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Pepe Carvalho #4
Southern Seas (Pluto Crime)
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214 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1979
109 people are currently reading
1846 people want to read
About the author
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
282 books352 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 220 reviews
June 19, 2020
Lo bueno, poco: las descripciones de la Barcelona de los 80.
La trama se resuelve casi de casualidad y sin emoción alguna.
Una lectura ligera, pero insípida.
The good, little: the descriptions of the Barcelona of the 80s.
The plot is solved almost by chance and without any emotion.
A light, but tasteless read.
La trama se resuelve casi de casualidad y sin emoción alguna.
Una lectura ligera, pero insípida.
The good, little: the descriptions of the Barcelona of the 80s.
The plot is solved almost by chance and without any emotion.
A light, but tasteless read.
July 3, 2025
Яко ми влезе под кожата този вагабонт Карвальо!
Абсолютно удоволствие е да се чете прозата на Монталбан!
Преводът е все така чудесен, макар и леко овехтял.
Препоръчвам!
Цитати:
"Никога не съм познавал някой наистина умен човек, който да обича или да има доверие в хората. Най-много да ги съжалява."
"Ще се върнеш някога и няма да е късно да разбереш, че тук всички са се озлобили, остарели или полудели. Това са и единствените три начина да преживееш в страна, в която късно се е извършила индустриалната революция."
Абсолютно удоволствие е да се чете прозата на Монталбан!
Преводът е все така чудесен, макар и леко овехтял.
Препоръчвам!
Цитати:
"Никога не съм познавал някой наистина умен човек, който да обича или да има доверие в хората. Най-много да ги съжалява."
"Ще се върнеш някога и няма да е късно да разбереш, че тук всички са се озлобили, остарели или полудели. Това са и единствените три начина да преживееш в страна, в която късно се е извършила индустриалната революция."
June 12, 2022
Ο διαπρεπής επιχειρηματίας που ήθελε να τα παρατήσει όλα και να φύγει για τις θάλασσες του νότου, έναν χρόνο μετά την υποτιθέμενη φυγή του βρίσκεται δολοφονημένος σ’ ένα γιαπί στην Τρινιδάδ, έχοντας στις τσέπες του ένα τσαλακωμένο χαρτί ημερολογίου, με γραμμένη πάνω του στα ιταλικά την εξής φράση: «κανείς πια δεν θα με πάει στον νότο».
Το μυστήριο του θανάτου του Στούαρτ Πεδρέλ αναλαμβάνει να εξιχνιάσει (ποιος άλλος;) ο ιδιόρρυθμος ντετέκτιβ Πέπε Καρβάλιο, ξεκινώντας από τα βασικά: η σύντομη φράση του σημειώματος είναι ένας στίχος που επαναλαμβάνεται δις στο ποίημα του νομπελίστα σικελού ποιητή Σαλβατόρε Κουασιμόντο «Θρήνος για τον νότο». Τι ακριβώς πραγματεύεται το συγκεκριμένο ποίημα; Το παράπονο ενός ανθρώπου από τον νότο που παραδέχεται την ανημπόρια του να επιστρέψει σ’ αυτόν, μιας και η καρδιά του έχει μείνει στους λειμώνες και τα καταχνιασμένα νερά της Λομβαρδίας. Αλλά πόση σχέση μπορεί να έχει αυτό με τον Στούαρτ Πεδρέλ, τη Βαρκελώνη και τη ματαιωμένη προσδοκία του να φύγει για τις θάλασσες του νότου;
“Οι θάλασσες του νότου”, τέταρτο κατά σειρά μυθιστόρημα του «Μανόλο» με ήρωα τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο, δεν είναι μόνον ένα από τα πιο αντιπροσωπευτικά έργα της τάσης που χαρακτηρίστηκε «μεσογειακό νουάρ», αλλά πρωτίστως ένα κοινωνικό μυθιστόρημα (με αστυνομική πλοκή και βαρκελωνέζικη ατμόσφαιρα), μια διεισδυτική ματιά κι ένα δηκτικό σχόλιο στην νεόκοπη ισπανική δημοκρατία των (άνισων) ευκαιριών, του νεοπλουτισμού, των επενδύσεων και των φτωχογειτονιών. Προσθέστε σ’ αυτά και τον υπέροχο Πέπε Καρβάλιο, πρώην κομμουνιστή και πράκτορα της CIA, λάτρη των γυναικών, του ποτού και του καλού φαγητού, που συνηθίζει να καίει στο τζάκι τα βιβλία που διάβασε, κι έχετε (σχεδόν) ένα εκατομμύριο λόγους την επόμενη φορά που θα θελήσετε να επιλέξετε κάτι από τα ράφια της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας να σταματήσετε ακριβώς εδώ.
Το μυστήριο του θανάτου του Στούαρτ Πεδρέλ αναλαμβάνει να εξιχνιάσει (ποιος άλλος;) ο ιδιόρρυθμος ντετέκτιβ Πέπε Καρβάλιο, ξεκινώντας από τα βασικά: η σύντομη φράση του σημειώματος είναι ένας στίχος που επαναλαμβάνεται δις στο ποίημα του νομπελίστα σικελού ποιητή Σαλβατόρε Κουασιμόντο «Θρήνος για τον νότο». Τι ακριβώς πραγματεύεται το συγκεκριμένο ποίημα; Το παράπονο ενός ανθρώπου από τον νότο που παραδέχεται την ανημπόρια του να επιστρέψει σ’ αυτόν, μιας και η καρδιά του έχει μείνει στους λειμώνες και τα καταχνιασμένα νερά της Λομβαρδίας. Αλλά πόση σχέση μπορεί να έχει αυτό με τον Στούαρτ Πεδρέλ, τη Βαρκελώνη και τη ματαιωμένη προσδοκία του να φύγει για τις θάλασσες του νότου;
“Οι θάλασσες του νότου”, τέταρτο κατά σειρά μυθιστόρημα του «Μανόλο» με ήρωα τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο, δεν είναι μόνον ένα από τα πιο αντιπροσωπευτικά έργα της τάσης που χαρακτηρίστηκε «μεσογειακό νουάρ», αλλά πρωτίστως ένα κοινωνικό μυθιστόρημα (με αστυνομική πλοκή και βαρκελωνέζικη ατμόσφαιρα), μια διεισδυτική ματιά κι ένα δηκτικό σχόλιο στην νεόκοπη ισπανική δημοκρατία των (άνισων) ευκαιριών, του νεοπλουτισμού, των επενδύσεων και των φτωχογειτονιών. Προσθέστε σ’ αυτά και τον υπέροχο Πέπε Καρβάλιο, πρώην κομμουνιστή και πράκτορα της CIA, λάτρη των γυναικών, του ποτού και του καλού φαγητού, που συνηθίζει να καίει στο τζάκι τα βιβλία που διάβασε, κι έχετε (σχεδόν) ένα εκατομμύριο λόγους την επόμενη φορά που θα θελήσετε να επιλέξετε κάτι από τα ράφια της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας να σταματήσετε ακριβώς εδώ.
July 25, 2019
Είναι απορίας άξιο πως βιβλία σαν το συγκεκριμένο έχουν (σχετικά) χαμηλή βαθμολογία και κάτι άλλα, του βορρά - δεν τα ξέρετε, παίρνουν τα πεντάρια σε 12αδες.
Τίμιο crime μυθιστόρημα με έναν ντετέκτιβ πιότερο τυχερό πάρα έξυπνο και μια πλοκή που κάνει στράκες. Ο Μονταλμπάν δεν γράφει μια ιστοριούλα, αλλά ένα κανονικό σκάνδαλο με πολιτικές μπηχτές, ταξικές αναφορές και σκόρπιους στίχους του Σαλβατόρε Κουαζιμοντο.
Τίμιο crime μυθιστόρημα με έναν ντετέκτιβ πιότερο τυχερό πάρα έξυπνο και μια πλοκή που κάνει στράκες. Ο Μονταλμπάν δεν γράφει μια ιστοριούλα, αλλά ένα κανονικό σκάνδαλο με πολιτικές μπηχτές, ταξικές αναφορές και σκόρπιους στίχους του Σαλβατόρε Κουαζιμοντο.
May 6, 2023
Not sure if this was a murder mystery or a food and drink guide to Barcelona 😁 PI Pepe loves a glass of wine and gastronomic delights, as he takes us on a social and political commentary in post Franco Spain. The writing was poetic, but I thought the last couple of pages were unnecessary and at odds with the rest of the book.
