Juan Madrid (b. 1947) belongs to that select circle of writers who have been received with equal degrees of admiration by both readers and critics. His works with a social orientation show a special gift for refracting all the twists and turns of the plot through his own inner world, as well as an amazing insight into the essence of human psychology and the ability to develop the plot so sharply and dynamically that it is impossible to put it down until you finish reading. It is not surprising that the novel “A Few Days” inspired the famous Spanish director I. Uribe to make a film of the same name starring Javier Bardem and Carmelo Gomez. Juan Madrid is a realist artist in the truest sense of the word. He shows reality as it really is, without trying to soften or embellish anything about it. Ironic to the point of mockery, sentimental to the point of tears, he either humiliates his characters or sympathizes with them, describing the “abominations of life” of the bottom of Madrid, where everyone drinks, injects drugs, makes love and lewdness, laughs and cries, where everyone has a dream, for the fulfillment of which They huddled together in a pack, hating each other and not imagining life without each other. They are infinitely lonely and defenseless against the evil and cynicism of society, but they have only one thing in common - they all have only a few days left to live.