I’ve arrived at the final essay in Miguel de Unamuno’s Tragic Sense of Life. Before I finish his book, I’m taking a day to process the essays I’ve read.
Unamuno has staked out the grounds for his argument for what he wants most: immortality. And not the faux immortality of statues or literary fame or living on in the memories of his family. No, Unamuno will accept nothing less than true immortality. But here’s the thing: Unamuno does not like definitions. He will walk up as close as possible to a working definition but not a step further. So he will not come out and state how he will achieve the immortality he craves.
Furthermore, the last essay is titled “Don Quixote in the Contemporary European Tragi-Comedy.” I’ve never read Don Quixote. Do I read the essay and hope my cultural knowledge of Don Quixote will carry me through? Or do I read Don Quixote first and then read the final essay?