I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: A vampire novel second only to Stoker's
Summary: 5 Stars
I am Legend is arguably the greatest short horror novel ever written, and its influence on the horror genre has been profound. Stephen King and many other of today's masters rank this book highly in their personal top ten lists of favorites. It is a short novel that can be read in one sitting; it is hard to put down, building in intensity from start to finish. Matheson creates an entirely new type of vampire fiction herein. Transcending the traditional vampire tale, he adds science fiction elements to produce a refreshing new interpretation of Stoker's legend. The most fascinating part of the story is the protagonist's (Richard Neville's) attempts to explain the legendary aspects of the vampire myth in scientific terms. His discovery of a bacterium, which he dubs vampiris, as the true source of vampirism struck me anew reading the novel again after the events of September 11, 2001. Although we only get pieces of the story regarding the outbreak of the vampiric plague, including a reference to bombings, it can easily be seen as the fruits of germ warfare. Neville even conjectures that the Black Death of the Middle Ages was caused by this same vampiris germ, and he extrapolates facts and ideas from that history in his attempts to understand why such defenses as garlic, crosses, and stakes driven into the heart actually are effective against the hordes of undead creatures menacing his own time. He studies academic texts and conducts experiments with the blood of these creatures, which is the means by which he identifies the bacterium. The essence of garlic has no effect on the germ when injected into a blood sample, which initially he is unable to explain, but he later is able to explain garlic's effectiveness. Less scientific tests lead him to conclude that crosses are only effective against "Christian" vampires; the cross has no meaning to for vampires who were once Jews and Moslems, but sacred symbols of those religions, such as the Torah and the Koran, do. All of these scientific tests and speculations are just fascinating.Neville is essentially the last man on earth, and the loneliness of his situation is the central part of the story. Matheson is able to communicate Neville's emotional feelings vividly, making him very real. We gradually acquire the story of the deaths of Neville's wife and daughter, essentially experiencing the pain he goes through when these memories overcome him. We watch him drink himself into a stupor as each night finds him besieged in his fortified house, surrounded by vampires, including his old friend and neighbor, calling for him to come out. We watch him slowly lose his grip on sanity and come very close to giving up. Then, however, we watch him overcome his depression and courageously fight to live in the nightmare world he is trapped in. The scenes with the dog he finds are full of emotion and really gripped this reader. This is Neville's first contact with nonvampiric life, and his attempts to befriend and help the poor creature (at the same time finally finding a companion) touched me greatly and brought tears to my eyes. His eventual discovery of another human being like himself is also powerful and emotional, although to speak more about this aspect of the story is to risk giving something away to the future reader.
This is a story of one man overcoming all obstacles and fighting to defend his way of life and his very humanity. The novel deals with the human condition, the essential ingredient to effective horror writing. Neville struggles constantly with his doubts and fears, particularly as he commits acts that he would have condemned as barbarous in the time before the plague. His needs for companionship of any kind offer us a clear image of the inner soul of man. By the end of the story, he does indeed become legend, both in his world and in ours.
Book Review: A very human vampire story
Summary: 5 Stars
"I am Legend" is a very human vampire story. By that I mean that the story revolves around one person, his hopes, fears, loneliness, frustration and despair. The story takes a new spin on the vampire legend in that it removes the supernatural element of it (though the main character's scientific discoveries) and explains vampirism in terms of a pandemic that wipes out humanity as we know it. The virus spreads quickly, leading to a breakdown in society and mass death, near total extinction, with the main character as the sole living person as far as we the readers know. People infected with vampirism quickly die and then come back to life, driven by the need for blood - as with traditional vampire stories. Rational explanations are given for their aversion to light, garlic, religious relics, and so on. Even the hunger for blood is explained in biological terms.
Early on, you really begin to feel for the main character of the story. He's a tormented person - by his inner turmoil and the vampires that come out each night in an effort to kill him. He's left alone, having to watch all that he loves (family) and knows (neighbors, city, and civilization) die and become forever lost. With this backdrop his character is revealed, both the weaknesses and strengths. He's a very human character, very round, and very believable. His loneliness is plain after the loss of his wife and child and all human contact, and he turns to alcohol to sooth his pain. He becomes desperate for companionship of any sort. Loss of affection, no outlet for sexuality and companion ship all play a part in this story. His strength of character and ability to persevere, despite the overwhelming odds, are illustrated throughout the story.
It's a very dark story with a dark ending. It's definitely an intense story. It's uncluttered with numerous characters and subplots. It's tightly centered around one very developed character with a fairly unique vampire legend and distinctive storyline. "I am Legend" is one of the more human of all horror stories that I've read.
Book Review: A very worthy horror collection
Summary: 4 Stars
I recommend this horror collection if you enjoyed Night of the Living Dead/Castaway/28 Days Later. The bulk of what you're getting here is the 170 page novel of "I am Legend". The main character, Robert Neville is what makes this novel so great. He is reminiscent of John Wayne/Charleton Heston muchismo, a bold, in your face tough guy. Getting drunk, smoking cigarettes, and vampire hunting never looked this good. There is not enough of that in literature, IMO. "I am Legend" turns out to be a great social commentary, begging the question, "Who is the real outcast?" in a Planet of the Apes tone.
Short stories that stick out most in this edition are "Dance of the Dead", "Mad House", and "Dress of White Silk". Each short is thought provocative in their own ends and it was enjoyable noting differences in style between each.
This is a collection definitely worth a look, especially is you are a fan of the horror/suspense genre.
Book Review: A vision of loneliness and terror from a master of suspense.
Summary: 5 Stars
As a child (and young teen) I'd had the opportuntity to see many of Richard Matheson's works converted into movies (Incredible Shrinking Man, Hell House, Last Man on Earth & The Omega Man), but being an avid reader at heart I eagerly hunted his novels & stories down one by one over many years...until at last I found his terrifying novel..."I am Legend".Robert Neville, the hero of Matheson's brilliant work, is a tortured man living a life of loneliness, despair, frustration and paranoia. Driven into this existence by a genocidal plague that wiped out humanity, and the prowling vampires of the night that seek nothing more than to drain his flesh of every drop of his precious blood.
Matheson so vividly conveys the terrible loneliness of Neville's plight and his monotonous existence trying to get through each solitary day...and each white knuckled, pulse pounding night. I found myself experiencing such a wide range of emotions reading this book...sadness, pity, anger, euphoria and symapthy....Matheson really outdid himself with this excellent piece of writing !
By far and away one of my favourite fantasy novels...If you don't already own a copy....do so now ! You won't be dissapointed !
Book Review: AMAZING
Summary: 5 Stars
first i should just say that this book is way better than the movie. the movie really butchered this book. that upset me a lot. i like the book so much more than the movie. i love the cover of the book as well. this book also has short stories but i haven't read them yet.
the book really talks a lot more on the lonliness and despair neville feels. how the vampires really were and how they acted. how he really dies and says "i am legend". how much of an alcohol problem and where he would find solace. he would talk about his wife a lot more than almost anything else in the book. how he misses her. you can really feel how in love he was and how bad he misses her. i could feel how depressed neville was and lonely and the despair he felt.
i really loved this book. i couldn't put it down for anything. just one chapter after another of how great this book really is. i would recommend this to anyone.