Let me being this review by saying that I never saw any of the movie adaptations of this book. But from a distance they’d thrown rocks until he’d been forced to cover the broken panes with plywood scraps. Books like I Am Legend were an inspiration to me.” ―Stephen King, “Matheson is one of the great names in American terror fiction.” ―The Philadelphia Inquirer, “Matheson inspires, it's as simple as that.” ―Brian Lumley. It's a short book (story) this one, but a great read, from the 1950s. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. “One of the most important writers of the twentieth century.” ―Ray Bradbury, “I think the author who influence me the most as a writer was Richard Matheson. As he lathed, he listened to records over the loudspeaker he’d set up in the bedroom—Beethoven’s Third, Seventh, and Ninth symphonies. 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. It tells the tale of (seemingly) the last "human" alive on earth, Richard Neville, surrounded by zombie hordes. When he finds an uninfected dog, his attempts to befriend it are almost pathetic & truly heart-wrenching. I'll say this; I'm glad I saw the movie before I read the book. Otherness. At some time a woman who calls herself Ruth, enters his dreadful life. It was almost noon. Robert Neville sat down with a sigh and began to eat. He's not anywhere like Will Smith, lookwise, English-German man in late 30s with blue eyes, blond going bald (and later with a beard). So, it wasn't until he began chasing, abusing and kidnapping a woman in the name of science (everything in this book was tunnel-viewed 'i. However, there is no denying its influence, nor its simple charm. So, it wasn't until he began chasing, abusing and kidnapping a woman in the name of science (everything in this book was tunnel-viewed 'in the name of science' and dismissed any other possibilities and ways of thinking) that I let my imagination take over the plot. As time progresses, Neville turns scientific and discovers some of the microbiological aspects of the plague, as well as how it spreads from host to host. He walked around the house in the dull gray of afternoon, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, trailing threadlike smoke over his shoulder. Four fifths of the way through and the only thing on my mind was how incredibly boring and one-dimensional Robert Neville is. Great plot, great prose, compelling and several movie adaptions! He does resea. I don't think I would have lasted long as the last person alive. Robert Nevile is the last human in town, maybe on earth. Trying to survive, and wondering what caused everyone to change and/or die - which sets him on the road of research and a big surprise, [ - one of them being Ruth (who I pictured looking like Noomi Rapace for some reason. There are no gory descriptions of decapitation or mass battles, but the tension is real. By day, he is a hunter, stalking the infected monstrosities through the abandoned ruins of civilization. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. He's not anywhere like Will Smith, lookwise, English-German man in late 30s with blue eyes, blond going bald (and later with a beard). Twenty minutes to six. I am legend.”, ["And suddenly he thought, I'm the abnormal one now. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in. He took down a can of tomato juice, then left the room that had once belonged to Kathy and now belonged to his stomach. as this story unravelled. I just finished reading this book. Above it, on the wall, were haphazard racks of the tools that Robert Neville used. It ranks with, Born in Allendale, New Jersey to Norwegian immigrant parents, Matheson was raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School in 1943. He checked each window to see if any of the boards had been loosened. He looked up and down Cimarron Street, the cool breeze ruffling his blond hair. I would have just given up and let myself get caught! Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel I Am Legend blends science fiction and horror into a pulp classic. Eventually he’d have to lathe down rectangular lengths of wood. He had to go through this process twice a week. It's an apocalyptic novel. It was so cool figuring it out beside him. All others are infected and turned into vampires. by RosettaBooks. The reader spends the whole story (Which is really only 170 pages) following the last man on earth as he fights for his survival against vampires (and yes, they are vampires). There's a problem loading this menu right now. Matheson’s futuristic portrait of Los Angeles as a dangerous, vampire-ridden wasteland could reflect his impressions of Los Angeles in the 1950s, when there were numerous fires and the city experienced a … ", Absolutely disturbing modern classic! A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering, ["Full circle. Far up in the clear blue sky, white sea gulls floated on the wind, and over on the right a gnarled tree hung over the precipice, its dark branches etched against the sky. So true. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. Easy classic to read - def recommend, I’m not much of what you might call a “vampire guy.” By which I mean both that I am not a vampire, or a guy who likes vampires or vampire-themed endeavors. Now he reached over and took an icepick from its wall rack. He poured a little water into a small pan and clanked it down on a stove burner. With a shrug, he moved back across the lawn and into the house, locking and bolting the door behind him, sliding the thick bar into place. That was why he chose to stay near the house on those days. The sky was darkening and it was getting chilly. Oh, well, at least they were better than those damned dust storms. And he is so very lonely. These he held against the whirling emery stone until they were as sharp as daggers. Then he went back into the kitchen, turned his chops, and switched off the heat under the string beans. How events turn out in the end surprised me. