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celisabeth's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
We can also talk about the endless fact that this novel sparked so many fears of sharks, who mostly don't attack people (seriously, it's supposedly more likely to get struck by lightning than to get attacked by a shark) and aren't truly attracted to women's menstrual cycles. (I will note Benchley wrote an introduction to the edition I read retracting a lot of those issues and problems faced in the book.)
But even through the problems, the book was an easy read with strong writing and an engaging storyline. The characters could have been developed more and I wished for more tense reactions when the shark did appear. Nonetheless, this book is finely written, but I would say (in this case), you could really just watch the movie and forego the book.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
childofmongreldogs's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
While I don't agree with the assessment that the majority of the book seems tied up in the town instead of the shark (or the fish, as is more commonly used in the book), there's a lot of distracting elements that are pretty much one and done and take up far too much space for what they are.
A brief overview of what I came into reading this book: giant shark terrorizes tourist town by the ocean that's in danger of completely dying off if the shark isn't taken care of. The sheriff, an ichthyologist, and a rough and tumble fisherman/shark killer for hire take on the shark. Subplots include
I definitely disliked this book. It's hella dated all things considered. A lot of random throw-aways when it comes to calling people dykes, faggots, and weird ideas about women as well as some casual racism. I think this sort of stuff probably would fly in the 70s when this was written, but it's just cringey and uncomfortable now. Pretty much every time something like that happens, it's super unnecessary and seems to be humorous? Or tries to be anyways.
There's a line where one of the shop owners says that he "might start a race riot" because he has to choose between two new hires now because he can't justify two. When asked who he will pick, "the black one and thank god the white one isn't a Jew". Jesus fucking Christ.
The wife of the sheriff has around 50 pages where she's fucking the ichthyologist behind her husband's back and they have a lovely conversation where she says that all schoolgirl's have a secret dream of being prostitutes so they can have sex with as many men as possible and she has the very common desire to be raped but don't worry, it's not too crazy! She, and I quote, "some women have fantasies about being raped by black men, but I never have."
Did I mention that the guy she cuckholds her husband with was the baby brother of a guy she used to date and she's a decade older than him, obsessive about him (until she's done with him and realizes she loves her husband, actually, of course), and that she knew him when he was nine years old? Disgusting. I almost believe the author just hated women, considering she's the only woman who says more than a handful of lines and actually has some degree of character development who is a woman.
My main gripe here is that there's a lot in this book that is so totally unnecessary and, most importantly, detracts from the narrative and the tension being built up. This book has three parts. The first is really strong because it introduces the shark and the problems of the town. It introduces the main character and some of the themes that will continue to come up. It offers up a certain mystery and has quite a bit of action and suspense.
The second part is where this truly goes off the rails. It's where we see the adultery plotline which seems to only be around to make sure the readers really enjoy
The third part is where the plot actually kicks in again and there's character tension, suspense, and action as the three of them actually hunt the shark. I've heard some people say that the ending is a cliffhanger. Well, not really. The resolution of the actual plot is pretty much done. The only thing that's left out is the sheriff getting back home which is implied to be the case, I think. Plus, he already seemed to be nonplussed by the idea that his wife cuckholded him and the mafia plotline should be done with since the beach will reopen.
Were there any strengths here? I think the author is highly readable, definitely. The characters are highly unlikable but that seems to be the point. There was good characterization there and it made them very distinct. Yes, even Ellen, the Sheriff's wife. There was good culture clash as well and in a different book or written in a different way, it might have been interesting. The clash between the summer people and the locals is an interesting concept but it really isn't done much justice because the only vehicle for it was through Ellen. She was made so unsympathetic in every way, from being essentially a harpy, a hypocrite (anyone else want to scream when she said the sheriff didn't love her?), and a degenerate. The action was good, the initial suspense was good, and the overall plot was fine.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
connorjdaley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
With that being said, the opening of the novel felt like a very straight forward and true adaptation. The shark descriptors and kills were perhaps more gruesome, but the general feel was the same. I was very into it at this point. It was around a quarter in or so, where the differences started to show themselves, where I started to pull away.
