The Deep (original 1976; edition 1977)

Read this years ago when I was into my diaster books. ( )

Much more interesting than the boring movie made from it, but still no Jaws. A solid effort worth a read, but not near as powerful. ( )

Gail and David Sanders are honeymooning in Bermuda, enjoying the scuba diving. They dive on a wreck near their hotel and come up with, among other things, a glass ampule filled with yellow liquid. Word gets around the island quickly and the Sanders find themselves first being coaxed and then threatened for information. Their only chance at surviving the local gang is working with Treece, a wreck diver who is after the Spanish treasure in the same spot.

If you've read Benchley's Jaws, you would know why I began reading this one with more than a little scepticism. I'm a huge fan of the movie, but it turned out that scriptwriters, Robert Shaw and Spielberg had taken the bones of the novel and built something way better.
So I expected more of the same here, but it seems that Benchley's writing improved quite a bit by the time this was published in 1976. It's an easy thriller that hangs on scary things happening underwater and in the dark night, with a police force so incompetent that the protagonists have to go it alone. A decent summer read. ( )

Another book picked up on a whim years ago, lost in the "to read" pile, and only read now as a break between all of the birthday treat books I recently received. The pages turn okay, but it's not the stand-out book the "FROM THE AUTHOR OF JAWS!!!" branding might make you believe. ( )

This was different from other Benchley books I've read. If you don't recognize the name, this is the guy who wrote Jaws. His other books that I've read have all involved some sort of creature. The only evil creature in this book is man. Not a bad read ... nice and quick. My only complaint is that I liked the main character better before any of his background was explained. Really, the guy was kind of a jerk. ( )