The Tree of Knowledge - by Pío Baroja

This semi-autobiographical novel follows Andrés Hurtado, a young medical student in late 19th-century Madrid, as he grapples with disillusionment, scientific ambition, and existential despair. Drawing on Baroja's own experiences, it critiques the rigidities of education, society, and philosophy—echoing influences like Schopenhauer—through Andrés's turbulent journey from idealism to pessimism, blending vivid realism, humor, and tragedy in a portrait of fin-de-siècle Spain.