The fish kept coming, barely moving, closing in. The barrels and skeins of rope trailed behind.

The gin pole went under, and Brody let go of it. He tried to kick over to the bow of the boat, which was almost vertical now. Before he could reach it, the bow raised even higher, then quickly and soundlessly slid beneath the surface.

Brody clutched the cushion, and he found that by holding it in front of him, his forearms across it, and by kicking constantly, he could stay afloat without exhausting himself.

The fish came closer. It was only a few feet away, and Brody could see the conical snout. He screamed, an ejaculation of hopelessness, and closed his eyes, waiting for an agony he could not imagine.

Nothing happened. He opened his eyes. The fish was nearly touching him, only a foot or two away, but it had stopped. And then, as Brody watched, the steel-gray body began to recede downward into the gloom. It seemed to fall away, an apparition evanescing into darkness.

Brody put his face into the water and opened his eyes. Through the stinging saltwater mist he saw the fish sink in a slow and graceful spiral, trailing behind it the body of Quint—arms out to the sides, head thrown back, mouth open in mute protest.

The fish faded from view. But, kept from sinking into the deep by the bobbing barrels, it stopped somewhere beyond the reach of light, and Quint’s body hung suspended, a shadow twirling slowly in the twilight.

Brody watched until his lungs ached for air. He raised his head, cleared his eyes, and sighted in the distance the black point of the water tower. Then he began to kick toward shore.

eBook Bonus Content

This edition of Jaws contains bonus content from Peter Benchley’s archives, including the original typed title page for the novel, the author’s notes on the script for the movie adaptation, and two articles written on the twenty-fifth and thirtieth anniversaries of the release of the film.

Original Title Page of Jaws

These pages reflect some of the many ideas tossed about by Peter and Wendy Benchley (and friends) for the title of the book. Many of the places referenced in these draft ideas are in Nantucket, where Peter grew up and first fished for sharks.

Not included here is a (joking) suggestion from Peter’s father, novelist Nathaniel Benchley: “What’s That Noshin’ on My Laig?”

In the end, a rapidly approaching production deadline for the book forced them to abandon all but the shortest, simplest title, even if no one could explain exactly what Jaws meant.

To read the titles listed as plain text, click here.