"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.