You can practically hear that famous John Williams score while reading this. After growing up with the film, it was time I finally read the novel! “Its dorsal fin broke water, and its tail, thrashing back and forth, cut the glassy surface with a hiss.” I was captivated from the opening memorable scene. Benchley manages to build suspense while delivering technical details at the same time. It was one of the more brutal openings I’ve read. “At first, the woman thought she had snagged her leg o...

2.5 stars Okay, let's be real. *Jaws* by Peter Benchley is iconic, and for good reason. It basically invented the summer blockbuster. But... does it hold up? Kinda. The first half, with the mounting tension and the small-town politics, is genuinely gripping. Benchley nails the atmosphere of Amity Island and the growing dread as people start disappearing. You can practically smell the salt air and feel the panic. But then... the shark hunting starts. And it gets... repetitive. And, honestly, a ...

*spoiler*The fact that the shark died and Mayor Vaughan didn't is one of the greatest injustices of all time. Seriously, what a jerk.It's a testament to Peter Benchley's writing in *Jaws* that you're actively rooting for a giant, man-eating shark. You *want* it to succeed. You *want* it to take a chomp out of that awful mayor. The fact that Vaughan gets away with his greed and incompetence while the shark, well, *Jaws* ends up chum, is infuriating. This book review is basically just me venting a...

It's the first full day of my beach vacation. Here's the view I'm enjoying:And now that I've finished reading *Jaws*, this is *all* I see:So… maybe the timing wasn't ideal!*Jaws* by Peter Benchley is a quick, cheesy read. I'd seen the movie before, so I expected suspense, but there's a surprising amount of melodrama and some rather racy romance thrown in. It's also incredibly dated; the '70s just drip from the dialogue.Usually, the things I just mentioned might be considered negatives. But hones...

“At first, the woman thought she had snagged her leg on a rock or a piece of floating wood. There was no initial pain, only one violent tug on her right leg. She reached down to touch her foot, treading water with her left leg to keep her head up, feeling in the blackness with her left hand. She could not find her foot. She reached higher on her leg, and then she was overcome by a rush of nausea and dizziness. Her groping fingers had found a nub of bone and tattered flesh. She knew that the warm...

Before I burn my copy of Jaws by Peter Benchley for kindling, ready to prepare a lovely batch of s'mores for my kids on this last week of summer vacation, I'll pause briefly to give you my review. Looking for honest book reviews? Keep reading!Jaws the book inspired Jaws the movie, which inspired my totally inappropriate, decades-long crush on Roy Scheider (I was convinced we'd be married someday). The movie also terrorized millions and inspired fear of the ocean and the unnecessary killings of w...

Okay, so I finally got around to reading Peter Benchley's *Jaws* after watching the movie a million times growing up. It's definitely a summery read! I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure if the *Jaws* book was going to be any good, but I was wrong, and now I just might read Benchley's other books. Here's the thing, just don't go in the water when you know people have been killed by a shark! What the hell is wrong with people? I wish I could have watched the *Jaws* movie again right after rea...

"Relentless terror." - The Philadelphia InquirerI mean, obviously that’s ridiculous – this book isn’t even remotely scary, but it’s also not as bad as modern people claim. Obviously, opinions/schmopinions, and I’m not defending this as a hallmark of great literature or anything, but it has its charms. Most of those charms involve how it feels like a pre-outrage time capsule, with its “hysterical” women and its “faggots” staging a nude dance party and the recurring exploits of a “black gardener” ...

An excellent read. First off, Peter Benchley's 1974 novel *Jaws* is a far cry darker and more intricate than Spielberg's iconic film adaptation. And let's be clear, the movie was a magnificent cinematic achievement, a work of art with few equals, earning Spielberg his earliest and most significant accolades. But Benchley's novel, like most books almost by default, possesses a layered complexity, complete with well-developed and interconnected characterizations, and a group dynamic that proves j...

"Duuun dun duuun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun BOM BOM dun dun dun dun dun dun doo dedoo doo dedoo dede doo dede doo dededoo." Has there ever been theme music used in a film more effectively than for the 1975 blockbuster movie *Jaws*? A movie so powerful that there are legions of people that have refused to go into the water EVER AGAIN after seeing that movie. I’m not a water person. Growing up in the landlocked Midwest I prefer to be able to see the bottom of whatever body of water I happen to...