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Orca
Orca-the killer whale-is one of the most intelligent creatures in the universe. He hunts in packs, like a wolf. Incredibly, he is the only animal other than man who kills for revenge.He has one mate, and if she is harmed by man, he will hunt down that person with a relentless, terrible vengeance-across seas, across time, across all obstacles.
275 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 5, 1975
18 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Herzog III
34 books14 followersArthur Herzog III (April 6, 1927 – May 25, 2010) was an American novelist, non-fiction writer, and journalist, well known for his works of science fiction and true crime books. He was the son of songwriter Arthur Herzog, Jr..
His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films. His science fiction novel IQ 83 is being made into a film by Dreamworks.
Herzog was also the author of non-fiction books: The Church Trap is a critique of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish church organization and institutions particularly in the U.S; 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, is about the kidnapping and child sexual abuse of Katie Beers.
His novels The Swarm and Orca have been made into films. His science fiction novel IQ 83 is being made into a film by Dreamworks.
Herzog was also the author of non-fiction books: The Church Trap is a critique of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish church organization and institutions particularly in the U.S; 17 Days: The Katie Beers Story, is about the kidnapping and child sexual abuse of Katie Beers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
November 26, 2012
Do you remember the movie that this novel was based on? Richard Harris plays the modern day Ahab, going madder and madder as the movie progresses. (Okay, if you don't know about this movie I can understand that...but you are wondering who Richard Harris is, right? Let me clue you in about something: he was the original Dumbledore. None of this has anything to do with this book...I just like this tidbit).
Anyway, to the story. A wreck of a man is down on his luck in Florida. The fishing venture bequeathed to him by his father is floundering; his drinking doesn't much help this. Enter his sister. She has the prefect plan to restore her brother's good name while also lining their pockets. It seems that the Japanese are willing to pay good money for a great white shark, if caught and kept alive in captivity until they can come and get the fish themselves. A ludicrous plan, no doubt. But when your back is against the wall, anything sounds good. So the brother, Campbell, and the sister, Annie, along with their father's Navy buddy, Novak, and Annie's fiance, Alan, decide to form a crew and go and hunt a great white off the shores of Canada, near Newfoundland.
Just as they are about to catch a great white, they inadvertently danger a scientist's life who just so happens to be studying orcas. The orca saves the scientist's life by snapping the shark in half with its teeth. Good for the scientists; bad for Campbell. His payday has been ruined. So he decides to capture an orca. Okay, I admit, this is so unbelievable that it is knocking on the doorstep of the absurd. But, as I said, when you have nothing to lose because you have already lost everything, this plan comes across as almost sound. Anyway, the attempted capture is botched. The orca gets caught in the netting, struggles, and ultimately drowns. But not before delivering a stillborn calf. The mate and father of these now dead whales sees all this and becomes enraged. Thus, we have the beginning to a wildly constructed man versus beast reading experience.
For the most part, this is a great match up: power v. cunning; profit v. revenge; savagery v. well, more savagery.
At first, Campbell is all about going out and capturing this male. He wants to have his payday; plus, the villagers are in awe of his brazen stupidity. They lavish him with a hunter's respect. That is, until the whale seeks revenge on the village. It has driven the fish away--there goes the economy. Tourists have no intention of spending time in a seaside ghost town--salt to an already wounded economy. And it mocks them; yes, I said mocks. (It almost reminds me of the mocking scene in Monty Python's movie The Search for the Holy Grail...you know what scene I speak of...and if you don't, go rent the movie.) Anyways, the villagers turn on Campbell; he has blighted an already stricken community. He needs to either kill the whale or be killed by the whale to free this village.
Now, as outcasts, the little party decides to hunt a bit more aggressively. This is a stupid plan. People die. In fact, the whale even attacks moored boats, makes a fuel depot explode, and causes a house to fall into the ocean. This makes Campbell put on his Ahab face for real. No more Mister Nice Floridian.
Wait...we have to pause. During this time, Campbell is trying to bed one of the scientists that was trying to study the orcas. His approach to wooing her is less than stellar. I don't know any woman that likes to be called an "icy bitch" once, let alone numerous times. But, the man apparently has skills; she falls in love with him. (Only in a late 70s book, people.)
So people have died; Campbell is bedding a scientist, who has proven anyone with enough determination can get a Ph.D.; the villagers are hating these American opportunists; and, one really pissed off whale patrols the shoreline.
So far so good. A fun and fast reading experience. Then the book just turns stupid...Campbell, along with his new love, and a chief from an obscure tribe, track the whale to the North Pole. There, Campbell and the whale have this really booooring standoff. I won't spoil the end--I know there are dozens of you out there right now getting ready to go out and seek this book.
If you are looking for a book with an alcoholic misogynist who will stop at nothing in his search to destroy himself, look no further.
RECOMMENDED (with reservations)
Anyway, to the story. A wreck of a man is down on his luck in Florida. The fishing venture bequeathed to him by his father is floundering; his drinking doesn't much help this. Enter his sister. She has the prefect plan to restore her brother's good name while also lining their pockets. It seems that the Japanese are willing to pay good money for a great white shark, if caught and kept alive in captivity until they can come and get the fish themselves. A ludicrous plan, no doubt. But when your back is against the wall, anything sounds good. So the brother, Campbell, and the sister, Annie, along with their father's Navy buddy, Novak, and Annie's fiance, Alan, decide to form a crew and go and hunt a great white off the shores of Canada, near Newfoundland.
