The Brave Bulls (Southwestern Writers Collection Series) [Paperback]

Tom Lea (Author), John Graves (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2002 | Series: Southwestern Writers Collection Series

One of Texas's true renaissance men, Tom Lea (1907-2001) was already a noted artist, muralist, and book illustrator when he published his first novel, The Brave Bulls, in 1949. This suspenseful story of bullfighting in Mexico, elegantly illustrated by the author, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was hailed by Time magazine as the best first novel of the year. It also won the Carr P. Collins Award from the Texas Institute of Letters, went through numerous reprints and translations, and became a 1951 movie starring Mel Ferrer and Anthony Quinn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is bullfighting from the inside, the way it looks to the people who make it a profession, and not even Ernest Hemingway at his best has ever done a better job of getting the whole thing on paper. (New York Times Book Review )

Review

The Brave Bulls has long been considered a classic of Southwestern literature. The writing is intensely visual and precise, the narrative stirring, and the characters both quirky and engaging. . . . Tom Lea writes with a painter's eye and a deep affection for Mexican culture. (James Magnuson, Director, James A. Michener Center for Writers, University of Texas at Austin )

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (May 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292747330
• ISBN-13: 978-0292747333
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,255,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reading It Took My Life To Another Moment In Time, June 13, 2004

By 

"daddysgirlproductions" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brave Bulls (Southwestern Writers Collection Series) (Paperback)

A page turning novel that was delightfully filled with love, gore, deceit, disappointment, and honor. I fell in love with the story, the countryside, the matadors, and the life of all those who watched, who veered, who cried, who cheered, and for the men - their friends and families - as each stood facing into the mirrored eyes of their destiny. You must pick it up and read it for yourself if you're a thrill-seeker!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mexican bulfighting from the inside, October 16, 2005

By 

John V. Crocker - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Brave Bulls (Southwestern Writers Collection Series) (Paperback)

I first read Tom Lea's The Brave Bulls in a Penguin edition in the middle 1950s and was captivated by its description of the life of an itinerant pair of Mexican bullfighter brothers as they travel and work around the bullrings of Mexico in the late 1930s or 40s. The description of the ritual and significance of the bullfight and the contrast between the poetic ideal and the gritty reality is very strong, but it gives the gringo reader an idea of the appeal of this rather one-sided sport. I bought a recent copy through Amazon to give to my son who had just seen a bullfight in Madrid and wanted to know more about the subject. Highly recommended, though maybe a period piece by now.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Informative and enjoyable, February 24, 2003

By 

Asa Beach (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Brave Bulls (Hardcover)

It has been some time since I read this book. It was mostly about the raising of this special breed of bull, how they are selected and what they are exposed to. The ranches who raise them take great pride in their finished product. If my memory serves me correctly, I read the book after seeing the movie, The Sun Also Rises. If you like bullfighting and all aspects of it, you will like this book.