Lucía Jerez

Lucía Jerez, José Martí's (1853-1895) only novel, originally titled Amistad Funesta, is a groundbreaking work of fin-de-siècle Modernismo that defies easy categorization. Martí, the Cuban national hero, reluctantly wrote this “novelucha” (little novel) under commercial constraints, yet it emerged as a text far ahead of its time, anticipating characteristics of the modern novel and challenging conventional literary discourse.

Edited by Ivan A. Schulman, this critical edition meticulously restores the original serialized text, offering invaluable insights into Martí's stylistic innovations and his complex relationship with the novelistic genre. Despite Martí's initial disdain for the novel form, Lucía Jerez functions as a “lyrical novel” where intense poetic imagery, symbolic motifs (like the magnolia and the contrast between white and shadows), and a fragmented narrative structure convey a world in disequilibrium.

The novel explores themes of love, betrayal, and the corrupting forces of modern materialism, particularly through the destructive jealousy of Lucía and the naive idealism of Juan. It is a powerful allegory for the conflicts and transformations of 19th-century Latin American modernity, reflecting Martí's revolutionary ideology and his profound ethical stance on nation-building. This edition is indispensable for understanding Martí’s literary versatility and his contribution to the genesis of the Latin American Modernista novel.