Just as they are about to catch a great white, they inadvertently danger a scientist's life who just so happens to be studying orcas. The orca saves the scientist's life by snapping the shark in half with its teeth. Good for the scientists; bad for Campbell. His payday has been ruined. So he decides to capture an orca. Okay, I admit, this is so unbelievable that it is knocking on the doorstep of the absurd. But, as I said, when you have nothing to lose because you have already lost everything, this plan comes across as almost sound. Anyway, the attempted capture is botched. The orca gets caught in the netting, struggles, and ultimately drowns. But not before delivering a stillborn calf. The mate and father of these now dead whales sees all this and becomes enraged. Thus, we have the beginning to a wildly constructed man versus beast reading experience.
For the most part, this is a great match up: power v. cunning; profit v. revenge; savagery v. well, more savagery.
At first, Campbell is all about going out and capturing this male. He wants to have his payday; plus, the villagers are in awe of his brazen stupidity. They lavish him with a hunter's respect. That is, until the whale seeks revenge on the village. It has driven the fish away--there goes the economy. Tourists have no intention of spending time in a seaside ghost town--salt to an already wounded economy. And it mocks them; yes, I said mocks. (It almost reminds me of the mocking scene in Monty Python's movie The Search for the Holy Grail...you know what scene I speak of...and if you don't, go rent the movie.) Anyways, the villagers turn on Campbell; he has blighted an already stricken community. He needs to either kill the whale or be killed by the whale to free this village.
Now, as outcasts, the little party decides to hunt a bit more aggressively. This is a stupid plan. People die. In fact, the whale even attacks moored boats, makes a fuel depot explode, and causes a house to fall into the ocean. This makes Campbell put on his Ahab face for real. No more Mister Nice Floridian.
Wait...we have to pause. During this time, Campbell is trying to bed one of the scientists that was trying to study the orcas. His approach to wooing her is less than stellar. I don't know any woman that likes to be called an "icy bitch" once, let alone numerous times. But, the man apparently has skills; she falls in love with him. (Only in a late 70s book, people.)
So people have died; Campbell is bedding a scientist, who has proven anyone with enough determination can get a Ph.D.; the villagers are hating these American opportunists; and, one really pissed off whale patrols the shoreline.
So far so good. A fun and fast reading experience. Then the book just turns stupid...Campbell, along with his new love, and a chief from an obscure tribe, track the whale to the North Pole. There, Campbell and the whale have this really booooring standoff. I won't spoil the end--I know there are dozens of you out there right now getting ready to go out and seek this book.
If you are looking for a book with an alcoholic misogynist who will stop at nothing in his search to destroy himself, look no further.
RECOMMENDED (with reservations)
December 14, 2025
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This book is typical man versus beast book. Our main character is Jack Campbell who is meandering thru life and having financial issues. He and his crew decide to capture and sell a killer whale. They end up doing damage to one particular whale and now that whale wants revenge.
Going into this book I had an idea that this would receive a favorable rating for me. There is a movie based on this book and I watched it so many times as a kid. Basically I knew the story inside out. There are a couple of differences but for the most part the two media offerings are the same. As for the book it is an adaptation of Moby Dick and a rip off of Jaws. I loved the battle between man and beast even if it is far fetched. It is a nice look into man versus nature and the differences between their strengths and weaknesses. This part was an easy five stars for me. Then what affected my rating? The interaction between human characters. The author does not do a good job with these interactions at all. With a book about an orca seeking revenge on a human some of the interactions of humans were the most far fetched portrayals. This book was written over fifty years ago so maybe these were a sign of the times. I don't know if I exactly buy that because it seemed like the author fell into tired tropes with his human characters.
I just found out that the movie was based on a book. I had to go out and immediately find the book and read it. I am so glad I did. It was a good time even though it was a little out there and far fetched. While reading this it brought back memories of me telling my parents that "Orca" was on and I wanted to watch it. I was once again enthralled by a killer whale seeking revenge and rooting for him.
This book is typical man versus beast book. Our main character is Jack Campbell who is meandering thru life and having financial issues. He and his crew decide to capture and sell a killer whale. They end up doing damage to one particular whale and now that whale wants revenge.
Going into this book I had an idea that this would receive a favorable rating for me. There is a movie based on this book and I watched it so many times as a kid. Basically I knew the story inside out. There are a couple of differences but for the most part the two media offerings are the same. As for the book it is an adaptation of Moby Dick and a rip off of Jaws. I loved the battle between man and beast even if it is far fetched. It is a nice look into man versus nature and the differences between their strengths and weaknesses. This part was an easy five stars for me. Then what affected my rating? The interaction between human characters. The author does not do a good job with these interactions at all. With a book about an orca seeking revenge on a human some of the interactions of humans were the most far fetched portrayals. This book was written over fifty years ago so maybe these were a sign of the times. I don't know if I exactly buy that because it seemed like the author fell into tired tropes with his human characters.
