I Am Legend

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

Im usually not one of those people that reads the book AFTER seeing the movie, but this was the case for this particular story. I seen the Will Smith version and was somewhat confused as not much was explained correctly. It was all too extreme with the way the movie portrays it. The book (or rather short story) is really a fascinating dive into the brain of the last survivor of a vampiric plague. It really makes you feel like that last person siting there, while reading in bed imagining Vampires bouncing bricks off your house. The different moods the main character goes through in his daily routine. Only thing I didnt like was the ending, but not for the reason that it ends, but that because after I flipped to the main page and continued reading 5-6 more pages before I realized I was reading ANOTHER short story. This cover makes no mention of short storys it just finishes the I am legend one and continues into another, and another, and another. So it left me confused if THAT was it? that was the ending? But then I got pissed off because I kept reading and was confused by other short stories. I cant say I really enjoyed the other ones tho, I bought this book for I am Legend.

Ive seen the movie version of I Am Legend at least twice, probably three times. And up until maybe a year ago, I didnt realise that it was actually a book, and a sci-fi classic to boot. Which also made me think - how many movies are based on, or inspired by a book we dont even know about? Im also not a fan of reading a book after seeing the movie - I always find movie versions are either a) completely different or b) a big fat let-down, so I was a little wary when I started reading. I really thought I wouldnt be able to get Will Smiths face out of my mind..... However, right from the beginning I realised that the book version of I Am Legend is different in several ways to the movie, and not once did I imagine Neville as Will Smith. The book is more personal and intimate than the movie, and the hopelessness and isolation Neville experiences comes through strongly. There is less action and less vampire spookiness, but their presence was always in the back of my mind the whole way through. Im really glad I put my habits aside and decided to read I Am Legend - and I will definitely be recommending it to anyone that interested in reading a sci-fi classic. Theres not a lot I can say that hasnt been said a thousand times and a hundred different ways before, but I found I Am Legend to be far more character-focused and emotionally intense than I imagined it would be.

I make it a habbit not to read too much into the reviews as too many times plots are ruined and the whole story is given away. Im glad I didnt read the editorial review on this book here on Amazon as it gives just about everything away!!! If you havent read it, good, dont! If you have, well its still a great story eventhough the review blew the ending for you. Just to clear things up, this book has around 10 stories in it. The title I am legend is the first story in this book and the longest. I am Legend is a great story. Mathesons style of writing is a bit jagged but it adds tremendously to the atmosphere. I thought about this story many days after I read it. Its the kind of story that will kick you in the head. Do your self a favor and pick it up, its a quick read and worth it. So far Ive read several of the other shorts in the book and they are ok. Sort of Twilight Zone-ish, nothing that really stood out so far. These are just quick little reads at bed time. All the pages following the title story could have been blank for all I care. I am Legend was that good.

Listen- if you could take away the corny vampires wiggling outside the house, Robert Neville’s almost annoying horniness, and the “I was loving you bit.” I would’ve said this was a great book. Upon re-read, I can say I no longer HATE it as I did the first time. However, I just cannot get past the vampires and their seduction~

is a classic horror story. Some regard it as THE classic horror story. Influencing great modern horror writers like Stephen King, its one that will stick with you. I still remember the exact moment I started and finished this book nearly 10 years ago. I was sitting shotgun while my father drove us home from a vacation in Michigan. The AC was too high and I was freezing but couldnt bare to pull my eyes away from this story long enough to ask him to turn it down. I was delighted that I could find a Non-Will Smith cover for this book. As many people know, this story has been adapted into 3 or 4 movies over the years. Word of warning, this is different from the Will Smith movie. If the movie was a standalone with a different name, I would have liked it more. As an adaptation of the book, the movie is seriously lacking. Differences like the fact that the vampires can talk make this story more compelling as the last man on earth isnt alone. This is one of my favorite books of all time. Pros: If youve seen the movie, you can still read the book and be very enthralled. Different enough where you wont know the twists. Great writing. This book made me want to become an author when I was little. Cant say too much more as I dont want to give anything away. Cons: Be careful to purchase the correct copy if youre avoiding the Will Smith movie cover print. The sticker on the back of mine was sticky enough that now, once removed, my book sticks to everything. Thats my biggest complaint people. Back of the book is a little sticky. Seriously. Buy this!

