The concept of «chaotic enumeration» was introduced by Leo Spitzer to signify something that links a haphazard, material and abstract collection of things. It is a reflex of modernity, where things and words have gained autonomy. Above all, however, Spitzer claims that chaotic enumeration alludes to God's infinite attributes. This paper examines four authors - Borges, Calvino, Musil and Nabokov - and shows the tragic dimension of chaotic enumeration, its complex link to time and death, and its ambiguous promise of sensibility.