''Time of Silence'' ( es, Tiempo de silencio) is a 1962 novel by the Spanish writer

Luis Martín-Santos Luis Martín-Santos Ribera (11 November 1924 – 21 January 1964) was a Spanish psychiatrist and author of ''Time of Silence'', often cited as one of the most important Spanish novels of the twentieth century. Biography Martín-Santos was bo ...

Plot

The novel is about the medical student Pedro, who studies cancer in mice, and his interactions with people in Madrid. An assistant wants to sell the mice illegally. Pedro's lower-class landlady tries to marry off her granddaughter. Pedro has an intellectual friend who achieves very little. Pedro becomes ensnared in a deadly drama when he performs an abortion on a girl who ends up dead. The girl's boyfriend then murders Pedro's fiancee.

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' wrote that the novel suffers from too much

intellectualism Intellectualism is the mental perspective that emphasizes the use, the development, and the exercise of the intellect; and also identifies the life of the mind of the intellectual person. (Definition) In the field of philosophy, the term ''intell ...

, but that the depiction of Madrid gives it "a degree of power".

Adaptation

The novel was the basis for the 1986 film ''

Tiempo de Silencio '' Tiempo de Silencio'' ( en, Time of Silence) is a 1986 Spanish film directed by Vicente Aranda adapted from a well-regarded novel written by Luis Martín-Santos. It stars Imanol Arias, Victoria Abril and Francisco Rabal.Schwartz, ''The Great Sp ...

''.

References

{{reflist 1962 Spanish novels Novels set in Madrid Novels about physicians Seix Barral books Novels about abortion Spanish novels adapted into films