Jaws was written by Peter Benchley in 1974. This terrifying novel was later turned into a film, becoming the first major blockbuster!
SUMMARY
We all know the premise of Jaws. Well… most people know it. Just in case, here is a very brief summary. Amity Island is terrorized by a great white shark – attacking, killing, and eating swimmers! Police Chief Brody wants to shut the beaches down until the shark is gone, but authorities with higher power… won’t let that happen. Amity depends on tourism, ans the season is upon them. If they shut the beaches down… the residents will surely suffer.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
The movie was great, one of the first, if not, THE first blockbuster films. I’m so glad I decided to finally read this book! I thought it was brilliant.
Oh my goodness I almost passed out reading this book in the first chapter! The first shark attack is so nasty and graphic. After that scene though, the graphic descriptions tone down quite a bit.
There are for sure some similarities to the film, but there are also some pretty drastic differences. The way it was altered for cinema, I thought was great, I think if it followed too closely to the book, the film wouldn’t have been as good. What I’m really referring to, are the characters. I found myself routing against a few.
Martin Brody, the police chief of Amity Island, had so much pressure on him. He wanted to keep the beaches closed after a few shark attacks left swimmers in pieces… dead. Yet, the powers that be forced his hand from doing so. Brody seems to be a simple man who does his job well. The tension at home with his wife thickens when marine biologist Matt Hooper shows up.
The build up to the end was fantastic. I loved the build up to the end. I thought all of the shark stuff was really good, but the stuff with all the characters and their drama was written really… really good! The plot and subplot mingled together so well. The character of Quint, the fisherman that owned the boat ORCA, was written perfectly. His flaw was his pride.
I don’t have anything negative to say about the book. Actions were taken by characters that pissed me off, and the language was a bit rough… but the story and the writing style was most excellent. As far as the ending is concerned, it works how it is in the book, but I preferred the film ending.
Do I recommend you read Jaws? Yes. Especially if you plan on having a beach trip. Read it before dipping your toes in the water.
RATING
I will five Jaws by Peter Benchley, an A+