I just found out that the movie was based on a book. I had to go out and immediately find the book and read it. I am so glad I did. It was a good time even though it was a little out there and far fetched. While reading this it brought back memories of me telling my parents that "Orca" was on and I wanted to watch it. I was once again enthralled by a killer whale seeking revenge and rooting for him.
July 4, 2016
Before there was “Blackfish,” there was “Orca.”
And alongside Orca the book (1977) was Orca the movie. And a dreadful movie it was. My main memory is of a whale fetus ejected from its mother’s womb, landing on a ship deck, and squealing like a human baby. It put the “ick” in flick. As others have pointed out, the novel is superior.
Jack Campbell, the main character, is an alcoholic who is hopelessly uninterested in anything life has to offer, barely keeping his father’s charter boating business in Florida afloat. His sister Annie’s boyfriend finds a newspaper article about a $125K reward from the Japanese for the capture of a great white shark. Campbell’s crew, including surly Gus, head north in the Bumpo.
While hunting fish, Campbell finally finds an activity that excites him. He begins to step away from the bottle. Ending up in Canadian waters, the Bumpo fails to capture a shark. Netting an orca, the killer whale, is more feasible. Campbell and the Bumpo’s crew gain the blessing from the leaders of South Harbor, a Newfoundland fishing village, to ship out on a whaling mission.
During the expedition, a pregnant orca delivers a stillborn calf. The orca father, dubbed “Nickfin” by a local Indian chief, blames Campbell. That sets into motion a series of attacks against vessels, Campbell’s loved ones, and South Harbor. The Bumpo is damaged, and Campbell is stuck back in town awaiting repairs while the entire town turns on him.
There he falls in love with Rachel, a whale expert who doesn’t want Campbell to kill the orca. He doesn’t want to tangle with Nickfin either, since he knows how dangerous the whale is. But the town becomes so antagonistic that Campbell has little choice but to ready for battle with the orca on the high seas.
Campbell is a strong, engaging character. The succession of events leading to the final battle is compelling. The orca’s attack scenes are gripping. The fickleness of the villagers—cheering on Jack at one point and trying to run him out on a rail later on—is frustrating but true to life. Overall, I liked the book. People who like sea monster fiction like Jaws and Meg will find this to be a quick and entertaining read. The audiobook was fun because of the sly narration by Mark Moseley. I’d give the novel three out of five stars.
Why not a higher rating? There’s an odd theme in the book involving Campbell’s bonding or soul connection with Nickfin. Campbell perceives that the orca represents freedom. That doesn’t make sense since the whale seems as obsessed with revenge as Campbell does. At other points, the orca represents Campbell’s own demons—perhaps his alcoholism or sense of worthlessness. At times the connection borders on the paranormal with Campbell practically reading the whale’s thoughts. That element didn’t work for me, and the final page or two made for a limp ending.
And alongside Orca the book (1977) was Orca the movie. And a dreadful movie it was. My main memory is of a whale fetus ejected from its mother’s womb, landing on a ship deck, and squealing like a human baby. It put the “ick” in flick. As others have pointed out, the novel is superior.
Jack Campbell, the main character, is an alcoholic who is hopelessly uninterested in anything life has to offer, barely keeping his father’s charter boating business in Florida afloat. His sister Annie’s boyfriend finds a newspaper article about a $125K reward from the Japanese for the capture of a great white shark. Campbell’s crew, including surly Gus, head north in the Bumpo.
While hunting fish, Campbell finally finds an activity that excites him. He begins to step away from the bottle. Ending up in Canadian waters, the Bumpo fails to capture a shark. Netting an orca, the killer whale, is more feasible. Campbell and the Bumpo’s crew gain the blessing from the leaders of South Harbor, a Newfoundland fishing village, to ship out on a whaling mission.
During the expedition, a pregnant orca delivers a stillborn calf. The orca father, dubbed “Nickfin” by a local Indian chief, blames Campbell. That sets into motion a series of attacks against vessels, Campbell’s loved ones, and South Harbor. The Bumpo is damaged, and Campbell is stuck back in town awaiting repairs while the entire town turns on him.
There he falls in love with Rachel, a whale expert who doesn’t want Campbell to kill the orca. He doesn’t want to tangle with Nickfin either, since he knows how dangerous the whale is. But the town becomes so antagonistic that Campbell has little choice but to ready for battle with the orca on the high seas.
Campbell is a strong, engaging character. The succession of events leading to the final battle is compelling. The orca’s attack scenes are gripping. The fickleness of the villagers—cheering on Jack at one point and trying to run him out on a rail later on—is frustrating but true to life. Overall, I liked the book. People who like sea monster fiction like Jaws and Meg will find this to be a quick and entertaining read. The audiobook was fun because of the sly narration by Mark Moseley. I’d give the novel three out of five stars.
Why not a higher rating? There’s an odd theme in the book involving Campbell’s bonding or soul connection with Nickfin. Campbell perceives that the orca represents freedom. That doesn’t make sense since the whale seems as obsessed with revenge as Campbell does. At other points, the orca represents Campbell’s own demons—perhaps his alcoholism or sense of worthlessness. At times the connection borders on the paranormal with Campbell practically reading the whale’s thoughts. That element didn’t work for me, and the final page or two made for a limp ending.
