Mare nostrum

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

23236

Title

Mare nostrum

Language

es

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in early 20th-century Barcelona, this historical novel follows Captain Ulises Ferragut, a man haunted by his past and facing a deadly threat from German spies. When his ship is torpedoed, he is left adrift in the Mediterranean, where he encounters a mysterious, divine figure who offers him a final, transcendent experience. Blasco Ibáñez blends maritime adventure with mythological undertones to explore themes of fate, patriotism, and spiritual redemption.

Summary up to 500 words

Vicente Blasco Ibáñez's *Mare Nostrum* intertwines historical fantasy with a gripping maritime thriller. The narrative begins with the childhood of Ulises Ferragut, whose father, a notary obsessed with the Middle Ages, tells him the tragic story of Constanza Augusta, an empress of Byzantium who died in a Valencia convent. As a child, Ulises is captivated by a painting of the empress, finding comfort in her regal presence, which becomes a spiritual anchor for him throughout his life. Years later, now a captain, Ulises lives in Barcelona amidst the rising tensions of World War I. He is pursued by German agents; after narrowly escaping an assassination attempt on the docks, he confronts a German bar owner named Hindenburg in a tense standoff. His fears are realized when a submarine torpedoes his ship. The vessel is destroyed, and Ulises is thrown into the freezing sea. Struggling against the waves and the cold, he is saved by his blind cook, Caragòl, who drowns trying to reach him. Just as Ulises is about to succumb to despair, he is approached by a supernatural woman, Anfitrita, who appears as a goddess of the sea. She embraces him, and as he sinks into the depths, he experiences a mystical union with her, finding peace and acceptance in death. The novel concludes with his surrender to the sea, leaving his fate ambiguous but spiritually resolved, blending the historical weight of the Mediterranean past with the immediate danger of the modern war.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

Download URL

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23236.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg23236.epub

Download EPUB

Downloaded at

2026-07-03 22:00 UTC

Categories

• Classics
• Fiction