The Toilers of the Sea (Modern Library Classics)
by Victor Hugo
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Book Summary Information
Author: Victor HugoTranslator: James Hogarth
Introduction: Graham Robb
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2002-09-10
ISBN: 0375761322
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Modern Library
Book Reviews of The Toilers of the Sea (Modern Library Classics)
Book Review: Magnifique!
Summary: 5 Stars
This powerful story was my first encounter with Hugo's work; since then I've read The Hunchback, Les Miserables and The Man who Laughs, and--with the slight exception of the Hunchback--enjoyed each one immensely.
Initially, it was a struggle. Hugo expatiates on channel island life, its history, geography, and customs, in a relentless manner, piling on detail after extraneous detail without any direct connection to the story. Some editions have actually left this part out (which opens with the ominous,"The Atlantic wears away our coasts") and instead begin with "Sieur Clubin" (like other works by Hugo, the books in the novel are eponoumously titled) where the readers are quickly immersed into a standard narration with characters shuffling into play.
I do think it's worthwhile to read these roughly fifty or so pages that comprise the Channel Islands section on the book. It's classic Hugo overload and prepare the palette so to speak for a novel whose tangents can expand from simple declarative sentence to entire chapter according to Hugo's whim. However massive, these whims are beautifully tempered by sudden twists and plot machinations that are quite effective at actuating the plot.
When Hugo officially starts the story, (this is where some editions begin) "The Christmas of 18-- was a memorable day...", it is in such a straightforward manner that it may slightly perplex the reader because it doesn't quite justify any of the build-up that directly precedes it, not right away at least. Dickens is often derided by modern critics for his extended page opener or superfluous chapter but his vagaries aren't nearly as long or plodding as Hugo's. Dickens certainly padded his work, whereas Hugo is almost sacrifices his novels in favor of discursive obsessions. In fact Dickens was paid by installment, not by word, as has been so erroneously promulgated and his contracts typically stipulated 20 installments, each monthly, so most of his stories are roughly 600-700 pages based on a standard installment size of 30 pages. If Dickens is prolix it is in the inclusion of an atmospheric chapter or supporting story-line, not on the word for word level--don't get me wrong though, his sentences are by no means terse. Hugo is perhaps more forceful in his digressive tendencies.
Yet, in the end, it's these tedious tangents that make a memorable reading experience and somehow or other Hugo constructs a brilliant edifice that's both craggy and surprisingly solid possessing a vitality all its own.
All Hugo's stories, not just Toilers, are peopled with engaging characters; even the villains like Sieur Clubin are genuine and endear themselves to the reader as much as if not more than the hero-protagonists. Some reviewers have criticized the female characters in his works. I understand that complaint from a modern, feminist point of view; but, if the male characters crowd center stage they don't do so in a necessarily complicated they do apologetically fill center stage and that's probably the where these misgivings arise. Let's not also forget that Hugo is French and--please forgive the generalization--the French are delightfully chauvinistic.
A frequent hallmark of Hugo's style is the preposterous or profane assertion--the short simple thesis, if you will--followed by another, sometimes supporting sometimes not, essentially building upon an idea, perhaps more than the first, then another is followed by another until the last sentence where everything is tied together with a bold closing line that is usually ironic or sometime solemn gravitas. It is a poetic, vaguely Baudelairian pith. When overused it hovers dangerously close to shtick, but you don't need to take the content too seriously. Go with the flow you'll gain an appreciation for the subversive, individualist thinker that Hugo is despite what amounts at times to sententious logorrhea. Here are some examples of what I'm referring to:
"To lie is to suffer. A hypocrite is a sufferer in every sense of the word; he plans a triumph but endures continual punishment...."
-and
"The human eye is so constructed that it can express force of character. A single glance of the eye reveals the quantity of manhood we possess. We assert ourselves through the intelligence that sparkles beneath the eyebrows. Little consciences pass through..."
What's there to say about the ending? A fitting solution to the story? A disturbing one, very similar to the conclusion of The Man who Laughs, without the Romeo and Juliet symmetry of course; or Jean Valjean's lugubrious self-imposed isolation from Cosette and Marius at the end of Les Miserables. Gilliatt's demise is a singular and extraordinary act of self-negation every bit as bizarre, horrific and mesmerizing as rescuing a crotch-wedged steam engine from its jammed nesting place. In fact I feel the will power to drown himself shows a sublimation somewhat fitting for the character.
Speaking more of Gillant, an incredible character, like Hugo himself both massively vain and completely selfless, full of ingenuity and life-force. If this creature does not touch you on some level nothing will. These types (the Valjeans, the Quasimodos, the Gillants...) are a throwback to fairy tale giants or
modern superhero comics who enchant readers with their uncanny mental and physical prowess. In fact Jean Valjean's antics with the runaway cart or Quisomodo's terrific facade-scaling are proof of this.
I strongly recommend this book to people who love the aura and mystery of the ocean, or specifically, the seaside. Something like Moby Dick is all about the ocean itself, whereas this is undeniably the littoral milieu. I hope that one day I can visit the channel islands and see some of the things described in this novel, perhaps visit Hauteville House, the place Hugo wrote this book. Anyone interested in the channel islands might also like Carette of Sark by John Oxham. Not nearly as good, but a story that takes place in the same location and like Toilers, a wondrous peculiarity.
Summary of The Toilers of the Sea (Modern Library Classics)
In 1855, fleeing political persecution, Victor Hugo found sanctuary on the Isle of Guernsey, among the most historic and picturesque of the Channel Islands. The legends and lore of the islands sparked Hugo's imagination, resulting in one of his most unusual works. Setting mythical, romantic, and social themes against a backdrop of memorable descriptions, The Toilers of the Sea is a novel of epic proportions, brought to light in a new Signet Classic edition.Classics Books
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