Seattle Public Library
Bruce Reading & Media List
Librarians at Seattle Public Library created this list of books, films and music to enhance your experience of Bruce, the jaw-dropping world premiere musical.
The Jaws Log
by Gottlieb, Carl
Book - 2012
Actor and writer Gottlieb was hired by Steven Spielberg as a screenwriter on Jaws, and this book is his year-long chronicle of that experience. Gottlieb’s book provided the inspiration for Bruce.
Jaws
by Benchley, Peter
Book - 2005
Neither Bruce nor Jaws the film nor The Jaws Log would be possible without Benchley’s classic novel about a predatory great white shark terrorizing the residents of Amity, a fictional Long Island seaside town.
The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks
by Casey, Susan
Book - 2006
Learn the truth about real-life “Bruces” in journalist Casey’s riveting account of a community of great white sharks who spend their summers off the coast of San Francisco in the forbidding Farallon Islands, also known as the Devil’s Teeth.
Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films
by Haskell, Molly
Book - 2017
Film critic Haskell explores Spielberg’s personal life and career through a detailed exegesis of each of his films, including Jaws.
Inside Story: Jaws
Streaming Video - 2009
This short documentary goes behind the scenes of the filming of Jaws in 1975, and includes interviews with Carl Gottlieb, Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, and others involved with the film.
Jaws
DVD - 2012
Filmed by a young Spielberg in 1975, Jaws is a groundbreaking thriller based on the 1974 Peter Benchley novel of the same name and one of the first summer blockbuster films.
Blue Meridian: The Search for the Great White Shark
by Matthiessen, Peter
Book - 1997
Award-winning author and environmentalist Matthiessen travels the world’s waters in pursuit of one of nature’s most fearsome and misunderstood predators in this vividly detailed and lyrically written work.
Emperors of the Deep: Sharks - The Ocean's Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, and Most Important Guardians
by McKeever, William
Book - 2019
Films like Jaws have stoked fears of sharks as bloodthirsty man-eating predators. In this absorbing read, McKeever corrects popular misperceptions of sharks and highlights the importance of the great white and other species to marine ecosystems.
Santa Jaws
Streaming Video - 2018
When Cody, an alienated teen cartoonist, makes a wish to be alone at Christmas, he accidentally manifests a killer shark that terrorizes his family. A hilariously horrific film that has to be seen to be believed.
Screenwriting 101
Episode 10, Suspense and Relief: Jaws
Streaming Video - 2017
This episode of Screenwriting 101 from the Great Courses series analyzes the plot of Jaws and its effective use of suspense and relief to elicit reactions from the audience.
Sharknado
Streaming Video - 2013
What’s the next logical step after Jaws? Sharknado, of course! This over-the-top 2013 film about a cyclone of great white sharks on a killing rampage in Los Angeles quickly gained a cult following and spawned several sequels.
Shark Drunk: The Art of Catching A Large Shark From A Tiny Rubber Dinghy in A Big Ocean
by Strk̜snes, Morten Andreas
Book - 2017
In this enchanting blend of memoir, natural history and marine adventure, two friends set out in a small boat to catch a big shark – the Greenland shark – in the waters around the Lofoten Islands in northern Norway.
Spielberg
DVD - 2018
This 2017 HBO documentary provides an intimate portrait of the director and his filmography through extensive interviews with Spielberg and over 80 other subjects including friends, family and colleagues in the industry.
The Summer Blockbuster
Streaming Video - 2013
Jaws set a new standard for summer films at the box office and is considered the quintessential summer blockbuster. Learn more about the rise of this trend and its impact on Hollywood in this short documentary.
The Music of John Williams
40 Years of Film Music
by Williams, John
Downloadable Music - 2003
It’s hard to think of a piece of film music more instantly recognizable than the Jaws theme, for which Williams won an Academy Award in 1975. Listen to it and other selections from Williams’ long career in this streaming collection.