August 27, 2021
"'You win!', he cried into the night. 'I'm coming. I'm coming to get you. I'm coming you filthy bastard, I'm coming!"
April 3, 2020
Loved it!!! So much better than the movie unlike JAWS which I thought the movie was better than the book.
May 31, 2023
Still pondering that last page.
June 24, 2022
A B book about a B movie or possible a B movie about a B book. FUN bit silly.
August 3, 2021
I read this for two reasons:
1) I saw this silly movie at the drive-in when I was a kid and I’ve always retained a fondness for it.
2) It came highly recommended, as an excellent movie novelization, by Quentin Tarantino during a talk show appearance to plug his new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood book.
Anyway, it was okay.
1) I saw this silly movie at the drive-in when I was a kid and I’ve always retained a fondness for it.
2) It came highly recommended, as an excellent movie novelization, by Quentin Tarantino during a talk show appearance to plug his new Once Upon a Time in Hollywood book.
Anyway, it was okay.
September 9, 2025
The script is a capably structured Jaws riff with decent spins on the premise and small-town politics, but is clunky, with poor characters and romance. Herzog's adaptation has a few nice passages, but breezes over action while swamped in the lead's gross machismo.
March 16, 2018
What a wild and wacky yarn this is. A novelization based on a terrible--from all I hear, since I've yet to watch it--70s movie, written by the guy who also penned The Swarm, a pulpy book about killer bees attacking, and often borrowing or blatantly ripping off predecessors from The Odyssey to Moby Dick to Jaws, there's no reason it should be as entertaining as it is.
The plot is pretty straightforward. Down on his luck Jack Campbell, inheritor of a Miami marina catering to tourists, is watching his business fail, not that he cares. He's far more concerned with his bottle of gin and the revolving door of local women who frequent his sheets. He's a man lost, bent on self destruction, and the marina might as well go down too.
His sister, Annie, co-owner of Golden Sands Marina, is willing to fight for her father's legacy. Her shiftless pothead boyfriend Paul has heard that "the Japs" (his words, not mine) are willing to pay $150,000 for anyone who can deliver a live great white shark at least 25-feet long. Since Campbell loves the adventure of anything new--made overt by his sexual conquests--he decides to take a loan out on the business and head North. Along with their father's old friend and surrogate dad Novak, the crew makes for the North Atlantic Coast.
They wind up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland, where they nearly succeed in snagging a massive great white. However, an even larger grampus snatches the prize fish, which leads Jack to speculate it too might fetch a nice price overseas. In an attempt to catch one while calving, they inadvertently kill her, and her offspring is stillborn.
Enter the husband/daddy orca, hellbent on revenge. From there, it's an old story: Ahab vs. Moby Dick, only this time the whale is arguably more Ahab.
Jack's character is well fleshed-out. However, other's characterizations are uneven. It's difficult to follow some of the choices that love interest Rachel or "the Indian," as he's called in true 70s fashion, Umilak make. The love affair between Jack and Rachel comes after chapters of bickering, as if there were any suspense to the will-they/won't-they vibe. Suffice to say, Herzog has trouble with female characters. With the exception of one top-heavy widow in her 60s who is motherly, they serve as little more than eye candy. (No joke: just a few paragraphs in, we are told, "Jack occasionally wondered--not for long--what his sister was like in bed.")
Pacing is spectacular. I devoured the book in just a few short hours. Granted, much of that is due to lack of depth. Nonetheless, one often finds entertainment value when wading in shallow water.
Award-winner it ain't. It's highly unlikely to appear on a literature syllabus (though if I ever get a chance to teach a studies in the novel course themed around humans vs. nautical predators ...). Again, were it not for my "when animals attack" research, I would have never picked this book up. Still, that side of me in love with schlocky, pulpy, non-intentionally humorous tales, was glad I did.
The plot is pretty straightforward. Down on his luck Jack Campbell, inheritor of a Miami marina catering to tourists, is watching his business fail, not that he cares. He's far more concerned with his bottle of gin and the revolving door of local women who frequent his sheets. He's a man lost, bent on self destruction, and the marina might as well go down too.
His sister, Annie, co-owner of Golden Sands Marina, is willing to fight for her father's legacy. Her shiftless pothead boyfriend Paul has heard that "the Japs" (his words, not mine) are willing to pay $150,000 for anyone who can deliver a live great white shark at least 25-feet long. Since Campbell loves the adventure of anything new--made overt by his sexual conquests--he decides to take a loan out on the business and head North. Along with their father's old friend and surrogate dad Novak, the crew makes for the North Atlantic Coast.
They wind up in a small fishing village in Newfoundland, where they nearly succeed in snagging a massive great white. However, an even larger grampus snatches the prize fish, which leads Jack to speculate it too might fetch a nice price overseas. In an attempt to catch one while calving, they inadvertently kill her, and her offspring is stillborn.
Enter the husband/daddy orca, hellbent on revenge. From there, it's an old story: Ahab vs. Moby Dick, only this time the whale is arguably more Ahab.