February 17, 2014
Barcelona after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975. This book was written by Manuel Varquez Montalban (1939-2003), a popular Spanish novelist, poet, gastronome among other things. If Agatha Christie had her Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple, Montalban had his Pepe Carvalho. I would not have bought this book if this was not included in the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.
The story revolves around the mystery of the death of a 50-year old man, Stuart Pedrell. He is a filthy rich businessman who hits midlife crisis and so he decides to go to Polynesia or what they call here as Southern Seas. There is no mention of why in the book but it seems that aging men in Spain in the 70's have the option to go, without leaving a trace, somewhere and start their lives anew. However, the problem is that after a year or so, Pedrell is seen dead in a tenement block in a rundown area in Barcelona. So, the wealthy widow of Pedrell hires Carvalho to find out what happened.
Then the rest of the book is about Carvalho meeting so many people that are supposed to shed light on the mystery of Pedrell's death. Being a poet, Montalban used nice prose and his storytelling was direct and taut. Being a gastronome, there are detailed recipes in the story and Carvalho seems to delight himself with the sumptuous food that he eats. So, there is nothing really wrong with the book or the story. It is a typical detective, whodunnit or police investigation type of novel. Then the Barcelona in the 70's milieu is okay considering that there are many similarities between Manila and Barcelona especially during the 70's when Manila was still a busiest bustling metropolis in Asia. Also in the political side, they had Franco and we had Marcos so I was able to relate to the milieu.
My main problem with this book is the way Montalban treated his female characters. Carvalho, approaching 60's, has an erotic relationship with Pedrell's adolescent daughter while he is keeping a prostitute on the side. It is not love like Humbert and Dolly (being seen as Annabelle) but an old man taking advantage of a teenager's vulnerability while having a prostitute as a longtime playmate. That sucked for me because Montalban did not justify this in the story.
But if you ignore this point, the book is still okay. Nicely written interesting plot.
The story revolves around the mystery of the death of a 50-year old man, Stuart Pedrell. He is a filthy rich businessman who hits midlife crisis and so he decides to go to Polynesia or what they call here as Southern Seas. There is no mention of why in the book but it seems that aging men in Spain in the 70's have the option to go, without leaving a trace, somewhere and start their lives anew. However, the problem is that after a year or so, Pedrell is seen dead in a tenement block in a rundown area in Barcelona. So, the wealthy widow of Pedrell hires Carvalho to find out what happened.
Then the rest of the book is about Carvalho meeting so many people that are supposed to shed light on the mystery of Pedrell's death. Being a poet, Montalban used nice prose and his storytelling was direct and taut. Being a gastronome, there are detailed recipes in the story and Carvalho seems to delight himself with the sumptuous food that he eats. So, there is nothing really wrong with the book or the story. It is a typical detective, whodunnit or police investigation type of novel. Then the Barcelona in the 70's milieu is okay considering that there are many similarities between Manila and Barcelona especially during the 70's when Manila was still a busiest bustling metropolis in Asia. Also in the political side, they had Franco and we had Marcos so I was able to relate to the milieu.
My main problem with this book is the way Montalban treated his female characters. Carvalho, approaching 60's, has an erotic relationship with Pedrell's adolescent daughter while he is keeping a prostitute on the side. It is not love like Humbert and Dolly (being seen as Annabelle) but an old man taking advantage of a teenager's vulnerability while having a prostitute as a longtime playmate. That sucked for me because Montalban did not justify this in the story.
But if you ignore this point, the book is still okay. Nicely written interesting plot.
March 28, 2020
Este libro es una puta mierda. Me da igual quién lo haya escrito y qué premios haya recibido. Es una puta mierda. Es ridículamente machista; lo poco que en él sucede, pasa por la cara, sin sentido, ni explicación alguna; y, encima, está construido a base de clichés requetemanidos que rozan lo grotesco. HORRIBLE. Se me han quitado las ganas de novela negra (al menos, nacional) por un tiempo bastante largo.
August 7, 2023
Carlos Stuart Pedrell, a wealthy industrialist, is stabbed in a wasteland in Barcelona. He disappeared a year ago. His family and friends had not heard from him since. The victim said he wanted to leave for a long trip in the South Seas. The widow Stuart Pedrell, therefore, hires Pepe Carvalho to discover the murderer of her husband. He begins his investigation throughout the city of Barcelona to trace the last year of the life of Stuart Pedrell.
March 10, 2020
Il quarto caso di Pepe Carvalho del grande Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, sto leggendo i libri in ordine cronologico e per adesso è il migliore di tutti, al solo pensiero di sapere che mi mancano ancora 22 romanzi da leggere, godo del piacere e non vedo l'ora di immettermi nel prossimo caso. (aggiornamento marzo 2020: adesso ne mancano meno, ne ho letto 9 della serie Carvalho)
In questa storia lo assumono per indagare l'ultimo anno della vita di un investitore molto ricco, che era sparito con il racconto di andare ai mari del sud (la Polinesia di Gauguin), e poi il suo corpo è stato trovato accoltellato in un appezzamento di terreno fuori Barcellona.
Si potrebbe considerare anche un romanzo storico, è stato scritto e ambientato nel 1979, durante gli anni della transizione spagnola dal Franchismo alla democrazia con le sue prime elezione.
I personaggi sono già parte del mio immaginario letterario, dal eccentrico Pepe Carvalho, irruente gourmet e amante delle donne e del sesso, i suoi casi si sviluppano come storie secondarie alle sue scopate e le sue abbuffate di buon cibo e buon vino.
La prostituta Charo, suo partner sentimentale. Biscuter, più che un impiegato, il suo complice in cucina. Il lustrascarpe Bromuro, il suo informatore e "spia" con il quale ha apparenti discorsi prosaici. Il suo vicino Fuster, solitario e goloso come lui. Spero di trovarli tutti nei prossimi libri.
November 24, 2017
Είχα την κατηγορία
B.R.A.CE. 2017 ένα βιβλίο για έναν νέο, για σένα, ντετέκτιβ
κι έκανα έρευνα και βρήκα στην βιβλιοθήκη το συγκεκριμένο και είπα να γνωρίσω τον Πέπε Καρβάλιο.
Θα είμαι ευθύς, δεν τα βρήκαμε. Κάπου μετά την σελίδα 200 κάπως πήγαμε να τα βρούμε αλλά είχα ήδη κουραστεί. Πέπε συγνώμη... αλλά συνέχεια έτρωγες (μου προκαλούσες λιγούρα), έπινες κρασιά (λευκά) και "γκομένιζες" (καθένας με τα γούστα του!). Κάπου ανάμεσα σε αυτά έλυσες και την υπόθεση με κάτι αναλαμπές που έπαθες (ήταν εμπνεύσεις το παραδέχομαι) αλλά δεν με κέρδισες.
Ίσως ξανασυναντηθούμε στο μέλλον αλλά για την ώρα η καρδιά μου είναι αλλού ;)
Θα είμαι ευθύς, δεν τα βρήκαμε. Κάπου μετά την σελίδα 200 κάπως πήγαμε να τα βρούμε αλλά είχα ήδη κουραστεί. Πέπε συγνώμη... αλλά συνέχεια έτρωγες (μου προκαλούσες λιγούρα), έπινες κρασιά (λευκά) και "γκομένιζες" (καθένας με τα γούστα του!). Κάπου ανάμεσα σε αυτά έλυσες και την υπόθεση με κάτι αναλαμπές που έπαθες (ήταν εμπνεύσεις το παραδέχομαι) αλλά δεν με κέρδισες.
Ίσως ξανασυναντηθούμε στο μέλλον αλλά για την ώρα η καρδιά μου είναι αλλού ;)
December 13, 2016
Δεν είναι αστυνομικό, ο Μονταλμπάν δε γράφει αστυνομικά. Μέρος των ιστοριών του γυρνά γύρω από μυστήριες καταστάσεις, η διαφορά είναι γιγαντιαία. Ο Μονταλμπάν είναι μαέστρος στη γραφή. Μου μένει χαραγμένος στο νου ο όρος του Βιβλιοκαύστη, η ούσια μέσα σ' αυτό, πικρή όσο κι αισιόδοξη. Γιατί όταν λες μηδενίζω τα κοντέρ δεν υπάρχει αρχή, αυτή πέρασε. Υπάρχει το από 'δω και πέρα. Βασική ιδέα του βιβλίου: Η επιθυμία κι η αναβίωση αναμνήσεων δεν πάνε μαζί. Η μια είναι δολοφόνος της άλλης. Θα βρείτε μέσα το στίχο ενός Ισπανού ποιητή που συγκροτεί αυτή την ιδέα, μετά θα αρχίσει να διαχέεται παντού. Διαβάστε το, αλλά όχι σαν αστυνομικό.