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. Isn’t that amazing? Please do not get this book on the notion that you are reading a novelization of the movie. Yet again, I've been breaking the rules. Garlic always worked. Completely different from the movie (The 2007 version), I wish they would have gone with this story instead. For some reason, Neville alone seemed to be immune. Sometimes they would lob rocks over the high fence around the hothouse, and occasionally they would tear through the overhead net and he’d have to replace panes. He was a tall man, thirty-six, born of English-German stock, his features undistinguished except for the long, determined mouth and the bright blue of his eyes, which moved now over the charred ruins of the houses on each side of his. He was putting the food on his plate when he stopped and his eyes moved quickly to the clock. He is not a doctor or a scientist, just a regular man stuck in an irregular situation. But in the end, one can sort of see that there might be a more hopeful, human-like future that Robert will not see... that there will be eventually a compromise-coexistence within these human-like vampires, that they will become more and more like the human's civilisation was before the plague - even though they are now still in the revolutionary, search-and-destroy stage of existence. I assumed he looked like Will Smith in my head till Mathes. He stood before the giant freezer, selecting his supper. Influencing great modern horror writers … But, as Matheson so beautifully states, "Man can get used to anything", and so he does - burning corpses left on his doorstep by his vampire "friends", gathering fresh garlic, and fixing up his house for them to come back each night and try to drag him out. It had made the house a gloomy sepulcher, but it was better than having rocks come flying into his rooms in a shower of splintered glass. He is not a doctor or a scientist, just a regular man stuck in an irregular situatio. But Robert doesn't want to turn into one of them. He then entered the military and spent World War II as an infantry soldier. The unused nails he threw into the rubble next door. On those cloudy days, Robert Neville was never sure when sunset came, and sometimes they were in the streets before he could get back. He passed slowly through the dim silence of the living room, turned left into the small hallway, and left again into his bedroom. When we meet him he's been living at his present place for 5 months. In his own mind, Robert Neville is a legend for cracking the code, though the reader may feel otherwise. At the table he sliced himself two pieces of bread and poured himself a glass of tomato juice. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. Hollywood has a long-standing tradition of adapting horror novels into frightening films. Survival and Violence. I mean, there is very little to connect the book to the movie starring Will Smith. He stepped off onto the lawn and walked down to the sidewalk. His jaded eyes moved over the stacks of meats down to the frozen vegetables, down to the breads and pastries, the fruits and ice cream. But after sundown he’d better be home behind the locked doors, because they always come knocking after dark. Richard Matheson's I Am Legend (Richard Matheson: Collected Stories) First, he separated the bulbs into the small, sickle-shaped cloves. The book plotline is so different from the movie, I didn't really have a hard time with it. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Absolutely disturbing modern classic! It was tiresome, monotonous work, and it filled the air with hotsmelling wood dust that settled in his pores and got into his lungs and made him cough. He married in 1952 and has four children, three of whom (, “Full circle. It's truly a chilling book. When we meet him he's been living at his present place for 5 months. That’s what was wrong with these cloudy days; you never knew when they were coming. After violent attacks, the planks were often split or partially pried off, and he had to replace them completely; a job he hated. In the beginning it had made him sick to smell garlic in such quantity; his stomach had been in a state of constant turmoil. The air thickened with the musky, pungent odor. He moved slowly across the living room, looking at the mural that covered the back wall. To see what your friends thought of this book. Once the room had been warmly decorated, but that was in another time. Excellent horror/science fiction novella. I remember enjoying the movie The Omega Man with Charlton Heston when I was young. A novel that has been both heavily criticized and revered, I Am Legend straddles an uneasy line between Horror and Science Fiction. Finally one day he’d torn off the plywood and nailed up even rows of planks instead. In diesem Buch geht es um eine tragische Liebesgeschichte. I loved this book! I turned the first page of "I Am Legend" with zero knowledge of what Hollywood did to it because a friend of mine gave me an important warning. No matter how many stakes he made, they were gone in no time at all. ["Full circle. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. He’d put garlic there instead. It was really interesting the whole way through with a MC that really had to work hard to figure out how to get out of this situation. Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2018. Four fifths of the way through and the only thing on my mind was how incredibly boring and one-dimensional Robert Neville is. But Robert doesn't want to turn into one of them. Many of his friends and neighbours have succumbed to these blood sucking beasts, but there must be more to this existence. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. I am legend.”, The Most Popular Book-to-Scream Adaptations. In another hour they’d be at the house again, the filthy bastards. It was a quarter to five. You read how more and more got infected, how they were buried (this will give you nightmares). . By this time the water was boiling and he dropped in the frozen string beans and covered them, thinking that it was probably the electric stove that was milking the generator. Was very creepy to read. He went to the house for a hammer and nails. Now he spends each night barricaded into his house, surrounded by all the traditional anti-vampire weapons – garlic, crosses, mirrors – while a growing horde of vampires gathers outside howling for his blood. