Top Must-Read Maritime Novels

Over the years, many fiction writers have run down the path of literature, and many have bent the rules to keep their readers hooked on their writing styles and novels. As a result, every author in the literary field has a unique writing style, attracting different readers over the years.

Among other writing genres, fiction is one genre that rules the world of literacy. Maritime novels, also called Nautical books, deal with interpreting stories about the sea and life on the sea and explaining humans’ different ties with the sea and oceans.

This form of literature is equivalent to the ocean’s vastness and has captured readers from time immemorial.

This article lists the must-read maritime novels that will open different perspectives about the seas and oceans in the readers’ minds.

The Old man and the sea

Ernest Hemingway is an exceptional maritime writer who wrote this book in 1952 to convey the story of an old fisherman for survival in the Gulf Stream.

With Santiago as the main character, the author also digs into the battle between humans with the environment, which is symbolic of fighting with one’s thoughts.

Moby Dick

Moby Dick was written by an American novelist named Herman Melville in 1850. It is also the best book ever written on the relationship of humans with the vast ocean.

Since this book is written in the first-person point of view of the main character Ishmael, it is much more relatable to the readers. More than just being an adventurous book, it talks about the contradiction between good and evil in life!

The North Water

This maritime novel was published in 2016 by Ian McGuire and talks about the incredible adventures of a 19th-century whaling ship that set out to the arctic for whaling and other fishing activities.

The book talks about intense violence, the cruelty of the ocean, and whale-killing, which takes the readers to the cold and brutal waters of the Arctic.

Captain Blood

Apart from being a remarkable maritime novel, this book by Rafael Sabatini is also considered the best book for adventure. The book talks about an Irish physician Peter Blood, who was also once a soldier and sailor.

The book also contains hints of romance, which makes it a great page-turner. In 1935, Michael Cruz also converted the book into a movie.

Shogun

This Japanese novel, written in 1600, talks about an English sailor who was encountered by two people on the sea, which changed his life entirely after his ship was gone ashore in Japan.

The hero’s bravery amidst the troubling waters gives the readers a fresh perspective on life. Despite the complex plot of the book, it is regarded as one of the best-selling maritime books, with a sale of 15 million.