January 18, 2019
La novela más conocida, y más apreciada por los críticos, de la serie Carvalho. Como cualquier premio Planeta fue éxito de ventas y, seamos benévolos, de lectores. Pero el tiempo, ése que en ocasiones da una pátina de brillantez a aquello que no fue entendido en su momento, convierte en lectura anacrónica “Los mares del sur”. Al menos ésa es la sensación que queda tras leer el primer episodio de la novela. Un episodio fuera de lugar pues cualquier otra presentación del caso a investigar hubiera valido; ahíto hasta el hastío de palabras soeces, de jerga desfasada. A partir de ahí la novela sigue otros derroteros y es cuando cobra vida nueva tanto el comienzo como el resto del la obra.
De algunos libros se dice que son intemporales. Éste no es el caso. “Los mares del sur” es una novela muy temporal que hablaba directamente a los lectores de finales de la década de los años setenta en España y que permite retroceder en el tiempo a los lectores actuales. Afirmaba Baroja: “El Quijote da más impresión de la España de su tiempo que ninguna obra de los historiadores nuestros” (“Las figuras de cera”, Prólogo). Quizá la afirmación sea exagerada para esta novela de Vázquez Montalbán pero entre sus páginas se puede visitar la Barcelona de hace cuarenta años: lenguaje “cheli”, barrios suburbiales construidos una o dos décadas antes, activismo político, mención al terrorismo de ETA, la nueva clase media, …
Algunas concesiones comerciales del autor son evidentes pero la trama policiaca es correcta y el cínico Carvalho no defrauda. No quedará como obra maestra, pese a cierta lista de El Mundo (enero 2001), pero resulta entretenida y algunos de los planteamientos y opiniones de los personajes invitan a la reflexión.
De algunos libros se dice que son intemporales. Éste no es el caso. “Los mares del sur” es una novela muy temporal que hablaba directamente a los lectores de finales de la década de los años setenta en España y que permite retroceder en el tiempo a los lectores actuales. Afirmaba Baroja: “El Quijote da más impresión de la España de su tiempo que ninguna obra de los historiadores nuestros” (“Las figuras de cera”, Prólogo). Quizá la afirmación sea exagerada para esta novela de Vázquez Montalbán pero entre sus páginas se puede visitar la Barcelona de hace cuarenta años: lenguaje “cheli”, barrios suburbiales construidos una o dos décadas antes, activismo político, mención al terrorismo de ETA, la nueva clase media, …
Algunas concesiones comerciales del autor son evidentes pero la trama policiaca es correcta y el cínico Carvalho no defrauda. No quedará como obra maestra, pese a cierta lista de El Mundo (enero 2001), pero resulta entretenida y algunos de los planteamientos y opiniones de los personajes invitan a la reflexión.
August 6, 2013
My first Montalban book.
I am not sure I liked the story but I liked the book.
I was attracted to it by ... Barcelona. I wanted to read something else about Barcelona apart from the books of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Zafon, although younger, describes an age of Barcelona before him and mostly before Montalban's.
Montalban, a socialist and a gastronomer, as well as a scholar and poet, describes a Barcelona of bourgeois decay (or so he thinks) and his main character, detective Pepe Carvalho, seems to be immersed in it although from a critical standpoint. The southern seas is but an allegory to the unprivileged part of the city.
I find the way Montalban describes human characters really powerful. And the continuous references to the Spanish cuisine, made me salivate all too often. His prose is more advance and complex than the usual crime store prose. But the story is linear and unfolds without too much excitement or suspense. More with an intended disgust.
Like Zafon's cemetery of the forgotten books, Montalban has his own peculiar reference to books: Carvalho, although too knowledgeable about them has developed a habit of burning books in his fireplace (I understand the semiology here but I find the act unforgivable).
They say that great art is not the one you love, but the one you cannot stop thinking about. If this is applicable to literature too, then Carvalho has this sort effect. Maybe till one gets enough of him. I won't know before the next book.
I am not sure I liked the story but I liked the book.
I was attracted to it by ... Barcelona. I wanted to read something else about Barcelona apart from the books of Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Zafon, although younger, describes an age of Barcelona before him and mostly before Montalban's.
Montalban, a socialist and a gastronomer, as well as a scholar and poet, describes a Barcelona of bourgeois decay (or so he thinks) and his main character, detective Pepe Carvalho, seems to be immersed in it although from a critical standpoint. The southern seas is but an allegory to the unprivileged part of the city.
I find the way Montalban describes human characters really powerful. And the continuous references to the Spanish cuisine, made me salivate all too often. His prose is more advance and complex than the usual crime store prose. But the story is linear and unfolds without too much excitement or suspense. More with an intended disgust.
Like Zafon's cemetery of the forgotten books, Montalban has his own peculiar reference to books: Carvalho, although too knowledgeable about them has developed a habit of burning books in his fireplace (I understand the semiology here but I find the act unforgivable).
They say that great art is not the one you love, but the one you cannot stop thinking about. If this is applicable to literature too, then Carvalho has this sort effect. Maybe till one gets enough of him. I won't know before the next book.
December 1, 2011
Los Mares del Sur - Manuel Vázquez Montalbán (available at your local library)
It's always harder for me when I don't know the author, and even harder when, after reading the book, I am puzzled as to whether I liked it or not. Mares do Sul is a perfect example of that. Nothing wrong with the book...well, if I said there was nothing, I'd probably be lying. This is one of those which I can't say I disliked, but I do have a lot of issues with it.
Mares do Sul is - according to the man's Wikipedia - one of the first books in the Pepe Carvalho saga, if you can call it that. Most of Montalban's work was devoted to exploring the stories (and work, obviously) of this 50 year old guy. Now, he's not just any dude, he's probably the first protagonist of a crime novel that fails completely at gathering my sympathy.
He's sold to us as very charming, with his vast culture, love of fine cuisine and blunt manner of speaking. In my mind, however, he's simply grumpy, obsessed with everyone's political standing and devoid of any kind of moral. He treats the women he meets like utter shite. He supposedly has one girlfriend, but he does not hesitate to fuck the teenage daughter of one of his most important clients, regardless of her many issues. She's a heavy user of all kinds of drugs and due to the death of her father (which Pepe is investigating), starts showing her real insecurities and becomes enthralled with this old man who never lets his guard down.
He fucks her, makes fun of her cocaine use - when she waits at his house for him, she prepares dinner...the first words he says are something similar to "nice meal, but where's the coke?". Perhaps this is supposed to be funny. To me, he just sounds like a guy that has no problems in using people to get what he needs. Be that money, food (since his "helper" always cooks for him) or a quick lay.
Still on women: he thinks he's such a fucking irresistible piece of ass, even when he's being shut down in a grand manner (see the excerpt for a clear illustration of this) or even when he's losing his erection. Don't believe me?
"Carvalho saltou da cama, procurou na mesita-de-cabeceira a caixa de Condal número 6, acendeu o charuto, sentou-se na beira da cama e contemplou como de uma varanda o espectáculo do seu pénis em retirada lenta."
He stood in awe of his flaccid penis. He lit a cigar to celebrate the fantastic awesomeness of his limp dick. This bloke is so into himself that I do wonder why he bothers fucking other people. Perhaps he needs someone to hold the mirror. Or camera. Or to sell tickets to his flappy show.
Another "cool" thing he does? He burns books instead of wood in his fireplace. Now that's just stupid. I have no words to describe how pathetic an attempt at being suave (or something) that is. Plus, in most scenes, instead of dialogue or ANY action whatsoever, we're treated to endless streams of his memories which are never relevant to the story. They are the kind of thing that you hear from people when they have no other arguments; the "in my time, things went smoothly" line of thought. For him, and his immaculate past, all other human beings are wrong, silly and have no real purpose in life. He doesn't trust anyone, and yet people keep falling at his feet, presumably because they see him as enlightening.
Even when the story finally ends, we see a powerful, rich woman be insulted by him...and then, because he's CHARMING OR SOME SHIT she decides to ask him to come and be his boy toy. Despite the fact that he's probably older. And, according the descriptions, not very attractive.