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. When he had enough bulbs, he went back to the house and dumped them on the drainboard of the sink. May 14th 2011 In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading. Much of the book focuses on our hero's loneliness. It was the last damned mirror he’d put there; it wasn’t worth it. In comparison with some of the 'vampire' drivel being served up today, this little novel is indeed legend. Ben Cortman was shouting. Influencing great modern horror writers like Stephen King, it's one that will stick with you. After a few minutes he took a long, slow breath and went back into the house. At the end you'll come to know who says 'I am Legend' and what's the meaning behind. The novel was a success and was adapted into the films The Last Man on Earth, The Omega Man, and I Am Legend. Er ist das Erstlingswerk des Autors. . I read it years ago and while I find the writing in places rates my recognition of it's quality...I don't care for the book. He punched holes in each clove half, then strung them all together with wire until he had about twenty-five necklaces. I really liked that one, and I (wrongly) assumed that since they had used the original title from the book that both movies were based on, that it stayed closer to the original source material. He’d made himself a whisky and soda at his small bar and he held the cold glass as he read a physiology text. By day, the vampires go into a coma-like sleep and Neville uses this time to fight back the only way he can – by killing as many of them as he can find. Ich bin Legende, auch Ich, der letzte Mensch (original I Am Legend), ist ein 1954 erschienener Science-Fiction-Roman des amerikanischen Schriftstellers Richard Matheson. Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. [his main character Robert was a very good coincidence - it means "of shining fame" (Germanic). [Did anyone else struggle to visually imagination Robert Neville as being a blonde haired, blue eyed Caucasian instead of Will Smith? It's well worth reading. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. Robert Neville may well be the last living man on Earth . Some regard it as THE classic horror story. Robert Neville is the only human left in his neighbourhood and possibly in the world. Grief, Loneliness, and Depression. Some regard it as THE classic horror story. In the beginning he had hung these necklaces over the windows. Next he thawed out the chops and put them under the broiler. as this story unravelled. He said: "When it comes to this story, there is no movie; there is just the book". A novel that has been both heavily criticized and revered, I Am Legend straddles an uneasy line between Horror and Science Fiction. Dies hier ist die Vorlage für ein RPG von Rosenblut und Himawari. Sometimes the structure around the tank might be weakened or its rain catchers bent or broken off. Dark story with convincing characterisation, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2019. There was a pandemic (seems familiar in times like ours at the moment). We’d love your help. After the 'plague' finished in 1975, Robert Neville seems to be the only human left immune and alive. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free. As he pushed open the front door, he looked at the distorted reflection of himself in the cracked mirror he’d fastened to the door a month ago. The generator was at it again. Start by marking “I Am Legend” as Want to Read: Error rating book. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood. Today only one plank was loose. But I went into reading. It's some months since a devastating plague swept through humanity, killing many and turning the rest into vampires. When it got too oppressive, he snapped on the air-conditioning unit and suction drew away the worst of it. This was creepy and sad too. Robert Neville is the last uninfected man still alive. Science. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 14, 2020. He picked the boxes from the freezer and pushed shut the door with his elbow. I’ve been sitting on this book since I bought it back in 2017, just never got around to reading it but the my favourite podcast discussed it on their Patreon episode and their discussion was enough to make me download. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2015. His house surrounded by vampires, Neville must try to negotiate his way around in order to ensure he has the necessities to fend off the attack. Encouraged by my reading group to try this piece by Richard Matheson, I was soon pulled into the world of vampires and a massive plague (how fitting!) I realize this is one of the "classics" of science fiction (or science fantasy)and I don't care. 1. This time, it wasn't on purpose! Ben Cortman, colleague and neighbour who reminds him on Oliver Hardy (the comedian) shouts every evening he should come out. I had not realized this was written in 1954 until someone mentioned it. He knew he should burn up the paper plates and utensils too, and dust the furniture and wash out the sinks and the bathtub and toilet, and change the sheets and pillowcase on his bed; but he didn’t feel like it. Please try again. The book plotline is so different from the movie, I didn't really have a hard time with it. When another human crosses his path, he passes along all the information he has, hoping it is not a Trojan Horse sent to trick him. The bastards ought to be here soon. Encouraged by my reading group to try this piece by Richard Matheson, I was soon pulled into the world of vampires and a massive plague (how fitting!) But how could he find it when they never gave him a chance to slow down and think? When you look at a list of his books-, Los Angeles, about 22 years into the future (Jan. 1976 - Jan. 1979 in this book; copyright 1954, which really shows in some of the book's views). He tossed the hammer on the living-room couch, then lit another cigarette and had his midmorning drink. I was sitting shotgun while my father drove us home from a vacation in Michigan. Next he moved over to the uneven stacks of cans piled to the ceiling. Unable to add item to List. It seems to run counter to traditional vampire themes of the time, and still seems like a very fresh idea today. Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2018. The name already shows what he is to the human-like vampires (for the feral type he's just blood-source really). He sat down and looked at the red second hand as it swept slowly around the clock face. Neville walked into the kitchen and dumped the groceries on the table, his eyes moving to the clock. This is a fantastic, extremely well written book with a very serious message. but he is not alone. Then he went back outside and nailed the plank fast to the shutter. In the back yard he checked the hothouse and the water tank. When he was finished stringing the garlic cloves, he went outside and nailed them over the window boarding, taking down the old strings, which had lost most of their potent smell. He sat in the living room, trying to read. I nearly didn't buy this book until I realised that the 2007 film starring Will Smith was only loosely based on Richard Matheson's novel, which is all together a much darker creation. Summary Analysis Neville wakes up in his house. There was a pandemic (seems familiar in times like ours at the moment). Please try again. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2020. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The premise is simple: after a nuclear war, a mutation sweeps across the globe. It showed a cliff edge, sheering off to greenblue ocean that surged and broke over black rocks. He picked out two lamb chops, string beans, and a small box of orange sherbet. Let ’em fall, he thought. Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2018. So i got 23% into this book and i simply cannot take another page of this. Many of his friends and neighbours have succumbed to these blood sucking beasts, but there must be more to. This is another one of those times when there are people who if they could would give this book far more than the allowed 5 while if I were rating it on "enjoyment alone" I'd be looking to give it negative stars. Robert Neville is in a battle against the world, or so it seems to him. He takes care of a dog. You read how more and more got infected, how they were buried (this will give you nightmares). Richard Matheson may be the most underrated genre writer ever. Now it was a room entirely functional, and since Neville’s bed and bureau took up so little space, he had converted one side of the room into a shop. Robert Neville was in his hothouse collecting a basketful of garlic. After he’d finished his tomato juice, he walked to the front door and went out onto the porch. He is of course apparently the only one in the entire world to whom this happened). In 1949 he earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and moved to California in 1951. As soon as the light was gone. For he was a man and he was alone and these things had no importance to him. Won’t that be fun? Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2017. Doweling was getting harder to find, too. An incurable plague has mutated every other man, woman, and child into bloodthirsty, nocturnal creatures who are determined to destroy him. Six-twenty-five today. This was a very cool book. As he flicked the wall switch, the light flickered, then flared into normal brilliance. Robert Nevile is the last human in town, maybe on earth. For a while he stood on the front lawn looking up and down the silent length of Cimarron Street. He lathed them out of thick doweling, band-sawed into nineinch lengths. A disgusted hiss passed his clenched teeth. he thought irritably. Something went wrong. If he had been more analytical, he might have calculated the approximate time of their arrival; but he still used the lifetime habit of judging nightfall by the sky, and on cloudy days that method didn’t work. He boards up his house, stocks up on canned goods, and researches a way to combat this disease. He boards up his house, stocks up on canned goods, and researches a way to combat this disease. Completely different from the movie (The 2007 version), I wish they would have gone with this story instead. Welcome back. Until he found something better, it was his first line of defense. It helped to fill the terrible void of hours. He was glad he’d learned early in life, from his mother, to appreciate this kind of music. It's going to be difficult, but I will refrain from including him in this review. [(The protagonist came down with a weakened form of the "vampire microbe", his immune system beat it, and he's immune. Then came the movie I am Legend with Will Smith. A virus has turned everyone on Earth into a vampire. Refresh and try again. I still remember the exact moment I started and finished this book nearly 10 years ago. He worked in silence, lips pressed into a hard line, a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, his eyes staring at the bit as it gnawed away the wood and sent floury dust filtering down to the floor. I Am Legend is a classic horror story. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Neither movie was anything like this book And this book was bad. At least I have the ability to say it was a mildly entertaining, if not regurgitated zombie movie. Four-fifteen. He’d have to get out that damned manual again and check the wiring. And, if it were too much trouble to repair, he’d have to install a new generator. Except for Robert Neville; mankind's lone survivor. If I'd read the book before I'd seen the film I would have been so peed-off at the hack job the movie was. I'm not sure if reading about a global pandemic that wiped out most of the worlds population was really wise at the minute, but the fact that they turned into vampires was a welcomed twist?? This book was an awesome look at the degradation of a man's sanity as he lives three years in near isolation while keeping vampires at bay. I am Legend Von: Marie Z. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Tor Books; REV and Revised ed. Some regard it as THE classic horror story. A new terror born in death, a new superstition entering the unassailable fortress of forever. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in I Am Legend, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.

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