Over the course of Michener's career, he has written monolithic novels about many places, including the Pacific, the Far East, the Middle East, Western and Eastern Europe, and the Americas. However, the author seems to have a special affection for the Hispanic world, perhaps because Spain and Mexico both represent melting pots of many different cultures. In Iberia (1968) Michener portrays Spain as a country that has combined the cultures of Iberians, Celts, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthagenians, Romans, Visigoths, and Arabs. Likewise, Mexico is about a country with a diverse mix of indigenous Indian races, Spaniards, and other peoples from Europe and the Americas.

1. Are the long passages describing the bullfight excessive, or does Michener present them successfully as a metaphor for Mexican history and culture?

2. Does Norman Clay succeed in his intention to present Toledo from a peculiarly Mexican point of view, as opposed to a Spanish...