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Matador
Describes the last day in the life of Spain's greatest bullfighter
248 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1952
19 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Barnaby Conrad
64 books11 followersBarnaby Conrad, Jr. was an American artist, author, nightclub proprietor, bullfighter and boxer.
NB: Father of writer Barnaby Conrad III.
Washington Post obituary:
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/20...
NB: Father of writer Barnaby Conrad III.
Washington Post obituary:
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/20...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
June 26, 2023
Jun 25, 8pm ~~ One of my reading projects for 2023 is to go through some books I have collected over the years about bullfighting. Matador is just the second book I have read from this pile. The majority are not in the GR database at all, and many are in Spanish, which I can read but at a much slower pace than when I read in English. So this will probably be a two-year project at the very least.
I have both fiction and non-fiction titles for this project. Matador is a novel by Barnaby Conrad. According to the Wiki article about Conrad, this 1952 book was his second work, and was selected by John Steinbeck as his favorite novel of the year.
Only someone with an intimate knowledge of bullfighting could have produced this compelling portrait of a man facing his final fight, one he agreed to reluctantly after a challenge by the next 'number one' of the bullfighting world. But our matador 'Pacote' has problems. His concentration is not as sharp as it should be. He has allowed his relationship with his girlfriend to take over his life, becoming a city playboy. This is a problem for most successful matadors: with success come distractions that take time and focus away from the training that must be maintained in order to stay alive in the ring.
Pacote is also facing a fear he has never experienced before. Can he even go out on this final day without more than a few slugs of whiskey going down his throat first? And how will he handle the heir apparent who is so determined to perform better then the retiring master?
This was an intense look at the bullring through the eyes of a man who had forgotten more than he should have about what his life has been up to the point of his final fight. How will he face his fears? How will the afternoon unfold? Between the youngster and the man about to retire, who will win the battle of egos? Who besides the bulls will die?
This is the second time I have read this book but the first since joining GR. Conrad was a bullfighter himself so his descriptions and his knowledge are authentic. I have just ordered a few other Conrad titles so now definitely this particular project will last longer than just this one year.
I have both fiction and non-fiction titles for this project. Matador is a novel by Barnaby Conrad. According to the Wiki article about Conrad, this 1952 book was his second work, and was selected by John Steinbeck as his favorite novel of the year.
Only someone with an intimate knowledge of bullfighting could have produced this compelling portrait of a man facing his final fight, one he agreed to reluctantly after a challenge by the next 'number one' of the bullfighting world. But our matador 'Pacote' has problems. His concentration is not as sharp as it should be. He has allowed his relationship with his girlfriend to take over his life, becoming a city playboy. This is a problem for most successful matadors: with success come distractions that take time and focus away from the training that must be maintained in order to stay alive in the ring.
Pacote is also facing a fear he has never experienced before. Can he even go out on this final day without more than a few slugs of whiskey going down his throat first? And how will he handle the heir apparent who is so determined to perform better then the retiring master?
This was an intense look at the bullring through the eyes of a man who had forgotten more than he should have about what his life has been up to the point of his final fight. How will he face his fears? How will the afternoon unfold? Between the youngster and the man about to retire, who will win the battle of egos? Who besides the bulls will die?
This is the second time I have read this book but the first since joining GR. Conrad was a bullfighter himself so his descriptions and his knowledge are authentic. I have just ordered a few other Conrad titles so now definitely this particular project will last longer than just this one year.
July 30, 2008
One of the two best novels I have read set in the world of bullfighting It fictionalizes the last corrida of the great Manolete.
December 10, 2020
Written by Barnaby Conrad, who would later become my friend and mentor. Matador is actually a fictionalized account of the death of Spain's greatest bullfighter, Manuel Rodriguez known as "Manolete", who was killed in the ring on August 28, 1947.
Manolete and his story are a beloved memory of my growing up years. I read Barnaby's account, The Death of Manolete, when I was 12 years old.
Manolete and his story are a beloved memory of my growing up years. I read Barnaby's account, The Death of Manolete, when I was 12 years old.
March 4, 2018
One of the best novels I have ever read. Wow! What a ride! I finished it and started rereading it. I am not ready to part from it yet.
December 20, 2016
Kitabın özellikle ilk yarısını sıkıcı buldum ve içine girmekte zorlandım. Ama isminden de anlaşılacağı üzere Matador Pakote'nin arenaya çıkıp boğalarla dans edişini anlatan ikinci yarıyı tek nefeste okudum! Bir filmin içinde gibiydim o kısımları okurken, heyecandan yüreğim çıkacaktı. Pakote boğaya: Hey yaaaa! Toroooo! Toroooo! dedikçe ben kendimi tribünde bu anı izleyen bir İspanyol gibi hissediyordum. Boğa güreşinin incelikleriyle ilgili de bir sürü şey aktaran bu kitap beni kesinlikle tatmin etti. Matador-Seyirci-Boğa üçgeninde güzel bir eser.
February 18, 2013
A very real story by an author who was actually a bullfighter himself. It helps us animal lovers understand what draws people to this ancient sport. Baraby Conrad was an extremely popular author in the 1950s. He passed away recently at the age or 90. Fortunely his books are still available on kindle and in the form of an sudio download.
