I am legend
December 11th, 2007
With the year very quickly approaching its close I remember that at the beginning of the year I gave myself a target of reading 30 books (I think it was 30 it may have been 35 or something like that). Well I don’t know how I went but I certainly read a lot more this year than the previous and that was the intent all along.
In the last couple of weeks I managed to get a little reading done, I started the Janus gate trilogy of Trek novels, read a couple of short stories by Paul Aster and some science fiction short stories. On Saturday though I read for the first time the classic I am Legend by Richard Matheson. I wanted to read it before the new movie version hits cinemas.
I’m not sure why though as vampire books don’t tend to interest me, I guess it was the whole apocalypse thing that drew me towards it and on impulse I had to get it and read it.
My sudden desire though and the Brisbane book market had different things in mind and I was forced to wait two whole days whilst Borders got it in. Usually the Borders staff irritate me but the woman who served me at the counter is really good and clearly enjoys books and assured me that I was in for quite the treat with I am Legend.
She was right.
An amazing novel that I could not put down and read within hours of starting it. I can see why Stephen King feels that reading it helped give birth to his own writing.
There is a straight forward directness in the manner of the writing that often accompanies the era of science fiction (40s/50s) that it was written. John Wyndham has a similar style (and similar themes I suppose) and is even reminiscent of HG Wells style in the Time Machine.
I love the idea of a lone survivor of a vampire plague who goes about his daily business surviving and we are let into his world for a brief tour. The character of Robert Neville will be one that stays with me for a while due to the very three dimensional writing as he expresses all the emotions of being the only survivor.
The other thing that probably didn’t hurt when I was reading this was that I have completely forgotten the Omega Man and what ever problems it may have. Now I don’t know if I can watch the new film without judging it too harshly, the novel is in the company of the greats and I wonder how well it can survive a glossy Hollywood treatment no matter how talented the cast. I am though happy that Will Smith is the man in question as the fact remains if anyone can pull it off it would be him. They have changed one aspect that I do think is a real shame, in the novel Robert is a factory worker and he teaches himself from library books about blood and disease as he tries to work out what happened. In the movie he is the biologist who possibly started the virus (I don’t know, maybe that’s wrong, I think it’s on the website or something). The everyday man journey is reduced slightly but I guess you only have an hour or so to tell the story so you have to fast track some things.
So if you haven’t read it go out and do so before seeing the film, it’s not a long book but it is worth every page!!!!
Popularity: 8% [?]
More posts like this:
Categories: Books | Tags: Books, Borders, Brisbane, I am Legend, John Wyndham, Movies, Richard Matheson, Robert Neville, Stephen King, vampires, Will Smith
I loved the book.
[Reply to this comment]
Awesome.
[Reply to this comment]
gotta read the book now before I watch the film…there goes the plan of watching the movie somewhere the coming 2 weeks..
[Reply to this comment]
Arjan - well don’t miss the film!! But the book is awesome.
[Reply to this comment]
It’s something i’ve been meaning to pick up for a while.
[Reply to this comment]
Dan - I highly recommend it, it’s one of those books that stick in your mind for ages after. When I read the novella “The Mist” by Stephen King it was the same thing, in fact I read that years ago and still think about it!
[Reply to this comment]
Is there a German Shepard in the book as well…?
Cause that dog alone will sell half the tickets.
[Reply to this comment]
After reading your comments and unfortunately seeing the movie already I will difinately have to go get the book because I hated the movie. Just didnt do it for me at all but the book sounds great. I have read two of your posts and I am now buying two books. I have to stop reading you our I may go broke or at least get way behind on my reading…
Nick Caversons last blog post..Computer Repair Las Vegas on Computer Virus Cheaters
[Reply to this comment]
Nick - the book is quite different from the movie and not that long either so it is an easy read.
Stick with me and we’ll keep Amazon in business!!
[Reply to this comment]