Rating: 
Summary: Absolute Drivel
Review: I read this book for the literary circle at my high school, and we unanimously declared it the worst thing we had ever read. It had no structure, so it appeared to be a mixed-up jumble of thoughts. Since there was no structure, the author strays off the "topic" (supposedly bullfights) quite frequently into little discussions about "venereal diseases", which he claims are relevant as they are a cause of death to many bullfighters. Perhaps if you have a Spanish background or love bullfighting, or possibly Ernest Hemmingway, it is possible you could relate to this book and enjoy it. Please note that our lit. circle read other books by Ernest Hemmingway. Those books, including "A Farewell to Arms", "The Old Man and the Sea", and "The Sun Also Rises", are definitely worth the read. Just because you liked other books by the same author, please do not assume you will like this one. I LOVED "The Old Man and the Sea" and "The Sun Also Rises", but I couldn't stand this book.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute Drivel
Review: I read this book for the literary circle at my high school, and we unanimously declared it the worst thing we had ever read. It had no structure, so it appeared to be a mixed-up jumble of thoughts. Since there was no structure, the author strays off the "topic" (supposedly bullfights) quite frequently into little discussions about "venereal diseases", which he claims are relevant as they are a cause of death to many bullfighters. Perhaps if you have a Spanish background or love bullfighting, or possibly Ernest Hemmingway, it is possible you could relate to this book and enjoy it. Please note that our lit. circle read other books by Ernest Hemmingway. Those books, including "A Farewell to Arms", "The Old Man and the Sea", and "The Sun Also Rises", are definitely worth the read. Just because you liked other books by the same author, please do not assume you will like this one. I LOVED "The Old Man and the Sea" and "The Sun Also Rises", but I couldn't stand this book.
Rating: 
Summary: interesting piece
Review: In Death in the Afternoon, Hemingway describes the sport/art of bullfighting. His knowledge of the bullfighting is extensive enough to show the writer's passion for his subject. He discusses many of the greater Matadores of his time (most of these figures are from the twenties and thirties), and explains what seperates one from another. He describes the Matadores in such a way as to show them as either dynamic, courageous figures, despicably cowardly men (who only fight in order to fulfill contracts), or as tragically deficient faliures. It is a pity that none of these people still fight, for Hemingway gives you such insight into their personalities and styles that it would be wonderful to actually see them in action. That is one major stregnth of this book, it connects the reader to the men in to ring. Hemingway's passion for this sport, as well as it's performers, is transfered to the reader. In that sense, it's a very personal book. Hemingway also goes into detail as to the structure of bullfighting. He discusses the roles played by the various figures (the Picadores, bandelleros, and the Matadore himself) within the arena. With great lucidity, he goes through the process of a bullfight: From selection of the bull to it's death at the hands of the Matadore (or the Matadore at the horns of the bull). Thorugh anecdotes, and frank discussion, Hemingway lays out the foundation of how a bullfight is properly performed (by every single member of the bullfighting team). He also points out the consequences, and disappointment, of a poorly performed match. Overall, this work is very enlightening in terms of the structure of bullfighting. The only negative aspect of this book is that Hemingway wrote it so long ago. Thus, his encyclopedic knowledge of the bullfighters is almost wasted (for none of them fight today). That's not too much of a negative though. In all, I would recomend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about the structure of bullfighting, and also anyone who is interested in Hemingway (it gives you a certain amount of insight into his beliefs, and character).
Rating:
Summary: Insight into the passion
Review: In the begining of the book Hemingway states the you will go to a bullfight thinking you will not like it; and you will come away hating it or loving it. I read this book after I went to a bullfight in Madrid: I went thinking I would not like it, and came away loving it. The book let me understand what I had seen, what made one bullfight or bullfigher good or bad in performance, and what the bullfighters and their lives were like. Hemingway is enthusiastic and authoritative in the telling. Fascinating book, would have been five stars but unfortunatly is a little out of date.
