Shadow of a Bull
Shadow of a Bull is a novel by Maia Wojciechowska that was awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1965.
Plot summary
Twelve-year-old Manolo Olivar is the son of Juan Olivar, a renowned bullfighter who was killed in the ring when Manolo was only three. The people in the town of Archangel, Spain, expect that Manolo will follow in his father's footsteps. His best friend, Jaime, has a brother, Juan, who yearns to fight bulls like his father before him, but Manolo has been trying to conquer his own fears. Many of the townspeople have paid much attention to Manolo, mainly by comparing him to his famous father or taking him to bullfights to see how to perform the sport. Through all this commotion, Manolo is trying to learn more about his father. Everyone in the town always speaks of how great Juan Olivar, Manolo's father, was, but Manolo wants to know the truth. Manolo has heard that his father first killed a bull when he was twelve years old. Manolo wants to know, did Juan Olivar have fear? After seeing the result of a bull goring, Manolo becomes more discouraged in becoming a bullfighter. He notices the old doctor cleaning the wound and, hearing that he was the only doctor who would touch a goring injury, decides that he could be the next doctor. Manolo still suffers from the problem that everyone wants him to be a bullfighter, not a doctor.
Realizing that he should follow in his father's footsteps, Manolo trains in secret as a matador with his friend's brother Juan. The more he practices, the sooner Manolo realizes how big a coward he is. The days left until the annual fiesta, his first bullfight, are decreasing. Manolo is close friends with Count De La Casa, a very famous count who also knew Manolo's father. Because of their friendship, Manolo is confident that the count would give him anything he asked for. Manolo goes and meets with Juan and promises him that he would ask the count if Juan could be invited to the party. Manolo does not tell Juan that he would like it if Juan fought Manolo's bull so he can have a chance for the count to see him fight. The day of his first contest arrives, and Manolo is successful in the corrida. He knows all the moves and has practiced daily, but when it is time for the killing, Manolo realizes that he simply does not have the spirit of a bullfighter, and he finally offers Juan a chance in the ring. The doctor who Manolo had met previously offers Manolo an apprenticeship, allowing Manolo to follow his own dream.
Characters
- Manolo Olivar (Son of Juan Olivar)
- Juan Garcia (Manolo's Friend)
- Count De La Casa
- Old Doctor
- El Magnifico
- The Six Men (aficionados)
Reception
Kirkus Reviews described the book as "appropriately elegiac in tone."[1] In a retrospective essay about the Newbery Medal-winning books from 1956 to 1965, librarian Carolyn Horovitz wrote: "There are no tricks; the story simply accumulates power as it proceeds. Here is a book, 'distinguished' in its simplicity and dignity, a book concerned with beauty and terror, a book to make the reader wonder."[2]
References
- ^ "SHADOW OF A BULL by Maia Wojoiechowska". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ Horovitz, Carolyn (1965). "Only the Best". In Kingman, Lee (ed.). Newbery and Caldecott Medal Books: 1956-1965. Boston: The Horn Book, Incorporated. p. 158. LCCN 65-26759.
Awards | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Newbery Medal recipient 1965 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- The Story of Mankind (1922)
- The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1923)
- The Dark Frigate (1924)
- Tales from Silver Lands (1925)
- Shen of the Sea (1926)
- Smoky the Cowhorse (1927)
- Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon (1928)
- The Trumpeter of Krakow (1929)
- Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (1930)
- The Cat Who Went to Heaven (1931)
- Waterless Mountain (1932)
- Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze (1933)
- Invincible Louisa (1934)
- Dobry (1935)
- Caddie Woodlawn (1936)
- Roller Skates (1937)
- The White Stag (1938)
- Thimble Summer (1939)
- Daniel Boone (1940)
- Call It Courage (1941)
- The Matchlock Gun (1942)
- Adam of the Road (1943)
- Johnny Tremain (1944)
- Rabbit Hill (1945)
- Strawberry Girl (1946)
- Miss Hickory (1947)
- The Twenty-One Balloons (1948)
- King of the Wind (1949)
- The Door in the Wall (1950)
- Amos Fortune, Free Man (1951)
- Ginger Pye (1952)
- Secret of the Andes (1953)
- ...And Now Miguel (1954)
- The Wheel on the School (1955)
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch (1956)
- Miracles on Maple Hill (1957)
- Rifles for Watie (1958)
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1959)
- Onion John (1960)
- Island of the Blue Dolphins (1961)
- The Bronze Bow (1962)
- A Wrinkle in Time (1963)
- It's Like This, Cat (1964)
- Shadow of a Bull (1965)
- I, Juan de Pareja (1966)
- Up a Road Slowly (1967)
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (1968)
- The High King (1969)
- Sounder (1970)
- Summer of the Swans (1971)
- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1972)
- Julie of the Wolves (1973)
- The Slave Dancer (1974)
- M. C. Higgins, the Great (1975)
- The Grey King (1976)
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1977)
- Bridge to Terabithia (1978)
- The Westing Game (1979)
- A Gathering of Days (1980)
- Jacob Have I Loved (1981)
- A Visit to William Blake's Inn (1982)
- Dicey's Song (1983)
- Dear Mr. Henshaw (1984)
- The Hero and the Crown (1985)
- Sarah, Plain and Tall (1986)
- The Whipping Boy (1987)
- Lincoln (1988)
- Joyful Noise (1989)
- Number the Stars (1990)
- Maniac Magee (1991)
- Shiloh (1992)
- Missing May (1993)
- The Giver (1994)
- Walk Two Moons (1995)
- The Midwife's Apprentice (1996)
- The View from Saturday (1997)
- Out of the Dust (1998)
- Holes (1999)
- Bud, Not Buddy (2000)
- A Year Down Yonder (2001)
- A Single Shard (2002)
- Crispin (2003)
- The Tale of Despereaux (2004)
- Kira-Kira (2005)
- Criss Cross (2006)
- The Higher Power of Lucky (2007)
- Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! (2008)
- The Graveyard Book (2009)
- When You Reach Me (2010)
- Moon Over Manifest (2011)
- Dead End in Norvelt (2012)
- The One and Only Ivan (2013)
- Flora & Ulysses (2014)
- The Crossover (2015)
- Last Stop on Market Street (2016)
- The Girl Who Drank the Moon (2017)
- Hello, Universe (2018)
- Merci Suárez Changes Gears (2019)
- New Kid (2020)
- When You Trap a Tiger (2021)
- The Last Cuentista (2022)
- Freewater (2023)
- The Eyes and the Impossible (2024)