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Justin's Reviews > I Am Legend
I Am Legend
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1. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize for all of the Will Smith jokes. It's going to be difficult, but I will refrain from including him in this review.
2. Stuff I liked - Matheson does an amazing job in describing the situation Neville has deal with as the only person left in the world. The scariest parts for me where when Matheson deals with themes like isolation and loneliness. That stuff was much more terrifying than the vampires (more on them later). There were entire chapters of the book describing Neville's fruitless attempts to find companionship. Those chapters along with the glimpse into Neville's past with his family were really, really good. Being alone like that is much scarier than....
3. Stuff I didn't like - vampires. Yeah, I get it. They add another level of fear to the story, and that's fine. I just felt like when the story was really taking off, it would hold itself back by getting too technical with what these creatures were, how to kill them, how to test their blood to see if they were infected, whatever. I wanted to hear more about Neville's family and how he is struggling to survive and less about what he reading at the library. Also, I'm not really huge vampire fan anyway. I'm more of a ghost story, monster in the closet, things that go bump in the night kind of guy, I guess.
4. (Don't do it, Justin. You said no Will Smith jokes this time.... don't.... do.... it............Click "Save", Justin. Get outta here.)
2. Stuff I liked - Matheson does an amazing job in describing the situation Neville has deal with as the only person left in the world. The scariest parts for me where when Matheson deals with themes like isolation and loneliness. That stuff was much more terrifying than the vampires (more on them later). There were entire chapters of the book describing Neville's fruitless attempts to find companionship. Those chapters along with the glimpse into Neville's past with his family were really, really good. Being alone like that is much scarier than....
3. Stuff I didn't like - vampires. Yeah, I get it. They add another level of fear to the story, and that's fine. I just felt like when the story was really taking off, it would hold itself back by getting too technical with what these creatures were, how to kill them, how to test their blood to see if they were infected, whatever. I wanted to hear more about Neville's family and how he is struggling to survive and less about what he reading at the library. Also, I'm not really huge vampire fan anyway. I'm more of a ghost story, monster in the closet, things that go bump in the night kind of guy, I guess.
4. (Don't do it, Justin. You said no Will Smith jokes this time.... don't.... do.... it............Click "Save", Justin. Get outta here.)
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Reading Progress
September 13, 2015
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Started Reading
September 13, 2015
– Shelved
September 16, 2015
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Finished Reading
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by
Matthew
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 17, 2015 07:45AM
Do you think your opinion about the vampires is tainted by the recent onslaught of vampire fiction? Prior to 2004 - It was pretty much just Ann Rice, Bram Stoker, and this book (an exaggeration, I know, but now you cannot go to a bookstore without knocking over a vampire book display)
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That's definitely a possibility. But, I never finished Dracula,or Interview with a Vampire, so I think I definitely have something against vampires. I think it's the whole folklore thing with them and the whole blood sucking aspect of it. I think you make a good point though because zombies annoy me, but probably because they are way overdone these days.
I agree that the vampire stuff wasn't as interesting as the family lost stuff--but then again, I think that may have been a bit of the point. Or at least that's one theory of mine. (I have lots of theories on this as it is one of my all-time favorite Matheson books.)Anyway, here's my theory:
1. The lost family stuff and loneliness shows how human Neville is--it drives it home with a sledgehammer. Neville grieves for his family. He searches for more humans. He dreams of his former life.
2. The vampire stuff is work-a-day. No emotion. Neville never gives a thought to what he's doing to his vampire subjects when he cuts on them, etc. They aren't human. They are DEFINITELY not human. Humans matter--non-humans don't.
To go further would involve rehashing the ending, but you see what I mean? If the vampire bits had any emotion, any but the bare minimum of excitement, etc., then the vampire-world, the reality of what the world is now would be in competition with what Neville wants. Nevelle doesn't want to adapt to the vampires--he wants them gone--he wants it all gone. What he truly wants is for the world like it was before. He is, in every sense, an anachronism...a legend. :)
(view spoiler)
Thanks, Pamela. I can definitely get on board with your theory and really makes me appreciate the book a little more. Maybe I want supposed to care about them because Neville didn't either. I still think it's a good book and want to read more of his stuff. What's next? Hell House?
One of my favorites is "Stir of Echoes." It's very good...very disturbing! It is not at all like the movie based on it.
Cool. I'll check it out. I also just realized my fourth item in my review was missing. Just added it.
I agree a stir of echoes is amazing. I just read it. You have to read it.
Fun review. But....maybe 1 Will Smith joke could have snuck its way in. Accidentally.
It was so hard not too, man. I actually need to read this again.
