Jaws by Peter Benchley

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Neil's thread about The Godfather - which I haven't read - immediately put me in mind of Peter Benchley's Jaws, the novel upon which Jaws (Shark Film) was based.

I suspect my experience of reading it for the first time isn't uncommon. Watched the film as a kid, loved it, then picked up a copy of the novel for 50p in a second-hand book shop. The way it deviates from the film in an 'adult' way is awfully confusing for a teenager expecting a page-turning yarn about three men versus a big fuck-off shark.

I'll spoiler the rest of this in case anyone hasn't read it.

Spoiler alert

Matt Hooper and Ellen Brody have an affair in the book. Benchley describes their sex-making in graphic, animalistic terms which, I assume, are supposed to echo the way he writes about the shark eating humans. "DO YOU SEE?? WE'RE ALL RAVENOUS BEASTS REALLY!!" But it's just really unpleasant, and I blame Benchley for making the teenage virgin me think that sex involves a lot of cold angry gurning, straining and eye-popping (turns out he was right, eh readers??).

There's a weird bit near the start of the book where Benchley describes Chief Brody having a morning piss in unnecessarily prolonged detail.

You can't root for anyone, as they're all pricks.

Quint dies, not by being eaten, but by being harpoon-strapped to the shark a la Moby Dick. BORING.

The shark isn't blown to pieces by Brody at the end, it just goes "Fuck this, I'm dead" due to its wounds. BORING.

The subplot with the local council keeping the beaches open due to pressure from the Mafia is utter bilge. No wonder Spielberg got rid of it, plus everything else I've mentioned.

[close]

Is Peter Benchley's Jaws unique? A shit book that was turned into a classic film? Spielberg and Gottlieb nabbed the winning central concept and jettisoned pretty much everything else. And thus a masterpiece was born.

[Keebleman]

Jaws was the first, or one of the first, adult books I read.  Bizarrely, I can't remember if I read it before or after seeing the film.  I'm also amazed that the involvement of the mafia has slipped my mind.

Two bits of dry humour from Brody have stuck with me though, both during the dinner party.  "Dad, Mr Hooper has been telling us about how a dolphin can kill a shark!  How do you think he does it?"  "With a gun?"  And then a bit later he announces to the guests, "There'll be a short delay while the chef kills our dinner.  She tried to serve it as it was but it bit her on the leg."  Both of these made me laugh a lot.

Is Peter Benchley's Jaws unique? A shit book that was turned into a classic film?

Lots of people would say this is the case with The Godfather too.  Pauline Kael's review of that film was titled 'Alchemy' (ie base metal turned into gold).

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

The funny lines in the film adaptation are so much better, though, presumably because Gottlieb is an actual comedy writer. Plus subtle bits of improvisation from the cast and director, e.g. Hooper saying to Brody, "You might want to let that breathe for a bit..." while the latter pours half a bottle of red wine into his glass.

Lots of people would say this is the case with The Godfather too.  Pauline Kael's review of that film was titled 'Alchemy' (ie base metal turned into gold).

I really should read the original novel one day. Neil's post intrigued me, hence this thread!

[Wonderful Butternut]

Yeah the affair was the strangest shit I've ever read. Doesn't seem to be any motivation behind other than Ellen deciding she wanted a bit of cock.

I'd say that Benchley wanted to be writing erotica instead of a book about a shark eating people, except it's not actually hot. I'm pretty sure he devotes at least a paragraph to describing all the sexy teenagers who are going to descend on the place too.

[kalowski]

I don't ever want to sully the magic of the greatest film ever made by reading the crap book.
Love it when directors revitalise a crap book and make an amazing filme. For example, The Shining.

[Pingers]

The lengthy pissing sequence has also stayed vividly with me for the last 35 years, as has the description of someone's erection as being like a "flagpole". In fact, that's all I remember about it.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

I really like that subplot about Mrs. Brody having an affair with Hooper for virtually no reason whatsoever. It's on a par with Johnny's girlfriend suddenly deciding to shag Mark in " The Room".

[Gregory Torso]

I also read Jaws when I was far too young, and can remember the description of Hooper fucking Brody's wife with his veiny face and popping eyes. Christ.

