Toilers of the sea
by Victor Hugo
- First published
- 1866
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Toilers of the Sea" by Victor Hugo is a novel published in 1866. Set on Guernsey after the Napoleonic Wars, it follows Gilliatt, a social outcast who loves Deruchette, a shipowner's niece. When a steamship wrecks on a dangerous reef, Deruchette promises to marry whoever salvages its engine. Gilliatt volunteers for this perilous mission, facing extreme physical challenges including a deadly battle with an octopus, while enduring the scorn of his community in pursuit of an uncertain reward.
- Fishers
- Sailors
- French fiction
- Guernsey (Channel Islands)
- Channel Islands
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #32338. Toilers of the sea on Wikipedia.
