JUAN BELMONTE

Grand reading. An authentic autobiography, directly and simply told, and admirably translated. The most interesting part -- because the most original -- deals with his boyhood and the self-discipline and training he imposed in preparation for his chosen career, as he tramped the countryside at night with other lads, seeking peaceful cattle as practice material. Then his heartbreaking -- and sometimes ludicrous -- attempts to break into professional circles. And finally success. Through it all, the idealizing of the science and art, a dominant passion. Crammed full of anecdotal material, color, the feel of the crowds, the shifting scene -- Spain, Mexico, South America. It almost made a convert of me -- and I don't like bull fights.