Writer Richard Matheson is a legend himself. This tantalizing tale about the last man alive on Earth and his efforts to destroy a plague of vampires runs out of momentum about halfway through this superbly written novel. Chapter Five is sensational, but afterward the novel bogs down in our protagonist’s deconstruction of venerable vampire myths. The cross is not a sure fire way to kill a vampire. The hero Robert Neville has lost not only his wife but also his daughter to an apocalyptic disease that wipes out mankind, and the survivors are vampires that besiege his house. Neville has converted his home into a veritable fortress to keep out these fanged intruders. One of closest friends—Ben Courtland—keeps haranguing him to come so a legion of vampires can finish him off. Desperate but determined, our lonesome protagonist struggles to figure out a way to kill these predators. Meantime, he goes to pieces slowly. At one point, Neville tried to rescue the last dog alive, but he cannot help it. Later, he chases down a girl, but there is something about her to augers I’ll for him. In the end, Robert Neville reminds us just as Hemingway did in his own vintage novel “To Have and Have Not” that a man alone cannot make it. Any time that a hero dies in a work of literature, it leaves a bitter taste in the readers mouth. Nevertheless, Matheson’s prose is first rate. His descriptions and dialogue are both memorable.

I enjoy end time(s) stories and this is a particularly good one written in 1954 by Richard Matheson. I have seen the movie I Am Legend (2007) and an earlier movie version of Mathesons story, The Omega Man, starring Charlton Heston (1971). I think I prefer the written word, in this case, to either of the Hollywood renditions. I think Will Smith and Charlton Heston deliver outstanding performances in their respective movies and some of the cinematography in I Am Legend is striking with views of a deserted Manhattan replete with empty cars and stores, vegetation growing in the once bustling streets and wildlife roaming free in what was once one of our worlds greatest cities. Regardless, the world that Matheson conjured for me with words on paper is hard to best even with all the skills of modern film making. In this case, I dont know if my preference for the written word would be shared of others. Perhaps the problem for me is that the scope of these kinds of stories and their implications for the human species is so broad that even good writers, directors, and actors and modern cinematography have difficulty delivering the story with the same impact that words on a page, coupled with ones imagination, can produce. A counter example, for me, is Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings films based on J.R. Tolkiens marvelous three-volume triology of the same name. In that case, I was delighted to find that the actors and Mr. Jackson were up to the task - and what a task it was. Endings to stories or movies can always be discussed and debated, of course, so my personal opinion is that the ending of Richard Mathesons story and the ending of The Omega Man are better than the ending of I Am Legend. I would recommend this story (and both movies) to anyone who likes stories of survival set in end times or post-end times.

I Am Legend. After reading the book, now I see why people got so annoyed at the movie. They are COMPLETELY different. Though, Im not one to get too upset by such things myself, I do get why other people might have been upset by the liberties the movie took. Anyways, that being said, I liked this book. I didnt think I was going to at first though. In my opinion, this book took a very long time to get moving with any substantial plot or action. I appreciate that they wanted to set the tone and the mood of the world for the reader, but if I remember correctly, its like 9 chapters into the book before the word Vampire is even mentioned. I almost gave up several times. The only reason I stuck with it was that for years Id heard how good the book was from various people. Luckily, once the book gets rolling its quite entertaining, and pretty much maintains that pace throughout. With the exception of a few out dated (and potentially offensive, if you are sensitive) references to African Americans, this book reads well for a novel written over 30 years ago. Lots of action and lots of interesting characters. Certainly ended up being worth the read.

Its not very often that I read a book that isnt YA. Its even more infrequent that I read a book that wasnt written in the last 2 years. I Am Legend was first published in 1954... So why did I pick it up? Well, mostly because I really liked the movie, and thats mostly because Will Smith is one of my favorite actors, if not my favorite. I Am Legend was certainly an interesting read. Matheson did an amazing job of getting the reader to feel the emotions the main character is reading, loneliness, craziness, despair, determination. The author has a fantastic understanding of basic human nature. Id heard the book was quite a bit different than the movie, but I wasnt prepared for HOW different it would be! Aside from the main character being on his own most of the time, nothing was the same. I was really surprised when I realized the book was about vampires, not zombie like creepy creatures! Dont even compare the two, just let them be their own separate awesome. For a book that is almost 60 years old, there really wasnt a whole lot that made it feel old. Except for one word that was used... which starts with a N (I wont say more than that, it was offensive)... I wouldnt have guessed it was written so long ago. Highly recommend if you want something with a MC who isnt a teenager, but something still with paranormal elements. 4 out of 5 stars!