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I am Legend

By Richard Matheson

(230)

| Others | 9780575116702

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Critics

Bloodlines : Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Dracula And Other Vampire Tales

Just in time for Halloween, the darkest night of the year, comes stories of transformation and redemption, evil and compassion, all translated through the imaginative lens and emotional prism of one of the genre's most respected talents. Responsible ... (read full critics)

infinityplus published on Tue, 31 Aug 2010

25 Reviews

3 people find this helpful

*** This comment contains spoilers! ***

I don't know what to think about this book. Surely, I liked it way more than the movie, because first it was well set in all the whole US environment (without actually naming a real city and a real street) and secondly because the not-happy-ending of the story, differently from the movie, was more c ... (continue)

I don't know what to think about this book. Surely, I liked it way more than the movie, because first it was well set in all the whole US environment (without actually naming a real city and a real street) and secondly because the not-happy-ending of the story, differently from the movie, was more coherent with the whole settings.
The plot was VERY ORIGINAL, especially if you think that this story was written in the 1954... the description of the techonlogy of that time gave much more humanity to Neville, our main character. Speaking of whom, I found that Matheson's characterization was quite good: he described a half tortured man and through the whole story we are able to find out what happened in his past that made him the man he is now. And what wasn't described with clear words was because it was so dark and horrible that it was left to the reader's immagination.
On the other side, I was just disappointed by how things weren't described as well as, instead, the author was able to do in the short stories attached at the end of this edition of the book.
The whole new society ordeal, how people could forget so easily that Neville was actually the NORMALITY, while they are some sort of abomination, how he started to made researches but suddenly we didn't know anything more about them, how Ruth could get so attached to him in such a short time, when instead others hated him so much, and on and on.
So, this story is quite revolutionary, but there could be so much more that Matheson could do with it, instead of leaving at that.
But I still suggest to read this book... you can find traces of King's style into it (well, the Master of Horror was clearly inspired by Matheson), you can find original sparks that aren't so frequent in today's horror literature and Matheson style, being so far from the common used one nowadays, is a small pearl that deserves to be analyzed and compared a bit more.

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Esus said on Mar 14, 2008 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback

2 people find this helpful

Loved it

Great book definitely recommend it! More than just a vampire book, I am legend explores issues of loneliness, fear, death and reality (and it's got an unexpected twist at the end).

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Thais said on Nov 21, 2007 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

1 person find this helpful

ways better than the movie. and the other tales are cool, too. always well written and enjoyable. well done, mr. Matheson!

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Chiara L'Onironauta said on Aug 26, 2009 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | 2 feedbacks

*** This comment contains spoilers! ***

it is kind of sad to see Robert dead in the end....... I thought the movie is modified and changed 100% according to the novel.
The legend becomes legend by different reasons......

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奪命書生與北極熊 said on Jul 19, 2011 | Add your feedback

There were still many things to learn, but not so many as before. Strangely, life was becoming almost bearable. I don the robe of hermit without a cry, he thought.
On the phonograph, music played, quiet and unhurried.
Outside, the vampires waited.

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Maurizio (videogioco) said on Jun 25, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

I Am Legend and several short horror stories. This original version of I Am Legend has very little in common with the movie, despite the book cover. It's actually a better story line, but not fantastic. The short stories are okay, but not great, although I have to say that horror isn't a genre I nor ... (continue)

I Am Legend and several short horror stories. This original version of I Am Legend has very little in common with the movie, despite the book cover. It's actually a better story line, but not fantastic. The short stories are okay, but not great, although I have to say that horror isn't a genre I normally read. I don't even have a tag for horror.

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Missmath144 said on Sep 30, 2010 about the Mass Market Paperback edition | Add your feedback