I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: not as much for the sci fi fan
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this book based on the enthusiastically positive reviews here on Amazon, but I'm a bit disappointed. Some of the reviews said the book was far better than the Will Smith movie, so I was expecting something really deep and engaging. Instead, I felt the story "I Am Legend" had plot weaknesses and didn't hold my interest like I expected. There were a number of times when I thought, "But what if...?" or "Why didn't this happen...?" Some Amazon reviews even said the story's ending was far superior to the ending of the Will Smith movie, but I feel like I must have read the wrong book. The end of the story was anticlimactic and didn't seem to wrap up the meaning of the title at all for me.
I picked up the book because I enjoy sci fi, but I didn't feel this book was sci fi. It feels more like horror, and not just because of the vampires. Nearly everything about the story made it feel more like a horror story, and I'm not a fan of horror so I didn't enjoy it much. There are also several short stories following "I Am Legend" in this book (which aren't mentioned anywhere on the covers) and they are all horror genre stories. I read most of them but they just aren't my cup of tea.
One thing I noticed is that all the stories, including "I Am Legend," remind me of Stephen King's works. Obviously Matheson influenced King. If you enjoy Stephen King, then you'll probably really like this collection of Matheson's stories. But if you're mostly a sci fi fan like me, you may not enjoy it so much. I suspect the glowing reviews of this book are from fans of horror who maybe would have liked the movie "I Am Legend" to more closely resemble a horror movie than a sci fi flick.
Book Review: nothing like the movie..
Summary: 2 Stars
Usually the book is so much better than the movie, not in this case. First of all I Am Legend is a short story. The only things the movies and the book have in common are: a dog is briefly in the book and the main character's name is the same. I was very disappointed.Book Review: reprint of the 1954 classic novella
Summary: 4 Stars
In 1976, the pandemic plague devastated the earth. Most people died while those who survived were biologically altered into nocturnal blood drinking in-humans. That is everyone except for one remaining purebred; Robert Neville never changed as he apparently was immune to the plague. He is the last surviving Homo sapiens, but the converted see him as being different as the monster tied to the dead legendary past who must die. He endures his ordeal through alcohol, but his loneliness is driving him insane as each night he considers giving up until he meets his first non vampire friend since the disease, a dog fearful of him.
This book actually contains a reprint of the 1954 classic novella I AM LEGEND in conjunction with an upcoming movie (note that Vincent Price starred in the 1960s film The Last Man on Earth based on this tale) and ten short stories that are entertaining and well written, but feel like padding to almost double the size of the book. Readers will understand why some of the great horror writers like Stephen King consider this novella one of the best ever as it crosses science fiction with horror yet holds up well because the bottom line is this is a character study of the human need for companionship as well as a Frankenstein like question as to just who is the monster?
Harriet Klausner
Book Review: reviewing the book, not the story
Summary: 1 Stars
Rather than repeat the good reviews on the story of "I am Legend" I am offering a review of the book itself. I am disappointed in the marketing ploy of this book, relying on the movie to sell the book. Nowhere on the cover, the back of the book or the inside flap does it state this is a compilation of short stories. It instead relies on the reader's interest in the movie with Will Smith to sell the book. In fact, the story itself used to sell the book is only 159 pages of the 312 page book. There are in fact 11 stories in this book. Not all of them great reads. I probably would have bought it anyway but I resent the obvious deception that this entire book was a novel of the one story, "I am Legend" and was hoping for much more. The story itself was good and well written. I will wait until the DVD is released to see the movie. I won't buy books again from TOR without researching further to find the truth about their packaging and what is actually inside.Book Review: this book sucks
Summary: 1 Stars
I read this book with great anticipation and was sorely disappointed. The first half was great! The second half really sucked. The 2nd half appears to be a mish mosh of disjointed unrelated little stories. They didn't have anything to do with the story in the first half. I hope the movie is better. Don't waste your money on the book!