Customer Reviews

Women and Bullfighting: Gender, Sex and the Consumption of Tradition (Mediterranean)

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Pink's book discusses the phenomenon of the female presence in the plazas of Spain. The author uses Cristina Sanchez as a case in point, both through material gleaned from interviews with the torera herself as well as a thorough analysis of the ways in which the Spanish media conveyed Sanchez to the public. Of particular interest are Pink's keen observations of the "consumption" of Sanchez by the photographic lens.

At a more theoretical level, early on in the book, Pink situates Sanchez within an extremely thorough and comprehendable delineation of the history of the bullfight and traces the ways in which anthropologists have tried, not only to understand the wider, more cultural meaning of the bullfight but to explain it. Their various theories are described in an eloquent and thought provoking manner.

"Women and Bullfighting" is the ideal book for readers who want a different angle of the bullfight but will not sacrifice accuracy of detail in the process. Although now retured from the ring, and a new mother, Sanchez has left the door open for other women to take her cape. The subject of Women in the bullring is a highly contentious one that has been in circulation long before Sanchez but, without a doubt, will continue for as long as the national fiesta itself does. This book is an important document within the continuing debate about women and gender in the most machistic and traditional spheres of Spanish culture.