El Doctor Centeno (Tomo I)

by Benito Pérez Galdós

"El Doctor Centeno (Tomo I)" by Benito Pérez Galdós is a novel published in 1883. It follows Felipe Centeno, a young boy from northern Spain who arrives in Madrid dreaming of studying medicine. Instead, he becomes a servant navigating the capital's harsh realities. Through masters both eccentric and flawed—a would-be writer, a wayward priest, and other struggling souls—Felipe witnesses ambition, vice, and survival in Galdós's vividly rendered Madrid. This picaresque tale blends autobiography with fiction, introducing characters who reappear throughout the author's interconnected novels.