The relationship between literature and the sea goes back a long way. There's something about beaches, the vastness of the ocean, and its hidden worlds that has captivated and challenged great writers for centuries to delve into its secrets. These top books set at sea offer different journeys across the waves, perfect for taking advantage of the upcoming summer months. Fancy a dip?
Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe
Considered the first English novel , Robinson Crusoe was published in 1719, forever changing the world of literature and the concept of the "castaway" as a frequent trope in adventure books for years to come. A snapshot of an era, the famous sailor who arrives on an island off the coast of South America and his instruction of the native inhabitants—Friday of the Exploits of the West—is a brilliant yet subtle representation of 18th-century colonial times.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
If there is one novel that evokes the eternal struggle between man and nature like few others, it is Moby Dick, the famous story of the ship whose crew confronts a colossal white sperm whale. The novel, brimming with symbolism and allegory, features protagonists from diverse parts of the world who represent humanity itself, while the existence of Moby Dick is rooted not only in Melville's memories as a sailor but also in two famous events of the 19th century: the attack on the fishing vessel Essex by a white sperm whale in the Pacific Ocean in 1820, and the existence of a famous albino sperm whale that frequented the Chilean island of Mocha, known to all as Mocha Dick. Despite its initial limited success upon publication in 1851, the novel eventually became a landmark of American literature.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne
First published in the French magazine Magasin d'Éducation et de Récréation between 1869 and 1870, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was revolutionary upon its release, immersing readers in underwater worlds virtually unknown in literature until then. An epic tale, its starting point recounts the dive of biologist Pierre Aronnax aboard the Nautilus , a submarine captained by the enigmatic Captain Nemo, a character embodying Jules Verne's ideology, fueled by anger and a thirst for revenge against 19th-century humanity.
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson
By the 19th century, humankind had already explored much of the world's oceans. However, the allure of discovering uncharted islands, where treasures fueled by myths and legends awaited, still lingered. This premise served as the basis for one of the most influential adventure novels of all time . Written by the Scottish author Stevenson, Treasure Island follows the adventures of Jim Hawkins , a young crew member of the ship Hispaniola, as he follows the clues on a map that would reveal the location of Captain Flint's famous treasure. A true classic.
The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway
The relationship between Hemingway and Cuba resulted in what many consider the best work by the author of The Sun Also Rises. Published in 1952, The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of an elderly fisherman who ventures out to sea to catch the largest fish his community has ever known. Written by Hemingway in his beloved Playa del Pilar, on Cayo Guillermo, The Old Man and the Sea is not only an ode to the vast blue sea with which the author was deeply enamored, but also to pride and hope as a guiding light in the face of unpredictable nature. Considered one of the landmark books of the 20th century , the work restored Hemingway's former success, coinciding with his receiving both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in 1953.
Story of a castaway, by Gabriel García Márquez
Gabo was always a great writer, but also a talented journalist. Proof of this was the publication of this story in 1055, which ran for 14 consecutive days in the Colombian newspaper El Espectador, before being published as a book in 1970. The story recounts the ten days at sea spent by sailor Luis Alejandro Velasco , the sole survivor of the ARC Caldas, a cargo ship that left Mobile, Alabama, loaded with contraband. The true story, worthy of an unpublished episode of Robinson Crusoe or Lord of the Flies, turned Velasco into a national hero. Gabo bequeathed all the rights to his work to Velasco after its publication.
Would you like to read The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor?
Jaws, by Peter Benchley
Months before its publication in 1974, producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown read the draft of the novel Jaws and didn't hesitate for a second to buy the film rights. The arrival of a massive great white shark that wreaks havoc on a small island community owed part of its success to Steven Spielberg's 1975 film , which would forever change the Hollywood industry by becoming the highest-grossing film of its time. As legendary as it is entertaining.
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
After a failed novel set in Portugal, Canadian Yann Martel decided to travel to India in search of a story. It was there, in a café, that he was told the story of a man. Or rather, the story of a boy named Pi who was forced to survive alongside a tiger named Richard Parker after the ship carrying his family's zoo to America sank. Filled with symbolism and fantasy, Life of Pi is a novel about faith, about the capacity to believe and see hope rewarded in the form of kelp islands and flying fish. One of the most widely read novels of the 19th century, it also inspired a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film adaptation in 2012.
What are your favorite books set at sea?