If you’ve seen the movie, but haven’t read the book, you might want to try this audio version. The author gives his audience a scary tale, a thriller that, once known, is not forgotten. That being said, the movie that made swimmers take to a pool instead of the ocean is vastly superior to the book. In the novel, Benchley tries to bring too much to the story. The thriller about a man-eating shark becomes bogged down by the unnecessary anguish of Brody’s wife concerning her own attractiveness and sexual appeal. In mourning the life she lost in marrying socially beneath her, she becomes a much less likable character than her movie counterpart. Also, unnecessary violence and secondary plot threads detract from the killer shark story. Most of the characters are so flawed as to be unlikable. The movie does a much better job of zeroing in on what is germane to the plot: catching and killing the shark while building suspense along the way. It also has a superior conclusion. Read the book, but then enjoy the movie.
Show lessIf you’ve seen the movie, but haven’t read the book, you might want to try this audio version. The author gives his audience a scary tale, a thriller that, once known, is not forgotten. That being said, the movie that made swimmers take to a pool instead of the ocean is vastly superior to the book. In the novel, Benchley tries to bring too much to the story. The thriller about a man-eating shark becomes bogged down by the unnecessary anguish of Brody’s wife concerning her own attractiveness and sexual appeal. In mourning the life she lost in marrying socially beneath her, she becomes a much less likable character than her movie counterpart. Also, unnecessary violence and secondary plot threads detract from the killer shark story. Most of the characters are so flawed as to be unlikable. The movie does a much better job of zeroing in on what is germane to the plot: catching and killing the shark while building suspense along the way. It also has a superior conclusion. Read the book, but then enjoy the movie.
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So I read the book that I thought I already knew the story too--only to find it is quite different than the movie, and filled with a lot of words that I didn't know the definition to. The book delves into the lives of Amity--especially the police chief and his wife, who are from different social classes and have a lot of underlying tension in their marriage because of it. By the end of the book all is well, except there are lot of victims of the other character in the book--the great white shark, who is also given motivation for its unusual actions. An enjoyable read that left me wondering what would happen next.
Show lessSo I read the book that I thought I already knew the story too--only to find it is quite different than the movie, and filled with a lot of words that I didn't know the definition to. The book delves into the lives of Amity--especially the police chief and his wife, who are from different social classes and have a lot of underlying tension in their marriage because of it. By the end of the book all is well, except there are lot of victims of the other character in the book--the great white shark, who is also given motivation for its unusual actions. An enjoyable read that left me wondering what would happen next.
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Definitely not the Speilberg version. I had heard that there were many differences, but I was unprepared for just how many there were. I wasn't able to find any of the characters sympathetic at all, and frankly began to really dislike everyone, save some of the ancillary characters and Quint. The shark itself became more of an afterthought in what was more a story about social status and lost youth. I'm glad I read this because it was on my list for a long time, but it truly was a disappointment.
Show lessDefinitely not the Speilberg version. I had heard that there were many differences, but I was unprepared for just how many there were. I wasn't able to find any of the characters sympathetic at all, and frankly began to really dislike everyone, save some of the ancillary characters and Quint. The shark itself became more of an afterthought in what was more a story about social status and lost youth. I'm glad I read this because it was on my list for a long time, but it truly was a disappointment.
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