Safe Return Doubtful

translated from the French by Jules Cambon

This is a beautiful, though occasionally sad, novel written in 1886 depicting the lives of Breton fishermen and their families. It’s available in the public domain for free through Project Gutenberg. I read it while on that bit of coastline, and it does give plenty of the history of the culture of the area.

Each summer season the fishermen sail the stormy seas for Iceland, and return six months later.
The characters are humble and genuine working class people, and the various linked anecdotes relate to everyday life, and deal with themes of love and separation, as well as the inevitable tragedy.
Loti writes particularly well about nature, with a simple style though one that links the people to their environment.

My GoodReads score 3 / 5