September 18, 2016
I think I would have liked this book even better if I understood more of the bull-fighting terms. However, props to this book for pulling me all the way to the end when I didn't understand everything. The last two chapters alone make the read worthwhile.
April 9, 2013
After reading this book, i now understand the appeal of bull fignting. and have a new respect for the bull fighters
May 15, 2017
Loved this book! Spain, bullfighting...narrative prose like Hemingway or Fitzgerald.
February 20, 2026
I picked this book up after seeing "Conrad" on the spine of a pretty, illustrated hardcover book on an ancient, sprawling shelf on the 3rd floor of Ohio Books in Cincinnati. I did not recognize a book titled "Matador" by Joseph Conrad and only after investigating did I learn of a Barnaby Conrad (who turns out, is quite a character).
I also recently wrote a short story myself, titled, "Modern Matador", so I bought it due to the serendipitous encounter.
It is a quick and enjoyable read. Upon starting it, it reads like solid literature—the prose a cut below contemporaries and those that come before.
It felt solid until the final bullfighting scene. The tension, anticipation, drama, romance of the climax had my eyes darting line by line as fast as I could without skimming. For the final 2 chapters the book is worth a read.
Felt like it opens up the inner universe of a Torero from "The Sun Also Rises" and immerses you with great passion and love for the sport and culture.
I also recently wrote a short story myself, titled, "Modern Matador", so I bought it due to the serendipitous encounter.
It is a quick and enjoyable read. Upon starting it, it reads like solid literature—the prose a cut below contemporaries and those that come before.
It felt solid until the final bullfighting scene. The tension, anticipation, drama, romance of the climax had my eyes darting line by line as fast as I could without skimming. For the final 2 chapters the book is worth a read.
Felt like it opens up the inner universe of a Torero from "The Sun Also Rises" and immerses you with great passion and love for the sport and culture.
December 10, 2020
Written by Barnaby Conrad, who would later become my friend and mentor. Matador is actually a fictionalized account of the death of Spain's greatest bullfighter, Manuel Rodriguez known as "Manolete", who was killed in the ring on August 28, 1947.
Manolete and his story are a beloved memory of my growing up years. I read Barnaby's account, The Death of Manolete, when I was 12 years old.
Manolete and his story are a beloved memory of my growing up years. I read Barnaby's account, The Death of Manolete, when I was 12 years old.
January 24, 2023
This story is remarkable. Written by an American, this play-by-play account of a 29-year-old matador in his last bullfight will astound you. Conrad must have been possessed when he penned this story.
The realism comes from the fact that Conrad was a bullfighter for a short while. He captures the sound and the soul of the dangerous and ugly sport. He mixes in the brotherhood of bullfighters and the intrigue and romance of it all. When the book was published in 1952, Steinbeck called it the best book of the year.
The realism comes from the fact that Conrad was a bullfighter for a short while. He captures the sound and the soul of the dangerous and ugly sport. He mixes in the brotherhood of bullfighters and the intrigue and romance of it all. When the book was published in 1952, Steinbeck called it the best book of the year.
April 28, 2021
Well written and brisk, this story of this book unfolds over an hour or so longer than it takes to read.
The literary precursor to Black Swan and The Wrestler, where the tragedy is staring you in the face and the pit is in your stomach from the onset, and both just grow from there.
The literary precursor to Black Swan and The Wrestler, where the tragedy is staring you in the face and the pit is in your stomach from the onset, and both just grow from there.
August 19, 2025
So, this matador is on his last fight. he was ants to do one more and retire. This is that story and the whole of his history comes with him.
We follow his day until the end of the fight. I'm happy to say that this was well written and gave enough turns that I was happy with the ending.
We follow his day until the end of the fight. I'm happy to say that this was well written and gave enough turns that I was happy with the ending.
June 21, 2020
3.7 rating
you have to be an aficionado of corrida de toros to appreciate this book.
you have to be an aficionado of corrida de toros to appreciate this book.
August 31, 2021
Warning: Graphic descriptions of bull fighting….
Hugely popular novel in it’s day and rightly so, but this would never get published today.
Hugely popular novel in it’s day and rightly so, but this would never get published today.
February 27, 2022
Nice read!
Want to read
December 5, 2022Very exciting
October 3, 2024
An excellent book. Extremely well written, and a great story.
April 4, 2025
I’ve never been to a bullfight, but I felt like I was at one while reading this book. It took me through lots of emotions. And as an added bonus, I may have picked up a little Spanish along the way.
June 2, 2015
Amazing. I read this book thinking I knew the whole story from the very beginning. Aging bullfighter goes back for one more fight, not for money but for the taste of fame and glory. Yada yada … dies in the ring. Immortalized.
Not quite. The book was beautifully written. The story unforgettable.
Not quite. The book was beautifully written. The story unforgettable.
December 16, 2019
I saw this at my mom's house when we were moving her and it was her dad's (my grandfather) that he bought new in 1952. I mainly grabbed it because it was his and I'm glad I did! It was really well done.
July 27, 2012
Outstanding. This a book about courage and the pressures people put on themselves. Written in the simple style of Steinbeck and Hemingway.
Over 3,000,000 copies sold. A New York Times bestseller.
Over 3,000,000 copies sold. A New York Times bestseller.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews