The city in the sea

In Short

This novel is a romantic adventure following a small crew that sets out to scavenge the sunken Greek city of Hyalos. Tasked by an elderly, enigmatic art dealer with finding treasures lost for centuries, the protagonists face rival fortune hunters, meddling authorities, and their own complicated personal histories. It is a story about the intersection of classical beauty and modern commerce, capturing the tension between the desire for discovery and the hazards of obsession. Its lasting appeal lies in its atmospheric blend of maritime travel and the mythic allure of lost civilizations.

The Story

The journey begins when Bobby Lestrange, a struggling writer in London, meets the wealthy and manipulative art dealer Jacob Behrens. Behrens possesses a meticulously detailed map of Hyalos, an ancient city recently discovered on the sea floor, and he convinces the young, impressionable Bobby to lead an expedition to salvage its treasures. Bobby enlists the help of an old university friend, Samuel Hackett, an expert yachtsman currently grieving a failed romance. Joining them is Martia, a woman with a mysterious connection to the venture. Using the Lorna Doone, a sturdy ketch, the group sails from England to the Mediterranean, eventually locating the ruins of Hyalos.

As the divers begin to recover exquisite, miniature statues—including a breathtaking "Victory" in a chariot—the reality of their theft sets in. They are not alone; a suspicious, black-bearded man named Visconti, a former associate of Behrens, tracks their movements with his own vessel. The expedition is soon plagued by bureaucratic interference and threats of arrest by local authorities who view the looting of ancient sites as a serious crime. The crew finds themselves caught in a cat-and-mouse game across the Mediterranean, struggling to protect their findings while navigating the legal and ethical quagmire of their actions.

Back in England, the tension reaches its breaking point. Visconti confronts the group, demanding a share of the loot and threatening to expose their illegal activities to the government. Just as the situation seems hopeless, Behrens emerges from the shadows, revealing that Visconti was his own failed agent whom he had previously tasked with the job. The confrontation concludes with Behrens asserting control, though the artifacts are ultimately secured. In the aftermath, the romantic misunderstandings that fueled the crew's internal friction are resolved. It is revealed that Sam’s despondency was not for Martia, but for her sister, Violet, whom he is subsequently reunited with. Bobby and Martia, having bonded through the intensity of the voyage, realize their mutual love. The story ends with the two men happily married and the treasures of Hyalos remaining a guarded secret, waiting for a future that may never arrive.

How It Unfolds

The proposal Bobby Lestrange is plucked from his mundane life by an aging art dealer who shares a secret map of an ancient city submerged by an earthquake. He is promised fame and wealth if he can organize a crew to salvage its lost art before rivals reach it.

The preparation Bobby recruits Sam Hackett, a skilled but emotionally withdrawn yachtsman, to procure a ship and the necessary gear. Martia, a woman tied to the secret mission, joins the crew, setting the stage for a voyage driven by equal parts ambition and personal unrest.

The discovery The expedition reaches the Greek waters, where they find the ghostly ruins of Hyalos resting on the sea floor. The wonder of seeing statues and streets preserved in the deep is quickly tempered by the realization that they are being watched.

The pursuit A rival ship, the Santa Margharita, begins to shadow the Lorna Doone, leading to a series of tense encounters in foreign ports. The crew struggles to maintain their cover as the threat of government detention grows increasingly urgent.

The confrontation Returning to England, the crew is forced into a final showdown with Visconti, the man who has been stalking their mission. Behrens intervenes to settle the score, bringing the illicit adventure to a surprising close.

The People

Bobby Lestrange is a young, idealistic writer looking for "life" and adventure to fuel his work. He starts as a tool for Behrens’s schemes but grows into a determined leader who finds clarity and love amidst the chaos of the Mediterranean.

Samuel Hackett is the expert sailor, a man of action who suffers from a deep, hidden melancholy. While initially portrayed as a man lost to his own troubles, he acts as the backbone of the expedition, eventually finding redemption and reuniting with the woman he truly loves.

Martia is the emotional center of the journey, brave and fiercely committed to the mission. Though the men often underestimate her, she remains the most observant member of the crew, acting as a bridge between the cold ambition of Behrens and the warmth she eventually finds with Bobby.

Jacob Behrens is the elderly, calculating dealer of "Life." He is a man who treats human beings and art with the same detached, strategic interest. He manipulates the others to achieve his ends, viewing his role as the master puppeteer of the entire affair.

In Its Own Voice

"Gaze deep-sea horses 'neath the wave / And dolphins in mosaic shown, / Up-glimmer from the courts they pave / Far down, what more?..."

(The narrator describes the haunting, submerged beauty of the forgotten city of Hyalos.)

"How can any man who paints pictures or writes stories or poems convey to his audience the effects of hate, of love, of passion, of dread, of fear, on the human mind if he has not experienced those emotions?"

(Behrens challenges Bobby to abandon his safe life and seek out genuine human experience.)

What It's Really About

The book explores the morality of "collecting" history and the thin line between exploration and exploitation. It posits that beauty, once unearthed, becomes a commodity in the hands of the wealthy, disconnected from the culture that created it. Beneath the adventure, the story asks whether a life of utility is sufficient for a man, or if one must risk destruction to truly understand the human condition. It reflects on the impermanence of cities and the arrogance of those who believe they can claim the remnants of a vanished past. Ultimately, it questions the value of treasure when measured against the cost of the secrets kept to preserve it.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the atmosphere of early 20th-century maritime adventures will find much to admire here. The descriptions of the Mediterranean—the "tray of broken sapphires"—and the ethereal, shifting light over the underwater ruins are written with a lyrical precision that keeps the reader tethered to the scene. It is a book that captures the specific, slightly melancholic glamour of a post-war world searching for wonder.

Be aware, however, that the pacing can feel deliberate, and the characters sometimes speak in the stylized, high-minded prose of the era, which may strike contemporary readers as overly earnest. The casual attitudes toward colonial-style resource extraction and the "finders keepers" logic of the looting mission reflect the values of the 1920s; they are presented plainly, without modern irony. If you are interested in a story that captures the intersection of romanticism and cynicism, where the hunt for antiquity is essentially a hunt for personal meaning, this will linger with you. It feels like a long, sun-drenched, and slightly illicit voyage—one where the thrill of the chase is just as important as the prize itself.