Jaws

By: Peter Benchley

Narrated by: Erik Steele

Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Jaws is the classic blockbuster thriller that inspired the three-time Academy Award-winning Steven Spielberg movie and made millions of beachgoers afraid to go into the water. Experience the thrill of helpless horror again—or for the first time!

Jaws was number 48 in the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies, and the film earned the coveted number-one spot on the Bravo network's 100 Scariest Movie Moments countdown.

This timeless tale of man-eating terror that spawned a movie franchise, two video games, a Universal Studios theme park attraction, and two musicals is finally available on audio for the first time ever!

©2002 Peter Benchley (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks America

Watch the movie it’s way better

The book is a short read which was nice but it dragged on in some of the most boring details. Virtually zero suspense and the ending was so anticlimactic I nearly fell asleep. Seriously the movie is 1000% better and far more worth your time

Jaws

This is one of those rare occasions when a movie surpasses the book. Good narration, tho.

fast moving, fun, great for a road trip

you know exactly what to expect since you've probably seen the movie a dozen times but the thing was a blockbuster that still plays well for a reason... its a great shark story. the book is also different enough from the movie that it feels fresh.

Different from the film.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jaws?

Near the end, we see an unexpected ''personality'' in the fish.

Any additional comments?

There is a weird sort of parallel to Moby Dick here. The characters were real, and you get to know them better than in the film. I do remember that the first few lines were pretty hokey.'' It was a dark and stormy night'' kind of thing , but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Better as a movie...

Rare time movie better than book. Stupid, childish dialogue. If you like King, you might like this as it is similar style wise .

A Virus and a Shark are the Same

The three stars are awarded because I found the shark scenes quite flat and, frankly, Spielberg did an excellent job in maximizing the sensational elements of the book with his film. The book raises moral questions that strike an uncanny parallel to our present pandemic—the politicians and shop owners putting public safety second to their own economic needs. The scientific view of the shark was one of the strongest elements of this narrative—a villain who does not regard himself as a villain, just doing what he was made to do—is eerily similar to a virus. The part of the book that talks about the “why me” part—why does the shark strike one and not another?—demonstrates how frustrating and impossible it is to answer. What’s sadly the same: the familiar, entitled jerks who claim it is a constitutional right to swim with sharks. Christ on a cracker.

The good: the book presents an excellent cultural study of small-town America and the tension between intellectual/economic and working class people in 1974 that mirrors the Trump-era rise in anti-intellectual ire today. To wit: toxic masculinity enmeshed in class, or as Chief Brody says, “reverse snobbism,” as “an attitude that equates [college education] with effeteness, simplicity with goodness, and [white] poverty with honesty...” while Brody finds the attitude “repugnant,” he reaches for it “like a “carapace” when he feels threatened by the younger, richer, well-educated Hooper (doesn’t exactly match the Richard Dreyfus character, but Spielberg made some good choices for his film—especially with that character). But I digress.

I liked that there is an entire section of the book dedicated to Ellen Brody’s POV—her perspective of discontent and agency—it surprised me. Now, it was so clearly written by a dude it was laughable (to me), but points to Benchley for giving her some airtime. It wasn’t enough and fell apart quickly. It was a dumb foil instead of a meaningful reflection. Again, Spielberg erased her detachment and Brody’s insecurity from the plot altogether, which made the Chief a community hero more than an insecure middle-aged sad-face. It wasn’t horrible to read, but just prepare yourself for some heavy eye rolling.

Different from the movie

Still hear. More of a story about the police chief. WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO BE SO LONG!

better than the movie

the reader was a bit slow, but the story made up for it. if you've seen the movie, listen to the book!!!

Jaws by Peter Benchley

Enjoyed the audio version, Saw movie as kid, never went swimming in the ocean again. Glad they left some of the character flaw's out of the movie. As I listened to the story there were more people who could of been feed to the shark. Yes I would recommend if you never have read the book.

A classic, suspenseful read

This is one my favorites of all time. I do like movie better, but only so I slightly. However, this is still worth a read. There are dynamics that the not in the movie, which makes for a compelling story. The only thing that did not like was the ending.