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Jaws (1974)

by Peter Benchley

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Jaws novels (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
3,9911433,012 (3.59)161
With the 1974 publication of the novel Jaws and the release a year later of the film based on the book, an American cultural phenomenon was born. Today, the remarkable bestseller by Peter Benchley still towers as a thrilling classic of suspense, drama, and the eternal conflicts of man against nature ... and man against himself. As the movie continues to broadcast all over the world, entire generations may know the Jaws story only through its cinematic rendition. Those unfamiliar with the literary forerunner are in for a wonderful surprise, for the novel contains many twists of plot and character that were omitted in the film. Peter Benchley's Jaws is an extraordinary experience of its own, a masterpiece as mesmerizing today as it was in 1974, when it first took us into the watery world of a creature designed by nature to kill ... and into the terror it brings from the silent darkness of the deep.… (more)
  1. 70
    Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten (jseger9000)
    jseger9000: Another novel of people battling a man-eating shark.
  2. 32
    Beast by Peter Benchley (FFortuna, Bridgey)
    Bridgey: Same sort of story, but for my money a lot better. Seems to concentrate more on the animal that Jaws did.
  3. 10
    Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo (John_Vaughan)
    John_Vaughan: Rather obvious I know - but it does seem to be the source!
  4. 00
    Shark Trouble: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea by Peter Benchley (Bridgey)
    Bridgey: Gives real life inspirations behind the writing of Jaws coupled with true stories of shark attacks and the reasons.
  5. 00
    The Loch by Steve Alten (Hedgepeth)
    Hedgepeth: Trouble in the water versus the tourism industry and a reluctant protagonist
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» See also 161 mentions

English (134)  Spanish (4)  Czech (1)  Swedish (1)  Italian (1)  Hebrew (1)  French (1)  Catalan (1)  All languages (144)
Showing 1-5 of 134 (next | show all)
My thoughts about this book are on Booklikes at http://sheric.booklikes.com/post/800964/jaws-
( )
  Doodlebug34 | Jan 1, 2024 |
Upon a second read I have to change my rating to three stars. It's not that it isn't a good book. It is and I will still recommend it to anyone that has seen the movie but it just doesn't hold up in my opinion to the first reading. ( )
  everettroberts | Oct 20, 2023 |
What if Jaws was more about Brody's wife's infidelity than shark attacks? What if Brody was a borderline insane person with a hair trigger? What if everyone were incredibly unlikable?
Quint: "What a pair of assholes." ( )
  A.Godhelm | Oct 20, 2023 |
This wasn’t my favorite. There were a lot of things that made me feel icky and not in a good way. ( )
  Danielle.Desrochers | Oct 10, 2023 |
Rarely do books and movies based on those books run neck in neck for being so good. But, this is an example. The movie ran pretty much parallel to the book, with a few things changed. The book was also a wonderful experience. It went more in-depth into relationships and plot lines (as the books often do). To get the full range of the movie, it is a good idea to indulge in the book. I listened to this on audio, read by Erik Steele. It was a wonderful read/listen and I recommend it to any and everyone that loves horror and/or loved the movie. ( )
  LinBee83 | Aug 23, 2023 |
Showing 1-5 of 134 (next | show all)
While Jaws the movie is a bone-chilling update on Moby Dick, Jaws the novel is more like Peyton Place by the sea. Everyone swears like a sailor, and the hunt for the shark comes a very distant second to a bunch of hot summer trysts.
 

» Add other authors (14 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Peter Benchleyprimary authorall editionscalculated
Bacon, PaulCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Kastel, RogerCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Information from the Dutch Common Knowledge. Edit to localize it to your language.
De zomer van de witte haai
Dedication
for Wendy
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The great fish moved silently through the night water, propelled by short sweeps of its crescent tail.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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With the 1974 publication of the novel Jaws and the release a year later of the film based on the book, an American cultural phenomenon was born. Today, the remarkable bestseller by Peter Benchley still towers as a thrilling classic of suspense, drama, and the eternal conflicts of man against nature ... and man against himself. As the movie continues to broadcast all over the world, entire generations may know the Jaws story only through its cinematic rendition. Those unfamiliar with the literary forerunner are in for a wonderful surprise, for the novel contains many twists of plot and character that were omitted in the film. Peter Benchley's Jaws is an extraordinary experience of its own, a masterpiece as mesmerizing today as it was in 1974, when it first took us into the watery world of a creature designed by nature to kill ... and into the terror it brings from the silent darkness of the deep.

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Book description
It's out there in the water...waiting. Nature's most relentless predator. It fears nothing. It attacks anything. It devours everything. The seaside community of Amity is at its mercy. A smalltown police, a marine biologist, and a modern-day Ahab must try to stop it. But they are the only three men...alone against the Great White Death.

Removed from all school libraries in Gardner, Kans. (1978) due to a sexually explicit section. Challenged at the Ogden, Utah School District (1979) and placed in a restricted circulation category. Removed from all elementary and middle school libraries in Clinton, N.C. (1980) due to "objectionable" language. Challenged in the Gwinnett County, Ga. public schools (1986) because of "obscene language."
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