I'm sure there's also a bit where the shark jumps out of the water and Chief Brody says "I see your cock, you bastard" as if that was supposed to embarrass the shark into leaving the area. Even as a child I remember thinking it was very unnecessary and I doubt a shark cares at all if you can see its dick when it's swimming around.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The Pathetic Sharks might.

My overriding memory of the book when it was being discussed in the films subforum was how an entire chapter was condensed into the line 'Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars'.

[kidsick5000]

Looks like the affair caught a lot of our attention. Something about lying by the roadside and glistening. The kind of detail that would make you ask "Are you alright there Peter?"

The other bit that sticks in my mind, and what probably won over the public and filmmakers is the fisherman desperately trying to swim for the pier. He could bring the Adrenalin could Peter

[Cerys]

I really like that subplot about Mrs. Brody having an affair with Hooper for virtually no reason whatsoever. It's on a par with Johnny's girlfriend suddenly deciding to shag Mark in " The Room".

Ellen Brody feels like an outsider on Amity Island, and when Hooper - someone she knew in her old life - turns up, she sees him as a connection with everything she misses about her youth.  Hooper, being the younger brother of a friend of hers, tells her he had a crush on her, and this is a boost to her self-esteem.  After the dinner party at which Brody behaves like a drunken arsehole, she makes the mistake of arranging an assignation with Hooper partly as revenge and partly because she needs the excitement and the reminder of what it was like to be the rich Ellen Shepherd rather than the cop's wife Ellen Brody. 

[bgmnts]

Do people usually have an affair for specific reasons? Wanting some knob/fanny seems like a good enough reason to me.

I highly doubt its as thrilling or complicated as this dangerous affair:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orHpQPZiIlc

[Doomy Dwyer]

The lengthy pissing sequence has also stayed vividly with me for the last 35 years, as has the description of someone's erection as being like a "flagpole". In fact, that's all I remember about it.

I read another book of his called Q Clearance when I was an impressionable lad in which Benchley describes a characters erection as being "waving like a dragon". I'd only have been about twelve or thirteen at the time and was massively confused by the fact that erections were supposed to wave and spout flames. It caused lasting psychological damage and scarred me for life. Not least when I tried to set fire to my cock. What is this cunts problem with erections?

There's also a bit in Jaws that talks about a lady's 'pudenda' which caused us a lot of consternation when we all read the dirty bits in my mates copy of the book at primary school. We'd just about grasped the concept of fanny/front bottom but pudenda was the stuff of a maniacs deranged ramblings. I've since looked it up in the so called Oxford English Dictionary and it says, and I'm quoting directly here:  1. In plural and singular. The external genitals; esp. the vulva.

What the hell is a vulva? This is a fucking minefield. Thanks a lot the OED.

[Sebastian Cobb]

The lengthy pissing sequence has also stayed vividly with me for the last 35 years, as has the description of someone's erection as being like a "flagpole". In fact, that's all I remember about it.

Similarly, most of the bits I remember of Stephen King's Carrie being him going on about her knockers.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Ellen Brody feels like an outsider on Amity Island, and when Hooper - someone she knew in her old life - turns up, she sees him as a connection with everything she misses about her youth.  Hooper, being the younger brother of a friend of hers, tells her he had a crush on her, and this is a boost to her self-esteem.  After the dinner party at which Brody behaves like a drunken arsehole, she makes the mistake of arranging an assignation with Hooper partly as revenge and partly because she needs the excitement and the reminder of what it was like to be the rich Ellen Shepherd rather than the cop's wife Ellen Brody.

Spoilsport.

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

" Pudenda" is the smashing little sweetmeat you have after dinner, like a really nice jam roly poly or something, that brings the meal to a definitive close, if you're pronouncing the word correctly.

Great, now I've got the spirit of Robert Robinson telling me to fuck off.

I'm also ETAing 'Threads With Titles You Can Sing To The Chorus oF "Calling All The Heroes" by It Bites', cos there's no fucking way I'm making that a seperate post.

[Keebleman]

Looks like the affair caught a lot of our attention. Something about lying by the roadside and glistening. The kind of detail that would make you ask "Are you alright there Peter?"

I remember that bit - Ellen was imagining the aftermath of a car-crash caused by Hooper fingering her while she was driving - but not the actual consummation of the relationship.  I also remember Ellen discussing her rape fantasies, which these days I suppose an editor might suggest leaving out.

[Mister Six]

All of this seems a bit tangential to a story about a big shark.

