The Washington times., 1932-09-27

foreign words when the exact English equivalent exists
is undergraduate trick, and l hoped that Ernest
Hemingway would break the tradition when he came
to write about bullfighting He hasn't. In his book
death in the Afternoon" the aficonado (fan) trick
occurs, but Hemingway almost makes up for it with
his definition in the back of the book the atclonado
is zone who understands bulfighng in general and in
detail and still for it,. Hemingway is one him
self, devoted one an intelligent and above all,
eloquent one He has accomplished the miracle with
his book of making want to go again to Spain,
country do not like, in order to see bullfigH
spectacle about which | felt that
little more than enough.
The book, which Scribners have just published, is
exceptional in every way. Dgnified in formal, illus
trated with some so QUITO themargn photographs all
placed together following the text fortified with
glossary which is at once informative, critical and
ironc, it tells about bufghtng and tells it with
more and more interesting personal prejudices than
can recall in any book not essentially argument
a defense. What Hemingway thought about the art
Of writing and the rude things he thinks about
Waldo Frank (who propounded the bulfight
tragedy years ago. what he feels about Ell Greco
Violently and knowingly expressed) and hundred
other matters set down, often in the form of little
imaginary conversations at the end of chapters deal
Ing In the most straightforward with the art of
bulfighting. Sometimes the language is rude and
often it is, as noted eloquent 1t gets purple,
but Hemingway tells you so himself.
The Horses.
"The death of the horses in the ring" says Heming
way, s unavoidable accident and affords pleasure to
connected with viewing the fight except the
bull who derives supreme satisfaction from it. The only
practical good the death of the horse gives in showing
the spectator the the constantly
to and keeping him reminded that the spectacle which
the grace and skill of the engaged makes him take
lightly, for granted is of great physical PERIL
And in another place he says that we could not ap
preciae the tragedy of the bulfigh if did not know
that the in danger of death from the horns of
the bu-a danger demonstrated for by the goring of
the horse Less intellectual friends have assured
that the horses sacrificed in order to tire out the
bull but this point Hemingway surprising and
interesting; he says the bull fights crafty and
courageousy after he begins to tire. 1t sounds
reasonable.
Dance-Not Tragedy.
In spite of Frank and Hemingway and French
enthusiasts and some friends of SPAIN do not believe
that the bufgh is tragedy If the bull thought about
it, it might be- but the mental processes of the bull
not clearly revealed to Even the repetition of "a
brave bull" by Hemingway makes little tired.
cannot figure the bull Oedipus Hamlet
any tragic hero in real life who has risen to the stature
of tragedy in the drama fiction There is supreme
dramatic moment every bulfght which is due to the
beautiful arrangement of the fight It is when in order
to deliver the death stroke the puts himself in the
greatest danger of DEATH that is say the most intense
moment of life and the moment of death placed
beside the other 1t is certainly preferable to the
way most lives and deaths accomplished.
For the rest the bulfight is to me- looking back six
years. exactly what it seemed when l ia dance
executed yellow sands. All its grace and skill, all it's
traditions, all its eXctements those of a superby
achieved ballet. And that is not saying anything
belttlng about the bullfight.
RVVNVR