While attracted to Hemingway's approach, McCormick knew that he was being seduced by elements that had little to do with toreo. To try to right Hemingway's distortions, he named the first edition of this book The Complete Aficionado, but then realized that the volume was directed at a wider readership. Bullfighting is written from the point of view of the torero, as opposed to the usual spectator's impressions and enthusiasm. With the help of a retired matador de toros, Mario Sevilla Mascareas, who taught McCormick the rudiments of toreo as well as the emotions and discipline essential to survival, the author rescues toreo from romantic clichs. He probes the anatomy of the matador's training and technique, provides a past-and-present survey of the traditions of the corrida, and furnishes dramatic portraits of such famous figures as Manolete, Joselito, Belmonte, and Ordez. Here is an informed analysis and critique of the origins and myths of toreo and a survey of the literature it has inspired. Defending the faith in a lively as well as clear and discerning manner, this volume provides a committed and vivid approach to the rich history, ritual, and symbolism of the bullfight. This edition includes a new introduction by the author.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"...anyone who is the least bit curious about bullfighting should read this informative book..."--Arts and Letters
"English is an expressive language, yet the word bullfighting fails to convey what is represented by toreo-which has to do with aristocratic bulls, brave men, the antiquity of Spain's national fiesta, the conflicting passions of the Spanish people over toreo, and their disposition toward a tragic perception of life, among other things. This latter quality is essential to McCormick's basic premise: that toreo is not sport, but art, even though every torero is not an artist, nor capable of being one. You do not see the high art of toreo every Sunday in the bullring, but when you do, you never forget it."
---Richard O'Mara, Sewanee Review
About the Author
John McCormick (1918-2010) taught American Studies at the Free University, Berlin, and later went on to become distinguished professor of comparative literature at Rutgers University. He is the author of numerous works, including Bullfighting, American and European Literary Imagination, Catastrophe and Imagination, and Fiction as Knowledge.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Snobish,
By
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This review is from: Bullfighting: Art, Technique, and Spanish Society (Paperback)
There are two major flaws that make this book at times unreadable, and at times unbearable. The first problem is a conscious decision by the author not to include a glossary of terms in the back. The word is defined only once, "From that point on, we use that phrase in Spanish in a missionary effort to encourage the non-Spanish speaker to associate the word with the concept." In other words, the author is going to make the reader learn Spanish bullfight terms. But oh so many terms, every possible term ever that ever applied to the bullfight, a staggering number of terms. The first 180 pages is a minefield of Spanish terms. What is so maddening, is that if you find a term on page 60 that hasn't been used since page 20, you look up the term in the index, find it is referenced to page 20, turn to page 20, and maybe it is defined in the footnote, or maybe you have to reread the entire page to find the definition, or maybe you find that, as I did several times, that although page 20 is the first use of the term, it is not defined anywhere. The author is not so much trying to teach as he is trying to show off, and the author's ego is the real theme of this book. That covers the first 180 pages; the last 90 pages are worse, because of the second major flaw in the book: The author's snobish and elitsit attitude that no one can enjoy a bullfigt unless they know as much as he does, and anyone enjoying a bullfight who does not know as much is a simple peon or one of the easily duped masses; furthermore just about everybody who ever wrote anything about bullfighting was wrong. McCormick tries to list every book and author and what was wrong and how it could have been better if they had only known as much as McCormick. If you notice the book review section above, the name Hemingway is mentioned is mentioned 4 times. That is because McCormick has an obsession to prove that Hemingway's work about bullfighting was not really that good after all. It is apparent that McCormick wants to be the new Boss of Bullfighting, it becomes comical how he goes out of is way to knock down Hemingway in this book constantly. If you see at least 4 or 5 bullfights a year, this book may have some value to you. There is technical information on bulls and bull breading, the exact names of passes and styles, but it is buried far below the authors ego; you'll have to work to make it useful. I have read Hemingway's Death In The Afternoon, it's the best book so far for understanding bullfighting; unless you live in Spain or Mexico, don't bother with this one.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beginners Guide to the Corrida,
By CamiloUK "Camilo the Silver Bint" (Norfolk, England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Bullfighting: Art, Technique, and Spanish Society (Paperback)
Mr McCormick has updated his classic guide to bullfighting from the 1960's. As a beginner's guide it is indispensible, giving a full history of the corrida, and putting the traditions in their true social perspective, which will probably come as a shock to the animal rights people. The author collaborated with a celebrated matador in compiling the book, and even learned toreo, so there is great authority behind what he says. The illustrations, by a talented Colombian artist, are clear, and all the terms are explained. There is surely no better introduction to this noble art.
2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
if you like arrogance,
By A Customer
This review is from: Bullfighting: Art, Technique, and Spanish Society (Paperback)
i bought this book to learn a little more about bullfighting. you get that but you have to wade through the author's view of the world to get to it. for every sentence that will help you understand the toreo you have to read 5 pages of the author's view on life, art and other. i don't really care about his views and wanted more professional insight. their is no glossary to help with the hundreds of terms. he defines the word one time and if you get confused on the word later, you have to flip back to find the definition. he gives the reason for this by saying he is writing for an educated audience. he then proceeds through the rest of the book to look down his nose at the reader as though their is no way the reader is as smart as him. he bashes Hemingway which i did not like. to hear him tell it he is smarter and a better writer than Hemingway. i am more interested in this subject as a hobby right now than any other and i had to force my way through this one. still looking for a good one
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