Customer Reviews

I Am Legend

5 star:		(155)
4 star:		(41)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Please be aware that I Am Legend only comprises the first 170 pages of this edition. The publishers, riding the wave of the new movie of the same name, have filled the remainder with other Matheson short stories. They're great in their own right, but I wish the title was more representative of what was inside. Like any great story, I wanted I am Legend to never end.

Great book - genuine masterpiece of SF and horror.

However, don't read any more reviews as half of the reviewers seem to think that a review consists on revealing all of the plot (including twists) and will definitely spoil your enjoyment of this book.

The only plot a person can reveal without spoiling it is the stuff that's in the blurb (the bit on the back cover). If you want to know what the book is about then go read it! The only people who won't like it are the people who think that Freddy Kreuger is the pinnacle of intellectual horror.

I am a huge horror fiction fan and lately I've been widening my collection to include older books (I usually read King, Laymon, Little, Lee, etc). So I picked up I am Legend b/c I've heard it is a classic vampire book. I can tell you I am not disapointed, this book was excellent and easy to read. I found it so interesting and fast paced I finished it in one day. The book is about Robert Neville, a man who had survived an epidemic that has turned everyone into vampires. He has barricaded himself in his house, venturing out in the daytime to get supplies and hunt vampires. The story is compelling as he struggles with his solitude and tries to figure out why people have changed and if there is a cure. This is a classic vampire novel and has earned a permenant place on my bookshelf!

This book, which is sadly short, is easily the second greatest vampire story written, behind Dracula of course.

Once i started reading I Am Legend i just could not put it down and finished it in one long sitting. It starts off superb and doesnt let up one bit. The ending also is beautiful, smart, and tragic. Truly original.

And what many people arent mentioning is that I Am Legend only takes up half of this book. The second half is a compilation of Matheson's short stories and are extremely entertaining also.

Buy this book. Now!

There would be no Stephen King without Richard Matheson. This statement alone should be enough to convince you to read Matheson's work.

Here's more: I Am Legend has been adapted to the big screen on three separate occasions, most recently in 2007 and staring Will Smith. The movie wasn't awful, but the special effects were unforgivably bad and the ending could have been much more effective.

The ending in Matheson's novella, in fact, is hard to improve upon and gives the title that much more resonance.

The novella follows Robert Neville, a man who might very well be the last man on Earth. He has barricaded himself in his house, venturing outside only during the day, to avoid being taken by the ever-growing hordes of vampires who have taken the night. Though not a doctor or scientist, Neville works at a cure for vampirism.

I can't tell you much more, but suffice to say that, even if (or especially if) you have seen the movie (any of them), it is still well worth your reading the book.

This particular edition (the movie tie-in) also includes several of Matheson's short stories, including two of my favorites, Duel (adapted into a very effective TV movie by Steven Spielberg--it was the director's first movie) and Prey.

Highly recommended, as are all of Matheson's novels and short stories.

After watching the movie version I thought why not pick up the book. I'm glad I did. The writing is stellar and the storyline shines along with the MC. It's a good quick read packed full of action. I give it 5 stars.

Before you start reading this book, you should be warned that is is almost completely different then the movie. I say that as a big fan of the movie, who was wow'd by the book. I wish Hollywood would make another movie that is set in the 70s like the book and follows the storyline closely. The character development was by far the best part of the book, I really felt like I was reading about someone I knew.

I loved this book and have recommended it to many people since reading it. I would however say that I thought most of the short stories were a complete was of time. Of the 6 I read, only 2 were worth the time - and after that I didn't bother with the next one. I for sure suggest getting this book, but I don't get it this version just for the short stories.

First off i am a huge fan of the end of the world genre. Next to the Road this is the best post apolcalyptic book i have ever read. It has inspired all the other zombie and vampire books and movies of our time. It has been about a year since i read this but this is in the same league as bram stoker dracula. I didn't have any dislikes about the book, it was well written easy to read. It had plenty of action and lots of creepy moments. There are interesting relationships created thoughout the book, but the feelings of isolation and lonliness are the majority. The only complaint i have is for me this book was a little short to really flush out the story. Don't be fooled I am legend is only half of the book the rest is filled up with short stories. Do yourself a favor and sink your teeth and claws into this one.

Matheson's classic tale of the last man on earth's battle against plague-ridden...vampires? That's right, before Romero ever set hordes of zombies loose upon the silver screen, Matheson had already done it, albeit with vampires. While it can be enjoyed on the surface as an excellent horror-thriller, it is also a strong exploration of the concept of what it means to be human, issues of violence and race domination. It will be interesting to see how the forthcoming film adaptation handles these subtleties, as well as whether or not the poignantly bleak ending will be retained or not. A short, but highly rewarding read. One of my top 10 of all time.

A great romp through the mind of a paranoid survivor of what may or may not be a disease that changed all humanity into monsters. The story is marred mostly by its brevity and quick conclusion, but the buildup and suffocating sense of being under siege are fantastic and the loops of reasoning and confused logic are superbly crafted. The other stories in this collection are memorable but not exceptionally well-written. A good read if you want to discover the origins of modern horror.