Rating:
Summary: Great for learning, not travelling
Review: It is a good book to get some background information about what you will see when you enter the bullring. It isn't 100% interesting in that some parts of it are off the subject, but for the most part it is great because I promise that going into a bullfight with no advance knowledge is a bad idea. Also, remember that it was written in 1932 and is maybe not 100% up to "the times" in a way, but it shows Hemingway's style of writing which for the most part is an excellent style. I think that you should buy it because it has some helpful things in it about everything relating to bullfighting from where to sit, to what to what, to where to go, to how to tell if a bull is brave or cowardly, etc. Again, for the most part, it is a great classic novel about a great classic sport (but "not in the Anglo-Saxon sense of the word" (from the book)). So if you are going to have something to do with a bullfight you should read this book.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on bullfighting. Dated but good.
Review: Many years ago, I watched a debate on TV in Spain. The debate was on bullfighting. The opponents of bullfighting, who would like to see the spectacle outlawed, declared that "No good intelectual approved of bulfighting" "What about Hemingway?" asked one of the proponents.
What about Hemingway. He has simply written the best book I've ever read on the event/show/tradition of bullfighting. He loved it dearly, and this love permeates every page on the book. His descriptions of the corridas, of the cities where the "Fiestas" are held, although quite dated by now, hold an everlasting charm, that illustrates the scenes, with an expert palette of colors.
Are you going to Spain? Are you planning to see a "corrida de toros"? If you read this book, you will know what it is about, and you will be able to appreciate it. The only thing better than this, would be to have a seat next to an "entendido" who would explain the whole "fiesta" to you.
I read this book in high school, and reread it now, 27 years later. It is still enthralling, and its charm has only gotten better over the years.
Hemingway saw the bullfight as a stylized tragedy; his understanding of the bullfight, mixes with his understanding and love for Spain. At the end, he cannot escape the conclusion that Spain would not be Spain, withouth the bulls and the bullfighting. This even though only a minority of Spaniards go to bullfights, or are even remotely interested in the "fiesta" It's a pity there is no one now who could develop an updated version of this classic.
Rating:
Summary: The best book on bullfighting. Dated but good.
Review: Many years ago, I watched a debate on TV in Spain. The debate was on bullfighting. The opponents of bullfighting, who would like to see the spectacle outlawed, declared that "No good intelectual approved of bulfighting" "What about Hemingway?" asked one of the proponents.
What about Hemingway. He has simply written the best book I've ever read on the event/show/tradition of bullfighting. He loved it dearly, and this love permeates every page on the book. His descriptions of the corridas, of the cities where the "Fiestas" are held, although quite dated by now, hold an everlasting charm, that illustrates the scenes, with an expert palette of colors.
Are you going to Spain? Are you planning to see a "corrida de toros"? If you read this book, you will know what it is about, and you will be able to appreciate it. The only thing better than this, would be to have a seat next to an "entendido" who would explain the whole "fiesta" to you.
I read this book in high school, and reread it now, 27 years later. It is still enthralling, and its charm has only gotten better over the years.
Hemingway saw the bullfight as a stylized tragedy; his understanding of the bullfight, mixes with his understanding and love for Spain. At the end, he cannot escape the conclusion that Spain would not be Spain, withouth the bulls and the bullfighting. This even though only a minority of Spaniards go to bullfights, or are even remotely interested in the "fiesta" It's a pity there is no one now who could develop an updated version of this classic.
Rating: 
Summary: More than bullfighting
Review: One of my favorite pieces of writing--by Hemingway or anyone else--is the last chapter of Death in the Afternoon, where Hem laments all the things about Spain that are NOT in the book. And then, in naming those things, he creates a fantastic mosaic of keenly observed, beautifully described aspects of Spain. You don't even have to read the rest of the book or care about bullfighting.
Rating:
Summary: Simply put, a classic on the subject.
Review: Probably the best English language book on the subject. Although the book deals with bullfighting as it existed during the 20's and 30's in Spain, it's observations about the art are still valid today. A must read for anyone who wants to understand bullfighting or Hemingway's facination with the subject and Spain
Rating: 
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: This book is dissapointing to most Hemmingway fans. It would have been much better had the rest of the book been more like the first and last chapters. Instead he produced a dry and uninspired book with little substance or story telling. The information on bullfighting and matadors is also currently very outdated. A different book could provide much more recent bullfighting information (allthough probably not as well written)
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