Blood and Sand (1908) is a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez. Published
at the height of his career as a popular Spanish author, Blood and
Sand was adapted into a 1916 silent film by the author himself and was
remade three times, in 1922, 1941, and 1989. Predating Ernest
Hemingway's celebrated depictions of bullfighting by over a decade,
Blasco Ibáñez's novel remains an essential work of literature portraying
one of Spain's oldest and most controversial traditions. "Scarcely had
the second bull appeared when Gallardo, by his activity and his desire
to shine, seemed to fill the whole plaza. His cape was ever near the
bull's nose. A picador of his cuadrilla, the one called Potaje, was
thrown from his horse and lay unprotected near the horns, but the
maestro, grabbing the beast's tail, pulled with herculean strength and
made him turn till the horseman was safe. The public applauded, wild
with enthusiasm." Born into poverty, Juan Gallardo knows what it means
to struggle and survive. From the streets of Spain, he rises to become
one of the nation's greatest bullfighters, a man for whom danger is
merely an opportunity to showcase his talent. As lovers and fans flock
to his side, Juan learns a new kind of danger, one with far more
uncertain consequences than those he faces as a torero. With stunning
depictions of the bullfighting ring and stirring evocations of urban
life in Madrid and Seville, Blood and Sand is a masterpiece of twentieth
century literature. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally
typeset manuscript, this edition of Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's Blood and
Sand is a classic of Spanish literature reimagined for modern readers.