Jack's character is well fleshed-out. However, other's characterizations are uneven. It's difficult to follow some of the choices that love interest Rachel or "the Indian," as he's called in true 70s fashion, Umilak make. The love affair between Jack and Rachel comes after chapters of bickering, as if there were any suspense to the will-they/won't-they vibe. Suffice to say, Herzog has trouble with female characters. With the exception of one top-heavy widow in her 60s who is motherly, they serve as little more than eye candy. (No joke: just a few paragraphs in, we are told, "Jack occasionally wondered--not for long--what his sister was like in bed.")
Pacing is spectacular. I devoured the book in just a few short hours. Granted, much of that is due to lack of depth. Nonetheless, one often finds entertainment value when wading in shallow water.
Award-winner it ain't. It's highly unlikely to appear on a literature syllabus (though if I ever get a chance to teach a studies in the novel course themed around humans vs. nautical predators ...). Again, were it not for my "when animals attack" research, I would have never picked this book up. Still, that side of me in love with schlocky, pulpy, non-intentionally humorous tales, was glad I did.
November 4, 2010
I expected little of this book (I'd already seen the film and, even though I like some of the actors, found it to be a pretty terrible motion picture!) Fortunately, Arthur Herzog makes this a meatier and more convincing story, adding quite a lot of background deatil to all the characters and keeping things moving effectively, with good prose and decent pacing. The main character Campbell (renamed Nolan in the film, for some reason) is particularly multi-layered and believable.
The book does suffer from one of the main issues that plagued the film version, though... that being the somewhat improbable, hard-to-swallow plot device of having a killer whale driven by revenge. Yes, killer whales are amazingly intelligent. Yes, they do hunt for revenge. But the concept of a whale plotting and planning against a human adversary still doesn't ring very true. The ending is also a bit of an anti-climax (and very different from the finale of the movie).
Enjoyed the book in spite of its flaws though (it's definitely better than another Herzog novel I waded through - The Swarm).
The book does suffer from one of the main issues that plagued the film version, though... that being the somewhat improbable, hard-to-swallow plot device of having a killer whale driven by revenge. Yes, killer whales are amazingly intelligent. Yes, they do hunt for revenge. But the concept of a whale plotting and planning against a human adversary still doesn't ring very true. The ending is also a bit of an anti-climax (and very different from the finale of the movie).
Enjoyed the book in spite of its flaws though (it's definitely better than another Herzog novel I waded through - The Swarm).
October 21, 2017
I started and finished this in the same day.
THIS BOOK IS GARBAGE. BUT THE KIND OF GARBAGE YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. You know it's awful, but god is it addicting. I'd equate this book to The Big Bang Theory, The Mindy Project, Hanna Montana, any Disney Channel movie from the 90's-2005, and twilight. You know it's terrible, you know the ending from page one, you know you'll be disappointed and ashamed, you wouldn't tell your friends you read it.
But dear god is it addicting. The only redeeming factor of it is that the book actually gets Orca's hunting patterns and habits correct. It is surprisingly accurate.
THIS BOOK IS GARBAGE. BUT THE KIND OF GARBAGE YOU CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF. You know it's awful, but god is it addicting. I'd equate this book to The Big Bang Theory, The Mindy Project, Hanna Montana, any Disney Channel movie from the 90's-2005, and twilight. You know it's terrible, you know the ending from page one, you know you'll be disappointed and ashamed, you wouldn't tell your friends you read it.
But dear god is it addicting. The only redeeming factor of it is that the book actually gets Orca's hunting patterns and habits correct. It is surprisingly accurate.
May 13, 2022
Jack Campbell is a desperate man. His marina is on the cusp of closing, he is an alcoholic, and he has pinned his hope to catching great white shark alive. That is until he sees an orca. His attempt to catch one off of Nova Scotia leads to great turmoil, loss, and further struggles in Arthur Herzog's Orca.
In the manner of many sea faring adventures, Herzog creates an exciting tale that will keep readers turning pages well into the night. The book was the source material for the movie, Orca, made in the late 70s/early 80s, but does have some differences. It is entertaining, and I highly recommend it to fans of Peter Benchley or Steve Alten. Three stars.
In the manner of many sea faring adventures, Herzog creates an exciting tale that will keep readers turning pages well into the night. The book was the source material for the movie, Orca, made in the late 70s/early 80s, but does have some differences. It is entertaining, and I highly recommend it to fans of Peter Benchley or Steve Alten. Three stars.
December 24, 2020
It’s not clear in this books history is if the movie was based on the book or was a joint effort by the author and filmmakers.
It’s a 1970s Moby Dick where the roles are switched and the whale is off for revenge. The main character Jack Campbell is a spiteful, hateful character whose hard to enjoy. Among others.
There’s some innovative scenes in the book where the whale attacks his victims in a way that realistically a whale ‘could’ do. That is one of the best parts about the novel. But I don’t think it really saves it.
It’s a 1970s Moby Dick where the roles are switched and the whale is off for revenge. The main character Jack Campbell is a spiteful, hateful character whose hard to enjoy. Among others.
