Benchley's Jaws: Comparison Of Book And Movie

Jaws, written and published by Peter Benchley is a magnificent, action-packed novel. Benchley seems to have a burning passion for sharks, as the novel is based on a great white that terrorizes a small seaside town. The story begins in a small town called Amity. A young girl, Chrissy Watkins, went for a late night swim. While on her swim, she is unfortunately killed by a great white, and her body washed up on shore the next morning. This shark attack captures the attention of police chief, Martin Brody. He then requests to have the beaches closed for further investigation, his request was then denied by the mayor, Larry Vaughan. He is worried about the summer tourist season, as the summer season keeps the small town of Amity alive. The shark

attacks once again killing, a little boy and a fisherman. Brody wants to close the beaches again, Vaughan denies his request once again. Later in the story, Brody finds out that Larry Vaughan has ties to the mafia. Matt Hooper, a marine biologist, is hired to figure out the shark problem.
The book Jaws, and the film have many similarities.

Obviously the film included all the shark attacks that occurred in the novel. The movie also included the scene where they all go searching for Ben Gardner out in the middle of the ocean. The book and the movie also included the part when Brody finds out Ellen has an affair with the marine biologist, Matthew Hooper.

Jaws, published in 1974 by Peter Benchley, was eventually turned into a motion picture, directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie is much like the book, however, I noticed that some details from the book, were not included in the movie. For example, in the book by Peter Benchley, Benchley talks about Martin Brody and his wife’s love story. Furthermore, he includes excellent details about how they met, the movie, however, completely skips over this. He also tells about the affair Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper had, once again the movie does not includes details about the affair.

After reading the novel and watching the film, I can conclude that I highly recommend reading the book, instead of watching the movie. I recommend the book because, it contains more details and information than the film. The extra details included in the novel make it more interesting and captivating to the reader. Benchley’s literature is amazing, and he is incredible at grasping you in with his choice of words. From the gory details of the shark attacks to the love stories, Jaws, is an amazing novel, and a

must-read.