Books by Loti

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First Published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Of the many novels written by Pierre Loti, one of his most endearing is The Iceland Fisherman. About a group of French fishermen who leave Brittany to fish in the rough but bountiful waters off the coast of Iceland, this book is as much about the struggles they face in the violent weather of the North Atlantic as it is about the heartbreak faced by those left behind. Full of vivid descriptions of life both at sea and on land, the range of emotions felt by these men of the sea has never been better captured--from the solitude and isolation after many weeks at sea, to the jubilations of returning home after many months away.

This tale of Breton peasant life, with its simple joys and sorrows, is beautifully told. There are grim and sordid scenes at Brest showing the temptations that lie in wait for the sailor as he comes ashore, and the sufferings of the wives living in the seaport, and of course there are characteristic description of the Breton country-side. Parallel with these there are descriptions of life in a warship during its cruise about the world.