Ernest Hemingway, best-known to layman and aficionado alike, in his
fiction described bullfighting, or toreo, as a cross between
romantic risk and a drunken party, or as an elaborate substitute
for war, ending in wounds or death. Although his descriptions of
the "beauty"in toreo are lyrical, they are short on imaginative
creation of how such beauty, through techniques and discipline,
comes about. Hemingway may have sculpted a personal mystique of
toreo but, in the opinion of some, he ignored or slighted the full,
unique nature of the subject. In Bullfighting: Art, Technique, and
Spanish Society John McCormick sorts through the complexities of
toreo, to suggest the aesthetic, social, and moral dimensions of an
art that is geographically limited, but universal when seen in
round. While having felt the attraction of 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 more than just
the spectator: BullFighting is written from the point of view of
the torerro, as opposed to the usual spectator's impressions and
enthusiasm. With the help of a retired matador de toros, Mario
Sevilla Mascarenas, who taught McCormick the rudiments of toreo as
well as the emotions and discipline essential to survival, the
authors rescue 'toreo from romantic cliches. They probe the anatomy
of the matador's training and technique, provide a past-and-present
survey of the traditions of the corrida, and furnish dramatic
portraits of such famous figures as Manolete, Joselito, Belmonte,
and Ordonez. Here then is an informed analysis and critique of the
origins and myths of toreo and a survey of the novels 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 as it currently exists.
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