Juan Valera is a Spanish writer and philosopher. Western European critics called him the “Spanish Turgenev.” The title of the novel refers to the famous “Faust” by Goethe. But Doctor Faustino is more like a miniature Faust. Juan Valera's character is not visited by the devil and offered immortality. Don Faustino is an impoverished aristocrat who is possessed by destructive illusions. He graduates from university, receives the title of doctor and tries to find a use for himself in life. It seems to Faustino that as soon as he moves to Madrid, he will immediately become an outstanding philosopher, poet or politician. At the same time, Dr. Faustino strives for ideal love. He is looking for her in the form of cousin Constance, the daughter of the notary Rosita and the Eternal Friend - a mysterious stranger who is invisibly watching him. But illusions are shattered, and without them, the ideal love found fades.