digital audio, 317 pages
English language
Published Jan. 5, 1995 by ORB.
I Am Legend is a 1954 post-apocalyptic horror novel by American writer Richard Matheson that was influential in the modern development of zombie and vampire literature and in popularizing the concept of a worldwide apocalypse due to disease. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films The Last Man on Earth (1964), The Omega Man (1971), and I Am Legend (2007). It was also an inspiration behind Night of the Living Dead (1968).
It has way more depth than the movie and is a completely different experience.. though it is less frightening throughout, I was gripped.
Wow, this was different to the movies claiming to be based on this book; what happened? No zombie apocalypse like I was expecting instead we have vampires. I went in expecting one thing and ended up enjoying something completely different.
Much, much better than the movie of the same name, although considering how awful the movie is, that doesn't really give a good idea of the quality of Matheson's novella. The movie is about goofy looking CGI monsters that roar at the Fresh Prince. The novella is about vampires and the efforts of the last man on Earth (thankfully not the Fresh Prince) to stop them. While the movie focuses on the conflict between the Fresh Prince and scary things that jump out of nowhere and roar, the novella focuses more with the internal conflicts that plague the last man on Earth. The main character has to deal with feelings of boredom, depression, hopelessness, and a passionate zeal for "solving" the vampire problem. The movie wants you to be scared of what's outside the house trying to get in, whereas the novella makes it clear that the real terror is …
Much, much better than the movie of the same name, although considering how awful the movie is, that doesn't really give a good idea of the quality of Matheson's novella. The movie is about goofy looking CGI monsters that roar at the Fresh Prince. The novella is about vampires and the efforts of the last man on Earth (thankfully not the Fresh Prince) to stop them. While the movie focuses on the conflict between the Fresh Prince and scary things that jump out of nowhere and roar, the novella focuses more with the internal conflicts that plague the last man on Earth. The main character has to deal with feelings of boredom, depression, hopelessness, and a passionate zeal for "solving" the vampire problem. The movie wants you to be scared of what's outside the house trying to get in, whereas the novella makes it clear that the real terror is the isolation of being the last man on Earth, which makes the novella infinitely more interesting and enjoyable than the movie.
I'm not really a great fiction reader but this story sounded interesting. I enjoyed the story a lot and think it is well worth a read if you like horror, vampires or last man alive in the world scenarios.
The ending of the book is darker than the movie.
So if you enjoyed the movie, I think you'll enjoy the book too. Actually, if you thought you would enjoy the movie but found it a bit silly in places don't write of the book. The vampires are more vampire-like and are clawing at his door in a tamer way from day one.
I think there is still scope for a more true to the novel film adaptation.
I also didn't realize that "I Am Legend" is just one story of many in a collection of short stories.
Somewhat of a spoiler alert . . .
This was a very interesting take on vampires. It was interesting to see Matheson provide scientific explanations for vampires, specifically the spread of vampirism (how vampires turn others into vampires), weaknesses to garlic, mirrors, crosses, etc.
However, the character development of Robert Neville was by far the best part of the novel. His slow descent into madness and his struggle to remain in control of a world falling into chaos all around him was fascinating. The ending was a brilliant.
This novel isn't for everyone, however, but it's a quick read and certainly worth it.
[re-post from my old blog]
I got this one at the same time as I got [b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510AEGjZ9yL.SL75.jpg|1536771] from the library, so I went on a bit of a movie magic binge. I bought this one at the local drug store, so it featured Will Smith on the cover. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but it turns out that I Am Legend is actually a novella, and so the rest of the book is filled with about a dozen more short stories of his (some of them are only a couple of pages!)
I enjoyed the beginning of the story, as man against monsters, but gradually the main character became annoying. He did a lot of whining. It would occasionally pick up steam when he'd go face to face again, but then peter out in some long …
[re-post from my old blog]
I got this one at the same time as I got [b:The Golden Compass|119322|The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials, #1)|Philip Pullman|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510AEGjZ9yL.SL75.jpg|1536771] from the library, so I went on a bit of a movie magic binge. I bought this one at the local drug store, so it featured Will Smith on the cover. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but it turns out that I Am Legend is actually a novella, and so the rest of the book is filled with about a dozen more short stories of his (some of them are only a couple of pages!)
I enjoyed the beginning of the story, as man against monsters, but gradually the main character became annoying. He did a lot of whining. It would occasionally pick up steam when he'd go face to face again, but then peter out in some long diatribe against life - not very heroic. Then things change radically on him and it all ends rather abruptly and, I have to be honest here, confusingly. I'm not really sure what the heck was going on at the end, but I doubt the movie ends the same way! I also found the quaint anachronisms (like a push button starter on the car) strangely irritating. Oh well, it was a short ride anyway.
