"Nothing ruins a good book like being forced to read it." Well said, Cliff. Thanks for keeping up the reviews, it's always good to see something new to read from your recommendations.
Conchita Cintron was half American half Peruvian and trained by a Portuguese bullfighting coach in Peru. Her father was in the US military and was of Peruvian decent and was stationed in Lima. Her mother was American. Her life was fascinating. Two books about her that are out of print are Goddess of the Bullring written by Conchita’s mother and Memoirs of a Bullfighter written by Conchita herself. They are simply written but are amazing. She was touring the world fighting during WWII and she says in her book that when she thought of the men fighting and dying in the war, it gave her the courage to get on a boat and cross enemy water to perform in the ring for those very soldiers. She was gored in the leg during one match and after they gave her some morphine she jumped off the gurney and went back into the ring to finish the bull herself. Her last fight was in Southern Spain where it was illegal for women to fight the bull on the ground, they were only allowed to fight from horse back. And at the end on the fight she was so taken with the courageousness of the bull she looked to the Spanish President who watched in the stands. And the crowd pleaded for her to be able to fight on foot. The president denied her. The crowd protested. She dismounted, her sword in her hand, and defied the president. She squared off with the bull, and said she was so moved by the bull’s spirit that she could not kill him, and so she defied that tradition also and dropped her sword to the sand. She was arrested, but the crowd became so wild she was pardoned. Those books are worth a read if you are interested in bullfighting.
Unpopular opinion, Death in the Afternoon, The Green Hills of Africa and Old Man and the Sea are Hemingway’s best work. He was best when writing about what he was obsessed with. I could barely get through The Sun Also Rises.
I found your videos because of TheBookChemist. He gave you a shout-out in his most recent video and I'm so glad he did. You're great and go into so much depth. We need reviewers like you!
Nice review, Cliff. Glad you had a great time in Spain. This is a little off topic but I thought you would enjoy this quote: "Political conflicts are merely surface manifestations. If conflicts arise you may be sure that certain powers intend to keep this conflict under operation since they hope to profit from the situation. To concern yourself with surface political conflicts is to make the mistake of the bull in the ring, you are charging the cloth. That is what politics is for, to teach you the cloth. Just as the bullfighter teaches the bull, teaches him to follow, obey the cloth." -William S. Burroughs
I'm 64 years old and I first read Death In The Afternoon thirty-odd years ago. A book that left me very conflicted and it still does for all the reasons that you bring up here. The writing is remarkable but I detest cruelty to animals and I would like to see people turn away from bullfighting. However, I appreciate your reflections on the book and the man. Now I find most references to Death In The Afternoon are associated with cocktail recipes. I wonder how Old Papa would take that.
Your videos are amazing! They not only show you what the books you are reading are about but also what they cause you to think about. They have so much depth.
Papa is my favorite writer and I consider myself his disciple! In August I'll do a pilgrimage to pay my respects to his rest place in Idaho! Thanks for the review!
I'm drunk now. And reading Cesare Pavese. Thank you for these reviews videos whatever. They made me read again. I can't explain why, but they did. And for that, I thank you. From the bottom of my inebriated heart.
I have always found the idea of the Bullfight to be fascinating. Spain is the highest rated place to visit on my personal list. No small part of this is the influence of Hemingway on me. I remember reading Death in the Afternoon the summer between my senior year of high school and my first year of college. It is a perfect summer read, and one of the most interesting things Hemingway wrote. Seriously I love Hemingway, and not just the chest pounding hyper-masculine parts, although they are great parts, but also the more sensitive and insightful works. It is really amazing to hear someone bring up one of his later novels. I think these showcase how much more aware Hemingway was of himself and his place in the world than a lot of critics give him credit for. Like always a super solid video. Especially that opening sequence, fucking gorgeous. Nice work.
What is all this stunning footage??? These videos have been getting better and better. Fantastic work. And all of this breaks my heart since I haven't been back home in over ten years. -Patriotism intensifies- Oh yeah, and I'm the 666th view. Perfect.
“The man who has decided to be dutiful is at work. Constantly. Perpetually. Without regret. He seeks rest. Seeks tranquility. Seeks anonymity. That’s the grandest and the only fantasy he encourages, tolerates. Foolishly; but not unwisely. For he is fully aware that the only cosmic battle he must win is the one rages within.” (From Stoic Mosquito by A. A. Socrates)
I have so much love for Hemingway. I'm also really enjoying your stuff over here. And like DustyBookshelf said below this was a great opening. Thanks for this review, it wasn't my favorite by him, but it was a strong representation of him and the things he was passionate about.
I really enjoyed this video and appreciate the books you have covered. I do have a request: Moby Dick. I've read that book a few years back and still read sections of it.
Glad to see you back after a brief break, loving the new intros you're having on the recent videos, they set a great tone for the rest of the video. This September I'm spending a week in a finca in Gaucín, near Ronda. I visit it often and am so happy to see your perspective on it. I'll certainly be taking a stack of Hemingway with me to read in the sun with a glass of wine or a cerveza.