The story itself is somewhat interesting, and would probably be more had the author not focused so much on the inner dwellings of Pepe Caravalho and actually tried to build other charaters that didn't worship him instantly. Plus, he did have a clever way of presenting the story to us, and it didn't seem like the clues fell on Pepe's feet. The pacing could have been much better if so much of the book wasn't 70% "oh, woe is me, I'm so awesome and everyone else is stupid and ugly". Seriously, do we need a monologue in the middle of each scene? I think not.
I guess this is a decent read, but the main guy is such an asshole, I'd have problems recommending this to anyone else. Maybe it's just me, being a girl, with my girly feelings. Or maybe he's a fucking asshole. Yeah, probably that.
Excerpt:
Carvalho tinha vontade de lhe dizer: tinha o poncho, meu amor, e vamos para uma cama negra, branca, redonda, quadrada, tanto faz, porque quando a burguesia não pode conservar o controlo da cama, começa adjectivá-la.
- Vais continuar aqui, ou vens beber seis garrafas de vinho branco absolutamente sensacional?
- És rápido, forasteiro. Que insinuas?
- Que vamos para a cama.
- Não há dúvida. Conheces Juanito Marsé. É a sua técnica. Diz que lhe deram muitas bofetadas, mas que também teve muita sorte.
- E eu? A bofetada?
- Não. Mas também não a sorte. Estou à espera da minha miúda. Tenho-a aparcada lá dentro. O nosso é um amor impossível.
- Tinha acabado de nascer.
- São os melhores.
Carvalho despediu-se com uma pequena vénia. Na rua concentrou-se no tema dos amores que acabam de nascer.
It's always harder for me when I don't know the author, and even harder when, after reading the book, I am puzzled as to whether I liked it or not. Mares do Sul is a perfect example of that. Nothing wrong with the book...well, if I said there was nothing, I'd probably be lying. This is one of those which I can't say I disliked, but I do have a lot of issues with it.
Mares do Sul is - according to the man's Wikipedia - one of the first books in the Pepe Carvalho saga, if you can call it that. Most of Montalban's work was devoted to exploring the stories (and work, obviously) of this 50 year old guy. Now, he's not just any dude, he's probably the first protagonist of a crime novel that fails completely at gathering my sympathy.
He's sold to us as very charming, with his vast culture, love of fine cuisine and blunt manner of speaking. In my mind, however, he's simply grumpy, obsessed with everyone's political standing and devoid of any kind of moral. He treats the women he meets like utter shite. He supposedly has one girlfriend, but he does not hesitate to fuck the teenage daughter of one of his most important clients, regardless of her many issues. She's a heavy user of all kinds of drugs and due to the death of her father (which Pepe is investigating), starts showing her real insecurities and becomes enthralled with this old man who never lets his guard down.
He fucks her, makes fun of her cocaine use - when she waits at his house for him, she prepares dinner...the first words he says are something similar to "nice meal, but where's the coke?". Perhaps this is supposed to be funny. To me, he just sounds like a guy that has no problems in using people to get what he needs. Be that money, food (since his "helper" always cooks for him) or a quick lay.
Still on women: he thinks he's such a fucking irresistible piece of ass, even when he's being shut down in a grand manner (see the excerpt for a clear illustration of this) or even when he's losing his erection. Don't believe me?
"Carvalho saltou da cama, procurou na mesita-de-cabeceira a caixa de Condal número 6, acendeu o charuto, sentou-se na beira da cama e contemplou como de uma varanda o espectáculo do seu pénis em retirada lenta."
He stood in awe of his flaccid penis. He lit a cigar to celebrate the fantastic awesomeness of his limp dick. This bloke is so into himself that I do wonder why he bothers fucking other people. Perhaps he needs someone to hold the mirror. Or camera. Or to sell tickets to his flappy show.
Another "cool" thing he does? He burns books instead of wood in his fireplace. Now that's just stupid. I have no words to describe how pathetic an attempt at being suave (or something) that is. Plus, in most scenes, instead of dialogue or ANY action whatsoever, we're treated to endless streams of his memories which are never relevant to the story. They are the kind of thing that you hear from people when they have no other arguments; the "in my time, things went smoothly" line of thought. For him, and his immaculate past, all other human beings are wrong, silly and have no real purpose in life. He doesn't trust anyone, and yet people keep falling at his feet, presumably because they see him as enlightening.
Even when the story finally ends, we see a powerful, rich woman be insulted by him...and then, because he's CHARMING OR SOME SHIT she decides to ask him to come and be his boy toy. Despite the fact that he's probably older. And, according the descriptions, not very attractive.
The story itself is somewhat interesting, and would probably be more had the author not focused so much on the inner dwellings of Pepe Caravalho and actually tried to build other charaters that didn't worship him instantly. Plus, he did have a clever way of presenting the story to us, and it didn't seem like the clues fell on Pepe's feet. The pacing could have been much better if so much of the book wasn't 70% "oh, woe is me, I'm so awesome and everyone else is stupid and ugly". Seriously, do we need a monologue in the middle of each scene? I think not.
I guess this is a decent read, but the main guy is such an asshole, I'd have problems recommending this to anyone else. Maybe it's just me, being a girl, with my girly feelings. Or maybe he's a fucking asshole. Yeah, probably that.
Excerpt:
Carvalho tinha vontade de lhe dizer: tinha o poncho, meu amor, e vamos para uma cama negra, branca, redonda, quadrada, tanto faz, porque quando a burguesia não pode conservar o controlo da cama, começa adjectivá-la.
- Vais continuar aqui, ou vens beber seis garrafas de vinho branco absolutamente sensacional?
- És rápido, forasteiro. Que insinuas?
- Que vamos para a cama.
- Não há dúvida. Conheces Juanito Marsé. É a sua técnica. Diz que lhe deram muitas bofetadas, mas que também teve muita sorte.
- E eu? A bofetada?
- Não. Mas também não a sorte. Estou à espera da minha miúda. Tenho-a aparcada lá dentro. O nosso é um amor impossível.
- Tinha acabado de nascer.
- São os melhores.
Carvalho despediu-se com uma pequena vénia. Na rua concentrou-se no tema dos amores que acabam de nascer.
March 30, 2014
Los mares del Sur acabado e eu a perguntar-me o que levou a minha mãe a comprar este livro. Pior ainda, tenho de me perguntar por alma de quem é que fui ler este livro.
Pois, não gostei. Nunca tinha lido nada do señor Vázquez Montalbán e não fiquei com vontade de repetir.
Achei a história chata, embora seja sobre um crime cometido e a sua investigação, e não gostei das personagens. O detective Pepe Carvalho (lê-se como em português?) não me fascinou, mesmo sendo um amante de literatura e de cães. Aliás, nenhuma personagem conseguiu cativar-me o suficiente.
Embora a história tenha alguns momentos engraçados, também teve partes em que me senti completamente perdida. Isto verificou-se nos diálogos, em que não conseguia perceber quem estava a falar, e também nas transições das várias partes da história (o livro na tem capítulos), nas quais nem sempre havia pontos de referência para me situar.
Talvez seja um bom livro na medida em que retrata a Barcelona dos finais dos anos setenta e as diferenças sociais. Mas achei a história tão atabalhoada que nem isso me fez sentir qualquer interesse pelo que estava a ler.
Daí as duas estrelas.
Pois, não gostei. Nunca tinha lido nada do señor Vázquez Montalbán e não fiquei com vontade de repetir.
Achei a história chata, embora seja sobre um crime cometido e a sua investigação, e não gostei das personagens. O detective Pepe Carvalho (lê-se como em português?) não me fascinou, mesmo sendo um amante de literatura e de cães. Aliás, nenhuma personagem conseguiu cativar-me o suficiente.
Embora a história tenha alguns momentos engraçados, também teve partes em que me senti completamente perdida. Isto verificou-se nos diálogos, em que não conseguia perceber quem estava a falar, e também nas transições das várias partes da história (o livro na tem capítulos), nas quais nem sempre havia pontos de referência para me situar.
Talvez seja um bom livro na medida em que retrata a Barcelona dos finais dos anos setenta e as diferenças sociais. Mas achei a história tão atabalhoada que nem isso me fez sentir qualquer interesse pelo que estava a ler.
Daí as duas estrelas.
October 9, 2012
Would give this more stars than I normally would a mystery. The author is literate, draws character with great deftness, and is entertaining as can be. He deserves kudos for this description of a victim who once wanted to be a writer: "He used to say that he was too much of a perfectionist. But I think it was because he couldn't find a style. That happens to a lot of people. They have everything that they think they need in order to create, and then they find that they haven't got a style. So they bring literature into their lives, or painting into their wardrobes."
