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Jaws by Peter Benchley

(published 1974; 278 pages)

As most of my close friends and family are well aware, Steven Spielberg’s film adaptation of Jaws is my favorite movie of all time. Some may challenge my reasoning on that, and if you really want to argue about it at least read my 1,000 word diatribe about it found here (it was one of the first reviews I ever posted after starting the original Bullshish).

After Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park damn near ruined Spielberg’s amazing adaptation of that for me back in the early 2000’s, I’ve been pretty terrified of reading this one for fear of the same result. I’ve since been able to get over the fact that Jurassic Park the book and Jurassic Park the movie are two completely separate entities that must be appreciated on entirely different levels, and with that realization came a renewed desire to take on Jaws. Since Laura is awesome, she was totally game for tackling it with me once we started our two person book club.

For the first fifty or so pages, the book seemed almost completely in line with the film. The opening scene was practically shot for shot, with just as much terror and a little more gore as the night-swimmer gets her comeuppance. As the story continued, it still seemed pretty close to the film I’ve grown to love, albeit with the additional detail into character and setting backgrounds that literature allows. And then it took one major turn (and several little ones that are destined to happen during the adaptation process).

While all of the pacing involving the shark attacks is just as beautifully orchestrated as the attacks Spielberg put on the silver screen, there’s one particular subplot that occurs on land that was extremely nerve grating. Basically, two characters engaged in a completely superfluous affair that didn’t accomplish anything besides making one of the leads completely detestable and padding the pages a little (I’d estimate around 50 pages total). Thankfully, Spielberg knew better and ended up turning this prick into one of the film’s most likable characters.

Another subplot also left out of the movie was far more interesting and did well to explain why the mayor is so intent on keeping the beaches open, in spite of the obvious danger. While the movie’s pacing flows far better without this diversion, it’s a welcome bonus for reading the book. Another major positive of reading the book was that Chief Brody is still awesome and now gets to stand as one of my favorite heroes in both literature and film, and the book actually made me like Quint considerably more than the movie (though Laura still hates either variation).

Benchley is a very talented writer and his knack for suspense is seen perfectly in just about any scene the shark shows up in. I’ve been afraid of the ocean ever since I saw the movie when I was eight, and while I’ve solely credited Spielberg for that in the past, I’d now have to say Benchley deserves just as much blame. The intensity he builds up and the way the shark’s instincts are explained gave the film director a hell of a lot to work with, and every scene where Jaws shows up in the movie follows a very clear guideline for terror that Benchley outlined every time the shark took another victim in his book.

Overall, I’m glad we read it. Despite my fears, it didn’t come close to making me question the movie, as I’d happily stand by Spielberg’s adaptation as the superior version of this story if only because of book’s waste-of-time side story. Adultery is stupid, Mr. Benchley. Keep it out of my horror books.

Spielberg also made the better ending. By a lot.

The next book we’ll be tackling is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It’s Laura’s favorite book of all time, and I know practically nothing about it aside from the famous opening line. Ironically, were I forced to read this when I was in high school there is a 99% chance I only would have read the Cliff Notes. I feel so grown up.