Tragic Sense of Life

The cover makes it look like you're reading a morose self-help book from a shady corner of the internet, but I found this writing to be exactly what I needed as I question faith, relish in bittersweet feelings, and wonder where humanity's general desperation for afterlife stems from. Is Unamuno's writing verbose? Yes. Exuberant? Yes. Overly-dramatic? Yes. Full of passages that resonate so deeply that I underline them even though I know I never reread underlined passages in my books? Absolutely.

Whatever edition you get, be it kindle, the recurring Dover books editions, or the Kerrigan translation, read it and enjoy it! Contemporary Spanish philosophy is one of the most neglected spheres of philosophy out there. And it is so rich! If you have interests in theology, religion, faith, good literature, or the deep existential questions of life and death, this is a book to wrestle with. One may not find oneself agreeing with everything he says, but, in general, the "tragic" sense of life which he speaks of, could not possibly be more true for each and every person to consider for oneself.I recommend Mist, The Treatise on the Love of God, and Abel Sanchez and Stories also for a mix of his fiction and other Treatises. And when you read him, be sure to also read Ortega y Gasset, Jose Ferrater Mora, and Xavier Zubiri! Great Spanish philosophers who do not get enough credit for their genius.

For me, this book has many fascinations. I particularly liked the passion and sense of urgency with which Unamuno infused his text. His strong feelings have an impact even a hundred years after he wrote the work.It's in two parts. In the first he discusses the gap between the promise and potential of life and the limitations and restraints that confront us, chief among which are the fences that rational thinking puts around us. He says that everyone's greatest wish is for immortality, yet our everyday minds tell us that this is impossible to achieve, hence the "tragic sense of life".The second part, offers his solution -- a version of the Christian faith that affirms basic teachings of the Bible and the church. In some instances, though, he goes his own way, particularly in his discussion of consciousness and, if I'm not mistaken, in hints that people achieve their own salvations.While it is a joy for me to read a strong defence of a spiritual approach to life, which I would read it again for the sake of the passion and intelligence of discussion,I consider this work a door-opener for pilgrims rather than a final resting point.

I stated reading it and I could not understand it. I didn't finish it

I first read this book in my late 20"s after being introduced to it by a Argentinian woman.( Whom I fell in love with and still love to this day!!) Unamuno, for me, is a great writer for no other reason other than his clarity. His prose is as clear as a creek winding through a countryside after a winter thaw. What's more is he wrote in all generes: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry and Drama. I am constantly on the move so I can't buy and maintain hard cover or paperback books as I did in the past. When I saw this book availiable I decided to buy it and keep it by my side the way I do with other favorites: The Holy Bible, Crime And Punishment, Swans Way, Wings of the Dove, Remains of the Day. However, if you can get a decent physical copy get it and allow it to remain on your shelf.( That beautiful Argentine lady? Her name was Maria and she always told me that favorite books are like best friends waiting on your attention and that they will never get upset while you go about lifes business...which is kind of what Tragic Sense Of Life is about!!!)

Just as I expected, great.

Other reviewers have called this book "philosophy for real men." Unamuno begins with this assertion. He rejects the Socratic "Man" as a creature of thought and not of substance. "Soy un hombre de carne y hueso!" he says: "I am a man of flesh and bone."He works to provide the basis for a belief based on on reason, which he calls anti-vital, but on necessity. It is necessary for us, as men of flesh and bone, to believe that we can exist indefinitely. Reason tells us that we cannot. It is the confluence of these two beliefs that creates the tragic sense of life.This is one of the best and most important books I've read, and I'd recommend it to anyone capable of sitting down and reading it.

one of the great philosophic books of the early 1900's. Unamuno was a humanist thinker in a later time of the Spanish civil war.

I received this product in good time and it was in perfect condition. However the cover of the actual book is not the one shown. This might not bother most people but it really bothered me. This book (and its old cover) has so many nostalgic associations that my disappointment was profound. I will have to try and find an older second-hand copy.This just shows how an older generation brought up on print thinks about books. I have more than one e-reader and thousands of physical books but there's a Proustian value to certain books which can't be changed. Even writing this makes me feel sad.

Prompt delivery. Item as described

Was recommended.

Arrived on time, brand new copy, excellent value for money.

A philosopher with huge extended knowledge and a unique, very personal view on existential matters that are of concern to every one. I do not agree with all he is saying but I find his ideas original, challenging and of deep psychological insight.