Ep-49 Jaws (1974 novel)

It’s been long enough since JAWS was released in theaters that
there are people who may not be aware that it was based off a
very popular novel at the time by Peter Benchley. Those familiar
with the characters of Brody, Hooper, and Quint might be
surprised to find how different the book’s versions are from the
ones in Spielberg’s landmark film. Luke & James break the
book down into four quarters and cover each chronologically.


 


Topics include: the story of how the novel came to be, Benchley’s
turn to conservationism, the shark’s famous POV, info-dumps, the
problematic representation of Ellen, the problematic rape
fantasy, the effect returning to land multiple times has on the
tension, Quint’s similarity to Ahab, Hooper’s different fate, and
whether the ending felt satisfying.


 


Join them next week when they discuss Stephen Spielberg’s
adaptation featuring Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Schneider, and Robert
Shaw!


 


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