I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: Better than the movie reviews I've seen
Summary: 5 Stars
It's funny that our hero is blond and blue eyed while the movie has a black man. Really good story though. I hesitated to read it because I'm not into zombies or vampires but this was surprisingly good and not what I expected. A good story of survival.
8-1-10: After actually seeing the newest version of this movie with Will Smith a couple of months ago, I was blown away. I have gained respect for Will Smith as an actor! I have now seen all three versions of this movie and I believe this one is better than Charleton Heston's Omega Man. Of course, they always change the endings. I expect they'll do another version in 20 years. Thank goodness, the book remains the same. Without ruining the ending I can only say it has to do with evolution and human DNA.
Book Review: Better than the movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
Whether you've seen the latest movie or one of the others made over the years,or just looking for a really good read you enjoy this book.
Well written,very deep yet easy to follow.
Book Review: Book vs Movie
Summary: 3 Stars
I saw the film first and, after seeing so many reviews that referenced the book, I felt I had to read it.
So now I've read the book (or most of it). Honestly, I thought "I Am Legend" was only okay and the rest of the stories got kind of boring after a while.
There is very little to compare between the movie and the story. Honestly, I prefer the movie.
Book Review: Differences from the Will Smith Movie Version
Summary: 5 Stars
Many reviewers have described the greatness of this story and its influence on modern writers. I wanted to offer my viewpoint as a reader who had seen the movie first. I initially avoided the book because I felt that the movie, while entertaining, was shallow with an uninteresting story. However, the positive reviews finally convinced me to give it a shot and I am glad that I did.
The character portrayed by Will Smith is a brilliant man who is the cause of the epidemic and also the eventual savior of the human race. The character from the book is a much more interesting and relatable one. He is just an average man who struggles to survive. Not only with the vampires, but also to motivate himself to complete the menial tasks required for his daily survival.
The vampires portrayed in the movie are superhuman killing machines completely devoid of any perceivable intelligence. In contrast, the book's portrayal of the vampires is much more interesting. They retain many of their human qualities, including their intelligence, personalities, and physical capabilities. This allows for interactions far more interesting than those found in the movie.
The conclusion found in the movie is very unsatisfying. It serves as a confirmation of the woman's belief that God had directed her actions, portends the rebirth of human civilization, and illustrates the triumph of the human spirit against all odds. All very common themes that deliver a boring result. The book's conclusion deviates drastically from the movie's. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I will say I found the final realization the main character is forced to accept very interesting and thought provoking.
I encourage anyone to read the book regardless of their feelings on the movie. The book provides a deeper story and a much different take on the vampire genre than the one presented in the movie.
Book Review: Don't see the movie, READ!! (but don't buy this "movie" edition)
Summary: 5 Stars
I am incredibly astonished that they put the "I Am Legend" movie poster on the cover of Richard Matheston's own "I Am Legend" novel. Anyone that has seen the movie AND read the book should be equally insulted. The novel has a wonderful dark and haunting atmosphere, which by the way is NOT set in New York City! Robert Neville is a brooding alcoholic layman who AFTER the "plague" has to teach himself science and virology between periods of drunken depression, he is NOT a colonel and brilliant scientist with a loving companion German Shepard.
I loved the entire book but to me the greatest part and what separates "I Am Legend" from other typical horror/vampire/apocalyptic stories is the ending. That being said, the current movie that critics are hailing as the closest rendering of the novel yet (it has been remade 2x prior) is an insult to the post-apocalyptic vision Richard Matheson created. The demise of our beloved hopeless and inverted hero as Matheson wrote it is COMPLETELY lost in the film which disappointingly ends with hope for the future of mankind.
Buy an another edition that is not related to the movie and enjoy.