I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson
Summary: 4 Stars
I Am Legend is Richard Matheson's short novel about the only survivor of a plague that has made everyone else on earth into something like zombie vampires. It is a foundational novel in the post-apocalyptic genre of science fiction and horror, and has been made into a movie three times: The Last Man on Earth (1964), with Vincent Price, The Omega Man (1971), with Charlton Heston, and I Am Legend (2007), with Will Smith. Of these, The Last Man on Earth follows the novel most closely.
Matheson's style often seizes on the mundane details of the situation, at times without apparent value to the story, but the overall effect is suspenseful, in large part because Matheson takes the reader inside the main character Neville's mental imbalance. Throughout the book, Neville is not only in danger from the vampires, but also from himself.
This edition contains ten Matheson short stories, ranging in genre from horror to suspense. None of them are as good as I Am Legend, but a few of them are genuinely creepy and others show Matheson's knack for exploring the disturbed minds of his characters. The reader will also notice a few of Matheson's writing preferences (he loves to use the word "funereal", and he frequently describes characters' mouths as "gashes").
Like or not, books like I Am Legend are responsible for the now over-played zombie genre. Here, at least, it's done originally, and done well.
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Book Review: I AM LEGEND---ONE OF 11 STORIES
Summary: 4 Stars
My 14 year old son gave me this book for Christmas since I expressed an interest in seeing the movie and he knows how I almost always believe the book to be better than the movie. So what I have to say is that the novelette/short story of I AM LEGEND is very well-written, compelling and hard to put down. I am frustrated that the book is marketed as one novel or one story. It is actually a collection of short stories from author Matheson. It is amusing now to think I read the whole book waiting for things to fit together after page 170. Needless to say I became more and more confused and (STOP READING HERE IF YOU PLAN TO READ--PLOT SPOILER AHEAD)I kept wondering how the book was going to go on when halfway through, the hero dies. All the time I was reading completely different stories. SO anyway-----it is well worth the read, but it should say somewhere on the front or at the front that the book is a collection of short stories. Thanks!Book Review: I Am Legend
Summary: 2 Stars
I was under the impression that this was a novel. The book doesn't let on that it was a compilation of short stories. So, when I reached the end of the Short Story half way through the book "I AM LEGEND" I felt disillusioned, if not tricked.
The story was interesting but not very moving. There were inconsistencies as well. The main character visits the mausoleum where the body of his baby girl is being held, later in the story he mentions that the body was taken from his arms and burned with a multitude of others. (What really happened?)
In any case, I wish I hadn't spent the money on it. I hope the movie is better.
Book Review: I Am Legend would have sufficed, thank you
Summary: 3 Stars
I Am Legend is great book that can really make one think for a long time. It has a great ending that has yet to be captured in any of the films made of the book, The Last Man on Earth(1964), The Omega Man(1972), and I am Legend(2007). I am Legend was surprisingly short, coming in at 160 pages. The rest of the book is filled with some of Richard Matheson's short stories which I could have done without. I would have easily given the book another star or two had the short stories not been included because they were just plain bad. A lot of them started off well just to disappoint at the end and the rest were just bad from start to finish.Book Review: I Feel A Tad Ripped Off
Summary: 2 Stars
I've seen the 1970's movie version called "The Omega Man" based on this story but I'd never read the original which is why I purchased this book. The story is okay... not bad. My rating is due to the fact that I assumed I was paying for a novel and instead bought a book of short stories; the first of which is "I Am Legend". There is nowhere on the cover... front, back or spine, that warns this is a collection of short stories. I rarely buy short stories. As a rule, I prefer novels and would not have bought this one had I known. Tacky way to sell books... tacky and blatantly dishonest.
Richard Matheson is decent author and screenwriter but this book is merely a means to use the upcoming movie to sell a handful of mediocre short stories. Appalling way to treat his fans and consumers in general.