheggiante non sia apprezzato da tutti. Come si dice: questione di gusti!
Al nostro Pepe viene commissionata un'indagine: scoprire l'identità di un marinaio trovato affogato a mare e col viso irriconoscibile: unico indizio a sua disposizione un tatuaggio che dice "Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno" che lo porterà fino in Olanda.
Anche questa opera di Manuel mi è piaciuta, è stata una lettura piacevole, scanzonata, rilassante, ti fa appassionare alle indagini del nostro simpatico ed ironico investigatore galiziano amante del buon cibo e delle belle donne. La descrizione delle ricette che prepara ti fanno venire l'acquolina in bocca!
Se cercate un noir divertente e un po' sopra le righe, questo è il libro che fa per voi.
Al nostro Pepe viene commissionata un'indagine: scoprire l'identità di un marinaio trovato affogato a mare e col viso irriconoscibile: unico indizio a sua disposizione un tatuaggio che dice "Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno" che lo porterà fino in Olanda.
Anche questa opera di Manuel mi è piaciuta, è stata una lettura piacevole, scanzonata, rilassante, ti fa appassionare alle indagini del nostro simpatico ed ironico investigatore galiziano amante del buon cibo e delle belle donne. La descrizione delle ricette che prepara ti fanno venire l'acquolina in bocca!
Se cercate un noir divertente e un po' sopra le righe, questo è il libro che fa per voi.
September 22, 2019
Πριν λίγες μέρες κυκλοφόρησε για πρώτη φορά στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Μεταίχμιο το "Τατουάζ", και μου φάνηκε σαν μια πρώτης τάξεως ευκαιρία για να γνωρίσω επιτέλους και αυτόν το Ισπανό συγγραφέα, που έχει αγαπηθεί αρκετά από το ελληνικό κοινό. Βέβαια στη βιβλιοθήκη μου είχα το τέταρτο και το πέμπτο βιβλίο της σειράς, αλλά ήλπιζα να τον πάρω από την αρχή (δεν υπολογίζω ιδιαίτερα το "Εγώ σκότωσα τον Κένεντι"), έτσι περίμενα μέχρι κάποιες εκδόσεις να μου/μας κάνουν τη χάρη.
Λοιπόν, πρόκειται για ένα πολύ ευκολοδιάβαστο και ιδιαίτερα ψυχαγωγικό μυθιστόρημα μυστηρίου με νουάρ αποχρώσεις, η πλοκή του οποίου μπορεί να μην συγκλονίσει ιδιαίτερα τους φανατικούς του είδους, αλλά χάρη στην όμορφη γραφή, τις ωραίες περιγραφές της Βαρκελώνης και την όλη ατμόσφαιρα, τουλάχιστον θα τους κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον μέχρι το τέλος. Όχι ότι δεν υπάρχει δράση ή μυστήριο εδώ κι εκεί, όμως σαν αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα είναι αρκετά χαλαρό, ειδικά αν το συγκρίνει κανείς με βιβλία αντίστοιχων αστυνομικών σειρών.
Η γραφή του Μονταλμπάν είναι πολύ καλή και άκρως ευκολοδιάβαστη, με ωραίο χιούμορ και λίγη φιλοσοφική διάθεση σε μερικά σημεία. Επίσης ο άτιμος μπορεί να μην με συγκλόνισε με την πλοκή του, αλλά μου άνοιξε για τα καλά την όρεξη με όλες γαστρονομικές του αναφορές. Ο Μονταλμπάν πρέπει να ήταν πολύ καλοφαγάς και με εκλεκτό γούστο, και ίσως έτσι θέλει να μοιράσει λίγες από τις γνώσεις του και στους αναγνώστες. Τέλος, με αξιοσημείωτη ικανότητα καταφέρνει να μεταφέρει τους αναγνώστες στη Βαρκελώνη της δεκαετίας του '70, μια πόλη όμορφη και με ιδιαιτερότητες. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα διαβάσω αρκετά άλλα βιβλία του συγγραφέα στο κοντινό μέλλον! (7.5/10)
Λοιπόν, πρόκειται για ένα πολύ ευκολοδιάβαστο και ιδιαίτερα ψυχαγωγικό μυθιστόρημα μυστηρίου με νουάρ αποχρώσεις, η πλοκή του οποίου μπορεί να μην συγκλονίσει ιδιαίτερα τους φανατικούς του είδους, αλλά χάρη στην όμορφη γραφή, τις ωραίες περιγραφές της Βαρκελώνης και την όλη ατμόσφαιρα, τουλάχιστον θα τους κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον μέχρι το τέλος. Όχι ότι δεν υπάρχει δράση ή μυστήριο εδώ κι εκεί, όμως σαν αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα είναι αρκετά χαλαρό, ειδικά αν το συγκρίνει κανείς με βιβλία αντίστοιχων αστυνομικών σειρών.
Η γραφή του Μονταλμπάν είναι πολύ καλή και άκρως ευκολοδιάβαστη, με ωραίο χιούμορ και λίγη φιλοσοφική διάθεση σε μερικά σημεία. Επίσης ο άτιμος μπορεί να μην με συγκλόνισε με την πλοκή του, αλλά μου άνοιξε για τα καλά την όρεξη με όλες γαστρονομικές του αναφορές. Ο Μονταλμπάν πρέπει να ήταν πολύ καλοφαγάς και με εκλεκτό γούστο, και ίσως έτσι θέλει να μοιράσει λίγες από τις γνώσεις του και στους αναγνώστες. Τέλος, με αξιοσημείωτη ικανότητα καταφέρνει να μεταφέρει τους αναγνώστες στη Βαρκελώνη της δεκαετίας του '70, μια πόλη όμορφη και με ιδιαιτερότητες. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα διαβάσω αρκετά άλλα βιβλία του συγγραφέα στο κοντινό μέλλον! (7.5/10)
October 18, 2017
Primo approccio con Montalban e primo libro in cui compare Pepe Carvalho.
Credo quindi sia stato l'ideale per cominciare, anche perché questo è il classico libro nel quale viene presentato il personaggio e il suo universo, che in questo caso comprende la città di Barcellona, le sue strade e i suoi luoghi, la sua criminalità, le sue donne e i suoi intrighi; nonché, elemento di certo non secondario, il suo cibo: malgrado il nostro investigatore galiziano non prediliga, da buon intenditore, soltanto cibi e vini della sua terra natia.
Con "Tatuaggio" si entra in modo precipitoso in un mistero legato al ritrovamento di un cadavere dal volto sfigurato, irriconoscibile, ma dal corpo segnato da un tatuaggio a dir poco singolare.
Compito di Carvalho sarà scoprire di chi si tratta; e la vicenda, come spesso accade in molti noir con un indagatore così emotivo, sanguigno e pregno di vita vissuta, finirà col coinvolgerlo più del dovuto.
Un romanzo di genere davvero ben scritto, che mischia in modo magistrale le suggestioni culturali-gastronomiche-sentimental-sessuali a quelle più prossime al poliziesco, dipingendo una Barcellona calda, viva, spietata e buia, dunque talvolta in contrasto col suo incredibile fascino, che è poi lo stesso che ricopre il protagonista, uomo di cuore e "di pancia", in tutti i sensi.
Detto ciò, per farmelo garbare, quanto meno per farmelo star simpatico, mi era bastato leggere in quarta di copertina che fu scritto per via di una scommessa alcolica. A quanto pare, vinta e stravinta dal nostro autore - sempre non l'abbia dovuto scrivere per penitenza. Anche in quel caso, gli è andata bene lo stesso.
Credo quindi sia stato l'ideale per cominciare, anche perché questo è il classico libro nel quale viene presentato il personaggio e il suo universo, che in questo caso comprende la città di Barcellona, le sue strade e i suoi luoghi, la sua criminalità, le sue donne e i suoi intrighi; nonché, elemento di certo non secondario, il suo cibo: malgrado il nostro investigatore galiziano non prediliga, da buon intenditore, soltanto cibi e vini della sua terra natia.
Con "Tatuaggio" si entra in modo precipitoso in un mistero legato al ritrovamento di un cadavere dal volto sfigurato, irriconoscibile, ma dal corpo segnato da un tatuaggio a dir poco singolare.
Compito di Carvalho sarà scoprire di chi si tratta; e la vicenda, come spesso accade in molti noir con un indagatore così emotivo, sanguigno e pregno di vita vissuta, finirà col coinvolgerlo più del dovuto.
Un romanzo di genere davvero ben scritto, che mischia in modo magistrale le suggestioni culturali-gastronomiche-sentimental-sessuali a quelle più prossime al poliziesco, dipingendo una Barcellona calda, viva, spietata e buia, dunque talvolta in contrasto col suo incredibile fascino, che è poi lo stesso che ricopre il protagonista, uomo di cuore e "di pancia", in tutti i sensi.