Gripping story that incorporates a scientific explanation for vampires
Je viens de finir et franchement c’était trop court, mais quelle histoire ! Suite à une épidémie aussi insolite qu’inexpliquée (car on ne nous dit pas grand-chose des origines du fléau), l’Humanité se transforme en une multitude de vampires assoiffés. Robert Neville est désormais seul face à ces monstres, pas tout à fait morts mais pas très vivants non plus, enfin cela dépend, il faut lire le livre pour voir la différence. Bref, le quotidien de Neville est rythmé par des trucidations de vampires, la consolidation de sa maison, l’étude, et des beuveries occasionnelles. Le contexte est carrément angoissant, un homme seul face à ses anciens amis et voisins, plus tout à fait eux-mêmes, luttant pour sa survie. Classique mais efficace. La conclusion est une jolie réflexion sur l’Humanité, l’homme face à ses monstres, ses légendes. Car qui du vampire et du dernier Homme est vraiment une légende ?
First story I Am Legend totally lives up to it's billing as a FANTASTIC, original vampire tale. The vampire mythos that Matheson tore down with "scientific" explanations was incredibly thought out and detailed. My favorite part being where Neville showed the cross to Ben Cortman, who laughed in his face, then brought out the Torah and that set him off. Highly recommended story.
The next two--Buried Talents and The Near Departed were bad. Could have been better, but they were missed opportunities.
After that came Prey. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to realize that it was original story behind "The Doll"! The third short of 1975's Trilogy of Terror. Another winner.
Witch War was creepy and fun. I would love to see the story of the seven girls expanded upon.
Dance of the Dead sucked. They can't all be winners.
Dress of White Silk was another …
First story I Am Legend totally lives up to it's billing as a FANTASTIC, original vampire tale. The vampire mythos that Matheson tore down with "scientific" explanations was incredibly thought out and detailed. My favorite part being where Neville showed the cross to Ben Cortman, who laughed in his face, then brought out the Torah and that set him off. Highly recommended story.
The next two--Buried Talents and The Near Departed were bad. Could have been better, but they were missed opportunities.
After that came Prey. I was shocked and pleasantly surprised to realize that it was original story behind "The Doll"! The third short of 1975's Trilogy of Terror. Another winner.
Witch War was creepy and fun. I would love to see the story of the seven girls expanded upon.
Dance of the Dead sucked. They can't all be winners.
Dress of White Silk was another one the was eerie and vague. But a regular spine chiller!
Mad House kinda sucked. Where Buried Talents was a good idea that wasn't fleshed out enough, Mad House was a good idea that dragged on WAY to long. Ugh.
The Funeral was okay. Nothing too exciting.
From Shadowed Places not too bad, but again, nothing too exciting.
Person to Person was one of the better stories.
All told, I Am Legend remains the best of the lot and a good enough reason to pick up the book, even if it's the only one that you read.
The book I Am Legend is a short story collection, of which the story "I Am Legend" is the longest and best. I borrowed the book from a family member on Thanksgiving 2007, a couple weeks before the movie premiered. I did not read all of the other stories, but the ones I did read were pretty good.
I actually liked the movie, but think that the book was much better. The most prominent difference is the ending, which is one of the best I have ever read: The two runners up that come to mind are Amory Blaine's statement of "I know myself, but that is all" at the end of [b:This Side of Paradise|46165|This Side Of Paradise|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314430s/46165.jpg|2520849] and the haunting description of the shark at the end of [b:A Canticle for Leibowitz|164154|A Canticle for Leibowitz|Walter M. Miller Jr.|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172331601s/164154.jpg|250975].
I won't go into the details of …
The book I Am Legend is a short story collection, of which the story "I Am Legend" is the longest and best. I borrowed the book from a family member on Thanksgiving 2007, a couple weeks before the movie premiered. I did not read all of the other stories, but the ones I did read were pretty good.
I actually liked the movie, but think that the book was much better. The most prominent difference is the ending, which is one of the best I have ever read: The two runners up that come to mind are Amory Blaine's statement of "I know myself, but that is all" at the end of [b:This Side of Paradise|46165|This Side Of Paradise|F. Scott Fitzgerald|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170314430s/46165.jpg|2520849] and the haunting description of the shark at the end of [b:A Canticle for Leibowitz|164154|A Canticle for Leibowitz|Walter M. Miller Jr.|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172331601s/164154.jpg|250975].
I won't go into the details of the story, but as the predecessor to many of the other vampire and zombie stories and films I have come to enjoy, I have to say I was greatly impressed and pleasantly surprised by this story.
