The story “Palomar” (1983), one of the most complex in the writer’s work. “There is a swell on the sea, a weak surf hits the sandy shore. Signor Palomar stands and looks at the wave. It is impossible to say that he is absorbed in contemplating the waves. He is not absorbed, because he is well aware of what he is doing: he wants to look at the wave - and he does. He does not contemplate, because this requires a special temperament, an internal mood, a confluence of external circumstances, and although in principle he is not at all against contemplation, none of the three conditions are met in this case. And finally, he doesn’t want to look at the waves, but only at one: being wary of vague sensations, Palomar, no matter what he does, is accustomed to defining for himself a specific limited object...”