Detto ciò, per farmelo garbare, quanto meno per farmelo star simpatico, mi era bastato leggere in quarta di copertina che fu scritto per via di una scommessa alcolica. A quanto pare, vinta e stravinta dal nostro autore - sempre non l'abbia dovuto scrivere per penitenza. Anche in quel caso, gli è andata bene lo stesso.
July 23, 2021
La verdad es que esta primera historia de Carvalho no me ha parecido especialmente destacable, ajustándose bastante al género, con un detective duro de pelar al más puro estilo Philip Marlowe y una trama que tampoco se aleja demasiado de las novelas de Leonard, aunque amoldada a la idiosincrasia catalana. Si le he dado una estrella más de la que se merece es por dos de las mejores recetas que he leído últimamente y que antes o después acabaré haciendo.
PD: Por si os pica el gusanillo (nunca se sabe si estaréis leyendo esta reseña justo antes de comer), buscad la caldeirada de rape y merluza o el arroz con bacalao y sobrasada que hace Carvalho y seguro que os acaban entrando ganas de leer el libro (con un buen vino blanco al lado)
PD: Por si os pica el gusanillo (nunca se sabe si estaréis leyendo esta reseña justo antes de comer), buscad la caldeirada de rape y merluza o el arroz con bacalao y sobrasada que hace Carvalho y seguro que os acaban entrando ganas de leer el libro (con un buen vino blanco al lado)
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June 7, 2022Ο Πέπε Καρβάλιο έχει καθιερωθεί στους ήρωες του αστυνομικού/νουάρ και θα μπορούσα να πω ότι στο είδος του το βιβλίο είναι κλασσικό. Ο ιδιαίτερος τρόπος σκέψης αλλά και οι γαστριμαργικές αναζητήσεις του, προσθέτουν τη δική τους πινελιά και έχουν επηρεάσει και άλλους.
Λίγο περισσότερα λέω στο Ex Libris 240.
Λίγο περισσότερα λέω στο Ex Libris 240.
February 8, 2019
En la piel, un tatuaje: He nacido para revolucionar el infierno
Tatuaggio è il primo romanzo poliziesco della serie di Pepe Carvalho
così mi è sembrato il giusto punto di partenza con Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (incuriosita poi dal fatto che questo libro -si dice- sia stato scritto per una "scommessa alcolica" )
Viene ripescato in mare il cadavere di un ragazzo , senza volto, con un unico segno particolare ,un tatuaggio : Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno
Pepe viene ingaggiato per scoprire (o confermare ) l'identità del morto
Il romanzo ha un buon ritmo ,pittoresca l'ambientazione a Barcellona, l'atmosfera caotica delle sue ramblas, e non è da meno la trasferta in Olanda (per seguire le tracce dell'indagine )
Molto vivide le descrizioni di Amsterdam (e dei suoi locali) e di Rotterdam
e gustose - proprio da acquolina in bocca -le digressioni sui cibi e sui vini che il detective-gourmet assapora
Pepe Carvalho ha due forti passioni ,si fa presto a conoscerle, mangiare bene e le belle donne, la sua è una filosofia semplice ,è uno per i contatti automatici ...
Lo infastidiva ogni previo cerimoniale, ogni tappa di persuasione.Quel tipo di contatto dovrebbe essere automatico. Un uomo guarda una donna e la donna dice sì o no.E alla rovescia.
Tutto il resto è cultura
Di fronte al Rijksmuseum avrebbe barattato l'opera completa di Rembrant per un bel culo di donna o un piatto di spaghetti alla carbonara
Sì, insomma , un buongustaio :D
Un noir vintage (del 75) niente male
una scommessa vinta ,altroché! 3/4 stelle
Tatuaggio è il primo romanzo poliziesco della serie di Pepe Carvalho
così mi è sembrato il giusto punto di partenza con Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (incuriosita poi dal fatto che questo libro -si dice- sia stato scritto per una "scommessa alcolica" )
Viene ripescato in mare il cadavere di un ragazzo , senza volto, con un unico segno particolare ,un tatuaggio : Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno
Pepe viene ingaggiato per scoprire (o confermare ) l'identità del morto
Il romanzo ha un buon ritmo ,pittoresca l'ambientazione a Barcellona, l'atmosfera caotica delle sue ramblas, e non è da meno la trasferta in Olanda (per seguire le tracce dell'indagine )
Molto vivide le descrizioni di Amsterdam (e dei suoi locali) e di Rotterdam
e gustose - proprio da acquolina in bocca -le digressioni sui cibi e sui vini che il detective-gourmet assapora
Pepe Carvalho ha due forti passioni ,si fa presto a conoscerle, mangiare bene e le belle donne, la sua è una filosofia semplice ,è uno per i contatti automatici ...
Lo infastidiva ogni previo cerimoniale, ogni tappa di persuasione.Quel tipo di contatto dovrebbe essere automatico. Un uomo guarda una donna e la donna dice sì o no.E alla rovescia.
Tutto il resto è cultura
Di fronte al Rijksmuseum avrebbe barattato l'opera completa di Rembrant per un bel culo di donna o un piatto di spaghetti alla carbonara
Sì, insomma , un buongustaio :D
Un noir vintage (del 75) niente male
una scommessa vinta ,altroché! 3/4 stelle
September 27, 2019
Quando ho scoperto l'esistenza di Montalbàn e del suo Pepe Carvalho sono stato particolarmente contento, perchè ero alla ricerca di romanzi ambientati in spagna ( una terra nella quale ho vissuto e che non voglio dimenticare), che fossero un buon intrattenimento e che esistessero in formato audiolibro.
Praticamente perfetto. Solo che con mio sommo rammarico davvero non mi ci trovo, neanche al secondo tentativo è scoccata la scintilla. Pepe Carvalho (il protagonista della lunghissima serie di polizieschi di ambientazione catalana) è poco creibile. Una persona che si strafoga di piatti pantagruelici abbinandoli a bevute da gran gourmet quando si avvicina alla mezza età semplicemente non ha più il fisico per fare il detective alla hard boiled maniera, ancora meno per divertirsi a fare lo sciupafemmine con la prostituta di turno: assai più credibile il grassissimo, impigrito e geniale curatore di orchidee che risponde al nome di Nero Wolfe, per citare un altro genio dell' omicidio che riguardo a pappa sa il fatto suo.
L'ambientazione è scialba. La Spagna praticamente non c'è. La si incontra solo nei nomi delle vie e delle piazze, della moneta che è ancora la peseta. Ma sarebbe bastato cambiare i nomi e spendere delle lire che carvalho avrebbe potuto tranquillamente trovarsi a Genova, o a Patrasso, per dire. I cibi sono americani, i vini sono francesi, bisogna davvero affannarsi per trovare qualcosa di spagnolo in questo libro.
Riguardo alla trama (in fondo stiamp parlando di un poliziesco noh?), devo dire che il ritmo è buono e il romanzo gira la pagina con facilità, però anch qui Carvalho alle volte fa scelte del tutto inverosimili, altre volte da perfetto allocco, che niente hanno a che vedere con il personaggio come è stato costruito, solo per portare avanti la storia.
Ho fatto davvero fatica a non annoiarmi ascoltando questo libro. Ed è la seconda volta. Direi che per un bel po' basta così, se avrò voglia di dilettarmi con l'lata cucina del delitto, Nero Wolfe ed Archie Goodwin so dove trovarli.
Praticamente perfetto. Solo che con mio sommo rammarico davvero non mi ci trovo, neanche al secondo tentativo è scoccata la scintilla. Pepe Carvalho (il protagonista della lunghissima serie di polizieschi di ambientazione catalana) è poco creibile. Una persona che si strafoga di piatti pantagruelici abbinandoli a bevute da gran gourmet quando si avvicina alla mezza età semplicemente non ha più il fisico per fare il detective alla hard boiled maniera, ancora meno per divertirsi a fare lo sciupafemmine con la prostituta di turno: assai più credibile il grassissimo, impigrito e geniale curatore di orchidee che risponde al nome di Nero Wolfe, per citare un altro genio dell' omicidio che riguardo a pappa sa il fatto suo.
L'ambientazione è scialba. La Spagna praticamente non c'è. La si incontra solo nei nomi delle vie e delle piazze, della moneta che è ancora la peseta. Ma sarebbe bastato cambiare i nomi e spendere delle lire che carvalho avrebbe potuto tranquillamente trovarsi a Genova, o a Patrasso, per dire. I cibi sono americani, i vini sono francesi, bisogna davvero affannarsi per trovare qualcosa di spagnolo in questo libro.
