This shark swallow you whole

<p> One of the most influential thrillers in media history <I>Jaws</I> first surfaced as a best-selling novel by first-time novelist Peter Benchley in 1974 followed by the 1975 feature film directed by Steven Spielberg at the beginning of his storied career. <I>Jaws</I> is often considered the first blockbuster and successive generations of filmmakers have cited it as formative in their own creative development. </p><p> For nearly 50 years critics and scholars have studied how and why this seemingly straightforward thriller holds such mass appeal. This book of original essays assembles a range of critical thought on the impact and legacy of the film employing new perspectives--historical cinematic literary scientific and environmental--while building on the insights of previous writers. While varying in focus the essays in this volume all explore why <I>Jaws</I> was so successful in its time and how it remains a prominent storytelling influence well into the 21st century.</p>