[.ca] Abel Sanchez and Other Short Stories (ISBN 0895267071)

moving reflections on art and faith:
These three stories, in addition to being a great read, really moved me. Yet I can't fully pin point why I enjoyed this collection so much. Maybe it was Miguel de Unamuno's unique background as a Christian existentialist writing in the early twentieth century. Maybe it was the influence of cubism on his approach to these three stories. Perhaps it was just the stories themselves; I really grew attached to these characters and the subject matter. Abel Sanchez and The Madness of Doctor Mantarco are great reflections on art (and these stories are adequately discussed in other reviews) but my personal favorite was San Manuel Bueno, Martyr. The story about a well respected priest who no longer believes in God sounds cliche, Miguel de Unamuno writes it in a way that is heartbreakingly tragic. Because the story moved me on a decidedly personal level, it's hard for me to recommend this book with certainty: how am I to know whether it's true art, or whether it's a novel I happened to just particularly like? Still, I can speak for myself: Abel Sanchez and Other Stories is an impeccable piece of literature.

The Tragic Sense of Reality:
Unamuno's work are nothing but among the most esoteric, philosophical works of the 20th century: "La fe sin duda es nada mas que muerte" - Salmo II, "faith without doubt is nothing but death." Unamuno, profoundly influenced by Kierkegaard, agonized on that eternal of questions: WILL I exist after death? His "lack" of faith was not atheistic. Rather, he was a man of reasoning, a man who could not escape the dichotomy of man (between emotion and reasoning). He knew 17 languages (he taught himself Danish to read Soren K.) and profoundly influenced the course of modern Existentialism.

Masterpiece of Latin American Literature:
Miguel De Unamuno uses his two lead characters Abel Sanchez and Joaquin Monegro along with more than enough biblical metaphors to tell this wonderful story. This is possibly one of the best books I have ever read and if you are an avid Latin American Literature aficionado as I am, I highly recommend this gem of a book.

Christian existentialism:
..and other themes are treated in this volume. Abel Sanchez, the title narrative, is an incredible reterlling of the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. Unamuno is able to interweave christian faith and spanish culturalism in order to create a morally compelling story. This collection has had a profound influence on me. I highly recommend it if you are interested in Christianity, Spanish literature, or even good literature.

Abel Sanchez:
I read the Spanish version of this story a year ago and loved it. Unamuno probes the psychology of envy, which he describes as "the national disease of Spain", showing the self-hatred involved. This is a story of Cain and Abel told with loving understanding for Cain.