Riguardo alla trama (in fondo stiamp parlando di un poliziesco noh?), devo dire che il ritmo è buono e il romanzo gira la pagina con facilità, però anch qui Carvalho alle volte fa scelte del tutto inverosimili, altre volte da perfetto allocco, che niente hanno a che vedere con il personaggio come è stato costruito, solo per portare avanti la storia.
Ho fatto davvero fatica a non annoiarmi ascoltando questo libro. Ed è la seconda volta. Direi che per un bel po' basta così, se avrò voglia di dilettarmi con l'lata cucina del delitto, Nero Wolfe ed Archie Goodwin so dove trovarli.
April 20, 2019
Secondo libro di Manuel Pérez Montalbán che leggo dopo l’esperimento che a me è piaciuto molto: “Ho ammazzato a JF Kennedy”, questo invece è un vero noir con lo stile particolare dell’autore.
Qui troviamo il corpo di un bagnante, che appare annegato nel mare, su una spiaggia di Barcellona, con il volto completamente sfigurato e un tatuaggio misterioso sulla sua spalla: Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno.
Pepe Carvalho deve scoprire chi era a modo suo, fra Barcellona e l’Olanda.
Proprio la fine del libro è un'altra delle cose che mi sono piaciute di più. Un finale inaspettato che mi ha sorpreso e affascinato per la sua complessità mescolata con grande semplicità, un finale perfetto per questo breve ma intenso giallo, l'omicidio, il crimine, la polizia, ma anche l’amore, la passione, il sesso, persone vicine, umane, che al solo conoscerle sono già familiari.
Qui troviamo il corpo di un bagnante, che appare annegato nel mare, su una spiaggia di Barcellona, con il volto completamente sfigurato e un tatuaggio misterioso sulla sua spalla: Sono nato per rivoluzionare l'inferno.
Pepe Carvalho deve scoprire chi era a modo suo, fra Barcellona e l’Olanda.
Proprio la fine del libro è un'altra delle cose che mi sono piaciute di più. Un finale inaspettato che mi ha sorpreso e affascinato per la sua complessità mescolata con grande semplicità, un finale perfetto per questo breve ma intenso giallo, l'omicidio, il crimine, la polizia, ma anche l’amore, la passione, il sesso, persone vicine, umane, che al solo conoscerle sono già familiari.
August 24, 2018
Scanzonato, cinico, ironico, ispirato gourmet, Pepe Carvalho, nato nel 1972 dalla penna dello spagnolo Manuel Vázquez Montalbán ed apparso inizialmente nel romanzo sperimentale Yo maté a Kennedy, è un investigatore privato galiziano che tra una intuizione, una bella donna ed una ricetta improvvisata dinnanzi ad un bancone invitante, trattiene il lettore con una avventura semplice ma ben scritta, animata da personaggi con caratteristiche definite che ben si intersecano, che scende giù come un buon bicchiere di birra fresca.
June 19, 2020
Τις προάλλες σε μια κουβέντα που είχα με μια φίλη, μου μίλησε για το "Τατουάζ", του Μανουέλ Βάθκεθ Μονταλμπάν. Σημειωτέον, ότι τον Μονταλμπάν τον γνώρισα αρχικά μέσω της ποίησής του.
Διαβάζοντας το "Τατουάζ", κατέληξα στα εξής τρία πολύ σημαντικά συμπεράσματα:
1. Ο Θεός είναι πολύ άδικος που πάει και παίρνει ανθρώπους με τόσο μεγάλο ταλέντο, οι οποίοι έχουν να δώσουν πολλά στην ανθρωπότητα.
2. Πόσο ανόητη στάθηκα που δεν φρόντισα να τον γνωρίσω "αναγνωστικά" νωρίτερα...
3. Πρέπει να κάνω άμεσα μαθήματα Ισπανικών, για να μπορέσω να διαβάσω όλα αυτά τα βιβλία του Μονταλμπάν, τα οποία δεν έχουν ΑΚΟΜΑ εκδοθεί στα ελληνικά!
Ο Μανουέλ Βάθκεθ Μονταλμπάν είναι πρωτίστως ποιητής. Κι ο ποιητικός του λόγος, η λυρικότητα που διαπερνάει τα ποιήματά του δηλαδή, διαφαίνεται και στα μυθιστορήματά του. Η γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί, οι λέξεις, οι εκφράσεις, οι περιγραφές, έχουν όλες τους μέτρο. Θα μπορούσε ίσως κάποιος, να τα μελοποιήσει. Δεν χρησιμοποιεί φιοριτούρες, φρουφρού κι αρώματα για να πει αυτό που θέλει. Το λέει απλά και κατανοητά, με καθημερινό λόγο, όμως ο τρόπος που τοποθετεί τη μια λέξη δίπλα στην άλλη είναι πραγματικά φαινόμενο.
Όσον αφορά στις περιγραφές που ανάφερα πιο πάνω, πρέπει να σας πω ότι ο Μονταλμπάν περιγράφει τα πάντα όλα! Το πώς ο Πεπίνιο απολαμβάνει ένα γεύμα με νεφρά μέσα σε νόστιμη σάλτσα ή το πώς κουνιούνται τα στήθη ή οι γλουτοί μιας γυναίκας που βαδίζει γρήγορα, το πώς κυλάει το νερό στα κανάλια του Άμστερνταμ... τα πάντα όλα! Και παρόλο που ακούγοντας τόσες περιγραφές κάποιος μπορεί να "τρομάξει", η αλήθεια είναι σχεδόν δεν τις εντοπίζεις, καθώς είναι τόσο πολύ αφομοιωμένες με το υπόλοιπο κείμενο.
Η ιστορία του Τατουάζ εκτυλίσσεται στην Ισπανία τον καιρό που η χώρα βρίσκεται κάτω από τον τυραννικό ζυγό του Φράνκο. Ο Μονταλμπάν μάς εισάγει στο ευρύ κοινωνικοπολιτικό και πολιτισμικό πλαίσιο της πολυτάραχης Ισπανίας, σε συνδυασμό με την αστυνομική έρευνα. Η μυθοπλασία είναι έντεχνα κεντημένη, πάνω στον ιστορικό καμβά. Χωρίς υπερβολές ή μεγαλόπνοα σχέδια, ο συγγραφέας εξυφαίνει την ιστορία του και μας προσφέρει -με φόντο την καταπιεσμένη Βαρκελώνη και το υγρό και φιλελεύθερο Άμστερνταμ- έναν ήρεμο ρυθμό αφήγησης, με σταθερά ανοδική πορεία. Δεν θα συναντήσουμε πουθενά τον καταιγιστικό ρυθμό άλλων μυθιστορημάτων μα ούτε και κάποια συνταρακτική ανατροπή. Ωστόσο, η έκβαση της ιστορίας αφήνει απόλυτα ικανοποιημένο τον αναγνώστη, χωρίς να του λείπει κάτι.
Κι εδώ πρέπει να τονίσω ότι, ο Μονταλμπάν με την πένα του "γέννησε" ίσως έναν από τους πιο καλοδομημένους και όμορφους χαρακτήρες της νουάρ λογοτεχνίας: τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο. Το "Τατουάζ" είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο με τον συγκεκριμένο ήρωα, αν και επί της ουσίας είναι το πρώτο της σειράς με τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο. Στο προηγούμενο με τίτλο "Εγώ σκότωσα τον Κένεντι" έκανε απλά εμφάνιση guest star. Είναι απίστευτη περσόνα που λέτε ο Πέπε. Πρώην πράκτορας της CIA και νυν ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ. Γοητευτικός μέχρι εκεί που δεν παίρνει κι ερωτεύσιμος αλλά συγχρόνως μοναχικός, κυνικός, ρεμάλι και παιδί τις πιάτσας. Ο Καρβάλιο είναι ολίγον από ζαμάν φου. Δεν χαλάει την ζαχαρένια του ποτέ και για κανέναν. Ακόμα κι όταν τον ξυλοφορτώνουν, η ηρεμία του είναι παροιμιώδης. Επίσης είναι λάτρης του ωραίου φύλου, σε βαθμό που άνετα τον χαρακτηρίζεις γκομενιάρη! Αρέσκεται στο να "παίρνει μάτι" τις λικνιζόμενες καμπύλες τον γυναικών, ενώ δεν ντρέπεται να διαβάσει ένα πορνοπεριοδικό, ακόμα και δημοσίως, όταν του κάνει κέφι. Παρ' όλα αυτά σκέφτεται το γάμο με την εκλεκτή της καρδιάς του Τσάρο, η οποία είναι μια ακριβή πόρνη. Δεν έχει ηθικές αναστολές. Μπορεί να κάνει "χωριό" και να συγχρωτιστεί με "κάθε καρυδιάς καρύδι". Εκτός κι αν πρόκειται για δουλειά. Τότε διατηρεί τον ηθικό κώδικα στα ανώτερα επίπεδα κι αφοσιώνεται στον πελάτη και την υπόθεσή του, μέχρι αυτή να επιλυθεί.
