If you enjoyed this, check out our post on “The Myth of Sisyphus” and why we choose our own boulders.
Young Officer Giovanni Drogo receives his first posting: Fort Bastiani, an ancient, crumbling stronghold overlooking a vast, empty desert. It is a place where nothing happens. The legendary "Tartar enemy" is a myth, a rumor, a ghost. Drogo promises himself he will stay just a few months before returning to the glamour of the city. But the days blur into weeks, the weeks into years, and the desert’s hypnotic emptiness does its work. He waits. He waits for glory. He waits for the enemy. He waits for life to truly begin . il deserto dei tartari libro
Buzzati gives us one of the most cruel, beautiful ironies in literature. After decades of waiting, the Tartars finally appear. The great battle is coming. But Drogo is no longer young. He is sick. He is sent away from the fort just as his life’s purpose arrives. If you enjoyed this, check out our post