El árbol de la ciencia: novela

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

60464

Title

El árbol de la ciencia: novela

Language

es

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in late 19th-century Spain, this novel follows medical student Andrés Hurtado as he grapples with the tension between scientific rationalism and human emotion. After his wife Lulú dies giving birth to a stillborn child, Andrés succumbs to despair, exploring themes of egoism, the limits of science, and the tragic cost of intellectual detachment.

Summary up to 500 words

In Piío Baroja's *El árbol de la ciencia*, the narrative follows Andrés Hurtado, a brilliant yet isolated medical student in Madrid who becomes captivated by the philosophical musings of the eccentric Professor Letamendi. Letamendi proposes that life can be reduced to a mathematical formula, a concept Andrés initially embraces but eventually rejects as superficial after realizing it lacks empirical reality. Through his interactions with the cynical Antonio Lamela and his own philosophical readings, Andrés questions the utility of science against the necessity of faith and emotion, ultimately concluding that pure reason leads to a sterile, anemic existence. The story shifts to Andrés's domestic life with his wife, Lulú. Their marriage is initially harmonious, but Andrés harbors a deep-seated, irrational fear that he is a 'poisoned' product incapable of fathering a healthy child. This anxiety culminates in Lulú's pregnancy. Despite her initial joy, the birth turns into a nightmare; medical complications, including the prolapse of the umbilical cord, lead to the stillbirth of their son. Devastated by the loss and suffering from hemorrhaging, Lulú dies two days later. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, Andrés retreats into his room. He overhears colleagues discussing the case, suggesting that nature might have saved her had she been left alone, a comment that shatters his remaining faith in medical intervention. Consumed by an inability to live without his wife, Andrés turns to aconitine, a potent poison, and ends his life. The novel concludes with the characters noting that Andrés was an 'epicurean' aristocrat who lacked the strength to endure the pain of life, framing his death as a tragic inevitability rather than a simple act of cowardice. Through this tragedy, Baroja explores the conflict between the 'tree of science' and the 'tree of life,' illustrating how the dissection of reality can destroy the very vitality it seeks to understand.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Fiction
• Medicine
• Spain