Ο Πέπε Καρβάλιο είναι ΚΑΙ λάτρης της υψηλής γαστρονομίας. Θεωρεί σκουπίδια το πρόχειρο φαγητό κι αρρωσταίνει στην σκέψη του και μόνο. Τίποτα δεν "φτιάχνει" τα φαιά του κύτταρα περισσότερο από την ιδέα ενός καλού γεύματος, με την συνοδεία ενός ιδιαίτερου οίνου και την παρέα της αγαπημένης του. Ο Πεπίτο έχει φιλοσοφήσει τη ζωή του... Τα πράγματα είναι απλά. Ένας άνδρας κοιτάζει μια γυναίκα και η γυναίκα λέει ναι ή όχι. Όλα τα άλλα είναι απλά κοινωνικές επιταγές. Αν είχε να διαπραγματευτεί κάτι, αυτό θα ήταν το πλήρες έργο του αγαπημένου του ζωγράφου, για τον πισινό μιας ωραίας γυναίκας ή ένα πιάτο νεφρά σε απολαυστική σάλτσα! Α, ξέχασα να πω ότι για προσάναμμα στο τζάκι δεν καίει κλαδάκια αλλά βιβλία!!! Αυτός είναι ο Πέπε Καρβάλιο!
Όσον αφορά στους υπόλοιπους ήρωες του βιβλίου, είναι κι αυτοί καλοσχηματισμένοι, πολυμορφικοί, ευφυείς και κυρίως πειστικοί. Ωστόσο, η χαρισματική προσωπικότητα του Πέπε Καρβάλιο εδραιώνει την θέση της στο κέντρο όλων αυτών και μάλιστα σε μια εποχή που δονείται από την καταπίεση, τον τρόμο και την καχυποψία και οι άνθρωποι μαζεύονται στα καβούκια τους, υπό τον φόβο των δοσίλογων και των χαφιέδων.
Εν κατακλείδι, το "Τατουάζ" είναι ένα απολαυστικότατο μυθιστόρημα, που κυλάει σαν το νεράκι. Διαβάστε το!
Πριν κλείσω, θέλω να ευχαριστήσω την κυρία Αγγελική Βασιλάκου, στην οποία ανήκει η μετάφραση του βιβλίου. Αν δεν ήταν εκείνη με την εξαιρετική της δουλειά, δεν θα απολαμβάναμε ίσως, το τόσο όμορφο και λυρικό κείμενο του Manuel Vazquez Montalban!
Διαβάζοντας το "Τατουάζ", κατέληξα στα εξής τρία πολύ σημαντικά συμπεράσματα:
1. Ο Θεός είναι πολύ άδικος που πάει και παίρνει ανθρώπους με τόσο μεγάλο ταλέντο, οι οποίοι έχουν να δώσουν πολλά στην ανθρωπότητα.
2. Πόσο ανόητη στάθηκα που δεν φρόντισα να τον γνωρίσω "αναγνωστικά" νωρίτερα...
3. Πρέπει να κάνω άμεσα μαθήματα Ισπανικών, για να μπορέσω να διαβάσω όλα αυτά τα βιβλία του Μονταλμπάν, τα οποία δεν έχουν ΑΚΟΜΑ εκδοθεί στα ελληνικά!
Ο Μανουέλ Βάθκεθ Μονταλμπάν είναι πρωτίστως ποιητής. Κι ο ποιητικός του λόγος, η λυρικότητα που διαπερνάει τα ποιήματά του δηλαδή, διαφαίνεται και στα μυθιστορήματά του. Η γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί, οι λέξεις, οι εκφράσεις, οι περιγραφές, έχουν όλες τους μέτρο. Θα μπορούσε ίσως κάποιος, να τα μελοποιήσει. Δεν χρησιμοποιεί φιοριτούρες, φρουφρού κι αρώματα για να πει αυτό που θέλει. Το λέει απλά και κατανοητά, με καθημερινό λόγο, όμως ο τρόπος που τοποθετεί τη μια λέξη δίπλα στην άλλη είναι πραγματικά φαινόμενο.
Όσον αφορά στις περιγραφές που ανάφερα πιο πάνω, πρέπει να σας πω ότι ο Μονταλμπάν περιγράφει τα πάντα όλα! Το πώς ο Πεπίνιο απολαμβάνει ένα γεύμα με νεφρά μέσα σε νόστιμη σάλτσα ή το πώς κουνιούνται τα στήθη ή οι γλουτοί μιας γυναίκας που βαδίζει γρήγορα, το πώς κυλάει το νερό στα κανάλια του Άμστερνταμ... τα πάντα όλα! Και παρόλο που ακούγοντας τόσες περιγραφές κάποιος μπορεί να "τρομάξει", η αλήθεια είναι σχεδόν δεν τις εντοπίζεις, καθώς είναι τόσο πολύ αφομοιωμένες με το υπόλοιπο κείμενο.
Η ιστορία του Τατουάζ εκτυλίσσεται στην Ισπανία τον καιρό που η χώρα βρίσκεται κάτω από τον τυραννικό ζυγό του Φράνκο. Ο Μονταλμπάν μάς εισάγει στο ευρύ κοινωνικοπολιτικό και πολιτισμικό πλαίσιο της πολυτάραχης Ισπανίας, σε συνδυασμό με την αστυνομική έρευνα. Η μυθοπλασία είναι έντεχνα κεντημένη, πάνω στον ιστορικό καμβά. Χωρίς υπερβολές ή μεγαλόπνοα σχέδια, ο συγγραφέας εξυφαίνει την ιστορία του και μας προσφέρει -με φόντο την καταπιεσμένη Βαρκελώνη και το υγρό και φιλελεύθερο Άμστερνταμ- έναν ήρεμο ρυθμό αφήγησης, με σταθερά ανοδική πορεία. Δεν θα συναντήσουμε πουθενά τον καταιγιστικό ρυθμό άλλων μυθιστορημάτων μα ούτε και κάποια συνταρακτική ανατροπή. Ωστόσο, η έκβαση της ιστορίας αφήνει απόλυτα ικανοποιημένο τον αναγνώστη, χωρίς να του λείπει κάτι.
Κι εδώ πρέπει να τονίσω ότι, ο Μονταλμπάν με την πένα του "γέννησε" ίσως έναν από τους πιο καλοδομημένους και όμορφους χαρακτήρες της νουάρ λογοτεχνίας: τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο. Το "Τατουάζ" είναι το δεύτερο βιβλίο με τον συγκεκριμένο ήρωα, αν και επί της ουσίας είναι το πρώτο της σειράς με τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο. Στο προηγούμενο με τίτλο "Εγώ σκότωσα τον Κένεντι" έκανε απλά εμφάνιση guest star. Είναι απίστευτη περσόνα που λέτε ο Πέπε. Πρώην πράκτορας της CIA και νυν ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ. Γοητευτικός μέχρι εκεί που δεν παίρνει κι ερωτεύσιμος αλλά συγχρόνως μοναχικός, κυνικός, ρεμάλι και παιδί τις πιάτσας. Ο Καρβάλιο είναι ολίγον από ζαμάν φου. Δεν χαλάει την ζαχαρένια του ποτέ και για κανέναν. Ακόμα κι όταν τον ξυλοφορτώνουν, η ηρεμία του είναι παροιμιώδης. Επίσης είναι λάτρης του ωραίου φύλου, σε βαθμό που άνετα τον χαρακτηρίζεις γκομενιάρη! Αρέσκεται στο να "παίρνει μάτι" τις λικνιζόμενες καμπύλες τον γυναικών, ενώ δεν ντρέπεται να διαβάσει ένα πορνοπεριοδικό, ακόμα και δημοσίως, όταν του κάνει κέφι. Παρ' όλα αυτά σκέφτεται το γάμο με την εκλεκτή της καρδιάς του Τσάρο, η οποία είναι μια ακριβή πόρνη. Δεν έχει ηθικές αναστολές. Μπορεί να κάνει "χωριό" και να συγχρωτιστεί με "κάθε καρυδιάς καρύδι". Εκτός κι αν πρόκειται για δουλειά. Τότε διατηρεί τον ηθικό κώδικα στα ανώτερα επίπεδα κι αφοσιώνεται στον πελάτη και την υπόθεσή του, μέχρι αυτή να επιλυθεί.