There’s some innovative scenes in the book where the whale attacks his victims in a way that realistically a whale ‘could’ do. That is one of the best parts about the novel. But I don’t think it really saves it.
Want to read
November 8, 2023Dollar Store Jaws
In this late 1970s killer-thriller at sea, Captain Nolan is an Irish-Canadian seafarer who catches marine animals in order to pay off the mortgage of his boat and eventually return to Ireland. Nolan's crew is looking for a great white shark for a local aquarium, but a scientist named Ken is targeted by the shark. An orca intervenes and kills the shark, saving Ken. This switches Nolan's target to the orca. While Nolan is on the journey with his crew, he tries to capture what he believes to be a bull orca, but mistakenly harpoons a pregnant female. Nolan and his crew get the orca on board, where she subsequently miscarries. The captain hoses the dead fetus overboard as the male orca looks on screaming.
Seeking release for his near-dead mate, the male orca tries to sink the ship. One of Nolan's crew members, Novak, cuts the female off the ship, but the male leaps up and drags him into the sea too. The following day, the orca pushes his now-dead mate onto shore. Al Swain berates Nolan for his actions after finding the dead whale. Nolan denies responsibility, but Swain and the villagers eventually find out his involvement. The villagers insist that he kill the orca, as the latter's presence is causing the fish vital to the village's economy to migrate. The orca then terrorizes the village by sinking fishing boats in broad daylight and then breaking fuel lines, thus destroying the village's fuel reserves.
Dr. Rachel Bedford, a colleague of Ken and a whale expert, shows him how similar whales are to humans and tells Nolan that, "If he [the orca] is like a human, what he wants isn't necessarily what he should have." Nolan confesses to Bedford that he empathizes with the whale, as his own wife and unborn child had previously been killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. Nolan promises Bedford not to fight the whale, but the orca attacks his sea-front house, containing an injured crew member of Nolan's, Annie, within it. The house starts slipping into the sea and the whale bites Annie's left leg off. Nolan decides to fight the orca, although with Novak dead and Annie maimed and unable to help, Nolan and Paul are now the only crew members left. Bedford and Ken join the pursuit, along with a Native American man, Jacob Umilak, enlisted for his orca knowledge.
The crew begins to follow the whale after he signals Nolan to follow him. Ken is leaning over the side when the whale surfaces and grabs him, killing him in the process. They follow the whale until they reach the Strait of Belle Isle, though when Paul starts to get into a lifeboat, the maddened orca knocks Paul out of the boat and drowns him. The next day, the whale shoves an iceberg into the boat and starts to sink it. Nolan manages to harpoon the whale just before he and Bedford escape from the boat, while Umilak is crushed beneath an avalanche of ice just after sending out an SOS.
Nolan and Bedford hide in an iceberg, although Nolan slips onto another. The orca separates the icebergs, trapping Nolan. The whale jumps onto the ice, causing it to tilt and sending Nolan into the water. The whale lifts Nolan up with his tail and throws him onto another iceberg, killing him. Bedford looks on as Nolan slips into the water in a cross shape. With his revenge complete, the whale swims southward under the ice, while a helicopter is seen which presumably will rescue Bedford.
As the credits begin to roll, the orca is shown swimming beneath the thick arctic ice and butting his head against it, attempting unsuccessfully to surface for air. Though his fate is ultimately uncertain, it is suggested that the orca will likely drown beneath the ice.
Why It's a Whale of a Bad Movie
This film is an extremely obvious and total rip-off of Jaws.
There's even a scene where an orca kills a shark. It's basically the movie's way of saying "We're better than Jaws!"
The film's portrayal of orcas is grossly inaccurate. In the movie, orcas are portrayed as blood-thirsty man eaters who are more intelligent than man and vow to avenge the pod member. In reality, orcas are no more intelligent than other dolphins and the only known attacks have been reported in captivity.
So many scenes that make absolutely no sense at all, such as the male orca literally roaring (Sound familiar?) and somehow ripping a hole into a boat.
The orca sonar sound mixing is awful and annoying.
The rubber orca animatronic is unrealistic and very ugly.
The visual effects and editing is one of the worst parts of the movie, as the visuals look too silly and cheap to be taken seriously.
The dialogue is very corny and cheesy.
Inconsistent and campy acting.
Aside from clearly trying to capitalize off of Jaws, it also steals elements from other horror films.
It isn't even that scary and has little suspense.
This movie does a laughably terrible job at trying to look like Jaws with its violence and "horror", although it completely lacks the tension and suspense Jaws had.
The musical score is awesome and genuinely creepy.
The opening scene was well filmed.
The acting is still great, especially for the Orcas, but sadly, this didn't save the film.
The female Orca's death was quite emotional.
Despite the inaccurate depiction of the orcas, the pro-wildlife moral is actually well conveyed.
Surprisingly great cinematography that can actually make some scenes pretty tense.
It can actually be considered so-bad-it's-good, and I really do like that kind of cult-following stuff.
