I Am Legend

I didnt like this book at all. Most probably because I watched the movie first and I am a big Will Smith fan. I realize the book was written first but there are a lot of people like me who bought the book thinking it was an adaptation of the movie, considering the jacket has a big picture of Will Smith on it. Well, since I thought the movie was awesome and I wanted to read what I thought would be an in-depth and detailed version of the movie, I settled down to enjoy, only to be surprisingly disappointed. I quickly realized that the book was almost completely different from the movie. First and foremost, the Neville that Will Smith plays in the movie is worlds apart from the wimpy, out of shape, slob of a guy in the book. Will Smiths character was strong, both physically and mentally and he was a scientist of some renown, doing expert tests and analysis to find a cure for the disease. The Neville in the book was an emotional un-kept wreck who smoked and drank himself into oblivion. Yuck! And its obvious that he doesnt have a clue about the disease because he has to drag himself out of a drunken stupor to go to the library and get books to learn about it. However, one of the biggest differences is that in the movie, Neville has a dog. It wouldnt be so bad but the dog (Sam) plays such a major part in the movie! I mean, a big part of what makes the movie so good is Nevilles relationship with his dog and she (Sam) is not even in the book! And on top of that, the mannequin (Dave) in the movie is actually Nevilles next door neighbor, turned vampire leader in the book. In the book the vampires actually talk and they attacked Nevilles house on a nightly basis. In the movie, they were more creatures than vampires and they didnt even know where Neville lived, at least not until the end. I understand that there are those who read the book first and because the movie was so different, they can justifiably complain about that, but the fact remains that this book was sold with Will Smith on the jacket. That, and the fact that this is nothing but a compilation of short stories that have nothing to do with each other is a gross deception to the consumer. I could go on and on about all the various things I found wrong with this book but why bother. Suffice it to say that the book was just boring. I couldnt even finish it. What a big disappointment...

Let me start by being completely transparent: the main reason I bought I Am Legend was, essentially, to kill time until The Twelve by Justin Cronin is released. I wanted a fairly short, quick read for my Kindle, that was also inexpensive. Having heard and read many good things about Richard Mathesons work, I decided this would be the perfect appetizer to set me up for Cronins main course. Perhaps the aforementioned good reviews set my expectations too high, but I found this novella to be good, but not great. Im certain Matheson was ahead of his time when this was published in 1954, but the language and concepts just seem dated today. I realize its probably not fair to judge a book based on the work thats followed, and no doubt built upon, the concepts Matheson introduced here. But it is what it is, I just have a hard time putting more modern, sometimes fresher, work out of my head when reading an older novel. All of that being said, I Am Legend is definitely worth your time, and the paltry $1.99 the Kindle version costs. Its a quick read, and the idea of just dropping you into the infected world, with barely any backstory, gives the novella a heightened sense of suspense and realism. In short, if youre a fan of the vampire or post-apocalyptic genres, then you should read this, as its a seminal story in the evolution of both genres.

Not at all what I expected, being familiar with so many adaptations of it. Im glad I finally read the original.

I’ve been feeling the need to read a few classics lately. I saw the movie with Will Smith. A lone survivor of a vampire plague who can’t venture anywhere further than a day’s round trip drive from his home. He’s driven mad with loneliness. He’s also intent on wiping out as many of these vampires as he finds. This is the only point on which the movie and the book agree upon. I was pleasantly surprised to read the book and discover a new ending, new characters, and a new storyline. Had it been exactly the same as the movie I might not have enjoyed it so much. The book contains subtle humour as Robert Neville is constantly harassed by his neighbour, Ben Cortman in the book. By the end you begin to feel sorry for poor old Cortman. Especially his tragic ending. There’s something about these classics that makes for compelling reading. They’re certainly not abundant in flowery prose or clever writing. It’s as if the ‘show don’t tell’ principle we hear so much about didn’t apply back then, or perhaps ‘show don’t tell’ came a direct result of this style of writing. But I’ve enjoyed reading these classic sci-fi story ‘telling’ books. Which version did I like better? I liked the movie but I LOVED the book. I’m looking forward to reading a few more classic sci-fi stories.