Ο Πέπε Καρβάλιο είναι ΚΑΙ λάτρης της υψηλής γαστρονομίας. Θεωρεί σκουπίδια το πρόχειρο φαγητό κι αρρωσταίνει στην σκέψη του και μόνο. Τίποτα δεν "φτιάχνει" τα φαιά του κύτταρα περισσότερο από την ιδέα ενός καλού γεύματος, με την συνοδεία ενός ιδιαίτερου οίνου και την παρέα της αγαπημένης του. Ο Πεπίτο έχει φιλοσοφήσει τη ζωή του... Τα πράγματα είναι απλά. Ένας άνδρας κοιτάζει μια γυναίκα και η γυναίκα λέει ναι ή όχι. Όλα τα άλλα είναι απλά κοινωνικές επιταγές. Αν είχε να διαπραγματευτεί κάτι, αυτό θα ήταν το πλήρες έργο του αγαπημένου του ζωγράφου, για τον πισινό μιας ωραίας γυναίκας ή ένα πιάτο νεφρά σε απολαυστική σάλτσα! Α, ξέχασα να πω ότι για προσάναμμα στο τζάκι δεν καίει κλαδάκια αλλά βιβλία!!! Αυτός είναι ο Πέπε Καρβάλιο!
Όσον αφορά στους υπόλοιπους ήρωες του βιβλίου, είναι κι αυτοί καλοσχηματισμένοι, πολυμορφικοί, ευφυείς και κυρίως πειστικοί. Ωστόσο, η χαρισματική προσωπικότητα του Πέπε Καρβάλιο εδραιώνει την θέση της στο κέντρο όλων αυτών και μάλιστα σε μια εποχή που δονείται από την καταπίεση, τον τρόμο και την καχυποψία και οι άνθρωποι μαζεύονται στα καβούκια τους, υπό τον φόβο των δοσίλογων και των χαφιέδων.
Εν κατακλείδι, το "Τατουάζ" είναι ένα απολαυστικότατο μυθιστόρημα, που κυλάει σαν το νεράκι. Διαβάστε το!
Πριν κλείσω, θέλω να ευχαριστήσω την κυρία Αγγελική Βασιλάκου, στην οποία ανήκει η μετάφραση του βιβλίου. Αν δεν ήταν εκείνη με την εξαιρετική της δουλειά, δεν θα απολαμβάναμε ίσως, το τόσο όμορφο και λυρικό κείμενο του Manuel Vazquez Montalban!
January 22, 2016
Tattoo
is the 2008 translation of Manuel Vázquez Montalbán’s 1976 novel Tartuaje. It is the second in the Pepe Carvalho series. This was a very enjoyable read. I’ve spent much of 2015 reading international fiction, and I think this was one of my favorites. It had a lot going for it.
The protagonist Pepe Carvalho is a private detective in Barcelona. He’s an ex-cop, a leftist, and a gourmand. The book came out right after the death of Franco at a time when the world was being turned upside down in Spain and many what had been conservative social norms had been suspended. All of this is reflected in the novel and it provides the reader some interesting insights into the time.
The story is basically about a detective who is commissioned to find the identity of a tattooed corpse that has washed up on to a Catalan shore. His investigation takes him from Barcelona to Amsterdam and back to Barcelona. Having visited BCN, I enjoyed his descriptions of the city before the urban renewal that was done in time for the 1992 Olympic. The detective is also a gastronome, and I like the descriptions of the food.
I plan to read more by Montalbán. Sadly the author passed away in 2003, but he was a prolific writer. So there is much to savor and enjoy.
The protagonist Pepe Carvalho is a private detective in Barcelona. He’s an ex-cop, a leftist, and a gourmand. The book came out right after the death of Franco at a time when the world was being turned upside down in Spain and many what had been conservative social norms had been suspended. All of this is reflected in the novel and it provides the reader some interesting insights into the time.
The story is basically about a detective who is commissioned to find the identity of a tattooed corpse that has washed up on to a Catalan shore. His investigation takes him from Barcelona to Amsterdam and back to Barcelona. Having visited BCN, I enjoyed his descriptions of the city before the urban renewal that was done in time for the 1992 Olympic. The detective is also a gastronome, and I like the descriptions of the food.
I plan to read more by Montalbán. Sadly the author passed away in 2003, but he was a prolific writer. So there is much to savor and enjoy.
May 3, 2020
Un bel noir, molto attento alle dinamiche socio-politiche più che al giallo in quanto tale, che si sviluppa solo da un certo punto in poi, dopo un consistente numero di pagine. Nonostante la figura di Carvalho per certi versi mi affascini e si capisca benissimo come sia stato d'ispirazione per Camilleri, trovo lo stile di quest'ultimo molto più piacevole e frizzante: ho fatto un po' fatica ad ingranare con questo romanzo, forse per via dei riferimenti alla vita politica spagnola degli anni '70 che non sempre mi erano chiari, forse anche per le descrizioni a volte un po' pompose per un libro di questo genere. Tutto sommato, però, una volta entrata nella dinamica del libro, la storia mi è piaciuta e me ne sono lasciata coinvolgere.
May 15, 2017
A hard-boiled mystery set in Barcelona (and Amsterdam) in the mid-1970s. The protagonist, Pepe Carvalho, is a 37-year old ex-policeman, ex-CIA officer who is now working for his own account as a private investigator. Apart from his work, his main interests are food and Charo, a call girl.
The story starts when he is asked by the owner of a hair salon to find out the identity of a faceless corpse that washed up on the shore. The only clue to this man's identity is an unusual tattoo.
This clue leads Pepe to Amsterdam, a city where he has connections back from the days that he worked there as a CIA operative (?!). He manages to trace some of the dead man's coworkers, and one of his girlfriends. That leads to another girlfriend back in Barcelona. And that somehow leads back to the hair salon owner.
I have to say that I didn't understand everything in this book and my dictionary and Google didn't help me with understanding some of the terms used. Perhaps they were Catalan, perhaps they were slang. Either way, even accounting for that, there was much that I didn't understand in the psychology of Pepe and in the development of the story. His attitude to women was very off-putting to me (even Philip Marlowe had more chivalry), and he seemed prone to violent outbursts that made little sense to me. In the end I still didn't understand why the hair salon owner had hired Pepe.
The best part of the story for me was the ambiance of Barcelona and Amsterdam in the 1970s, including various types of hippies.
The story starts when he is asked by the owner of a hair salon to find out the identity of a faceless corpse that washed up on the shore. The only clue to this man's identity is an unusual tattoo.
This clue leads Pepe to Amsterdam, a city where he has connections back from the days that he worked there as a CIA operative (?!). He manages to trace some of the dead man's coworkers, and one of his girlfriends. That leads to another girlfriend back in Barcelona. And that somehow leads back to the hair salon owner.
I have to say that I didn't understand everything in this book and my dictionary and Google didn't help me with understanding some of the terms used. Perhaps they were Catalan, perhaps they were slang. Either way, even accounting for that, there was much that I didn't understand in the psychology of Pepe and in the development of the story. His attitude to women was very off-putting to me (even Philip Marlowe had more chivalry), and he seemed prone to violent outbursts that made little sense to me. In the end I still didn't understand why the hair salon owner had hired Pepe.
The best part of the story for me was the ambiance of Barcelona and Amsterdam in the 1970s, including various types of hippies.
February 20, 2017
Inmejorable manera de zambullirse en el universo literario del investigador privado Pepe Carvalho, personaje creado por Manuel Vázquez Montalbán y que le reportó su tan merecida fama como escritor.
En su primera novela, Tatuaje, Montalbán despliega lo que sería su gran seña de identidad a la hora de escribir novela policíaca: su retrato social de una Barcelona oculta a los ojos de quienes no saben ver más allá de los monumentos y los lugares turísticos. Es además, por el tiempo en el que fue escrita, una valiosa crónica que la Ciudad Condal en tiempos de la Transición, los años previos y los posteriores.
El desarrollo narrativo nos lleva a ver desfilar toda una serie de personajes con los que Carvalho siempre habla, protagonistas de los diversos rostros de la ciudad, muestras de la sociedad oculta tras los tabiques y el supuesto glamour. Montalbán usa un estilo directo en los diálogos y una habilidad para la descripción en los párrafos en los que Carvalho se encuentra solo. Consigue que haya intimidad entre el lector y el protagonista; por el contrario, y como el propio investigador privado hace, se adquiere cierta distancia emocional con el resto de personas que aparecen en la novela.
Sin duda un gran comienzo para una saga que ya es un mito de la literatura hispánica.
En su primera novela, Tatuaje, Montalbán despliega lo que sería su gran seña de identidad a la hora de escribir novela policíaca: su retrato social de una Barcelona oculta a los ojos de quienes no saben ver más allá de los monumentos y los lugares turísticos. Es además, por el tiempo en el que fue escrita, una valiosa crónica que la Ciudad Condal en tiempos de la Transición, los años previos y los posteriores.
