I Am Legend (and Other Stories)

Fantastic read!!!

After seeing the movie, I wanted to know more, so I picked up the book. I discovered this is actually a short story & was totally different than the movie.
Like a lot of books, the story starts out in the present. However, Matheson did not delve into the past's details & when he did, it wasn't quite the chronology I was expecting, which sets this novel apart. Also, I think Matheson portrayed the main character wonderfully! I love that he was so rough & flawed, but this also made the character more real to me. I also enjoyed the sporadic dialogue the main character had with HIMSELF. The dialogue kept the book from being monotonous. Thought-provoking read with enough emotional & scientific-based depth to keep me interested. Not a disappointment.

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

A classic

In 1976, the pandemic plague devastated the earth. Most people died while those who survived were biologically altered into nocturnal blood drinking in-humans. That is everyone except for one remaining purebred Robert Neville never changed as he apparently was immune to the plague. He is the last surviving Homo sapiens, but the converted see him as being different as the monster tied to the dead legendary past who must die. He endures his ordeal through alcohol, but his loneliness is driving him insane as each night he considers giving up until he meets his first non vampire friend since the disease, a dog fearful of him.-------------- This book actually contains a reprint of the 1954 classic novella I AM LEGEND in conjunction with an upcoming movie (note that Vincent Price starred in the 1960s film The Last Man on Earth based on this tale) and ten short stories that are entertaining and well written, but feel like padding to almost double the size of the book. Readers will understand why some of the great horror writers like Stephen King consider this novella one of the best ever as it crosses science fiction with horror yet holds up well because the bottom line is this is a character study of the human need for companionship as well as a Frankenstein like question as to just who is the monster?------------- Harriet Klausner

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Great story, but nothing like the Will Smith movie...

As an avid horror fan and zombie junkie, I totally loved this book. I was at first disappointed by the fact that it was really nothing like the Will Smith movie that was TOTALLY AWESOME! This book is just as great and has a deep insight into the human psyche and what truley being alone could do to it. There was a little bit of everything in this book and at times I found myself terrified, laughing, and even shedding a tear. I highly recommend this book to horror/zombie fans and anyone who likes a good psychological journey as well.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Even better than the movie!

First off, I am Legend the movie is my favorite movie. I waited four years to read the book, and am pleasantly surprised. Matheson obviously put a lot of research and thought into this novel, and it shows. If you liked the movie, you need to read the story as well! They are very different though, like most movies and books of the same title.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I Am legend

A lone survivor by the name of Robert Neville lives in present day New York, New York.
As Robert Neville survives by himself in New York for the last couple of years. He is trying to find a cure for a plague that had killed everyone and turned them into almost vampire creatures. Every single day is a struggle as he tries to survive against these creatures. As the book goes on his life becomes more and more uncontrollable and he himself starts losing his mind.
There are many books for people who enjoy action. Some which include some of Stephen Kings writings and many others. My favorite character out of the book would probably be the main character Robert Neville only because everything he goes through in the whole book. Secondly he thinks everything out throughout all of his research and just thinking about it.
So as Robert goes on everyday and struggles through his life and as you read on you will find out what happens to Robert himself. So I challenge you to go to your local library or get the book online and read his life. Read his legend.
I would recommend this book to others who love and enjoy action.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Amazing story.

So much better than the movie. Hollywood just can't do anything justice anymore.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Half a good read

The first half of the book was an interesting and enjoyable read. I didn't care for the second half at all. I found it pointless and irritating.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Much better than the Movie

I first watched the movie, I am Legend with Will Smith. After reading the book, I am now disappointed in the movie. For those who liked the movie, I will warn that the book is much different...but for the better. I enjoyed the little twist at the end of the book. I found I am Legend to be thrilling, frightening, and nicely written. I found it amusing at times, frightening at times, and intelligently written. Richard Matheson is a famous horror story writer and his stories are great. The main character is easy to relate to and the ending is perfect. I recommend this book to people who love horror books and those who enjoyed watching the movie. Warning: if you liked the movie before and read this, you might be disappointed int he movie afterward (I was). It's an easy read and entertaining. There are also a few short stories in the back of this edition. Some I really liked and other were okay. This book will be in my permanent library.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A must read

I peed my pants while i read

When the modern film adaptation I Am Legend came out in 2007, ma

When the modern film adaptation I Am Legend came out in 2007, many people were annoyed or angered by the movie. I heard things like, “it’s nothing like the book”, “the ending sucks” and “it misses the point”. Now I know why. Let me just tell you, the movie does miss the point, particularly with the theatrical ending. That version of the film misses the point like the missing the broad side of a barn with a tactical nuke at point-blank range. But enough about the film! Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I was not initially aware that the novel I purchased contained I Am Legend in addition to several short stories, because it was not clearly advertised on my edition. Thus, I was surprised that the story was as short as it was. I only read I Am Legend from the bunch, because that is the reason I purchased it.

