Offside

by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán

Paperback

Published January 1, 1996

About the author

Manuel 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.

Reviews

[Stephen Jerrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lead character is almost stereotypical these days with the disgruntled private eye with issues who smokes and drinks too much, is not afraid to bend the law if required and lives with a prostitute.
Story of corruption and property speculation linked with Barcelona football club. I don’t think this is too far from the truth and clearly the author being a lifelong Barcelona resident knows all the insight tracks.
Recommended read but also worth checking his other books which I think are generally more gritty and powerful.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lead to this book after hearing somewhere that the Inspector Montalbano Italian mystery series by Andrea Camilleri were named for Vazquez Montalban. It seems to be like Cuban mystery writer Leon Padura and Nicaraguan mystery writer Sergio Ramirez books. Their detectives are all melancholy men making their virtuous way in corrupt underbellies of their societies supported by a cadre of long time friends.Very light on the mystery but heavy on life philosophy observation and commentary on intricacies of how each society functions after revolution and dictatorial rule. Are these symptoms of the past where writing commentary was under strict censorship? Perhaps cloaking commentary within a mystery made it more palatable to censors? This translation is very literary, so the translator himself must be a very good writer. However I found the names of detective Carvhalo's pals weird e.g. Bromide and Biscuter. I guess the translator was British you know Biscuit vs Cookie, um, I think Cookie would have been more appropriate name. And Bromide? Maybe Pelmazo would work better (bore, jerk, nuisance, bromide per Google translate).