Cant believe it took me this many years--make that decades--to finally get around to absorbing Mathesons quick-read mid-century masterpiece. In the realm of post-apocalyptic fiction, if any work deserves to be described as seminal, this is it. Its influence is clearly evident to this day in everything from The Walking Dead (particularly in the early-going, where a certain characters late wife comes back to haunt him from beyond the grave) to much of dystopian fiction. Never mind that its been made into a movie no less than three times (1964s The Last Man on Earth starring the oddly cast Vincent Price--a messy cheapie thats worth a look as the most faithful adaptation of the book and for its own influence on Romeros Night of the Living Dead; 1971s memorable The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston in his post Planet of the Apes dystopian sci-fi martyr phase [see also: Soylent Green], whos perfect for the main character in many ways, though the film is drastically reconceived from the source material and frequently has the aesthetics of a made-for-TV movie, and most recently the years-in-production 2007 Will Smith version that retained the title, if little of the f flavor, though there were at least hints that some involved in the production had read the book). This is a book that earns its classic status for multiple reasons. While the Heston and Smith movies have always leaned into the apocalyptic action and away from the primal horror, Matheson crafts a sci-fi nightmare that would be better served by a mid-budget indie drama vibe than a mega-budget thrill-ride. I Am Legend is a meditative character study of dire loneliness and intense isolation, the madness and resourcefulness that can stem from such, and is possibly the first book to attempt a smart (pseud0)scientific explanation of the why of vampirism, presenting it not as spooky mysticism but a parasitic disease. I wouldnt be surprised if Max Brooks had that in mind when he wrote The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z, where he provided the first credible description of what keeps the undead walking around Id ever read. Most of main character Robert Nevilles vampire-killing sprees are kept off the page, and he is not presented as a square-jawed superman defiant in the face of imminent death. Hes desperate, frightened, very close to broken, much more relatably the way you or I might react if his misfortune were ours. Hes also quick-witted and capable of adapting, even turning himself into an armchair scientist as he struggles to understand whats befallen the world. But what makes Legend a classic, the masterstroke of storytelling that sets it apart from so many similar and derivative stories, and that not one of the movies has even remotely done right (though theres an alternate ending to the Smith version that could have at least come close), is where Matheson and his protagonist land at the end. I wont spoil this sixty-something-year-old book for those that havent experienced it, but suffice to say it is a wise and surprising little twist still capable of giving you a few existential shivers all these long years later.

It is a quick read at only 100 pages, and reminded me a lot of Michael Crichtons The Andromeda Strain. However if you like any form of neatly tied up answers and conclusion you will be somewhat disappointed with the ending. It left me dissatisfied in the way the vague ambiguous endings of The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits do.

There are some books that, while good in and of themselves, later generations may have a hard time fully appreciating because they lack context. I am Legend feels like one of those books. While modern readers should appreciate it as good zombie apocalypse novel with a clever twist, connoisseurs of the genre will recognize it for the landmark novel it is. That may have sounded more pretentious than was meant, so let me clarify: This book is about a man named Robert Neville, the last survivor of a plague that wiped out humanity. He fortifies his house daily to fend off monsters who attack him. Does this sound like fairly standard zombie fiction? Yes. But what normal probably wont realize is this was the first book to do this. This novel spawned a thousand imitators, and its uniqueness may get lossed in the crowd if you dont know the history. The writing itself is fantastic, locking the reader in to the frustration and grind of life after the end. I can not recommend this book enough to horror and sci-fi fans.