February 18, 2025
El período da la narración se basa después la muerte de Francisco Franco. Se mueve en la ciudad de Barcelona en torno al misterio de la muerte de un hombre de 50 años. Un tal Stuart Pedrell: un hombre de negocios sucio y rico. Mientras el protagonista que más tarde se preocupa por la historia es siempre Pepe Carvalho, personaje de fantasía del autor Manuel Vázquez Montalbán.
Montalbán siendo un poeta para la narración usó una hermosa prosa, directa y tensa. Pero se trata de una narrativa apreciada y conocida más por los críticos del detective Pepe Carvalho. También resaltado por el hecho que el primer capítulo prevalece sobre el anacronismo, luego con otra faceta la historia parece comenzar de nuevo pare seguir su curso: el escritor narra una historia inherente a finales de los años setenta, pero recuerda figuras femeninas que en cambio estarían en los años sesenta. Además el escritor en la vida privada es un buen gastrónomo. Y tuvo la idea de traer al texto algunas recetas de cocina: como se suele decir, Vázquez Montalbán quiso combinar la utilidad con lo delicioso. Tanto es que a lo largo de la historia el investigador Pepe Carvalho esta comida cocinada parece saborearla con placer.
La prosa de la novela puede fascinar también por una imaginación atribuida al título del libro: Los mares del sur. Dado que como tipo de título deja espacio para la imaginación, cuando la conexión del título del volumen es una transferencia de país a Polinesia: las ubicaciones en esas partes se llaman "mares del sur".
En los años setenta en España existía la opción de ir a vivir a Polinesia. Una transferencia de país y una forma de reconstruir una vida sin dejar rastro de sí mismo. Y eso es lo que intenta hacer el protagonista de la historia Pedrel. En cualquier caso la historia comienza a moverse aproximadamente después un año de la muerte de esta persona: el asesinato es el menor, el supuesto tratado es saber en qué tipo de negocio se ha metido esta persona. A continuación, para saber lo que sucedió, la rica viuda de Pedrell da instrucciones al detective Pepe Carvalho: de esta circunstancia el investigador aprovecha de la vulnerabilidad de la hija adolescente de Pedrell. A pesar que a su lado tiene una prostituta. Una antigua compañera de juegos. Ambas situaciones que el escritor Montalban no justifica en la historia; si bien en controversia, se supone que esa novela del detective Pepe Carvalho es una las más famosas y para el periódico español «El Mundo» ha sido incluida en la lista de las 100 novelas mejores.
La historia cuenta la década de los años setenta en España. Y lo hace en manera directa. Permitiendo al lector de retroceder a esa era. Según una declaración del mismo escritor catalán entre las páginas del libro se puede visitar la ciudad de Barcelona de hace más de medio siglo: desde allí conocer la construcción de unos barrio construido hace una década anterior; el activismo político de ese período; la mención del terrorismo de ETA; la nueva clase social media.
El personaje del escritor a pesar de ser la figura de un investigador es extravagante, por ejemplo: tiene sexo, juega con la erección de su pene que tal vez falla; broma con el uso de la cocaína; está interesado en preparar la cena y luego tener relaciones sexuales. No hay palabras para describir cuán patético es el investigador Carvalho. De acuerdo con lo que se le pidió, el investigador a su alrededor reúne a tantas personas que deberían hacer luz sobre el misterio de la muerte de Pedrell; sin embargo el flujo de diálogo que podría ser reportados no son relevantes a la historia y se narran a través de recuerdos. En ese contexto él es la perfección, mientras todas las otras personas a su lado son demasiado delgadas. Personas que en sus propias vidas no tienen ningún propósito.
Para concluir, se puede decir que el personaje del escritor rompe los esquemas del detective. Si la narración no era inherente solo a la literatura el comportamiento del 'investigador Carvalho' seguramente lo habría sacado de cualquier legítima fuerza policial: desde este punto de vista, uno podría considerar que la historia no tiene nada que ver con la equidad, pero es verdad que el mismo cuento no tiene nulo de erróneo. Es una prosa tan bien escrita que logra borrar el comportamiento incorrecto de Pepe Carvalho.
Montalbán siendo un poeta para la narración usó una hermosa prosa, directa y tensa. Pero se trata de una narrativa apreciada y conocida más por los críticos del detective Pepe Carvalho. También resaltado por el hecho que el primer capítulo prevalece sobre el anacronismo, luego con otra faceta la historia parece comenzar de nuevo pare seguir su curso: el escritor narra una historia inherente a finales de los años setenta, pero recuerda figuras femeninas que en cambio estarían en los años sesenta. Además el escritor en la vida privada es un buen gastrónomo. Y tuvo la idea de traer al texto algunas recetas de cocina: como se suele decir, Vázquez Montalbán quiso combinar la utilidad con lo delicioso. Tanto es que a lo largo de la historia el investigador Pepe Carvalho esta comida cocinada parece saborearla con placer.
La prosa de la novela puede fascinar también por una imaginación atribuida al título del libro: Los mares del sur. Dado que como tipo de título deja espacio para la imaginación, cuando la conexión del título del volumen es una transferencia de país a Polinesia: las ubicaciones en esas partes se llaman "mares del sur".
En los años setenta en España existía la opción de ir a vivir a Polinesia. Una transferencia de país y una forma de reconstruir una vida sin dejar rastro de sí mismo. Y eso es lo que intenta hacer el protagonista de la historia Pedrel. En cualquier caso la historia comienza a moverse aproximadamente después un año de la muerte de esta persona: el asesinato es el menor, el supuesto tratado es saber en qué tipo de negocio se ha metido esta persona. A continuación, para saber lo que sucedió, la rica viuda de Pedrell da instrucciones al detective Pepe Carvalho: de esta circunstancia el investigador aprovecha de la vulnerabilidad de la hija adolescente de Pedrell. A pesar que a su lado tiene una prostituta. Una antigua compañera de juegos. Ambas situaciones que el escritor Montalban no justifica en la historia; si bien en controversia, se supone que esa novela del detective Pepe Carvalho es una las más famosas y para el periódico español «El Mundo» ha sido incluida en la lista de las 100 novelas mejores.
La historia cuenta la década de los años setenta en España. Y lo hace en manera directa. Permitiendo al lector de retroceder a esa era. Según una declaración del mismo escritor catalán entre las páginas del libro se puede visitar la ciudad de Barcelona de hace más de medio siglo: desde allí conocer la construcción de unos barrio construido hace una década anterior; el activismo político de ese período; la mención del terrorismo de ETA; la nueva clase social media.
El personaje del escritor a pesar de ser la figura de un investigador es extravagante, por ejemplo: tiene sexo, juega con la erección de su pene que tal vez falla; broma con el uso de la cocaína; está interesado en preparar la cena y luego tener relaciones sexuales. No hay palabras para describir cuán patético es el investigador Carvalho. De acuerdo con lo que se le pidió, el investigador a su alrededor reúne a tantas personas que deberían hacer luz sobre el misterio de la muerte de Pedrell; sin embargo el flujo de diálogo que podría ser reportados no son relevantes a la historia y se narran a través de recuerdos. En ese contexto él es la perfección, mientras todas las otras personas a su lado son demasiado delgadas. Personas que en sus propias vidas no tienen ningún propósito.
Para concluir, se puede decir que el personaje del escritor rompe los esquemas del detective. Si la narración no era inherente solo a la literatura el comportamiento del 'investigador Carvalho' seguramente lo habría sacado de cualquier legítima fuerza policial: desde este punto de vista, uno podría considerar que la historia no tiene nada que ver con la equidad, pero es verdad que el mismo cuento no tiene nulo de erróneo. Es una prosa tan bien escrita que logra borrar el comportamiento incorrecto de Pepe Carvalho.
