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.