Jaws: A Novel

This has long been my favorite novel of all time. It's not a literary masterpiece, and it's not even perfect among its peers. But it's fun. I can rarely re-read books, even if I love them. I just finished my fifth re-read of this classic creature feature.

I think what it comes down to is simple: there are a grand total of two subplots. Just two: a shady local politician's potential ties to organized crime, and our hero's wife's brief infidelity. Beyond those intentionally low-key items, which provide very little distraction, we're just straightforward on the main plotline, which goes 0 to 60 from page one: there's a shark terrorizing the beaches of a peaceful New England resort community and it won't. Go. Away. And, if it doesn't go away, not only is it killing people, it's going to destroy the tourist-based economy of the entire town.

It's the epitome of "the books is better" even though I count the movie version among my all-time favorites as well. (The only notable exception -- and THANK YOU Steven Spielberg! -- is the very last page of the book. More realistic than Brody blowing up the shark by shooting a scuba tank in its mouth? Sure. More boring? Absolutely.

But otherwise: must-read!