In Jaws, many critics found the white shark to be the most believable character.

Benchley does seem to have the type of imagination which enables him to understand the instincts of creatures far removed from human sensibility. Humans, sharks, and giant squid have little in common other than predatory inclinations.

Architeuthis dux is a force even more difficult to conceive of than the white shark.

Its presence gives the novel its most interesting moments.

Whip Darling is the novel's hero. His way of life has been destroyed by the greed of other fishermen, and his struggle to retain at least some dignity and independence arouses the readers's sympathy.

The sea has provided him and his family their living, and he loves it because his life has been tied to its rhythms since childhood. He has built a collection of books on the ocean and its inhabitants, so without...