El desarrollo narrativo nos lleva a ver desfilar toda una serie de personajes con los que Carvalho siempre habla, protagonistas de los diversos rostros de la ciudad, muestras de la sociedad oculta tras los tabiques y el supuesto glamour. Montalbán usa un estilo directo en los diálogos y una habilidad para la descripción en los párrafos en los que Carvalho se encuentra solo. Consigue que haya intimidad entre el lector y el protagonista; por el contrario, y como el propio investigador privado hace, se adquiere cierta distancia emocional con el resto de personas que aparecen en la novela.
Sin duda un gran comienzo para una saga que ya es un mito de la literatura hispánica.
September 23, 2022
Non é un romanzo indimenticabile ma Carvalho ha sempre il suo perché
January 25, 2025
Me da pena darle una estrella pero es que no le puedo dar más.
Aburrida, trama pobre, personajes repetitivos... No me gustaría conocer al protagonista, pero es que tampoco a ningún personaje. No me ha gustado tampoco a nivel de calidad de escritura, no me llamaba la atención por lo general. Quizás será por la época en la que fue escrito, pero no podía con el machismo barato hecho pasar por chulería, aunque me gustó el detalle de que no tuviera miedo a tratar a las mujeres de forma agresiva cuando lo podría haber hecho con un hombre, aunque la descripción arruine por completo la escena ("Le brillaban los regueros de agua por el cuello, se le humedecían los senos contenidos por el mínimo sujetador que les daba una consistencia de fruta sedosa, nocturna y caliente. La voz le salió algo estrangulada", NO era necesario describirlo así).
Lo bueno es que tiene un buen concepto de la novela negra como para subvertirla en ciertos puntos, peor no me parece suficiente como para darle dos estrellas. Quizás una y media sería más adecuado.
No ha sido catastrófico tampoco, pero no es una lectura que aporte nada, sino para pasar el rato. No lo recomendaría, menos todavía comprarlo cuando lo encuentras gratis en internet.
Aburrida, trama pobre, personajes repetitivos... No me gustaría conocer al protagonista, pero es que tampoco a ningún personaje. No me ha gustado tampoco a nivel de calidad de escritura, no me llamaba la atención por lo general. Quizás será por la época en la que fue escrito, pero no podía con el machismo barato hecho pasar por chulería, aunque me gustó el detalle de que no tuviera miedo a tratar a las mujeres de forma agresiva cuando lo podría haber hecho con un hombre, aunque la descripción arruine por completo la escena ("Le brillaban los regueros de agua por el cuello, se le humedecían los senos contenidos por el mínimo sujetador que les daba una consistencia de fruta sedosa, nocturna y caliente. La voz le salió algo estrangulada", NO era necesario describirlo así).
Lo bueno es que tiene un buen concepto de la novela negra como para subvertirla en ciertos puntos, peor no me parece suficiente como para darle dos estrellas. Quizás una y media sería más adecuado.
No ha sido catastrófico tampoco, pero no es una lectura que aporte nada, sino para pasar el rato. No lo recomendaría, menos todavía comprarlo cuando lo encuentras gratis en internet.
September 26, 2025
3,5 que son 4 porque unas referencias a concha piquer en una novela negra siempre están bien.
August 6, 2024
Lectura entrenida.
May 5, 2017
Tatuaje (1974), la primera novela de Manuel Vázquez Montalbán donde dotaría a su personaje principal, Pepe Carvalho, la función de detective privado. Aunque anteriormente Carvalho hubiera aparecido en Yo maté a Kennedy. Impresiones, observaciones y memorias de un guardaespaldas (1972), una novela satírica sobre la vida de la familia Kennedy y donde Carvalho recibiría el hipotético encargo de matar a JFK, no sería hasta 1974 donde haría su primera aparición como protagonista de una saga de novela negra ambientada en la ciudad de Barcelona. Después de Tatuaje, los libros de Manuel Vázquez Montalbán y Pepe Carvalho cruzarían las fronteras convirtiéndose el primero en un reconocido escritor de novela policiaca a nivel internacional y de clarísimos referentes sociales en sus libros.
Carvalho es un hombre muy culto, con una personalidad compleja, habla idiomas, de mediana edad —en Tatuaje estaría cercano a la cuarentena—, hijo de gallegos y amante de la gastronomía, ha sido agente de la CIA. Su novia Charo es prostituta. Ex-comunista y desencantado con la sociedad que le rodea, para concentrarse y pensar en aquello que le ocupa, necesita encender la chimenea de su casa, una vivienda alquilada en Vallvidriera. Para prender los leños utilizará los libros de su extensa biblioteca. En Tatuaje corre el mes de julio... http://www.abrirunlibro.com/2017/02/t...
Carvalho es un hombre muy culto, con una personalidad compleja, habla idiomas, de mediana edad —en Tatuaje estaría cercano a la cuarentena—, hijo de gallegos y amante de la gastronomía, ha sido agente de la CIA. Su novia Charo es prostituta. Ex-comunista y desencantado con la sociedad que le rodea, para concentrarse y pensar en aquello que le ocupa, necesita encender la chimenea de su casa, una vivienda alquilada en Vallvidriera. Para prender los leños utilizará los libros de su extensa biblioteca. En Tatuaje corre el mes de julio... http://www.abrirunlibro.com/2017/02/t...
October 6, 2013
—¿No tienes otras quinientas pesetas?
—¿Qué me das tú a cambio?
—Nada. Pero como últimamente estabas tan espléndido.
No esperaba demasiado de esta novela, viendo que las entradas más tempranas de la serie Carvalho tendían a ser peores. Sin embargo, esta aventura del detective es sorprendentemente buena, y fue el principio apropiado para la serie tan aclamada.
"Tatuaje" presenta un argumento más típico del género y menos típico de novelas Carvalho: la diferencia se presenta por la participación muy activa de PP en la solución del misterio (él es a menudo sólo un peón de otra gente, un observador en las novelas posteriores), por la bien reprimida obsesión por la comida, y por el misterio bastante recto (aunque no sin vueltas).
Además la novela ofrece el juego típico de las virtudes de la serie: los oscuros paisajes urbanos, la sordidez que mal se esconde en ellos, y el antihéroe huelebraguetas.
—¿Qué me das tú a cambio?
—Nada. Pero como últimamente estabas tan espléndido.
No esperaba demasiado de esta novela, viendo que las entradas más tempranas de la serie Carvalho tendían a ser peores. Sin embargo, esta aventura del detective es sorprendentemente buena, y fue el principio apropiado para la serie tan aclamada.
"Tatuaje" presenta un argumento más típico del género y menos típico de novelas Carvalho: la diferencia se presenta por la participación muy activa de PP en la solución del misterio (él es a menudo sólo un peón de otra gente, un observador en las novelas posteriores), por la bien reprimida obsesión por la comida, y por el misterio bastante recto (aunque no sin vueltas).
Además la novela ofrece el juego típico de las virtudes de la serie: los oscuros paisajes urbanos, la sordidez que mal se esconde en ellos, y el antihéroe huelebraguetas.
December 13, 2017
Toma de contacto con el maravilloso escritor Montalbán.
Llevaba años queriendo empezar con la serie de Pepe Carvalho y el "amor a primera vista" me ha dejado cosquillas en el estómago y muchas ganas de devorar el resto de libros de la colección.
En esta segunda novela sobre el detective (la primera me la han desaconsejado por activa y por pasiva, pero no descarto que algún día me anime con ella) aparece un hombre muerto con un tatuaje que reza "he nacido para revolucionar el infierno". A raíz de esto, el autor teje una trama donde el viaje a Ámsterdam, la aparición de personajes inolvidables y las descripciones culinarias atraparán tu atención, y leerás la obra de un "bocado".
Llevaba años queriendo empezar con la serie de Pepe Carvalho y el "amor a primera vista" me ha dejado cosquillas en el estómago y muchas ganas de devorar el resto de libros de la colección.
En esta segunda novela sobre el detective (la primera me la han desaconsejado por activa y por pasiva, pero no descarto que algún día me anime con ella) aparece un hombre muerto con un tatuaje que reza "he nacido para revolucionar el infierno". A raíz de esto, el autor teje una trama donde el viaje a Ámsterdam, la aparición de personajes inolvidables y las descripciones culinarias atraparán tu atención, y leerás la obra de un "bocado".
February 22, 2016
This book was bizarrely macho and misogynist. The protagonist is abusive towards several women and a couple of them end up having sex with him after he uses violence to get them to tell him something he wants to know. There is also a scene in the book in which the main character beats up a drunk man at a bar for no apparent reason. None of the characters are well developed and there motivations are nonsensical. I enjoyed reading the parts about Spain and food and I enjoy a crime mystery, but I would never recommend this book to anyone.
September 19, 2008
Pepe the detective! I can suggest all of these books
September 13, 2016
Já tenho saudades de Pepe Carvalho.
Na minha opinião, devia usar menos cebola nos seus cozinhados.