November 8, 2019
„Amikor betöltöttem a negyvenediket, leltárt csináltam. Kifizettem az adósságaimat és eltemettem a halottaimat. Kifizettem a házat, eltemettem, akit kellett. Fogalmad sincs róla, milyen halálosan fáradt vagyok. Nincs se kedvem, se időm újabb adósságokba keveredni. Én magam leszek az utolsó halott, egye fene, annak a temetésnek a cehjét* még vállalom.” (Pepe Carvalho, a spanyol Philip Marlowe)
Ha valakinek az volt az elmélete, hogy a skandináv nyomozók alkoholizmusa a D-vitamin hiánya miatt alakult ki, ami a kevés napsütéses óra következménye, az álljon elő új hipotézissel, mert a spanyol szimatok is isznak, mint a gödény. Pepe Carvalho, a privát kopó szakadék szélén tántorgó májával együtt Barcelona utcáit rója, piszokul bánik a nőkkel (mert kéreg nőtt a lelkére szegénynek), és bár az elcseppentett információkból úgy fest, eltöltött némi időt Franco börtönében (sőt: emigrálni kényszerült), ha a pohár fenekére néz, felhabzik belőle a nosztalgikus érzés az időszak után, amikor minden egyszerűbbnek tűnt. Ahogy Poirotnak a bajusz meg a tojásfej, Holmesnak pedig a hegedű és az ópium a védjegye, úgy Pepének is két attribútum jutott. Az egyik, hogy imádja a spanyol konyhát, vagy ahogy ő mondaná: „haspárti patrióta”, ennek örvén pedig a világegyetem legjobb paellájának receptjét is megismerhetjük. A másik, hogy kizárólag minőségi szépirodalommal (esetleg filozófiával) hajlandó begyújtani a kandallójába – ez valami égbekiáltó trauma eredménye lehet, amiről túl sokat nem tudunk meg. (Gyerekkorában kollektíve elfenekelte az Élet és Irodalom szerkesztősége? Vagy lehúzta a könyvét a Merítés-díj zsűrije? Fogalmam sincs. Nem emlékszem ilyen nevű szerzőre.) Ő az, aki (ahogy az a „Hogyan írjunk klasszikus noirt?” c. kézikönyvben meg van írva) kap egy visszautasíthatatlan ajánlatot a gazdagoktól és szépektől, így aztán egyre mélyebbre merül Katalónia bűzös bugyraiba. Az biztos, hogy akik a csihi-puhit, meg a nagy fordulatokban bővelkedő nyomozati munkát szeretik, nem fognak elájulni Montalbán stílusától – a szerző azok közé tartozik, akik a krimit csak díszletnek használják, a nyomozó pedig tulajdonképpen két lábon járó kamera, akin keresztül bemutatják nekünk a Franco utáni, lassan és kelletlenül demokratizálódó Spanyolhon társadalmának árnyékos oldalait. Ugyanakkor ha kedveljük az erős történelmi-társadalmi áthallásokat, és kíváncsiak vagyunk a padlizsános garnéla (vagy garnélás padlizsán, mittomén) elkészítésének mikéntjére, nem mellesleg pedig bírjuk Pepe Carvalho szikrázóan fanyar humorát, akkor bírni fogjuk ezt a könyvet is. Jó anyag.
* (sic!)
Ha valakinek az volt az elmélete, hogy a skandináv nyomozók alkoholizmusa a D-vitamin hiánya miatt alakult ki, ami a kevés napsütéses óra következménye, az álljon elő új hipotézissel, mert a spanyol szimatok is isznak, mint a gödény. Pepe Carvalho, a privát kopó szakadék szélén tántorgó májával együtt Barcelona utcáit rója, piszokul bánik a nőkkel (mert kéreg nőtt a lelkére szegénynek), és bár az elcseppentett információkból úgy fest, eltöltött némi időt Franco börtönében (sőt: emigrálni kényszerült), ha a pohár fenekére néz, felhabzik belőle a nosztalgikus érzés az időszak után, amikor minden egyszerűbbnek tűnt. Ahogy Poirotnak a bajusz meg a tojásfej, Holmesnak pedig a hegedű és az ópium a védjegye, úgy Pepének is két attribútum jutott. Az egyik, hogy imádja a spanyol konyhát, vagy ahogy ő mondaná: „haspárti patrióta”, ennek örvén pedig a világegyetem legjobb paellájának receptjét is megismerhetjük. A másik, hogy kizárólag minőségi szépirodalommal (esetleg filozófiával) hajlandó begyújtani a kandallójába – ez valami égbekiáltó trauma eredménye lehet, amiről túl sokat nem tudunk meg. (Gyerekkorában kollektíve elfenekelte az Élet és Irodalom szerkesztősége? Vagy lehúzta a könyvét a Merítés-díj zsűrije? Fogalmam sincs. Nem emlékszem ilyen nevű szerzőre.) Ő az, aki (ahogy az a „Hogyan írjunk klasszikus noirt?” c. kézikönyvben meg van írva) kap egy visszautasíthatatlan ajánlatot a gazdagoktól és szépektől, így aztán egyre mélyebbre merül Katalónia bűzös bugyraiba. Az biztos, hogy akik a csihi-puhit, meg a nagy fordulatokban bővelkedő nyomozati munkát szeretik, nem fognak elájulni Montalbán stílusától – a szerző azok közé tartozik, akik a krimit csak díszletnek használják, a nyomozó pedig tulajdonképpen két lábon járó kamera, akin keresztül bemutatják nekünk a Franco utáni, lassan és kelletlenül demokratizálódó Spanyolhon társadalmának árnyékos oldalait. Ugyanakkor ha kedveljük az erős történelmi-társadalmi áthallásokat, és kíváncsiak vagyunk a padlizsános garnéla (vagy garnélás padlizsán, mittomén) elkészítésének mikéntjére, nem mellesleg pedig bírjuk Pepe Carvalho szikrázóan fanyar humorát, akkor bírni fogjuk ezt a könyvet is. Jó anyag.
* (sic!)
August 17, 2023
Tengo el recuerdo de mi infancia viendo a Pepe Carvallo encendiendo la chimenea con un libro y acompañado de una mujer desnuda. Supongo que sería una serie de televisión.
La novela está bien, entretenida. Es interesante ver el contexto histórico de la transición española. Pero los diálogos son poco creíbles. La segunda parte mucho mejor que la primera.
La novela está bien, entretenida. Es interesante ver el contexto histórico de la transición española. Pero los diálogos son poco creíbles. La segunda parte mucho mejor que la primera.
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October 21, 2021Dos lecturas y muchas capas.
Historia políciaca simple, fácil y entretenida.
Intertexto profundo y culto que ata con un lazo la novela y hace una radiografía de las cuestiones socio políticas de interés.
Historia políciaca simple, fácil y entretenida.
Intertexto profundo y culto que ata con un lazo la novela y hace una radiografía de las cuestiones socio políticas de interés.
November 14, 2017
Odd book. At times, hilarious. Couldn't entirely connect with it and was never super involved in the mystery. Carvalho is sort of despicable but also great, in a terrible way.
September 22, 2022
Con la lectura de Los mares del Sur de Manuel Vázquez Montalbán me sumergí por primera vez en el mundo del detective Pepe Carvalho y, por supuesto, repetiré el chapuzón. Esta es quizá la novela más conocida del detective y tiene una adaptación cinematográfica que no he visto. También he leído por ahí que es la más popular y no me extraña.
Empieza de manera bien simple: Barcelona 1979. Encuentran el cadáver de un empresario en un descampado de las afueras de la ciudad. Sin embargo, esto no es lo extraño o sí (pero no en una novela negra). Lo extraño es que hacía un año que había desaparecido. Nadie que lo conociese, mujer, hijos, socios, amigos, sabía donde se había metido. La viuda le encomienda la tarea a Carvalho de averiguar dónde estuvo y quién ha acabado con él.
Esta premisa desencadena lo que será una novela cojonuda. No hay malos superhéroes, superlistos, supertodo. No, tenemos una historia sencilla llena de personajes interesantes, bien dibujados. Tenemos una trama que no se puede desligar de su tiempo o lugar, de su realidad sociocultural y del pensamiento del propio Carvalho. Me parece magistral lo que Vázquez Montalbán hizo aquí: hablar tan poco de tanto y tan bien. Imprescindible.
El único lastre a mí modo de ver es que ganó el Planeta. Lo único explicable es que en aquella época el premio Planeta sí premiaba la literatura. Tenía credibilidad...
Empieza de manera bien simple: Barcelona 1979. Encuentran el cadáver de un empresario en un descampado de las afueras de la ciudad. Sin embargo, esto no es lo extraño o sí (pero no en una novela negra). Lo extraño es que hacía un año que había desaparecido. Nadie que lo conociese, mujer, hijos, socios, amigos, sabía donde se había metido. La viuda le encomienda la tarea a Carvalho de averiguar dónde estuvo y quién ha acabado con él.
