I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Book Details
I am Legend by Richard Matheson
Paperback, 320 Pages
2007, Tor Books
ISBN: 0765318741

Synopsis

Robert Neville may well be the last living man on Earth . . . but he is not alone.

An incurable plague has mutated every other man, woman, and child into bloodthirsty, nocturnal creatures who are determined to destroy him.

By day, he is a hunter, stalking the infected monstrosities through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn....

Review
I only read I am Legend and not the ten short stories that follow in this edition of the book, so my review will only be of the one story I read and not the book as a whole.

I am Legend is considered by many as a classic horror story. I previously saw the movie adaptation starring Will Smith and let me warn you now, that movie is nothing like the book. It was very strange seeing Will Smith on the cover of this book while reading about Robert Neville who is very different, physically and mentally than the character Smith portrayed.

I am Legend is a not-sexy vampire book, closer to Salem's Lot (Stephen King calls I am Legend an inspiration for his writing) than the plethora of vampire romances today. Robert Neville is the only real focus of the book, being the last remaining non-vampire in the world. We see what he does all day, what he remembers of the past and his attempts to figure out a cure. The vampires are scary, but scarier still is the utter aloneness Neville lives with and his desperation to have someone to share this hell with.

I really thought I knew where this story was going, but the last third of the book shocked me. Having seen the movie did nothing to warn me of what was to come as the book and movie are so vastly different. I found the book to be scarier, but the movie was slightly more entertaining if it's really fair to compare them at all. I am Legend is a must read classic vampire tale with nothing in common with its movie adaptation.

Rating