“I clung to books and words because, unlike people, they’d never abandon me.”
Madrid, the vibrant capital of Spain, is a city bursting with history, culture and lively spirit that has inspired writers for generations. From the sun-soaked plazas to the bustling cobbled streets, books set in Madrid offer the perfect backdrop for tales of love, mystery, revolution and adventure. Whether strolling through the Puerta del Sol or exploring the art collections in the Prado Museum, the essence of the Spanish capital makes it a key character in all of their narratives. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would pull together some of our favourite books set in Madrid where all of the city’s charm and complexity come to life. So, whether you’re looking for a literary escape to Spain or want to revisit a city that has captured the hearts of millions, check out these iconic Madrid books!
The Fountains Of Silence – Ruta Sepetys
First up on our list of the best books set in Madrid is Ruta Sepetys’ YA historical fiction novel, The Fountains of Silence. Set in 1957, readers follow eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in the Spanish capital hoping to connect with the country of his mother’s birth through the lens of his camera.
Photography and fate introduce him to Aan, whose family’s interweaving obstacles unveil the lingering grip of the Spanish Civil War on the country. Daniel’s photographs leave him with unsettling questions amidst a growing shadow of danger. He soon finds himself backed into a corner of impossible choices to protect the ones he loves the most. Featuring vintage media reports, oral history commentary and photos, The Fountains of Silence reveals a sinister side to the stunning Spanish city.
I Am Venus: A Novel – Bárbara Mujica
The year is 1619 and Diego Velazquez is a rising prodigy at an art academy in Seville run by his father-in-law. However, as his young wife at home builds him a family, his ambition for something bigger soon leads to him landing in the court of King Philip IV, right after Spain is plunged into military disaster and domestic chaos.
As he gains nobility and privilege, Velazquez begins to witness the sinful decadence that defines the country’s ruling elite. At the centre of this deeply conservative country, the ruling regime breaks all the rules the masses are expected to follow. Finding himself pulled between loyalty to his family and the seductions of power, Velazquez undertakes his most daring project yet which could, in a single stroke, put him in the crosshairs of the Inquisition. A sweeping story of scandal and passion, Bárbara Mujica’s I Am Venus is a book set in Madrid that brings to life arguably Spain’s greatest painter.
Winter In Madrid – C.J. Samson
It is 1940, the Spanish Civil War has ended and Madrid is in ruins. The people are starving whilst Fascist forces from Germany and Italy continue to march across the European continent. As Britain stands alone, General Franco must reckon with abandoning neutrality and joining the Second World War.
Into this uncertain world steps Harry Brett, a traumatised veteran of Dunkirk turned begrudging spy for the British Secret Service. He is sent to the Spanish capital to gain the confidence of old school friend Sandy Forsyth, a shady businessman. Meanwhile, Sandy’s girlfriend, Barbara Clare is gripped in a clandestine mission of her own – to find her former lover, a passionate Communist named Bernie Piper. One of the most famous books set in Madrid, C.J. Samson’s Winter in Madrid is a gripping and captivating historical crime novel set during the height of World War II.
Leaving The Atocha Station – Ben Lerner
Adam Gordon is a brilliant, albeit unreliable, American poet on a prestigious fellowship in Madrid struggling to find his sense of self and his relationship with his art. Rather than following the instructions of his program, Adam’s ‘research’ becomes a meditation on whether genuine art is ever possible, and whether the relationships he makes in Madrid are as fraudulent as his poems. When tragedy grips the city, he is forced to reckon with whether he is going to partake in historical events, or simply watch them pass by.
In prose that veers equally from comical to tragic, Ben Lerner’s Leaving the Atocha Station is an intimate portrait of an artist in the coming age of Google searches, pharmaceutical companies and spectacle.
The Hive – Camilo José Cela
Banned for years by the Franco regime, Camilo José Cela’s famous novel The Hive remains one of the most iconic Madrid books. In it, Cela presents a panoramic view of the degradation and hardships endured by the lower middle classes in post-civil war Spain.
The book introduces readers to over three hundred colourful characters across the city through a series of starkly rendered interlocking vignettes. These tales are filled with violence, hunger and compassion and poignantly capture the energies, animosities, setbacks and ambitions of those living across Madrid and the wider country under the Franco dictatorship.
The Infatuations – Javier Marías
Every day, Maria Dolz stops for breakfast at the same cafe. And, each day, she watches a handsome couple following the same routine. One day, they fail to turn up, leaving Maria bereft. It is only afterwards, when she stumbles upon a newspaper showing the man lying stabbed in the street, that she realises who the couple are.
Later, the woman returns to the cafe with her children, who are then picked up by a different man. Maria approaches her to offer the woman her condolences, which inadvertently kickstarts a messy entanglement which casts a new, sinister light on this apparent random death. In The Infatuations, Javier Marías masterfully reimagines the murder mystery formula as a metaphysical enquiry, asking existential questions surrounding life, death, love and morality.
What’s The Girl Worth? – Christina Fitzpatrick
As she sips on her ‘kiddie’ cocktails, eight-year-old Catherine Kelly plays a game called ‘What’s the Girl Worth?’ with her father and the regulars at the Blue Lagoon bar. It turns out to be the final memory she has of her father before he abandons her. Feisty, determined and still weary of men, Catherine puts herself through university and works as a cocktail waitress.
Determined to take control of her own future, she embarks on a summer internship in Madrid. Captivated and swept in by the glamour of the city and the support of her new friends, Catherine savours the exhilaration and thrill of being young and far from home. Nevertheless, the Spanish capital also becomes the place where she is forced to face her past and the man whom she has missed more than anyone else in Christina Fitzpatrick’s beautiful book set in Madrid, What’s the Girl Worth?
Check Out The Best Travel Books About Madrid
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
