Synopses & Reviews
The sole survivor of a torpedoed destroyer is miraculously cast up on a huge, barren rock in mid-Atlantic. Pitted against him are the sea, the sun, the night cold, and the terror of his isolation. At the core of this raging tale of physical and psychological violence lies Christopher Martins will to live as the sum total of his life.
Synopsis
In the icy desolation of the North Atlantic, senseless with cold and shock, Christopher Hadley Martin, temporary lieutenant, is drowning. Then, unbelievably, out of the mirk looms a grotesque shape, larger than any ship. When he has hauled himself on to it and come to his senses a bit, Martin realizes where he must be: on that rock projecting from the sea-bed which appears only on weather charts. To drink there is a pool of rainwater; to eat there are weed and sea-anemones; to talk to there is himself. And through the long hours of sleep, dreams and terror, there is the truth must be assembled, piece by appalling piece.
About the Author
Born in Cornwall, England, William Golding started writing at the age of seven. Though he studied natural sciences at Oxford to please his parents, he also studied English and published his first book, a collection of poems, before finishing college. He served in the Royal Navy during World War II, participating in the Normandy invasion. Golding's other novels include Lord of the Flies, The Inheritors, The Spire, Rites of Passage (Booker Prize), and The Double Tongue.