I flicked through the paperback at a market when I was a kid. The opening pages described Brodie vomiting after seeing a dead woman's empty breast skin hanging off her half-eaten corpse. I felt a bit sick myself and put it down, then got the Return of the Jedi novelisation. Quite glad I did now.

[Cerys]

Brodie doesn't vomit, you silly sod.  Not then, at least.  It's another cop who chunders.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

From Wikipedia.

Brody and Hooper also argue, as Brody's suspicions about Hooper's possible tryst with Ellen grow stronger; at one point, Brody unsuccessfully attempts to strangle Hooper.

Bloody hell, I don't remember that bit. If Spielberg had retained all of this weird, unpleasant stuff, Jaws definitely wouldn't be the beloved classic that it is today. Plus it would be about four hours long.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

My overriding memory of the book when it was being discussed in the films subforum was how an entire chapter was condensed into the line 'Amity is a summer town. We need summer dollars'.

Yes, that's a masterful piece of screenwriting. It tells you everything you need to know about the Mayor's motivations in one economical line, there's no need for all that Mafia guff and tedious pages of ombudsmen arguing with each other.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Ellen Brody feels like an outsider on Amity Island, and when Hooper - someone she knew in her old life - turns up, she sees him as a connection with everything she misses about her youth.  Hooper, being the younger brother of a friend of hers, tells her he had a crush on her, and this is a boost to her self-esteem.  After the dinner party at which Brody behaves like a drunken arsehole, she makes the mistake of arranging an assignation with Hooper partly as revenge and partly because she needs the excitement and the reminder of what it was like to be the rich Ellen Shepherd rather than the cop's wife Ellen Brody.

You're absolutely right, it's all explained in the book, but it's still such an extraneous subplot. I appreciate that Benchley was trying to add some depth to the character of Ellen, but it's done in such a hamfisted way. And I agree that, really, his main motivation was to add a bit of steamy erotica to a novel that really doesn't need to contain any steamy erotica. It's Jaws, for Christ's sake, no one cares about the character's sex lives.

[kidsick5000]

" Pudenda" is the smashing little sweetmeat you have after dinner, like a really nice jam roly poly or something, that brings the meal to a definitive close, if you're pronouncing the word correctly.

Closest chance I'll get to use this gif

[Catalogue Trousers]

I think that another cop is first to puke at the sight of what's left of the girl swimmer from the opening, but then Brody foolishly takes another look and tosses his cookies as well. For some reason, the image of Henderson, Brody's deputy, running in from the beach in alarm, 'his genitals bulging in the tight fabric' of his swimming trunks, yelling 'That's the biggest fuckin' fish I've ever seen' sticks in my mind.

[Cerys]

I think that another cop is first to puke at the sight of what's left of the girl swimmer from the opening, but then Brody foolishly takes another look and tosses his cookies as well.

Actually, I suspect you're right.  My apologies.

[chveik]

(shark book)

[Mister Six]

Actually, I suspect you're right.  My apologies.

Hooray! I win at last! My greatest triumph!

[bgmnts]

I really want to read Jaws now.

[Pingers]

For some reason, the image of Henderson, Brody's deputy, running in from the beach in alarm, 'his genitals bulging in the tight fabric' of his swimming trunks, yelling 'That's the biggest fuckin' fish I've ever seen' sticks in my mind.

I'm starting to think he should have called it "Cocks - Plus Sharks". In fact, perhaps it was all an unconscious psychodrama where Benchley works out his fear of his cock being devoured by a razor-toothed giant vagina.

[Shit Good Nose]

Yes, like The Godfather an absolutely abysmal book turned into a masterpiece of a film.

I've always used the example in the book where there are PAGES AND PAGES AND PAGES devoted to all the aldermen discussing the financial repercussions of closing the beach, which in the film is turned into one single sentence that summons up all that whaffle perfectly - "Amity is a summer town...we need summer dollars".

Spielberg famously told all the cast not to bother reading Jaws (shark book) but to read Moby Dick (whale book) instead, as that was the vibe he was aiming for rather than a slow dirge about unfaithful wives, old men arguing and a massive shark

Spoiler alert

dying from a superficial stab wound

[close]

.

It's a book I will NEVER read again.


EDIT - apologies SB, I missed that you mentioned the "summer dollars" line already.