In this late 1970s killer-thriller at sea, Captain Nolan is an Irish-Canadian seafarer who catches marine animals in order to pay off the mortgage of his boat and eventually return to Ireland. Nolan's crew is looking for a great white shark for a local aquarium, but a scientist named Ken is targeted by the shark. An orca intervenes and kills the shark, saving Ken. This switches Nolan's target to the orca. While Nolan is on the journey with his crew, he tries to capture what he believes to be a bull orca, but mistakenly harpoons a pregnant female. Nolan and his crew get the orca on board, where she subsequently miscarries. The captain hoses the dead fetus overboard as the male orca looks on screaming.
Seeking release for his near-dead mate, the male orca tries to sink the ship. One of Nolan's crew members, Novak, cuts the female off the ship, but the male leaps up and drags him into the sea too. The following day, the orca pushes his now-dead mate onto shore. Al Swain berates Nolan for his actions after finding the dead whale. Nolan denies responsibility, but Swain and the villagers eventually find out his involvement. The villagers insist that he kill the orca, as the latter's presence is causing the fish vital to the village's economy to migrate. The orca then terrorizes the village by sinking fishing boats in broad daylight and then breaking fuel lines, thus destroying the village's fuel reserves.
Dr. Rachel Bedford, a colleague of Ken and a whale expert, shows him how similar whales are to humans and tells Nolan that, "If he [the orca] is like a human, what he wants isn't necessarily what he should have." Nolan confesses to Bedford that he empathizes with the whale, as his own wife and unborn child had previously been killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. Nolan promises Bedford not to fight the whale, but the orca attacks his sea-front house, containing an injured crew member of Nolan's, Annie, within it. The house starts slipping into the sea and the whale bites Annie's left leg off. Nolan decides to fight the orca, although with Novak dead and Annie maimed and unable to help, Nolan and Paul are now the only crew members left. Bedford and Ken join the pursuit, along with a Native American man, Jacob Umilak, enlisted for his orca knowledge.
The crew begins to follow the whale after he signals Nolan to follow him. Ken is leaning over the side when the whale surfaces and grabs him, killing him in the process. They follow the whale until they reach the Strait of Belle Isle, though when Paul starts to get into a lifeboat, the maddened orca knocks Paul out of the boat and drowns him. The next day, the whale shoves an iceberg into the boat and starts to sink it. Nolan manages to harpoon the whale just before he and Bedford escape from the boat, while Umilak is crushed beneath an avalanche of ice just after sending out an SOS.
Nolan and Bedford hide in an iceberg, although Nolan slips onto another. The orca separates the icebergs, trapping Nolan. The whale jumps onto the ice, causing it to tilt and sending Nolan into the water. The whale lifts Nolan up with his tail and throws him onto another iceberg, killing him. Bedford looks on as Nolan slips into the water in a cross shape. With his revenge complete, the whale swims southward under the ice, while a helicopter is seen which presumably will rescue Bedford.
As the credits begin to roll, the orca is shown swimming beneath the thick arctic ice and butting his head against it, attempting unsuccessfully to surface for air. Though his fate is ultimately uncertain, it is suggested that the orca will likely drown beneath the ice.
Why It's a Whale of a Bad Movie
This film is an extremely obvious and total rip-off of Jaws.
There's even a scene where an orca kills a shark. It's basically the movie's way of saying "We're better than Jaws!"
The film's portrayal of orcas is grossly inaccurate. In the movie, orcas are portrayed as blood-thirsty man eaters who are more intelligent than man and vow to avenge the pod member. In reality, orcas are no more intelligent than other dolphins and the only known attacks have been reported in captivity.
So many scenes that make absolutely no sense at all, such as the male orca literally roaring (Sound familiar?) and somehow ripping a hole into a boat.
The orca sonar sound mixing is awful and annoying.
The rubber orca animatronic is unrealistic and very ugly.
The visual effects and editing is one of the worst parts of the movie, as the visuals look too silly and cheap to be taken seriously.
The dialogue is very corny and cheesy.
Inconsistent and campy acting.
Aside from clearly trying to capitalize off of Jaws, it also steals elements from other horror films.
It isn't even that scary and has little suspense.
This movie does a laughably terrible job at trying to look like Jaws with its violence and "horror", although it completely lacks the tension and suspense Jaws had.
The musical score is awesome and genuinely creepy.
The opening scene was well filmed.
The acting is still great, especially for the Orcas, but sadly, this didn't save the film.
The female Orca's death was quite emotional.
Despite the inaccurate depiction of the orcas, the pro-wildlife moral is actually well conveyed.
Surprisingly great cinematography that can actually make some scenes pretty tense.
It can actually be considered so-bad-it's-good, and I really do like that kind of cult-following stuff.
October 17, 2016
This is an engrossing tale of a fisherman and a killer whale. The man 'sins' against the whale by killing his family (pod) causing the whale to pursue him in an act of revenge. the alternating perspective of whale and man makes this an intriguing cat & mouse game. There is much emotion evoked here and one cannot hate either side. it is a tragic tale of nature and justice. This book has stayed in my heart for years.
August 3, 2021
I enjoyed this one. Killer whales are never boring to read about. A man has been told he can earn a large amount of money for the capture of a shark for a Japanese aquarium and he is like "Yea that's piss easy let's go get a shark".. Sure, enough they find a shark but then the killer whale comes along, and it's like well they are beasty let's get one of them instead, but killer whales are highly intelligent and it becomes a bit of game of chase. Interesting read.