I found it funny that some of these reviews called this suspenseful. This must be the first book theyve ever read because it is anything BUT suspenseful. I gave it 2 stars only because of the concept, not the actually story line and how it was written. You can sum this whole book up on a single page, double spaced, probably less...so Ill try. Neville barricaded himself in his house after everyone turned into vampires ***SPOILER*** by bacteria ***END SPOILER***. He worked on his house for a lot of the book, making it sound proof, etc., he ate through a lot of the book, and drank for even more of the book. He fought with himself and his thoughts (obviously since he was alone). He found a dog that wasnt affected by what was going on and had survived the vampires, so he lured it in for what seemed like an eternity ***SPOILER*** and then for it to die immediately after he brings this companion in to live with him ***END SPOILER***. The last chapter was the only one of any interest and I wont even include that in my summary because I hate people that ruin books by writing about how it ends (the rest of the spoilers Ive written are just from the front half of the book). It is interesting the thoughts and psychology behind the last chapter, and how the book came to be titled I am legend. It was the only good part, but when compared to other suspenseful books and thrillers, this ranked dead last for that. If you were a fan of the Will Smith movie I Am Legend, if you liked all the concepts in that and were looking for a book that was similar to that theme, definitely PASS ON THIS BOOK. There is only one chase scene where he gets a scare by being outside when it is getting dark and the vampires all come out (not even that late in the book either). There is next to no suspense, even with that chase scene. All he did was ride around the block, accidentally forget his keys in the car, have to run and get them as the vamps were getting closer, then get them and get inside. All this happened on what seemed like 2 pages on my kindle touch (so probably about a page long in the real book). I love scifi thrillers/suspense and this was anything but that. Definitely one of the worst vampire books Ive read so far...Id say it ranks worse than Twilight in terms of story line about the vampires (minus the teen love story in Twilight). I was bored with it and couldnt wait to finish it...luckily it was pretty short. This coming from a guy that read vampire books when he was younger (around 20 years ago, way before the vamp fad we see now days). This is anything but a vampire book IMO. It talked about blood sucking 1 time...ONE TIME. I cant even go on without spoiling it...the vampires were just stupid in this book...please, just find a different book to read. Idk what these other reviewers are smoking, but I want some if it can take a bad book like this and turn into something interesting.

The book is dark. And I love that. People could easily get rejected thinking oh its a horror but its not. I would sound probably cocky or something if say I can relate to this book a lot but it is not because I think too highly of my self and it does not have any connection with the title, but it is because I had difficult times in my youth growing up through the surrounding that was really dark and people were really a mental wreck. And I could relate to Robert Nevilles emotional difficulties and how hard it feels to meet that normal person that is almost impossible to find. Thats what kept me through the book that I read 1-2 chapters a day. But seeing how he became a legend it left a mark on me of how through all those things he went through the book, he never changed his core self. And probably because its a book and not a movie, it somehow stays so deep within you. It is awesome.

A virus of unknown origin has swept across the planet killing the majority of humans and mutating the rest - all except for one man who seems to be immune. The mutants have developed vampire-like traits, and the lone survivor, Robert Neville, barricades himself in his home by night to avoid being drained by them, and systematically searches for and destroys the mutants when they become comatose during the day. Although there are zombie-like vampires (or vampire-like zombies?), and Robert Neville is hunting and killing them, this is not really the focus of the story, so there isnt very much blood and gore. The story actually focuses around Neville struggling to cope with isolation and his pursuit of knowledge in an attempt to make sense what has happened to his world and his tenacious effort to fix it. Above all, the story is an exploration of the true definition of humanity and the subjective moral center of society. Written in 1954 and taking place in the future of 1976, I Am Legend doesnt feel at all dated until Neville decides he needs to do some research and doesnt go into a panic over the loss of the Internet. This futuristic 1970s dude knows exactly what to do when the power grid is down and he needs to know everything there is to know about blood and bacilli - he heads straight to the local library. Richard Mathesons writing is absolutely brilliant, and I now understand why this novella is considered a classic. If you have seen any of the movies based on this book, you still dont know the story. Read the book.