Beast HC Peter Benchley 1991 Random House

Description

Beast Hardcover
by Peter Benchley (Author)

“Makes the shark from “Jaws” look like a pet goldfish . . .” USA Weekend

Straight from the cutting edge of science and the logs of ancient mariners comes an immense horror — a creature that rises up from the well of an ocean gone mad with an insatiable hunger and an endless lust to kill. One man leads a harrowing struggle to defeat the beast amid a threatened Bermuda paradise. His name is Whip Darling, a down-and-out sea dog who doesn’t know where he’ll get his next meal — or whether it will get him first.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, along comes Architeuthis , a giant squid, the eponymous beast of Benchley’s latest tale. At an estimated length of anywhere from 30 to 90 feet and armed with two predatory tentacles, a huge, snapping beak and eight writhing arms, each lined with razor-sharp hooks; the giant squid has been wreaking havoc off the coast of Bermuda. By the time the protagonists–Bermuda native Whip Darling and Navy helicopter pilot Marcus Sharp–figure out what sort of beast they’re dealing with, Architeuthis has killed five people. As they ponder this carnage, both men remember another scary fish story, Jaws –Marcus recalls “parents refusing to let their children get their feet wet,” while Whip proclaims, “Whenever I hear talk about monsters, I think about ‘Jaws.’ ” This monster, unfortunately, is not nearly as scary as the one they remember so vividly, because the reader comes to know it too intimately. Each time the squid prepares to attack its next unwitting victim, we are given an in-depth, close-up view of the beast, usually in a separate chapter. This technique, used sparingly (as it was in Jaws ), can be a heart-stopper.

Hardcover: 350 pages
Publisher: Random House; 1st edition

Squid vs. Shark….definitely squid. Beast is a spine-tingling tale about a 100 ft giant squid that menaces Bermudian waters and develops a taste for human flesh after it’s normal food source, other creatures of the deep, are almost completely fished out. After a number of failed attempts to stop and destroy the creature, it is up to a local fisherman, the story’s hero named Whip Darling, to use his wits to fight it.

Beast is incredibly well written, especially the dialogue. It’s characters are very real (such as St. John, a corrupt, Irish politician; Osborn Manning, a father turned vengeful after his two children are killed by the eight-armed creature; Talley, a Canadian squid expert; Sharp, a young Navy officer), and the story is quite believable, and it’s ending is NEVER expected. It’s also a really fast read. Three nights tops.

If you liked Jaws, you’ll like Beast about fifty times more. Beast is NON-STOP ACTION, and one thing I really liked about the book is how much Benchley researched the animal known as the giant squid (Architeuthis dux). Many times during the novel he expresses and shows what and how the squid thinks and how it feels, making the story more interesting on both antagonist AND protagonist sides (the best example being when the giant squid tries to defend itself as it is attacked by a pair of sperm whales).

What’s also interesting is how well Benchley depicts the characters. For example, Whip Darling, the main character and hero of the story, is, as one would assume, quite a good man. Perhaps too good. Now, one would probably think, “No one’s THAT good or THAT caring.” However, Whip Darling is. He is a true “good – guy.” Usually, when a hero is too much of a goody-two shoes, it kind of brings a somewhat fairy tale presence upon the story, making it a little, if not completely, corny at times. However, this is not the case with Beast. It is written so well, that you find yourself really loving Whip, rather than saying, “Oh please!” at whatever he does. I think it’s just that Whip is very human. He loves his family, he loves his friends, and he tries to prevent danger from coming across anyone and anything (even the squid) by doing all he can.

Beast is out of print, so whatever you do, find Beast…and find it fast. IT’S A MUST READ.

Book has a few stains along the edge of pages, other than that, near mint. 0-679-40355-8.

This case is for the original Game Boy (DMG-01). The GB fits in this case perfectly and once closed will not bounce around. Holds a few games as well. This case might be ideal for someone modding their Game Boy and wants to protect it!

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