His other books include the deep, the island, the girl of the sea of cortez, q clearance, rummies, beast, white shark, and shark trouble. The author of jaws said yesterday that he would never have written the book if he had known the damage it would do to the reputation of the great white shark. Theres a scene in peter benchleys jaws that never made it into spielbergs movie. But the only title that he and the editor could agree on was just jaws. Next year, specifically february of 2014 will be the forty year anniversary of peter benchleys bestselling novel jaws, a book with a narrative that concerns itself with the efforts of a small island community to catch and kill a. Jaws pan 70th anniversary series by peter benchley. Pdf jaws book by peter benchley free download 320 pages. After the work was published, most critics agreed with congdons original opinion that the shark was the most believable of benchleys creations. Jul 31, 2012 this edition of jaws contains bonus content from peter benchleys archives, including the original typed title page, a brainstorming list of possible titles, a letter from benchley to producer david brown with honest feedback on the movie adaptation, and excerpts from benchleys book shark trouble highlighting his firsthand account of. Peter benchely was a master who, ironically, ended up dedicating his life to shark preservation after villifying them with this book. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 320 pages and is available in hardcover format.
By kirk curnutt the novel that scared a generation out of the ocean and inspired. Pages contain marginal notes, underlining, and or highlighting. Brody, the chief of police, is doing his best to get to the bottom of the shark attacks, warn people in town, and stop t. They dive on the reefs offshore, looking for the wreck of a sunken ship. New york times bestseller the classic suspense novel of shark versus man. Peter benchley began his career as a novelist in 1974 with the publication of jaws, which was made into a hugely successful film. Pick up jaws before midnight, read the first five pages, and i guarantee youll be putting it down breathless and stunned, as dawn is breaking the next day. Jaws is a 1974 novel by american writer peter benchley. Peter benchley is famous for writing the novel jaws, which. After the work was published, most critics agreed with congdons original opinion that the shark was the most believable of benchley s creations.
Jaws is the story of a killer shark staking a claim off amity island. Once upon a time there was a shark that ate people. The first edition of the novel was published in february 1974, and was written by peter benchley. Author lizzie skurnick says shell take peter benchleys salty novel and its swearing sailors. His novel jaws was published in 1974, followed by the deep, the island, the girl of the sea of cortez, q clearance, rummies, and beast, among others. The island is filled with small town people and a mayor who wants to keep a lid on things to keep the tourists coming. The book opens in the seaside town of amity, where a young girl, chrissy watkins, is skinny.
Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be included. His other books include the deep, the island, the girl of the sea of cortez, q clearance, rummies, beast, white shark, and shark more about peter benchley. Peter benchleys shark trouble is a pretty flimsy nonfiction book. It tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town and the voyage of three men trying to kill it. New york times bestseller the classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was.
Eight fascinating facts about jaws author peter benchley. James keen once upon a time there was a shark that ate people jaws. After graduating from harvard, peter benchley worked as a reporter for the washington post, then as an editor at newsweek and a speechwriter in the white house. Jaws author now regrets his attack on sharks by philip delves broughton in boston thursday, april 4, 2000. And the present never looks as good as it will in the future. Jaws quotes by peter benchley goodreads share book.
Peter benchley s shark trouble is a pretty flimsy nonfiction book. Ive read a lot of great books this summer, but it was a classic that i feel deserves acknowledgement peter benchleys first novel, jaws. Read the excerpts from jaws and from an essay by benchley about his own experience of swimming with a great white shark. In thirtyfive feet of water, the great fish swam slowly, its tail waving just enough to maintain motion. May 01, 2017 this feature is not available right now. All we know for sure is that jim prescott went swimming, and then suddenly a man on a boat out there saw something. According to author peter benchley, he came up with the title 20 minutes before the book was supposed to go into production. Peter bradford benchley may 8, 1940 february 12, 2006 was an american author, best known for his novel jaws and its subsequent movie adaptation, the latter cowritten by benchley with carl gottlieb and directed by steven spielberg.
Jaws at 40 is peter benchleys book a forgotten masterpiece. Possible ex library copy, with all the markingsstickers of that library. His novel jaws was published in 1974, followed by the deep, the island, the girl of the sea of cortez. Benchley was intrigued by a news account of a 4550 pound great white caught off montauk in the 1960s.
A novel and millions of other books are available for instant access. It is interesting to note the book and the film differ in a number of ways. Sep 04, 2014 it is forty years since a littleknown writer named peter benchley published a first novel called jaws. Jun 19, 2015 peter benchley was 27 when he quit his job writing for president johnson to write a book about a villainous killer shark that stalked, and ate, members of a small island community. Excerpt from jaws by peter benchley nearly middleton spoke into the microphone. Celebrating sand, sex and a really big fish forget the steven spielberg fish tale. After graduating from college in 1961, benchley travelled around the world for a year.
