Great book, especially the way Michener describes the bullfights. He uses the festival of Ixmiq as the thread of the story, to give a historical view of Mexico (the first inhabitants, the colonization by Spain, the wars with America) and a vivid account of the current bullfights. Fantastic!
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I have read quite a few of Michener's books and learned a lot from them. Sometimes they can be a little dry but you learn a lot. This book read differently for me. The novel was about an epic bullfight, along with a lot of information about the rules and traditions. Interspersed in the book came the more usual Michener style of history told through realistic people that helped me understand the complex history of Mexico and the origins of many of its people. I almost thought at the end of the book (over 600 pages) that this really could have been 2 separate books.I really wanted the emphasis to be one or the other. ( )

This is about generations of the Clay/Palafox family extending back to the Altomec indians and beyond.

The nucleus of the story revolves around bullfighting, and I learned more about bullfighting than I ever wanted to know, but the descriptiveness of the author drew me in, and I was captivated by the history; especially the ancient history. ( )

I loved this. Another of my favorite Michener books. As usual, rich characterization and plotting mix with history and historical figures. Certainly a good look at upper class Mexican life and culture. Helpful to me in understanding Mexico better and a very worthwhile read. ( )

I would call this one a historical epic! This is my first Michener epic, and I am sure I will read others. This novel was very long, but still a great story with great characters. Seems to me you need to have a decent amount of patience and time to devote to a book like this. It is centered on Mexico, specifically, the narrator’s family history from ancient times to present. It shows a grand view of Mexico and its people and gives you many sides to the story of this very intriguing place. The narrator, Norman Clay, comes from a Mexican family with very important ancestry. Indeed this story could not be told from an average person’s viewpoint. Norman’s family line goes all the way back to important Indians who lived and worked to build the giant pyramid and on the other side, the Spanish settlers who came to bring Christianity and to see what they could take. Norman is an important journalist, back in Mexico after many years away to cover an important bullfight, mano y mano—two matadors (one Spanish, one Indian) who are going to fight it out. Mexico is an amazing history of bullfighting, a well constructed novel with subplots that are all tied together. An epic, definitely a learning experience. ( )