December 21, 2010
Bog standard nautical-horror fare in the vein of Peter Benchley. The plot is nothing special and the characters are clichéd, unlikeable, and their motivations change from one page to the next. It probably deserves one star, but for all its faults I didn't actively dislike it. To be honest, I struggled to actively feel much about it at all.
March 27, 2016
I read this and enjoyed it in the wake (you should pardon the expression) of the post-"Jaws" killer fish craze. Typical Seventies writing style, with lots of gratuitous sex and an unlikely piscatorial revenge scenario.
December 17, 2020
What a brilliant book. Man vs killer whale. The book is a quick read and well paced. I remember the movie as a kid. Now three decades later I read the book. It really is moving and you have so much empathy for the orca. The ending is superb. A real pleasure.
April 10, 2016
One of the few cases when the movie was actually better than the book
June 10, 2016
It was okay didn't really care for it or the ending
September 2, 2021
Campy at some points but also a great sense of noir and a good read if you love whales. I am definitely interested in reading something else from this author now.
January 16, 2023
Like some other people, I became interested in this book after hearing Tarantino discuss it in an interview where he spoke about novelizations of films. I finally read it, and I think it was fine. I think I prefer the movie. I have seen some women upset with this book, and at first I thought, "Well, the female lead seems to be biting back at the misogynistic jerk of a lead." But then...yeah, she caves and falls for the jerk. Ladies, I agree. The main character is a total jerk to women (and most everyone and everything else), but the fact that the main woman seems to be all, "I love you!" after his actions is a bit sickening.
But you know, yay for a killer whale seeking revenge!
But you know, yay for a killer whale seeking revenge!
February 11, 2024
3,5*
Orca, es una novela posterior al éxito Jaws, hay una bestia más grande que un tiburon blanco, la Orca asesina. La novela es de ágil lectura, muy corta que se lee en un par de días.
Su trama y personajes me gustaron, bastante bien desarrollados por el autor a pesar de la corta extensión del libro. El final está bueno, un poco apresurado, me hubiese gustado saber que pasó con los personajes, después de la Orca. Aún así es un libro más a todas esas novelas de animales asesinos o monstruos marinos.
Orca, es una novela posterior al éxito Jaws, hay una bestia más grande que un tiburon blanco, la Orca asesina. La novela es de ágil lectura, muy corta que se lee en un par de días.
Su trama y personajes me gustaron, bastante bien desarrollados por el autor a pesar de la corta extensión del libro. El final está bueno, un poco apresurado, me hubiese gustado saber que pasó con los personajes, después de la Orca. Aún así es un libro más a todas esas novelas de animales asesinos o monstruos marinos.
July 11, 2025
Action packed fun
Apart from the sex scenes and the unbelievable way Rachel fell in love with and fawned over Jack, Orca was very enjoyable. Easy to read, very well paced with several small climaxes leading up to a nail biting finish. Super suspenseful final battle scenes between the vengeful killer whale and our rough and evidently irresistible hero, Jack.
I really enjoyed learning a little about Newfoundland too, and there were some nice surprises including an unexpected reveal from the chief.
It was a bit silly really, but it was an action packed fun read.
Apart from the sex scenes and the unbelievable way Rachel fell in love with and fawned over Jack, Orca was very enjoyable. Easy to read, very well paced with several small climaxes leading up to a nail biting finish. Super suspenseful final battle scenes between the vengeful killer whale and our rough and evidently irresistible hero, Jack.
I really enjoyed learning a little about Newfoundland too, and there were some nice surprises including an unexpected reveal from the chief.
It was a bit silly really, but it was an action packed fun read.
August 21, 2020
Fairly mediocre story with a completely unlikable protagonist, a woman that falls for him seemingly because the story required her to, and is filled with editing errors. You spend the book seeing the world through Campbell's eyes, so he's constantly sexualizing every woman he encounters, including his own sister. (Within the first few pages he fantasizes about sex with his sister, ew) on top of that, the ending is pretty anticlimactic. Wouldn't particularly recommend
October 31, 2024
Después del éxito cinematográfico que fue Tiburón (Jaws) hoy un clásico. Llega este libro que intenta replicar el tema de animal marino asesino en esta ocasión una Orca.
Un libro corto de fácil y rápida lectura, su trama y personajes tienen un muy buen desarrollo lo que me agrado; aunque el final estuvo un poco apresurado, y me dejo pensando en que paso con los personajes.
Un libro recomendado para los amantes del genero.
Un libro corto de fácil y rápida lectura, su trama y personajes tienen un muy buen desarrollo lo que me agrado; aunque el final estuvo un poco apresurado, y me dejo pensando en que paso con los personajes.
Un libro recomendado para los amantes del genero.
March 27, 2023
I have read this book several times. I find it to be a great story, and the characters are very memorable. The only thing I can say negative, is that alot of the dialogue is kind of clunky. It seems forced in a way, and unrealistic. There are exchanges between the characters that just don't sound right. But it is a very enjoyable read.
June 18, 2018
VERY INTERESTING THIS BOOK.
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