After watching this excellent video, I read this on a trip to Valencia. A lot of the prose is very good, and at times he almost manages to sell the merits of the bullfight. But as I read on, the sheer callous, wasteful cruelty became infuriating to me. For the sake of what? If anyone wants to make a pageant of death, spectate at a funeral, or set up a stand in a hospital- see where that gets you. Hemingway's determined indifference to the overwhelming suffering was equally disappointing- never mind his frankly vile jibes at homosexuals. As for the book itself, I felt it read more like a laborious manual, albeit one which rambles and repeats itself over and over with mundane technicalities. A lot was honestly a chore to work through. The segments which detailed certain characters and stories were typical Hemingway, wonderfully written and evocative. But these were sadly inconsistent and few. Getting to the end of the book was gruelling, for all the wrong reasons. I don't regret reading it, however, if only to cement my own view that bullfighting, like all cruelty for the sake of entertainment, is absolutely, indisputably indefensible, no matter who promotes and romanticises it.
I do agree about for the grueling part, but do see the method in it. Yet, the "vile jibes at homosexuals", well, I googled it, but had actually guessed so before, the one american Matador (of that time certainly), Sidney Franklin, was gay. And if you have read the book, then you will see my point here.
I'm new to your channel, just found you after finishing Blood Meridian and seeing your review, but from what I've watched so far, you're content is fantastic and thoroughly engaging. I'd love to hear your thoughts on A Moveable Feast. It's such a different and more humorous side of Hemingway that you don't see in his other works.
I was fed up living on a farm in the canaries with a mad German called Martin Remmel (I called him Rommel after the great German General..not that Remmel took after him in that respect). One evening I escaped by going down the mountainside road to the village of Velhoco,toa small bar there. 5 or 6 men were there drinking and seemed not to notice me. Then a guitar was produced and one of them began playing and singing guantanamara. Which seemed to be a personal hello to me. Then the barman turned on the television and they started watching a bullfight. I guess lto judge whether I was squeamish about blood being shed. As far as I am concerned if the Spanish want to watch bullfighting then it's their choice though personally I don't think I would particularly want to attend one.
Wonderful video again. I have really enjoyed these European-tour vids, they're really something. Thanks so much. Final note, I'd love to hear what you think about William Gass' work. Omensetter's Luck is a favourite of mine. Take care.
Your perspective on literature is unique and to your own. A concept seemingly unfamiliar to a lot of people, and that looks to be transforming many peoples idea on their own self. I'm sure you know this, but this channel has, is and will continue to change people's lives. -Capt. Obvious
what do think of this must experience "decadent art" ? to be honest I hope Cliff keep running into lousy bullfights so he will see the ugliness and pointlessness of it all.
I came across your channel when looking for a review for Stoner (cause i loved it, so much better than food) and it quickly became one of my favorites. Keep up the good work
I've been anticipating your next review and was not disappointed; this was very thought provoking for me... I hope I can experience, to some extent, all of these diverse and profound feelings described in literature before I die-- looking forward to more reviews.
Would love to see a review of Antonio Porchia's Voices. Even Borges thought Porchia was better than food. It only helps that the Argentine literary canon is so rich.
I once disagreed with bullfighting on the grounds that it was unfair (unsportsmanlike) to the bull. But then it was shown tjatbtje bullfight was not a contest, but a ritual sacrifice. The Man triumphing over the bull, as beastial and lower nature.
'Can the ritual slaughter of an animal be art?' Short answer: YES Long answer: YEEEEEEEEEEEHEEEEEEEEESSS In theatre, there are still people who kill goats and other animals on stage and no one blinks an eye. People find it terribly amazing, but a bullfight, something that is deeply moving and actually requires skill instead of being a simple portrayal of drama or an element of shock, is found unethical. Bullfighting is an artform imo, art that denies death and our struggle with it, is no art. Maybe it's partly, like you mention, because it's become a cliche. My Spanish friends say corrida has lost its soul. I'd love to see an old-fashioned corrida one day tho
Hey dude, Mexican here. I actually got into bullfighting after reading this book a few years ago. It's extremely rare to catch a good bullfight with both a good bull and a good matador, but I've been lucky enough to have seen a couple of them here in Mexico City. I'll leave you a link to a good bullfight where José Tomás (best contemporary matador, hands down) fought 6 bulls: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pa7nofE4RiI.html Of course it's not the same as watching it in person, but you can at least get an idea of what a good bullfight looks like.
Let me put it this way, if you may have a slight blood phobia, actually have never been to Spain, are an abstainer, prefer unadorned food, amply enjoying a late 1930's compendium on bullfighting studded with technical terms in a language you have practically zero knowledge of and celebrety names of the scene subject to stated era, there must be some coherency to the author's craftmanship/artistry, literally wowing. And no, I have no idea how I feel about bullfighting - as stated. ;)
Bullfighting is not incompatible with christianity, in fact, the majority of the people involved in it and the cultured around it is very much catholic. It is a beautiful sport and there is even something divine about the perfection of every movement of the matador. If some day this divine spectacle ceases to exist, the world will have become a lot less beautiful.
1.) suicide and depression affects a lot of people. 2.) Please watch an interview with him later in his life. He had survived two plane crashes and several other head injuries, and had suffered brain damage. You can tell in the interview. You have to imagine what it would be like to be one of the worlds foremost literary genius, then to lose all of it and realize it.
Hemingway was in so many accidents, and a couple of plane crashes. He lived with constant pain. This at a time before OxyContin and such other modern treatments. He didn’t want to be in pain anymore
www.artofmanliness.com/articles/why-ernest-hemingway-committed-suicide/ I'll leave it to you, how much that's insight into his general condition, and/or his level of badassness.
I was about to subscribe to your channel and to watch all your videos until you opened a bottle of Two- Buck Chuck!!! Life's too short to drink/read bullshit, I always remember that!
