I Am Legend
by Richard Matheson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Richard MathesonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1997
ISBN: 1582882339
Number of pages: 301
Publisher: Orb: Tom Doherty Associates
Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: Cool Idea, Horrible...everything else.
Summary: 1 Stars
I read the book before seeing the movie so this review of mine isn't about the comparison or even the fact that it's a tiny novella thrown in with some other short stories.
This book sucked, hard, and all on its own. Here's why.
1) Robert Neville is a pansy. That's fine and dandy, not all men act macho or heroic. Shoot, some even act like girls. Nothing wrong with that. But Richard Matheson decided to tell us early on that Robert Neville was a Marine Veteran. Not only that but he's survived on his own for years now, killing vamps everyday.
The WTF! moment came from a flashback to just when the outbreak started occurring and people were getting religion all of a sudden. Nevilles walking by a large tent when a preacher stops him and tries to persuade him into it to hear the sermon. For some WTF reason this scares the hell out of Neville, whose paralyzed at the sight of this skinny, old, grandpa of a preacher who Matheson throws every negative Chaucer-like description he can think of (skeleton fingers, chicken skinned, liver spotted, fetid breath, rotting teeth, WTF!) and starts to physically shake! Since Neville is terrified and shaking, this Marine Vet (don't forget), can't seem to will himself to walk away, but is led inside to witness the Pentecostal style sermon. Neville continues to shake and shudder and nearly piss himself till he eventually runs out of there in terror. WTF!! You'd think he witnessed them eating newborn baby eyes and flossing with their entrails instead of talking about finding Jesus. Matheson really over uses the shaking in terror throughout the entire book.
Now I see that Matheson doesn't care much for religion, putting it lightly. Still no problem, as that's his opinion and book and maybe that's just the characters stand, but Don't tell me your Marine Vet main character can't mentally or physically handle that situation and then expect me to care or have any bit of respect about him as a character/man. Freezing up at the sight of an old preacher means the local preschoolers have a better chance of surviving the Vamp Apocalypse.
2) The final straw was the ending. Matheson, having already decided to make the best pansy out of this Marine Vet, decides that Neville should give up and die...(no joke, that's how it ended).
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