Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle – Jaws by Peter Benchley and Fish Paella #fiction #readingcommunity #cooking

My review of Jaws Picture caption: cover of Jaws by Peter Benchley featuring a shark heading for a swimming woman.

I watched the Stephen Spielberg movie when I was twelve years old and I never forgot it. Like most of my generation, Jaws, the movie, terrified me and I never swim at night or in murky water. I didn’t know about the book until I rewatched the movie recently. I was curious to read the book that underpinned the movie, which although dated, is still terrific. The book did not disappoint me. In fact, the book is better than the movie as it explores human relationships and elements outside of the main shark storyline thereby increasing the reader’s investment in the main characters. I loved the Chief of Police, Martin Brody, and rooted for him to succeed in his quest to save his hometown. from the shark. I disliked Hooper, the shark expert and one of the wealthy ‘summer’ people, and Brody’s wife who didn’t know what she wanted from life. It always fascinates me how American author’s depict political figures such as the major as being corrupt and unreliable. Jaws was no different and had its unethical character who unintentionally becomes an ally to the shark. 

The writing is enticing, and I enjoyed the depictions of the great ‘fish’ in its natural environment and role as a super predator. The shark’s behaviour, although more deliberate and considered than average for a shark, did not cross lines and become unbelievable. The author kept the storyline within the realms of the possible which I liked. 
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As mentioned earlier, the book refers to the wealthy summer visitors and the poorer all year round ‘winter’ folk who are dependent on summer trade to see them through the winter. It gently explores the differences between the two sets of people and highlights the lack of social cohesion between the groups and the resultant resentment of the winter people who feel inferior. 

The book also explores regret and a lack of gratitude for the non-material blessings in life. Hooper represents the spirit of the summer people and is shallow, arrogant, and selfish in many ways. He is also conflicted and uncertain of his role in society and life in general despite having all the privileges wealth brings. Brody represents the winter people who are solid, salt of the earth types with strong values and family ties. 

This is a book with a few fascinating layers making it more than the movie, however thrilling and chilling the movie was.

You can purchase Jaws here: https://www.amazon.com/Jaws-Novel-Peter-Benchley/dp/0345544145

A few quotes from Jaws

“There’s nothing in the sea this fish would fear. Other fish run from bigger things. That’s their instinct. But this fish doesn’t run from anything. He doesn’t fear.”

“Sharks have everything a scientist dreams of. They’re beautiful―God, how beautiful they are! They’re like an impossibly perfect piece of machinery. They’re as graceful as any bird. They’re as mysterious as any animal on earth. No one knows for sure how long they live or what impulses―except for hunger―they respond to. There are more than two hundred and fifty species of shark, and everyone is different from every other one.”

“The boy’s last—only—thought was that he had been punched in the stomach. The breath was driven from him in a sudden rush. He had no time to cry out, nor, had he had the time, would he have known what to cry, for he could not see the fish. The fish’s head drove the raft out of the water. The jaws smashed together, engulfing head, arms, shoulders, trunk, pelvis, and most of the raft. Nearly half the fish had come clear of the water, and it slid forward and down in a belly-flopping motion, grinding the mass of flesh and bone and rubber. The boy’s legs were severed at the hips, and they sank, spinning slowly, to the bottom.”

Fish PaellaIngredients

olive oil to cook

1 large red bell pepper, diced

2 x red onions, diced

15 ml garlic flakes

1 litre chicken stock (you can use fish stock)

500 grams white fish. I used hake

500 grams Norwegian salmon

2 cups (500 ml) medium grain rice

3 tomatoes diced

pinch turmeric

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

milk for cooking

Method

Lay the fish in a large pan or wok and cover with milk. Once the milk starts boiling, cook for 10 minutes. Remove the skin once cooked and break into chunks.

In a large pot on the stove, fry the onion in the olive oil. Add the red pepper, garlic, turmeric, paprika, and tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Add the rice and then the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer until most of the liquid is gone and the rice is plump. Add the peas and the fish. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the peas are cooked. Serve.

Picture caption: Fish paella in the pot prior to serving

Picture caption: Serving of fish paella with roasted cauliflowerAbout Roberta Eaton Cheadle Picture caption: Robbie Cheadle author photograph 2025

Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.

Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).

Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.

Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.

Find Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Blog: https://wordpress.com/view/robertawrites235681907.wordpress.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robbiecheadle.bsky.social

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robertawrites

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roberta-Eaton-Cheadle/e/B08RSNJQZ5

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This segment of “Read and Cook with Robbie Cheadle” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and  WordCrafter Press .