Pepe Carvalho
Encyclopedia
Pepe Carvalho is a fictional private detective
, the protagonist of a series of novel
s written by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
.
is being described in Asesinato en el Comité Central (Murder in the Central Committee); the fall of Felipism
in the nineties is the background of El Premio (The Prize); and the changes which took place in Barcelona
on the occasion of the Olympic Games
in 1992 feature in Sabotaje Olímpico (An Olympic Death).
The Carvalho saga came to an end with the posthumous publication of Milenio Carvalho (Carvalho Millennium), in which the detective, accompanied by his inseparable partner Biscuter, imposes on himself one last adventure in the form of a world-trip that ends up being a bitter and melancholic glance at the sociopolitical situation in the world and the passing of time.
series starring Eusebio Poncela
appeared in 1986, followed by an Argentinian-Spanish co-production with Juan Diego
that was cancelled after the first episode; and finally, a ten-part Italian-Spanish co-production starring Juanjo Puigcorbé
in 1999.
Carvalho novels have been adapted to film on four occasions:
Private investigator
A private investigator , private detective or inquiry agent, is a person who can be hired by individuals or groups to undertake investigatory law services. Private detectives/investigators often work for attorneys in civil cases. Many work for insurance companies to investigate suspicious claims...
, the protagonist of a series of novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s written by Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
Manuel Vázquez Montalbán
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....
.
The character
Carvalho has a rich, complex and contradictory personality. The author uses his adventures to describe, and in many instances criticize, the political and cultural situation of Spanish society during the last half of the 20th century. For example, the self-destructive process of the Communist Party during the early period of the transitionSpanish transition to democracy
The Spanish transition to democracy was the era when Spain moved from the dictatorship of Francisco Franco to a liberal democratic state. The transition is usually said to have begun with Franco’s death on 20 November 1975, while its completion has been variously said to be marked by the Spanish...
is being described in Asesinato en el Comité Central (Murder in the Central Committee); the fall of Felipism
Felipe González
Felipe González Márquez is a Spanish socialist politician. He was the General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party from 1974 to 1997. To date, he remains the longest-serving Prime Minister of Spain, after having served four successive mandates from 1982 to 1996.-Early life:Felipe was...
in the nineties is the background of El Premio (The Prize); and the changes which took place in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
on the occasion of the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in 1992 feature in Sabotaje Olímpico (An Olympic Death).
The Carvalho saga came to an end with the posthumous publication of Milenio Carvalho (Carvalho Millennium), in which the detective, accompanied by his inseparable partner Biscuter, imposes on himself one last adventure in the form of a world-trip that ends up being a bitter and melancholic glance at the sociopolitical situation in the world and the passing of time.
Curiosities
- Carvalho was a communist in his youth, but also a CIA agent.
- The gastronomic passion of Carvalho and Biscuter reflects that of the author, so every novel includes passionate culinary descriptions of the most diverse dishes.
- Though Carvalho is a man of vast culture, a shocking feature of his personality is his frequent use of books from his extensive library as firewood.
- Though he is of Galician origin, BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
is his city. Although Carvalho is a great traveller and many of his adventures take place in other locations, the importance of the character has given to the CatalanCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
capital that mythical literary city air that Carvalho so much loves in other cities, such as the SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
of William Somerset Maugham.
Screen adaptations
Various novels starring Carvalho have been adapted for television, although none of the TV adaptations were as successful as the books. An eight-part TVETelevisión Española
Televisión Española is the national state-owned public-service television broadcaster in Spain. TVE's activities were previously financed by a combination of advertising revenue and subsidies from the national government, but since it's been supported by subsidies only.TVE belongs to the RTVE...
series starring Eusebio Poncela
Eusebio Poncela
Eusebio Poncela is a Spanish actor.His debut on stage was with the Federico Garcia Lorca play Mariana Pineda....
appeared in 1986, followed by an Argentinian-Spanish co-production with Juan Diego
Juan Diego (actor)
Juan Diego , full name Juan Diego Ruíz Montero is a Spanish actor who has appeared on stage, in television and film productions since 1957...
that was cancelled after the first episode; and finally, a ten-part Italian-Spanish co-production starring Juanjo Puigcorbé
Juanjo Puigcorbé
Juanjo Puigcorbé is a Spanish actor. He has appeared in over 100 films and television shows since 1977. He starred in the 1993 film The Window Over the Way, which was entered into the 44th Berlin International Film Festival....
in 1999.
Carvalho novels have been adapted to film on four occasions:
- Tatuaje (Tattoo, 1976), by Bigas LunaBigas LunaJuan José Bigas Luna is a Spanish film director. He began his professional career in the design world, creating the Estudio Gris with Carlos Riart in 1969. In his earlier exhibitions, at the beginning of the sixties, he showed a great interest in conceptual art and the emerging visual technologies...
, starring Carlos Esteban. - Asesinato en el Comité Central (Murder in the Central Committee, 1983), by Vicente ArandaVicente ArandaVicente Aranda , is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer.Due to his refined and personal style, he is one of the most renowned Spanish filmmakers. He started as a founded member of the Barcelona School of Film and became known for bringing contemporary Spanish novels to life on the...
, starring Patxi AndiónPatxi AndiónPatxi Andión is a Spaniard best known as a singer-songwriter and musician, although he has a substantial body of acting work.-Films:...
in the role of the detective. - El laberinto griego (The Greek labyrinth, 1990), by Rafael Alcázar, starring Omero AntonuttiOmero AntonuttiOmero Antonutti, is an Italian actor and dubber, appearing regularly in films and theatre performances. He was born at Basiliano, Friuli.His most notable performance to date was in the Taviani brothers' acclaimed film Padre Padrone...
(in a character who changed the name Carvalho for Bardón). - Los mares del sur (The Southern Seas, 1991), by Manuel Esteban, with Juan Luis Galiardo in the role of Carvalho.