The Ocean

When the Aurora is torpedoed, all on board must abandon ship. Curtain, a sailor, finds himself stranded in a lifeboat on the open sea. On board with him are four men, one of them an old priest. The differences in the strength and weakness of character of the five men, their relations with one another, and their private thoughts and dreams are explored as the days pass, the water runs low, the priest's health fades, and no sign of rescue appears. James Hanley presents human frailty in the face of the demoralizing power of the sea in this beautifully written, grim masterpiece.