Jaws
By Peter Benchley
 
First edition, first impression: London: André Deutsch Limited, 1974.
 
Octavo. Original red cloth, spine lettered in gilt. With the original pictorial dust jacket designed by Tom Simmonds, priced £1.95 net in UK only.
 
A very good copy, the binding firm with bright gilt. Moderate bumping to the top corners; a little spotting and toning to the edges of the text-block, as noted, but otherwise clean internally.
 
The dust jacket very good and unclipped, with a hint of fading to the red spine lettering. There is a tear to the hinge of the upper flap and some edge-wear to the top corners and top edges of the flaps; overall a well-preserved example.
 
Benchley’s debut novel became a cultural phenomenon, spending 44 weeks on the bestseller list and selling millions of copies. Its impact was exponentially increased by Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film adaptation, which is credited with inventing the "summer blockbuster" and famously causing a temporary decline in beach tourism due to the public's heightened fear of sharks. While the novel contains several subplots omitted from the film—including an affair between Ellen Brody and Matt Hooper—its core narrative of a man-eating Great White terrorising a resort town remains one of the most influential "nature run amok" stories in literary history.