Toilers of the Sea

Toilers of the Sea (1866) is a novel by Victor Hugo. Written while Hugo was living in exile on the island of Guernsey, Toilers of the Sea is a story of adventure that expresses the everyday struggles of a fool in love while capturing the changes wrought by political and economic revolution in Europe. “Gilliatt lived in the parish of St. Sampson. He was not liked by his neighbours; and there were reasons for that fact.” Viewed as an outsider by the seafaring community of Guernsey, Gilliat lives alone in a house deemed haunted, though no one would dare visit him anyway. Despite his skill as a fisherman, the townspeople claim he is a malevolent sorcerer, all but condemning him to a life of total seclusion. In love with the niece of a prominent shipowner, he volunteers to salvage what he can from a vessel that was wrecked some distance from the coast. Braving the elements and coming face to face with a vicious octopus, Gilliatt seizes his only chance at escaping his lonely circumstances, at finding love at last. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea is a classic work of French literature reimagined for modern readers.