Mist or Niebla

Mist (1914) is not a novel, but rather a 'Nivola,' a neologism invented by Miguel de Unamuno to taunt his critics. We cannot say it's a new genre, because no other author has ever written a 'Nivola.'

What is certain is that Mist is one of the most important works of fiction of the Basque writer. The book addresses the insecurity of modern man who cares about his fate and his death, a very constant theme found in Unamuno's verse and prose.

The title Mist is loaded with meaning, since there is nothing conclusive in the novel: it's all speculation about nebulous characters and themes; a nebula where the light of understanding does not penetrate. Of course all this is on purpose. The author puts forth his ideas about human existence: that it is somber, ever blurry-and never clear and distinct as it seemed to the French philosopher Descartes.