One thing about the story that I wasn’t a huge fan of was how little actually happened in the book. A big portion of the narrative was devoted to the more mundane events and inner monologues in the post-apocalyptic life of Robert Neville. On the other hand, much of the narrative dealing with Neville’s inner thoughts helped vastly with the world-building. Through Neville’s erratic, desperate, hopeless thoughts, the reader developed a taste for what it felt like to be the last man on earth, living a daily battle for existence in the midst of a plague of vampires, having lost everyone and everything you once loved.

However, that brings me to my next point — Neville was surprisingly unfeeling. I don’t know if the reader was supposed to chock that up to him being a man who doesn’t want to display feelings, his being a man that has given up hope, or what. He faced situations with very little sympathy, or even horror, and seemed largely apathetic about what was happening to him and what he was doing. Throughout several places in the story, I got the idea that Matheson has issues with women. I know that authors don’t always write their thoughts into their characters, but it didn’t seem like Neville was supposed to be especially misogynistic, because the author wrote it strictly as if his thoughts were fact and entirely acceptable.

There were some things I really liked about I Am Legend. First off, it is number one on my list for most scientific books about vampires I have ever read. As a biology major and pharmacy student, I found it incredibly interesting to read about Neville’s discoveries and experiments as he uncovered the origin of the disease. That Matheson invented a somewhat scientifically sound background for the existence of vampires, debunking some elements of mythology and supporting others was original and pleasing to me.

The thing I liked most about the novel (especially compared to the movie) was the ending. The events of the ending portion of I Am Legend really came out of left field for me. I wasn’t expecting what happened, at all. It is very much the most important part of the novel. It leaves us with a message, questioning what we have known and what we believe. I thought it was poignant and powerful, and it certainly left me thinking.

It is an unimportant detail, but I also enjoyed that the last line of the novel was “I am legend.” I love when books really come full circle, and when they have their title worked into them somehow. Matheson managed to do both, and it brought a smile to my face.

Very Readable - enjoyed his style and material!!

I enjoy reading about vampires and the living dead, and his style was very enjoyable. I usually read certain authors, and i was glad i picked his book just for fun.

Write some more books. I'm sure i would pick others written by Richard!!

Yes, i would recommend using this book for dicussion at book clubs all over in homes and libraries. Thanks again for a great book!!

I listened to the audio book of I am Legend. The main charact

I listened to the audio book of I am Legend.

The main character, Robert Neville, for some reason not completely known to him, is the last living man. Everyone else has either turned into a vampire or has been killed by the vampires. Robert is struggling day by day to survive while at the same time trying to figure out why he alone was not infected like everyone else.

I loved how the author made this a post-apocalyptic vampire novel (and one quite original for its time…written in 1954), but the vampires are not the main focus of the story. In fact, Robert hears them at night and hunts them during the day, but they really are in the background, at least until towards the end. The story is really about Robert and his struggles with loss, despair, loneliness, and trying to keep his humanity in a world that is no longer human.

The other short stories in this book were good also, but I Am Legend was by far my favorite.

Not even dated

It’s not very often that I read a book that isn’t YA. It’s even more infrequent that I read a book that wasn’t 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 that’s 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.
I’d heard the book was quite a bit different than the movie, but I wasn’t 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! Don’t even compare the two, just let them be their own separate awesome.
For a book that is almost 60 years old, there really wasn’t a whole lot that made it feel old. Except for one word that was used… which starts with a “N” (I won’t say more than that, it was offensive)… I wouldn’t have guessed it was written so long ago.
Highly recommend if you want something with a MC who isn’t a teenager, but something still with paranormal elements.
4 out of 5 stars!

I thought it was great....till I read the ending.

I thought the book was great until I read the end. It was also completely different than the movie which also had a bad ending.

amazing

Couldnt put this book down the whole time i was reading it you never know whats going to happen

Very confused

This is not a reflection on the book itself, as I have yet to read it BUT - This book is titled I am Legend (And Other Stories). There are no other stories in this book. I assumed it was a compilation, or at the very least had another story attached to it. This book is simply I am Legend. Talk about false advertising

Saw the movie!!!

GREATTTTT MOOOVVIIEEE! I totally recomend seeing it! Is the book as good/ better!?

0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Other Stories?

I ordered this book to read with a book club. The title promised the "other stories" included in many other editions;however, it only contains I am Legend. There were also several typos throughout. The story was good, but find a different edition.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fantastic

Much better story than the will smith version.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fabulous.

I am Legend was great but the other stories were second rate.