Summary of In the Night of Time
The Spanish architect Ignacio Abel arrives in New York at the end of 1936 to begin a building project at a university in upstate New York. Haunted by memories of his life in Spain, where the Civil War has broken out, he reflects on his past in Madrid: from his humble upbringing to his rise in society, his studies, his work as an architect, his marriage, and his passionate love affair with an American woman whom he hopes to meet again. Throughout the novel, the consequences of the Spanish Civil War are ever-present, with the violence and atrocities committed by the various factions casting doubt on the values and certainties the protagonist once held.
Reasons to read In the Night of Time
“In the Night of Time” is a compelling yet introspective novel about a man overwhelmed both by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, which tears his country apart, and by his all-consuming love for a woman other than his wife. Antonio Muñoz Molina is one of the most renowned contemporary Spanish authors and has received numerous literary accolades, including the Prince of Asturias Award in 2013. Other notable works by Molina include “Winter in Lisbon” (Premio Nacional de Narrativa and Premio de la Crítica, 1988), “To Walk Alone in the Crowd” (Prix Méditerranée Étranger, 2020), “El jinete polaco” (Premio Planeta, 1991; Premio Nacional de Narrativa, 1992), and “Plenilunio” (Prix Fémina Étranger, 1998).
Original title: La noche de los tiempos
Year of publication: 2009
Nr of pages: 656
