Normally I have W.I.P. (work in progress) Wednesday but I say "normally" as if I have been making regular WIP posts, which I haven't. Why? Because I haven't been working on any crochet or knit projects lately.
After all I went through last year, I just can't always find the joy I need to do crafty things. I have 3 projects in the works and one of them just needs to have squares sewed together. It was a mystery CAL, which I didn't end up liking much so I have set it aside. I guess I will piece it together, maybe next week I will start - I will probably gift it to my friend's dog to use as a blanket. I have sworn of mystery CALs forever...I have only done 2 but didn't like either of them and decided I don't like mysteries.....except for mystery books
(how did you like that lead in)
I just finished reading "Jaws". I have seen the movie a gahjillion times - yes - a gah-jillion times but never read the book so I decided to read it (when I was at the beach no-less)
The basic storyline was similar to the movie but there were some differences. Some minor, some major.
**** SPOILER ALERT ****
(STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW)
First of all, in the movie, it appears Chief Brody is somewhat new to his job - maybe a year or less but in the book, he has been sheriff for about 17 years, very well seasoned. The characters in both books are about the same but the Chief Brody in the movie is a bit more physically fit.
In the movie, Chief Martin Brody and his wife, Ellen, have 2 boys (about 12 and 6). In the book, they have 3 boys ranging from 17 to 10.
In the movie, lovable Richard Dreyfuss plays the character of Hooper, the marine biologist, with a great interest in sharks. He is fascinated and excited to be on this journey to catch the Great White. In the book, however, Hooper is kind a yuppie - grew up kind of wealthy - tall, blond and tan.
As it turns out, in the book, Hooper and Ellen have a past. She use to date his brother when she was in high school. She is quite attracted to Hooper (in the book) and flirts with him big time. Not only does she flirt with him, she sets up a rendezvous' !! She sleeps with Hooper and gets a little afternoon delight at a local motel. Ugh!
I hated that part in the book because I love their relationship in the movie - very close and supportive. In the book, Brody is suspicious of Hooper and Ellen but his suspicions are not validated. Thank goodness, he never finds out and part of the reason why is because....Hooper dies in the book!! Ugh! I didn't mind that the book Hooper died because I was mad at him for sleeping with Ellen but I was glad that the movie Hooper didn't die because I loved the movie Hooper.
Steven Spielberg totally changed the Hooper character and I am glad he did - Hooper is likeable in the movie - you cheer for him. In the book, you don't like what he does with Ellen - other than that, he isn't really a bad guy but you don't feel too bad for him when "the fish" as they mostly call it in the book, ends up eating him out of that so-called "shark-protecting cage".
As for the character of Quint. Robert Shaw played him quiet well in the movie - very much like the book character but with less cussing (thank goodness - the book had a lot of that). The only bad thing about the book though - is that Quint doesn't really become involved until about the last 70 pages or so - he isn't in it very much. He dies, like he dies in the movie.
The movie had kind of a "brothers in arms/buddy" feel to it - these 3 guys with nothing in common that come together, become friends and kill a great white shark! They don't bond like that in the book - they get along alright but they are not "buddies" by any means.
As you most likely know, the end of the movie is spectacular, when Brody blows the shark up into a billion pieces and you just want to stand up and cheer. He doesn't blow it up in the book, he harpoons it, he kills it and then kicks back to shore holding onto one of those floating barrels. It was not a big dramatic ending like the movie. Of course there is no soundtrack to the book so that probably helps the movie too - haha!
All and all - I give the book 4 stars. It was a really good read - I would have given it 5 if it didn't have so much cussing (the book was more violent than the movie too if you can believe that but you do expect that in a book about a killer shark).
If you never read it, you should give it a chance.