One response to excerpt from jaws by peter benchley nearly pt1616. Cmy documentsmikes shitutilities books pdf format benchley, peter jaws. Peter benchley was an alumnus of the allenstevenson school, phillips exeter academy and harvard university. This edition of jaws contains bonus content from peter benchleys archives, including the original typed title page, a brainstorming list of possible titles, a letter from benchley to producer david brown with honest feedback on the movie adaptation, and excerpts from benchleys book shark trouble highlighting his firsthand account of. Cmy documentsmikes shitutilitiesbookspdf formatbenchley, peter jaws. Jaws was published in 1974 eventually selling over 20 million copies. In 1971, struggling as a freelance journalist, he managed to get a meeting with a publisher to pitch two ideas. The author of jaws, who became a hugely successful by using a shark to scare the wits out of people, now comes down on the side of sharks by trying to convince people of their admirable traits.
Sep 03, 2012 key differences between jaws the book and the film richard dreyfuss hooper is killed in the shark cage by ian freer posted 3 sep 2012. Hed thought of many options he wasnt crazy abouta stillness in the water, a silence in the deep, the jaws of death, the jaws of leviathan. Everyone knows the brilliant movie that was responsible for scaring generations of the ocean. The novel grew out of benchley s interest in shark attacks after he learned about the exploits of shark fisherman frank mundus in 1964. Peter benchley booklist peter benchley message board. The main characters of this horror, fiction story are chief martin brody, sam quint. Spielberg took a novel which was a very interesting hybrid horror and social commentary and changed the tone considerably, making a summer popcorn movie with some real bite, pardon the expression. Estimated sales of 20 million books changed benchleys life forever, not to mention.
Peter benchley was born in new york city on 8 may 1940, and died in princeton, new jersey on 12 february 2006. New york times bestseller the classic suspense novel of shark versus man, which was made into the blockbuster steven spielberg movie. Buy a cheap copy of the deep book by peter benchley. Jaws by benchley, peter and a great selection of related books. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, and dust jackets may not be. When benchley s editor, tom congdon read the first draft of jaws, he was impressed by the power of the opening chapter and felt that the shark was the most convincing character in the book. Something is going on, ladies and gentlemen, but we dont know exactly what. Peter benchley simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Like the past always seems better when you look back on it than it did at the time. Ever since the movie, jaws, came to the theater, the story has been a favorite of mine. Not a summer has gone by that i have not reread the book and watched the movie.
He was also a speechwriter for president lyndon johnson and a journalist for such magazines as newsweek and national geographic. Next year, specifically february of 2014 will be the forty year anniversary of peter benchleys bestselling novel jaws, a book with a narrative that concerns itself with the efforts of a small island community to catch and kill a great white shark that has been gobbling up some of its. When i learned the book was available on cd in an unabridged format, i immediately ordered it. Describes a book or dust jacket that has the complete text pages including those with maps or plates but may lack endpapers, halftitle, etc. Peter benchley was 27 when he quit his job writing for president johnson to write a book about a villainous killer shark that stalked, and ate, members of a small island community.
Still, jaws was and always be one of the great thrillers of all time both as a book and a movie. It tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a small resort town and the voyage of three men. The fish had been moving parallel to the shoreline. The rainforest hermit who stepped out of the wild australian story duration. When benchleys editor, tom congdon read the first draft of jaws, he was impressed by the power of the opening chapter and felt that the shark was the most convincing character in the book. The latest edition of jaws contains bonus content from peter benchleys archives, including the original typed title page for the novel, a brainstorming list of possible titles, a letter from benchley to coproducer david brown with honest feedback on the movie adaptation, and classic photos of the movie production. Cmy documentsmikes shitutilitiesbookspdf format benchley, peter jaws. The experience was told in his first book, a travel memoir titled time and a ticket, published by houghton mifflin in. The jaws phenomenon changed popular culture and continues to inspire a growing interest in sharks and the oceans today.
After graduating from college in 1961, benchley travelled. Peter benchley worked as a reporter for the washington post, then as an editor at newsweek and a speechwriter in the white house. Jaws, first attack the film version of peter benchleys novel, jaws, gets all the attention. And upon leafing through the novel itselfim still only halfway. In 1974, peter benchley published jaws, a novel about a shark that terrorizes a seaside town. Commemorations of peter benchleys jaws have been as rare as. It saw nothing, for the water was murky with motes of vegetation. Jaws by peter benchley tom mccarthy bookforum magazine. Now it turned, banking slightly, and followed the bottom gradually upward. Hardback bound in crimson boards with gilt titles on the spine. Oct 15, 2012 excerpt from jaws by peter benchley nearly middleton spoke into the microphone. Plaintext paperback binding with red and white coloured titles to the front panel and back strip first published in 1974, this book taught us all it wasnt safe to go back in the water. When peter benchley wrote jaws in the early 1970s, he meticulously researched all available data about shark behavior. It tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon a tourist resort, and the voyage of three.