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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
3.5
Great story with fantastic images of the shark. I wasn’t super fond of some of the plot points, but overall, an enjoyable read.
Great story with fantastic images of the shark. I wasn’t super fond of some of the plot points, but overall, an enjoyable read.
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I hesitate to call this book a thriller. I was disappointed by the characters and plot line. The focus for the first part of the book seemed to be on Brody’s wife’s unhappiness with her life rather than the shark that was killing people in town. The ending was disappointing to say the least and had no punch. Even the hunt and subsequent fight with the shark did not have high enough stakes, which could have been fixed with better writing. Just watch the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia
Minor: Rape
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
UGH I want to give this a five star, I would give it a five star... BUT... Without a spoiler there is a stupid thing that happened in the middle that had nothing to do with the plot and was very unnecessary taking way too much page space. Without it, it would be perfection, nothing like the movie, so much better. The shark is a sentient character and to me it read like a serial killer vs cop cat/mouse novel than a ravenous animal being hunted.
medium-paced
I was expecting this to be better than it is, but it's an okay read overall. A bit boring at times, particularly because of the dialogue, but I didn't hate it. The shark scenes were effective at creating a sense of dread, so that was done well.
After reading this, I was glad to discover that the author wasn't proud of the way he demonized Great White Sharks and the role his work played in our learned perception of them as man-eating beasts.
I wouldn't say it's his fault that his work was taken that way, especially after it was adapted to film, leading to a kind of snowball effect that caused harm to the shark species in the long term. After all, this is a work of fiction, but I'm glad he was aware enough to recognize that and be regretful.
There was probably a way to write this and make it tense/horrifying, without demonizing sharks. They're just animals. We trespass on their habitat and look like food, so accidents are bound to happen. That's what's scary about the natural world; we're part of it, but there are so many dangers in it for us and it's not because animals are evil. It's just because they're animals.
After reading this, I was glad to discover that the author wasn't proud of the way he demonized Great White Sharks and the role his work played in our learned perception of them as man-eating beasts.
I wouldn't say it's his fault that his work was taken that way, especially after it was adapted to film, leading to a kind of snowball effect that caused harm to the shark species in the long term. After all, this is a work of fiction, but I'm glad he was aware enough to recognize that and be regretful.
There was probably a way to write this and make it tense/horrifying, without demonizing sharks. They're just animals. We trespass on their habitat and look like food, so accidents are bound to happen. That's what's scary about the natural world; we're part of it, but there are so many dangers in it for us and it's not because animals are evil. It's just because they're animals.
Spoilers)
I really enjoy the movie, Jaws. I even named our Shark vaccum cleaner Bruce, named after the animitronic from the movie which was in turn named for Steven Speilberg's lawyer. I figured I'd give the book a spin.
Now, love for the movie aside, I went into this with a bone to pick. In a Facebook book group, Jaws waa voted as a better villain than Moby Dick, so I may have been predisposed to harbor (pun) negative feelings.
The writing is clear but isn't exactly lively. The book focuses a great deal more on the politics of Amity and alludes to some underworld ties. Characters from the movie that remain in the periphery are more fleshed out, particularly the Mayor who ends up with an interesting arc and Mrs. Brody. A great deal of the book focuses on the relationship between Chief Brody and his wife Ellen, and an eventual torrid affair with Ellen Brody and Hooper.
I remembered a behind the scenes interview with the actress who played Ellen in the movie talking about how she accepted the role, in part, because of her charactera affair with Hooper and that she thought Richard Dreyfus was very handsome. The affair in the book is honestly pretty revolting. The romantic banter certainly didn't age well and I wonder how well it was received at the time.
Eventually the book barrells towards the conclusion, which is more whimper than blockbuster bang.
Overall, I'd say this is one of those exceptions were the movie is much better than the book. 2/5
I really enjoy the movie, Jaws. I even named our Shark vaccum cleaner Bruce, named after the animitronic from the movie which was in turn named for Steven Speilberg's lawyer. I figured I'd give the book a spin.
Now, love for the movie aside, I went into this with a bone to pick. In a Facebook book group, Jaws waa voted as a better villain than Moby Dick, so I may have been predisposed to harbor (pun) negative feelings.
The writing is clear but isn't exactly lively. The book focuses a great deal more on the politics of Amity and alludes to some underworld ties. Characters from the movie that remain in the periphery are more fleshed out, particularly the Mayor who ends up with an interesting arc and Mrs. Brody. A great deal of the book focuses on the relationship between Chief Brody and his wife Ellen, and an eventual torrid affair with Ellen Brody and Hooper.
I remembered a behind the scenes interview with the actress who played Ellen in the movie talking about how she accepted the role, in part, because of her charactera affair with Hooper and that she thought Richard Dreyfus was very handsome. The affair in the book is honestly pretty revolting. The romantic banter certainly didn't age well and I wonder how well it was received at the time.
Eventually the book barrells towards the conclusion, which is more whimper than blockbuster bang.
Overall, I'd say this is one of those exceptions were the movie is much better than the book. 2/5
I’m going to keep this short and not sweet…
The movie was better, like, way better.
This was written in 1974 & it shows. You can skip it.
That’s it, that’s my review.
The movie was better, like, way better.
This was written in 1974 & it shows. You can skip it.
That’s it, that’s my review.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“An ejaculation of hopelessness”
What a fucking line.
Of course I’m comparing this all to the movie that 7 year old me watched at a friend's house when I was far too young. The first kill was arguably more horrifying because you get to hear the inner dialogue of the woman being attacked and her realizing she’s being attacked. The remainder of the book is a bit slow for my liking.