Esta premisa desencadena lo que será una novela cojonuda. No hay malos superhéroes, superlistos, supertodo. No, tenemos una historia sencilla llena de personajes interesantes, bien dibujados. Tenemos una trama que no se puede desligar de su tiempo o lugar, de su realidad sociocultural y del pensamiento del propio Carvalho. Me parece magistral lo que Vázquez Montalbán hizo aquí: hablar tan poco de tanto y tan bien. Imprescindible.
El único lastre a mí modo de ver es que ganó el Planeta. Lo único explicable es que en aquella época el premio Planeta sí premiaba la literatura. Tenía credibilidad...
January 11, 2018
La narrazione attinge al periodo che sussegue la morte di Francisco Franco. Si muove nella città di Barcellona e intorno al mistero del decesso di un uomo di 50 anni. Un certo Stuart Pedrell: un uomo d'affari sporchi e ricco. Mentre il protagonista che in un secondo momento si farà carico del racconto è sempre il solito Pepe Carvalho, personaggio di fantasia dell’autore Montalban. Quindi come tipo di lettura spaziando fra il genere detective privato, o investigazione di polizia ha un contesto individuale che al lettore potrà piacere o meno.
Montalban essendo un poeta per la narrazione usò una bella prosa, diretta e tesa: almeno è quello che passa agli occhi del lettore. Detto ciò, con alquanta certezza, la narrazione è apprezzata e conosciuta maggiormente per parte dei critici del detective Pepe Carvalho. Evidenziato pure dalla circostanza che la lettura del primo capitolo prevale sull’anacronismo, dopodichè con un’altra sfaccettatura il racconto pare iniziare nuovamente per seguire il proprio corso: lo scrittore narra una storia inerente alla fine degli anni settanta ma richiama figure femminili che invece apparterrebbero agli anni sessanta. Inoltre lo scrittore nella vita privata è un buon gastronomo. Ed ebbe l’idea di riportare al testo alcune ricette di cucina: come si suole dire, Vázquez Montalbán ha voluto unire l’utile al dilettevole. Tanto è che lungo il racconto l’investigatore Pepe Carvalho questo cibo cucinato sembra degustarlo con piacere.
La prosa del romanzo potrebbe affascinare anche per la fantasia attribuita al titolo del libro: Los mares del sur. Poiché come tipo di titolo lascia spazio a l’immaginazione, quando invece il nesso del titolo del volume è un trasferimento di paese in Polinesia: le località di quelle parti vengono chiamate come “i mari meridionali”.
Negli anni settanta in Spagna c’era l'opzione di andare a vivere in Polinesia. Un trasferimento di paese e un modo come un’altro per rifarsi una vita senza lasciare traccia di sé. Ed è quello che è intenzionato a fare il protagonista del racconto Pedrell. In ogni modo la storia inizia a muoversi dopo circa un anno dalla morte di questa persona: l’assassinio è il meno, l’assunto trattato è quello di sapere in che tipo di affari si era messo questa persona. A seguito per scoprire cosa è successo la ricca vedova di Pedrell incarica a l’investigatore Pepe Carvalho: di codesta circostanza l’investigatore approfitta della vulnerabilità della figlia adolescente di Pedrell, nonostante che al suo fianco tiene una prostituta. Una compagna di gioco di vecchia data. Entrambe situazioni che lo scrittore Montalban non giustifica nella storia; benché la controversia, si suppone che la novella del detective Pepe Carvalho è una delle più famose e per il giornale spagnolo «El Mundo» è stata inclusa nella lista delle 100 migliori novelle spagnole del XXI secolo.
La novella racconta il decennio degli anni settanta in Spagna. E lo fa in maniera diretta. Così permettendo al lettore di retrocedere a quella epoca. Secondo un’affermazione del medesimo scrittore catalano fra le pagine del libro si può visitare la città di Barcellona di circa mezzo secolo fa: da lì conoscere l’edificazione di alcun quartiere costruito alcun decennio prima; l’attivismo politico di quel periodo; la menzione del terrorismo ETA; la nuova classe sociale media.
Il personaggio dello scrittore nonostante sia annesso alla figura di un investigatore è stravagante, per esempio: fa sesso, gioca sul fatto dell’erezione del pene che tal volta manca; burla con l'uso della cocaina; è interessato a preparare la cena, per poi far sesso. Non ci sono parole per descrivere quanto è patetico l‘investigatore Carvalho. In base a quello che gli venne chiesto l’investigatore intorno a sé riunisce tante persone che dovrebbero far luce sul mistero della morte di Pedrell: tuttavia quel flusso di dialoghi che potevano essere riportati non sono pertinenti alla storia e vengono narrati a mo’ di ricordi. Di quel contesto lui è la perfezione, mentre tutte le altre persone al suo fianco sono poco furbe. Gente che nella vita propria non ha alcun scopo.
Per concludere si potrebbe dire che il personaggio dello scrittore rompe gli schemi del detective. Al caso, se la narrazione non fosse stata inerente alla sola letteratura, il comportamento dell’investigatore Carvalho sicuramente lo avrebbe fatto escludere da qualsiasi legittima forza di polizia: da questo punto di vista si potrebbe considerare che la storia non ha nulla di equo, ma è vero pure che lo stesso racconto non ha niente di erroneo. Ed è una prosa scritta bene che riesce a sdoganare il comportamento incorretto di Pepe Carvalho.
Montalban essendo un poeta per la narrazione usò una bella prosa, diretta e tesa: almeno è quello che passa agli occhi del lettore. Detto ciò, con alquanta certezza, la narrazione è apprezzata e conosciuta maggiormente per parte dei critici del detective Pepe Carvalho. Evidenziato pure dalla circostanza che la lettura del primo capitolo prevale sull’anacronismo, dopodichè con un’altra sfaccettatura il racconto pare iniziare nuovamente per seguire il proprio corso: lo scrittore narra una storia inerente alla fine degli anni settanta ma richiama figure femminili che invece apparterrebbero agli anni sessanta. Inoltre lo scrittore nella vita privata è un buon gastronomo. Ed ebbe l’idea di riportare al testo alcune ricette di cucina: come si suole dire, Vázquez Montalbán ha voluto unire l’utile al dilettevole. Tanto è che lungo il racconto l’investigatore Pepe Carvalho questo cibo cucinato sembra degustarlo con piacere.
La prosa del romanzo potrebbe affascinare anche per la fantasia attribuita al titolo del libro: Los mares del sur. Poiché come tipo di titolo lascia spazio a l’immaginazione, quando invece il nesso del titolo del volume è un trasferimento di paese in Polinesia: le località di quelle parti vengono chiamate come “i mari meridionali”.
Negli anni settanta in Spagna c’era l'opzione di andare a vivere in Polinesia. Un trasferimento di paese e un modo come un’altro per rifarsi una vita senza lasciare traccia di sé. Ed è quello che è intenzionato a fare il protagonista del racconto Pedrell. In ogni modo la storia inizia a muoversi dopo circa un anno dalla morte di questa persona: l’assassinio è il meno, l’assunto trattato è quello di sapere in che tipo di affari si era messo questa persona. A seguito per scoprire cosa è successo la ricca vedova di Pedrell incarica a l’investigatore Pepe Carvalho: di codesta circostanza l’investigatore approfitta della vulnerabilità della figlia adolescente di Pedrell, nonostante che al suo fianco tiene una prostituta. Una compagna di gioco di vecchia data. Entrambe situazioni che lo scrittore Montalban non giustifica nella storia; benché la controversia, si suppone che la novella del detective Pepe Carvalho è una delle più famose e per il giornale spagnolo «El Mundo» è stata inclusa nella lista delle 100 migliori novelle spagnole del XXI secolo.
La novella racconta il decennio degli anni settanta in Spagna. E lo fa in maniera diretta. Così permettendo al lettore di retrocedere a quella epoca. Secondo un’affermazione del medesimo scrittore catalano fra le pagine del libro si può visitare la città di Barcellona di circa mezzo secolo fa: da lì conoscere l’edificazione di alcun quartiere costruito alcun decennio prima; l’attivismo politico di quel periodo; la menzione del terrorismo ETA; la nuova classe sociale media.
