I Am Legend by Richard Matheson Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I Am Legend
Book Review: Legend in their own mind
Summary: 2 Stars
I didn't care for this book. Slow and a bit boring. Very short. Did not live up to my expectations.Book Review: Likely NOT a lot like the upcoming movie...
Summary: 5 Stars
...at least based on scripts I've seen, the trailers, and the previous film versions (Charlton Heston in The Omega Man and Vincent Price in The Last Man on Earth.) Both took the story and made the vampires into, well, something else--diseased zombies. It LOOKS like the new Will Smith movie does the same, but we'll see.
Anyway, the most important aspect of this book hasn't been touched on by the dozen or so reviews I've read here, so I thought I'd comment. That aspect is the idea of how we define the "other." The hatred Robert Neville holds for the vampire population and how we "root" for him because he's "like us" is remarkable, and turned on its head by the end of the novel.
Speaking of the end--if the movie ends like the early drafts of the script, I, for one, will be sorely disappointed. I won't comment further (to give it away) but the "new" ending doesn't allow Neville to come to the realization in the title...
Book Review: Matheson is a genius
Summary: 5 Stars
For many, this will be the only taste of Matheson.... this story is a good example of his style. He is very descriptive of scene - If you were around in the 50s/60s you can immediately picture the den, the mural on the wall, the bar!!! Even the colors come through... In addition to his ability to draw us into his environment, the flow of the story and the thoughtfulness of his science... getting from point A to B is just awesome!! There is very little need to extrapolate. He puts the framework right there - and in as spare a style as possible. The shock of realization and the wave of understanding at the end of the story are indescribable.
Obviously, the main story is why most folks buy the book, but I highly recommend that you give the other shorter stories a try also. I guarantee that they will stick with you. The fetish doll story is a classic and my personal favorite was 'Witch War', a three page story that still haunts me! Oh yes, 'I am Legend' is a great story, but don't forget the rest of the book - you will not regret it.
All the best,
Jay
Book Review: Moderate but interesting
Summary: 3 Stars
The book does show what the reader is looking for but rather short in a way. Though the auothr did not intend for a motion picture to book thing, I think the book was rather more detail but still a bit short. Then also The other stories not dealing with the title only what the author wrote , should be more clearBook Review: Most Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
This story was excellent! I thought the author did a fine job of capturing the thoughts and feelings of the last human on Earth. Robert Neville is a believable guy - he mumbles to himself, procrastinates, and drinks heavily so he doesn't have to face the horrors around him. He shows a wide range of emotions, changing from his very sensitive nature in the time before the plague to the hard and bitter person he's become. I especially liked how he'd continue to form attachments to things that would kill him just to stay sane. Since Neville is the only real character in the novel, Matheson has to capture him just right. I think he succeeded.
Also, I loved Matheson's treatment of the vampire legends. His scientific approach was a great idea done well. These were probably the most interesting parts of the book. But by far my favorite parts were those where Neville was dealing with the living, and he shed his cold exterior to show some real depth. This was all brilliantly written and quite emotional.
If I had to make a complaint, I'd say that the details of Neville being attracted to the vampire women was over the top, but fortunately that tapered off within the first third of the book.
The ending was, of course, very solid. In fact I appreciated the entire pacing and organization of the book. It was gripping and read quickly and easily.
My copy is actually half I Am Legend and half other short stories, though this isn't marked and confused me greatly when I reached the ending. Reading the rest of the short stories here, I see that Matheson is actually a horror writer, and was taking a step out of his element to write this book. It's quite an accomplishment. (Incidentally I have not read horror stories before, but I was somewhat creeped out by these, so I guess that's something...)
A final comment: after reading the book I still have no problems with the different story presented in the movie. Many people complain about the changed ending, but really the movie changed quite a bit about the book, to the point where the only things in common are the title and the fact that the main character is a lone survivor. They clearly set out with different messages in mind, and developed the story in their own logical ways. Just as putting the movie ending on the book would make no sense, so would trying to use the book ending with the movie. I enjoyed them both equally, but in different ways.