To me, it feels like the author said…’well, how do you make a novel about a shark interesting??? You could simply stay out of the water right?’ This is where I feel like the movie simply made them enter the ocean sooner to do away with that point. Instead, the author added strange somewhat mafia-fueled political intrigue. The author also includes a subplot including main characters and adultery, toxic masculinity, and a REAL weird conversation about rape fantasies…seriously wtf.
Part of me still really enjoyed the shark stuff and the nostalgic feels they brought with them. Although they don’t get on the boat until literally 75% through the story, I feel like the Orca, Quint, and the climax salvage the novel somewhat. Sharks are scary. Personally a 3/5* for me still, a very rare ‘the movie is better’ here.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, and Classism
bookswithlauren's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I adore sharks and shark movies, especially the Jaws franchise, and yet, I had never read the book before. Having read the book now, I appreciate all the changes Steven Spielberg made for the movie adaptation so much more. I understand Jaws was written in 1974 and I have tried to keep that in mind but the movie came out the following year and all the problematic issues from the book had been taken out and the plot line had been improved greatly, so although it was a different time back then, Spielberg still made those much needed changes.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
emmaward55's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
His treatment of the female characters of Jaws is ghastly. The further I read, the more obvious it became that the late Peter Benchley thought of women as mere victims for men to abuse as they please and without consequence. We see this at first with our ‘hero’ police chief Brody covering up serial rapes with no negative consequences or moral qualms over his actions.
This barely scratches the surface, however, as about halfway through the book Brody's wife, Ellen, cheats on him with another man. Ellen seduces Hooper with an elaborate 'schoolgirl' rape fantasy that was detailed enough to almost send me into a panic attack. The details of her imagination may be repulsive, but worse than that is her conviction that she would secretly enjoy it, even orgasm, and her belief that other women share this fantasy. This nauseating theme carries through to the culmination of Ellen and Hooper’s affair, where the violence of the intercourse is described as "assaulting" Ellen and Hooper doesn't even look at Ellen, let alone speak to or acknowledge her. She is simply an object for him to abuse until he is satisfied.
Brody himself treats his wife no better, getting blindingly drunk at a party they're hosting and criticising and insulting Ellen all night and in front of their guests, later making her cry. He also considers beating her once he discovers her affair, but decides not to as it "won't do any good". Despite this, Ellen comes to the conclusion that she's lucky to have Brody and that she is still in love with him.
With all this being said, there was a way that Benchley could have written these events without it seeming like a rapist's sexual fantasies put to paper. The book has no awareness of (and therefore makes no commentary on) how it treats its female characters. The men who do these awful things never face consequences for their actions. Rape is glorified, whilst mentions of the survivors are avoided, focusing only on the attackers and the fantasy of the 'ideal victim', who want to be brutalised and who would make the experience all the more enjoyable for the attacker. Brody becomes a hero, his wife rekindles her loyalty to him and we as readers have no reason to think that Brody won't cover up the crimes of the next rapist to walk into town. After all, we already know who Brody will choose to protect when the choice is between the female population of the town and the town itself. I really do believe that this could have been handled in a nuanced way, perhaps with the survivors of the serial rapist coming forward and furthering the message that covering up crimes hurts the town more in the long-term.
Regardless, the narrative that we're left with is the definition of rape culture. The whole thing left me disgusted, angry, and profoundly disappointed. Benchley died in 2006, so we can never really know why he wrote about rape in this manner, but it matters. It matters that his book made it to print with that content. Jaws is a huge part of cultural (especially film) history and as long as we continue to discuss it, we should also acknowledge this unforgivable flaw. After all, it is an integral to the narrative as the eponymous shark itself.
TL;DR: The film is better.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Vomit, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Also a straight man lies about a lesbian in a committed relationship with another woman wanting to 'try it straight' and have sex with him. We the readers know that his only interaction with her was a polite conversation at a dinner party and she never expresses any such desire.