Excelente livro!!
Na minha opinião, devia usar menos cebola nos seus cozinhados.
Excelente livro!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2017
Avevo fisicamente, visceralmente bisogno di rileggere un libro di “Manolo”; non ci sono altri discorsi da fare, Montalban fa bene alle anime letterarie!
September 21, 2020
Στο στήθος τατουάζ μια καρδιά.
October 22, 2018
review of
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán's Tattoo
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - October 21-22, 2018
I didn't discover Montalbán until 2014 when he became an immediate addition to my small pantheon of crime fiction writers b/c of his deep socio-political insights. The 1st thing I read by him was The Buenos Aires Quintet ( https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/... ). Every bk I've read by him since has been something I'm sure I'll like. As such, I vacillate between reading him & others that I have a similar enthusiasm for & writers whose work is more uncertain for me. In other words, reading Tattoo was almost like an avoidance of seeking new stimulation in favor of returning to the tried-&-true. No matter, as usual, I enjoyed this very much.
There was a time when I found tattoos more interesting than I do today. Witness, e.g., what little documentation there is from the 3rd part of my "Generic As-Beenism" Mad Scientist Didaction from 1987: https://youtu.be/OL1Mppt2ck4?t=1006 . There were very few tattooists around then. I had just gotten my 3D brain tattoo at the time & the 1st tattooist I went to to do it wdn't do it b/c he sd I wdn't be able to stand the pain, the 2nd one wdn't do it b/c she sd she was tired of identifying corpses for the police. SO, when this story begins w/ a corpse found w/ a tattoo as one of its few identifying marks that resonated w/ personal experience:
"The four bearers turned him on to his back on the sand. A cry of horror expanded the circle of the half-naked crowd. The body had no face. Fishes had eaten his cheeks and eyes. They quickly turned him over again. It was then that a little kid noticed there was a tattoo on his back. A hand brushed away the wet sand. Somebody read out the motto tattooed on his shoulder-blade: BORN TO RAISE HELL IN HELL." - p 3
This bk was copyrighted in 1976, a time when tattoos wd've still been primarily on the bodies of more deviant people — unlike today when every idiot feels the 'need' to put some shallow decoration on themselves:
"Don Avaristo had engraved on his buttocks: Exit only; no way in. Don Evaristo sighed as he regretted yet again not having photographed the tattooed penis of a famous pickpocket. On the foreskin he had tattooed a cat. When it was pulled back, a mouse appeared on the tip." - pp 28-29
"'I tried to create a school here. But I failed. Who was it that that used to want a tattoo? Sailors and crooks. Sailors aren't what they used to be, and the crooks don't want tattoos anymore because they can identify them. I had an apprentice by the name of del Clot who was good. But he was a queer, and in that line of business he was constantly being threatened. The only one left now is a guy from Murcia. He lives up near the park. But there aren't many more in Barcelona. Tangiers: there are still a few there. And in Morocco in general. And some of the northern ports. Not Hamburg. Hamburg's got a big reputation, but there's nothing there. Rotterdam before the war. It had good tattoists then, very good ones.'" - p 29
Things sure have changed. Heck, Lyle Tuttle even tattooed in Antarctica: http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/... .
There are so many writers whose descriptions succeed in being very evocative for me. But it seems that crime fiction writers excel at this:
"He woke when he was tired of sleeping. Through the shutters of the half-open window he could hear the birds chattering among themselves about how bright and hot the day was. He looked out of the window and saw that everything was where it ought to be: the sky was up, the earth down. The electric heater and the Italian coffee-making machine helped him recover a sense of self. The shower and the coffee he drank forced him to recognize the here and now, and the idea that he had work to do that would help him get through another day: not that he had any idea of what to do." - p 23
Think of how dull the above content cd be if written in a more basic way:
'He woke up. He heard birds. He looked out the window. The heater and the coffee-maker were familiar. He took a shower & drank coffee to help him wake up further. He had a job to do but didn't know where to start.'
Carvalho, Montalbán's detective, is a tough one. His girlfriend's a prostitute & he hates pimps:
"'Put your cheap jewelry away and get out of here.'
"'Why don't I stuff it in your mouth?'
"Carvalho appeared to take no notice of this, but suddenly whirled around and chopped the other man hard across the neck. He staggered backwards, and Carvalho was on him, connected with a right and a left to his face. Neither the girl's screams nor Charo's protests could stop him. Carvalho bent over the pimp, grabbed him by the hair, and beat his head against the wall. The pimp slid down until he was slumped on the floor. Carvalho went through his pockets, his waistline, under his arms, and the lining of his shoes. He took a folded switchblade from somewhere." - pp 49-50
"'How about asking prostitutes?'
"'That's pretty impossible. There are so many of them and not all are registered with the police. There are private security people now who protect them and hide them. It was easy when they were just German or Italian, but now it's gone completely haywire — there's Turkish women, Greeks... even Spaniards.'" - p 69
It's not uncommon for crime fiction writers to make reference to other crime fiction writers:
"'We've come across cases where people have been drowned for less than twenty.'
"'Unbelievable.'
"Carvalho did not want to seem too smart, or to behave like a Chandler character facing a stupid, brutal LAPD cop. Among other things, because the inspector wasn't stupid, brutal LAPD cop and he wasn't a Chandler character." - p 106
A little philosophy:
"[']All of us fall into two groups: those who go to jail and those who might go to jail. That's the secret of success of all politicians everywhere.'" - p 130
I can't say that I agree w/ that. I think there are plenty of people who are sure, w/o even having to think about it, that they are the 'good people' who will never go to jail. &, truth be told, they're highly unlikely to ever go to jail, they're more likely to be white collar criminals. These tend to be the ones most in denial of their own crimes, they also tend to be the ones most enthusiastic about putting other people in jail. Foo on them.
"Once again he had the problem of finding paper to light the fire with. He still had a copy of Suck carefully folded in his inside pocket, but did not want to sacrifice that after all the effort he had gone to, smuggling it through Spanish customs. He preferred to burn a book, and this time he headed straight for a copy of Don Quijote. It was a work he had always detested, and he felt a thrill of pleasure at the more thought of consigning it to the flames." - p 144
Here's where Montalbán & I part ways. Just about the only bks I wdn't feel bad about burning are the Bible & the Quran — & even those I'd think twice about. Still, as a literary device for taking a quick snipe at works he dislikes it's interesting. I hope he has Carvalho burn a crime fiction novel sometime so that I can learn whose work he doesn't like. Maybe Agatha Christie?
"Carvalho had always thought that prostitutes from the Basque country, Catalonia or even Madrid pretended they were Andalusians out of pure racism. They transferred their shame about how they earned their living on to Spain's least developed region, in this way somehow preserving the ethnic purity of the Basques, the noble lineage of Castille, and Catalan industrial prowess. But Charo's friend insisted it was all down to the clients.
"'It's what they want. If you tell them you're from Bilbao they look at you disappointed. As if you're not going to give them a good time.'" - p 165
Hhmm. I wonder if there's an American equivalent. Do prostitutes pretend like they're from West Virginia instead of from Palm Beach? No, that wdn't work.
"He had inherited his father's conviction that a person's body knows exactly what it needs and what it doesn't. Whenever he found he had a craving for sweet things, he thought: 'My body needs glucose.' Whenever he suddenly felt a passion for seafood, he said to himself: 'My body needs phosphorous.' And if it was lentils he was yearning for, he knew he was low on iron. He would never dare make a theory out of this physiological wisdom, but it had helped him survive thirty-seven years without any illnesses other than the occasional cold, which triggered a need for oranges and lemons." - p 196
& I tend to agree w/ this. Unfortunately, it requires actually being aware of one's bodily wants. It seems like there are so many artificially induced wants clamouring for attn that the ones originating w/ the body may get lost. Take the above: I read mention of lentils & it triggers my remembering that I have some left over from guests of mnths ago & that I've been meaning to cook them w/ rice. SO, off to the kitchen I go to do so. Is it my body that wants them? After all, they'll probably make me fart too much. Or is it my obssessive waste-not-want-not mentality?
Montalbán is very class conscious — something I appreciate:
"Teresa once more became a daughter of the upper middle classes, her features sculptured by healthy eating and proper hygiene. She had the relaxed, self-confident look of a high-wire acrobat who knows they are working with a safety net. Charo by contrast had never had a safety net, and occasionally Carvalho caught the cruel, trapped look on her face of someone who would kill to defend herself, or was frightened of a fall." - p 197
I can relate. In retrospect, it seems to me that "Blaster" Al Ackerman was the only other person I've ever known who regularly used the expression "working without a net", an expression that's very important to me. What often passes for intelligence is just the security of wealth, the calm that often passes for wisdom is often just a deep-seated stability rooted in never being financially insecure. All therapists, in order to really do their job shd have worse problems than their patients. If they can deal w/ their own horrific problems then maybe they'll be really qualified to deal w/ other people's — but that's not the way it works.
