Jaws by Peter Benchley is a pop culture phenomenon.
This was a massive hit, even moreso after the film directed by Stephen Spielberg came out in the Summer of 1975. You don't need to have seen the movie or read the book to remember that when you go into the water, a shark is circling underneath you. This film is iconic, as is the soundtrack, however, the book is surprisingly quite different.
"Spoilers Within" Chief Brody is investigating the disappearance of a woman who went for a late night swim off the coast of Amity, Long Island. In the first chapter she was viciously eaten by a giant shark. He tries to close down the beaches to the anger of the businesses and residents who thrive on Summer visitors. Brody's wife grew up there, and has always tried to fit in with the vacation crowd without success. She drinks too much and they fight, she dreams of having an affair, of being overtaken by a stranger. She meets a man at a hotel and has an affair, which she then feels guilty about. It is over 175 pages of her story, and her dissatisfaction with her marriage, while not much happens on the beach. At 230 pages, Brody hires a veteran seaman and his boat, and with a marine biologist unsuccessfully searches for the shark over two days. In the last chapter, the last 12 pages at the 300 page mark, they spot the great shark, ending in a quick, deadly, and un-Hollywood ending.
This is not the action novel I was expecting, and I wonder if the millions who read the bestselling paperback on beach vacation were satisfied. I thought this was man eating shark attack story, instead of a drama of an unhappy housewife. Competently written by Benchley, who has cemented his place at the top of this genre, and he gets points from me for mentioning the vacationers relaxed reading Helen McInnes and John Cheever - favourite authors of mine.
The copy I found was a 'pristine' hardcover, not stated first edition but with the original 1974 printing dust jacket and artwork. The jacket has minor scuffing, but the pages themselves were so tight and clean as to have been unread, untouched - the spine never cracked.
It must have sat on someone's shelf for all these years.
It was phenomenon when published, and a classic of the genre, so I'm glad I read it, but I was hoping for more action. Enjoyable, but don't go out of your way to find it.
My other reviews of Peter Benchley:
1974 / Hardcover / 311 pages
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