Michel Leiris was a poet, novelist and ethnographer. After leaving the Surrealist group, he was associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Georges Bataille. Leiris acquired his enthusiasm for bullfighting (a life-long passion) with Bataille, Andre Masson and Pablo Picasso. Here, he describes the geometry of the bullfight, its choreography, art and structure, the notions of beauty and magic that underpin its ritual, and the idea that this can be a real mortal confrontation. The illustrations by Andre Masson were drawn especially for this book.