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán's Tattoo
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - October 21-22, 2018
I didn't discover Montalbán until 2014 when he became an immediate addition to my small pantheon of crime fiction writers b/c of his deep socio-political insights. The 1st thing I read by him was The Buenos Aires Quintet ( https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/... ). Every bk I've read by him since has been something I'm sure I'll like. As such, I vacillate between reading him & others that I have a similar enthusiasm for & writers whose work is more uncertain for me. In other words, reading Tattoo was almost like an avoidance of seeking new stimulation in favor of returning to the tried-&-true. No matter, as usual, I enjoyed this very much.
There was a time when I found tattoos more interesting than I do today. Witness, e.g., what little documentation there is from the 3rd part of my "Generic As-Beenism" Mad Scientist Didaction from 1987: https://youtu.be/OL1Mppt2ck4?t=1006 . There were very few tattooists around then. I had just gotten my 3D brain tattoo at the time & the 1st tattooist I went to to do it wdn't do it b/c he sd I wdn't be able to stand the pain, the 2nd one wdn't do it b/c she sd she was tired of identifying corpses for the police. SO, when this story begins w/ a corpse found w/ a tattoo as one of its few identifying marks that resonated w/ personal experience:
"The four bearers turned him on to his back on the sand. A cry of horror expanded the circle of the half-naked crowd. The body had no face. Fishes had eaten his cheeks and eyes. They quickly turned him over again. It was then that a little kid noticed there was a tattoo on his back. A hand brushed away the wet sand. Somebody read out the motto tattooed on his shoulder-blade: BORN TO RAISE HELL IN HELL." - p 3
This bk was copyrighted in 1976, a time when tattoos wd've still been primarily on the bodies of more deviant people — unlike today when every idiot feels the 'need' to put some shallow decoration on themselves:
"Don Avaristo had engraved on his buttocks: Exit only; no way in. Don Evaristo sighed as he regretted yet again not having photographed the tattooed penis of a famous pickpocket. On the foreskin he had tattooed a cat. When it was pulled back, a mouse appeared on the tip." - pp 28-29
"'I tried to create a school here. But I failed. Who was it that that used to want a tattoo? Sailors and crooks. Sailors aren't what they used to be, and the crooks don't want tattoos anymore because they can identify them. I had an apprentice by the name of del Clot who was good. But he was a queer, and in that line of business he was constantly being threatened. The only one left now is a guy from Murcia. He lives up near the park. But there aren't many more in Barcelona. Tangiers: there are still a few there. And in Morocco in general. And some of the northern ports. Not Hamburg. Hamburg's got a big reputation, but there's nothing there. Rotterdam before the war. It had good tattoists then, very good ones.'" - p 29
Things sure have changed. Heck, Lyle Tuttle even tattooed in Antarctica: http://www.forestparkreview.com/News/... .
There are so many writers whose descriptions succeed in being very evocative for me. But it seems that crime fiction writers excel at this:
"He woke when he was tired of sleeping. Through the shutters of the half-open window he could hear the birds chattering among themselves about how bright and hot the day was. He looked out of the window and saw that everything was where it ought to be: the sky was up, the earth down. The electric heater and the Italian coffee-making machine helped him recover a sense of self. The shower and the coffee he drank forced him to recognize the here and now, and the idea that he had work to do that would help him get through another day: not that he had any idea of what to do." - p 23
Think of how dull the above content cd be if written in a more basic way:
'He woke up. He heard birds. He looked out the window. The heater and the coffee-maker were familiar. He took a shower & drank coffee to help him wake up further. He had a job to do but didn't know where to start.'
Carvalho, Montalbán's detective, is a tough one. His girlfriend's a prostitute & he hates pimps:
"'Put your cheap jewelry away and get out of here.'
"'Why don't I stuff it in your mouth?'
"Carvalho appeared to take no notice of this, but suddenly whirled around and chopped the other man hard across the neck. He staggered backwards, and Carvalho was on him, connected with a right and a left to his face. Neither the girl's screams nor Charo's protests could stop him. Carvalho bent over the pimp, grabbed him by the hair, and beat his head against the wall. The pimp slid down until he was slumped on the floor. Carvalho went through his pockets, his waistline, under his arms, and the lining of his shoes. He took a folded switchblade from somewhere." - pp 49-50
"'How about asking prostitutes?'
"'That's pretty impossible. There are so many of them and not all are registered with the police. There are private security people now who protect them and hide them. It was easy when they were just German or Italian, but now it's gone completely haywire — there's Turkish women, Greeks... even Spaniards.'" - p 69
It's not uncommon for crime fiction writers to make reference to other crime fiction writers:
"'We've come across cases where people have been drowned for less than twenty.'
"'Unbelievable.'
"Carvalho did not want to seem too smart, or to behave like a Chandler character facing a stupid, brutal LAPD cop. Among other things, because the inspector wasn't stupid, brutal LAPD cop and he wasn't a Chandler character." - p 106
A little philosophy:
"[']All of us fall into two groups: those who go to jail and those who might go to jail. That's the secret of success of all politicians everywhere.'" - p 130
I can't say that I agree w/ that. I think there are plenty of people who are sure, w/o even having to think about it, that they are the 'good people' who will never go to jail. &, truth be told, they're highly unlikely to ever go to jail, they're more likely to be white collar criminals. These tend to be the ones most in denial of their own crimes, they also tend to be the ones most enthusiastic about putting other people in jail. Foo on them.
"Once again he had the problem of finding paper to light the fire with. He still had a copy of Suck carefully folded in his inside pocket, but did not want to sacrifice that after all the effort he had gone to, smuggling it through Spanish customs. He preferred to burn a book, and this time he headed straight for a copy of Don Quijote. It was a work he had always detested, and he felt a thrill of pleasure at the more thought of consigning it to the flames." - p 144
Here's where Montalbán & I part ways. Just about the only bks I wdn't feel bad about burning are the Bible & the Quran — & even those I'd think twice about. Still, as a literary device for taking a quick snipe at works he dislikes it's interesting. I hope he has Carvalho burn a crime fiction novel sometime so that I can learn whose work he doesn't like. Maybe Agatha Christie?
"Carvalho had always thought that prostitutes from the Basque country, Catalonia or even Madrid pretended they were Andalusians out of pure racism. They transferred their shame about how they earned their living on to Spain's least developed region, in this way somehow preserving the ethnic purity of the Basques, the noble lineage of Castille, and Catalan industrial prowess. But Charo's friend insisted it was all down to the clients.
"'It's what they want. If you tell them you're from Bilbao they look at you disappointed. As if you're not going to give them a good time.'" - p 165
Hhmm. I wonder if there's an American equivalent. Do prostitutes pretend like they're from West Virginia instead of from Palm Beach? No, that wdn't work.
"He had inherited his father's conviction that a person's body knows exactly what it needs and what it doesn't. Whenever he found he had a craving for sweet things, he thought: 'My body needs glucose.' Whenever he suddenly felt a passion for seafood, he said to himself: 'My body needs phosphorous.' And if it was lentils he was yearning for, he knew he was low on iron. He would never dare make a theory out of this physiological wisdom, but it had helped him survive thirty-seven years without any illnesses other than the occasional cold, which triggered a need for oranges and lemons." - p 196
& I tend to agree w/ this. Unfortunately, it requires actually being aware of one's bodily wants. It seems like there are so many artificially induced wants clamouring for attn that the ones originating w/ the body may get lost. Take the above: I read mention of lentils & it triggers my remembering that I have some left over from guests of mnths ago & that I've been meaning to cook them w/ rice. SO, off to the kitchen I go to do so. Is it my body that wants them? After all, they'll probably make me fart too much. Or is it my obssessive waste-not-want-not mentality?
Montalbán is very class conscious — something I appreciate:
"Teresa once more became a daughter of the upper middle classes, her features sculptured by healthy eating and proper hygiene. She had the relaxed, self-confident look of a high-wire acrobat who knows they are working with a safety net. Charo by contrast had never had a safety net, and occasionally Carvalho caught the cruel, trapped look on her face of someone who would kill to defend herself, or was frightened of a fall." - p 197
I can relate. In retrospect, it seems to me that "Blaster" Al Ackerman was the only other person I've ever known who regularly used the expression "working without a net", an expression that's very important to me. What often passes for intelligence is just the security of wealth, the calm that often passes for wisdom is often just a deep-seated stability rooted in never being financially insecure. All therapists, in order to really do their job shd have worse problems than their patients. If they can deal w/ their own horrific problems then maybe they'll be really qualified to deal w/ other people's — but that's not the way it works.
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