Il personaggio dello scrittore nonostante sia annesso alla figura di un investigatore è stravagante, per esempio: fa sesso, gioca sul fatto dell’erezione del pene che tal volta manca; burla con l'uso della cocaina; è interessato a preparare la cena, per poi far sesso. Non ci sono parole per descrivere quanto è patetico l‘investigatore Carvalho. In base a quello che gli venne chiesto l’investigatore intorno a sé riunisce tante persone che dovrebbero far luce sul mistero della morte di Pedrell: tuttavia quel flusso di dialoghi che potevano essere riportati non sono pertinenti alla storia e vengono narrati a mo’ di ricordi. Di quel contesto lui è la perfezione, mentre tutte le altre persone al suo fianco sono poco furbe. Gente che nella vita propria non ha alcun scopo.
Per concludere si potrebbe dire che il personaggio dello scrittore rompe gli schemi del detective. Al caso, se la narrazione non fosse stata inerente alla sola letteratura, il comportamento dell’investigatore Carvalho sicuramente lo avrebbe fatto escludere da qualsiasi legittima forza di polizia: da questo punto di vista si potrebbe considerare che la storia non ha nulla di equo, ma è vero pure che lo stesso racconto non ha niente di erroneo. Ed è una prosa scritta bene che riesce a sdoganare il comportamento incorretto di Pepe Carvalho.
April 5, 2025
Esta quizá pueda ser la novela más famosa de Pepe Carvalho, que ganó el Planeta. En esta ocasión el detective investiga la muerte de un industrial rico e intelectual (de izquierdas, claro) que aparece muerto en un descampado. La viuda quiere saber qué fue de él durante el último año de vida, en el que anunció que dejaba todo para irse a "los mares del sur", a la Polinesia, como un Gaugin moderno.
La única pista son unos versos, y a partir de ellos Vázquez Montalbán nos muestra en un capítulo extraordinario sus erudición poética, a través de un profesor de literatura. Se profundiza en los temas que atraviesan las muy bien escritas novelas de Vázquez Montalbán: un estilo impecable, una constante opinión social con visión del mundo entre malvados capitalistas y trabajadores en lucha obrera, una Barcelona preolímpica llena de charnegos, macarras y pijos, de barrios periféricos, nueva burguesía, la amenaza simpática de ETA y el activismo político; su pasión irrefrenable por la buena comida, esa maravillosa costumbre de quemar libros para alimentar la chimenea y un tono general de desengaño y cinismo.
La única pista son unos versos, y a partir de ellos Vázquez Montalbán nos muestra en un capítulo extraordinario sus erudición poética, a través de un profesor de literatura. Se profundiza en los temas que atraviesan las muy bien escritas novelas de Vázquez Montalbán: un estilo impecable, una constante opinión social con visión del mundo entre malvados capitalistas y trabajadores en lucha obrera, una Barcelona preolímpica llena de charnegos, macarras y pijos, de barrios periféricos, nueva burguesía, la amenaza simpática de ETA y el activismo político; su pasión irrefrenable por la buena comida, esa maravillosa costumbre de quemar libros para alimentar la chimenea y un tono general de desengaño y cinismo.
March 23, 2017
OK, first thing--rip out the last two pages. They contain gratuitous violence against the reader's sensibilities. Now, let's talk about the rest.
Detective Carvalho solves crimes through dialog. He talks his way through the plot. Also, he eats and talks about eating, gourmet eating with cooking instructions. With his Charo, Biscuter, and a walkoff young lady (This is macho Spain). All written over a brew of socialist democratic history just after Franco. Montalban roasts the rich and but gives the poor a hard time, too.
My kind of book.
Detective Carvalho solves crimes through dialog. He talks his way through the plot. Also, he eats and talks about eating, gourmet eating with cooking instructions. With his Charo, Biscuter, and a walkoff young lady (This is macho Spain). All written over a brew of socialist democratic history just after Franco. Montalban roasts the rich and but gives the poor a hard time, too.
My kind of book.
June 19, 2016
Θα συμφωνήσω μ' αυτό: Πέρα από την αστυνομική πλοκή, η οποία διανθίζεται από συνταγές μαγειρικής, καθώς και αναφορές σε βιβλία, συγγραφείς και ποιητές, το βιβλίο θίγει μια ποικιλία θεμάτων συνδέοντας την Ιστορία με την κοινωνική πραγματικότητα, αναδεικνύοντας έτσι την ευρύτητα της αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας.
May 22, 2021
Qué final tan jodidamente innecesario.
August 2, 2020
Ο Μονταλμπάν δεν γράφει αστυνομικό μυθιστόρημα, αλλά μέσω αυτού βρίσκει ευκαιρία να καταπιαστεί με πολλά κοινωνικά και πολιτικά ζητήματα ακτινογραφώντας μια ολόκληρη εποχή (εδώ τα χρόνια μετά τον θάνατο του Φράνκο). Είναι τολμηρός, σχεδόν πιο τολμηρός από σύγχρονους συγγραφείς - οι Θάλασσες του Νότου εκδόθηκαν το 1979).
ολόκληρο το κείμενο του σχολιασμού στο https://bookerys.blogspot.com/2020/07...
ολόκληρο το κείμενο του σχολιασμού στο https://bookerys.blogspot.com/2020/07...
November 28, 2022
3.5 stars. A crime fiction, character based novel where private detective Pepe Carvalho is commissioned to investigate the death of Carlos Stuart Pedrell, a wealthy businessman, who is found stabbed to death in a Barcelona suburb.
Carvalho’s investigation finds him interviewing characters in Barcelona’s bourgeoisie world and also proletarian immigrants. Carvalho’s investigation leads him to the town of San Magin, a town built by one of Pedrell’s companies.
Carvalho is an interesting character, overweight, excessive alcohol drinker, cuisine food enthusiast, who has had an eight year relationship with a prostitute.
This book was first published in 1979.
Carvalho’s investigation finds him interviewing characters in Barcelona’s bourgeoisie world and also proletarian immigrants. Carvalho’s investigation leads him to the town of San Magin, a town built by one of Pedrell’s companies.
Carvalho is an interesting character, overweight, excessive alcohol drinker, cuisine food enthusiast, who has had an eight year relationship with a prostitute.
This book was first published in 1979.
July 6, 2016
I came to live in Catalonia fifteen years ago. Even before I came, I started to learn the language, history, and culture. And when I arrived I made it my business to watch the news, especially the stories at the end that told me about who the writers, actors, artists, singers, and other cultural figures were.
Manuel Vasquez Montalban was a highly regarded and apparently much loved journalist and writer of noir detective novels. And it wasn't just the Catalans who thought highly of him. Andrea Camilleri thought so highly of Vasquez Montalban that he named his detective after him.
Why this is, I don't know. When I first came here, I read one of his books. At the time I was a member of an online bookgroup and one of the phrases thrown around there when talking about a book one didn't like was to throw it against the wall. I went one step further. The Montalban I was reading annoyed me so much that I threw it out the window.
This one was no better. I read it all the way through because I hoped to find the good that everyone else saw. But I didn't find it. I found a lot of vulgarity, coarse language, half baked social theory, half baked philosophy (instead of plot or character development) and cardboard characters. Evidently the plot never did grab me, nor did the people. I didn't even enjoy being taken around Barcelona, a city I love. Either he made up place names or those names went out when the Catalan language came back in, but there were few places I could identify. But the topping on the cake was the gratuitous and disgusting piece of violence at the very end. I almost threw up. One of the idiot themes throughout the book was Carvalho (our hero) burning his books, one by one, to light his fire. I don't burn books -- not even books this bad. But I don't keep or recommend them either.
Manuel Vasquez Montalban was a highly regarded and apparently much loved journalist and writer of noir detective novels. And it wasn't just the Catalans who thought highly of him. Andrea Camilleri thought so highly of Vasquez Montalban that he named his detective after him.
Why this is, I don't know. When I first came here, I read one of his books. At the time I was a member of an online bookgroup and one of the phrases thrown around there when talking about a book one didn't like was to throw it against the wall. I went one step further. The Montalban I was reading annoyed me so much that I threw it out the window.
This one was no better. I read it all the way through because I hoped to find the good that everyone else saw. But I didn't find it. I found a lot of vulgarity, coarse language, half baked social theory, half baked philosophy (instead of plot or character development) and cardboard characters. Evidently the plot never did grab me, nor did the people. I didn't even enjoy being taken around Barcelona, a city I love. Either he made up place names or those names went out when the Catalan language came back in, but there were few places I could identify. But the topping on the cake was the gratuitous and disgusting piece of violence at the very end. I almost threw up. One of the idiot themes throughout the book was Carvalho (our hero) burning his books, one by one, to light his fire. I don't burn books -- not even books this bad. But I don't keep or recommend them either.
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