Anatomy of a Bullfight

This book is methodical and thorough in its description of bullfights and bullfighting, covering every aspect from the different roles to the traditional dress to the applause at the end. The author is economical with his words, bringing to mind (appropriately enough) E. Hemingway.

What makes this book truly useful is the addition of ink drawings to illustrate the corrida and the different passes. Each pass is shown with at least one drawing, some of them with up to three, depending on the difficulty of description. Most of the other topics of the book are also illustrated, and these drawings are delightful even if less necessary. I love how the drawings are full of energy and movement, almost vibrating with life; I can easily imagine these drawings framed.

I'll end on this great quote from the author: “Note: Bullfighting is not a sport, and there is no competition between man and beast. No one ever wins a bullfight. It is better to make a comparison between it and tragic drama. In this case, if it is possible to say that two actors are competing to show which is the better, then it is fair to say that competition enters into bullfighting to the same extent - among matadors.” (p. 6)