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Loading... I Am Legend (1954)by Richard Matheson (Author)
A somewhat atypical example of 1950s science fiction, or perhaps I'm just too accustomed to the rather pulpy and childish short story genre. Matheson's work is gritty, realistic, cynical and only slightly under-informed. The author paints a picture of post-apocalyptic life that is believable and makes it seem much more contemporary than it really is. The only real annoyance was the author's insistence in using the word 'germs' in place of bacteria. Doubtless this is a nod to his readership of the time but it left me rather perturbed and constantly in search of a red pen. ( )Stunning account of the last man left alive on earth after a virus turns evrybody else into vampires. Chilling and creepy to say the least. The accompanying short stories add to the over all effect of this book. Although I have seen a lot of zombie/vampire movies in my time (including The Omega Man, one of the movies based upon this book, but not the Will Smith film of the same name), this was my first time reading such a book. And I have to say, this was simply incredible. The book delved into all of the typical themes one finds in works of this type, but it examined them in a much more profound and complex way than probably any medium besides literature could. Whether it be the obvious isolation one would inevitably experience when no others survive a plague or the conflicted feelings behind killing things that represent such a direct threat to one's own existence, Matheson has imagined a world of vampires and one man in a realistic way. The inner monologue of Robert Neville is pitch perfect and demonstrates a keen understanding of human emotion. The setting of an apocalyptic city ravaged by disease was also described better than I've seen anywhere else. I should mention that I never had much of a feel for science, and this book leans heavily on the scientific explanations for the vampiric phenomenon at times. I was able to more or less understand where the book was going with it, but I was also lost during some of the passages. Who the heck besides a doctor or scientist understands what the lymph system is? But I did appreciate that Matheson explored a supernatural concept and looked at how science could explain it. I think what I found most striking here was the ending. It is rare that an author can surprise with the perfect ending while also not having that ending be obvious to the reader. I'm not sure if it's just that I'm dense (certainly a possibility), but I never saw the resolution coming and when it was upon me it was absolutely the best way to end a book. The last paragraphs in particular tied together nicely much of the work's themes, and indeed the story comes "full circle" just as Matheson writes. This was my first Matheson title, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Finished last night. I was a bit disappointed. Maybe because I just had read a fantastic book Swan Song. I understand and appreciate this book was written in the fifties and the first of its kind. that is why I'll give it 3 stars. *note to self.copy from Al.
Glavni junak romana, Robert Nevil, poslednji je čovek u svetu zaraženom vampirizmom. Zabarikadiran u svom domu, on svake noći vodi bitku da preživi do svitanja, pri čemu mu neprijatelji nisu samo krvožedni stvorovi napolju, nego i sopstveni nagoni, ludilo koje vreba i uspomene na lepšu prošlost. Sudbinu Roberta Nevila na kraju zapečatiće jedna žena čija će ga izdaja suočiti sa istinom da se shvatanje normalnosti preokrenulo i da je sada sam na njenoj drugoj strani. Na onoj strani na kojoj se stupa u legendu. Prvenstvena tema Metisonovog dela je „opasna različitost”. Njegovi vampiri su sivi i istovetni, simbol vladavine populizma, dok je Nevil večiti pojedinac u borbi protiv neprijateljskih sila prirode i društva.
Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0765357151, Mass Market Paperback)One of the most influential vampire novels of the 20th century, I Am Legend regularly appears on the "10 Best" lists of numerous critical studies of the horror genre. As Richard Matheson's third novel, it was first marketed as science fiction (for although written in 1954, the story takes place in a future 1976). A terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive have been transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Except, that is, for Robert Neville. He alone appears to be immune to this disease, but the grim irony is that now he is the outsider. He is the legendary monster who must be destroyed because he is different from everyone else. Employing a stark, almost documentary style, Richard Matheson was one of the first writers to convince us that the undead can lurk in a local supermarket freezer as well as a remote Gothic castle. His influence on a generation of bestselling authors--including Stephen King and Dean Koontz--who first read him in their youth is, well, legendary. --Stanley Wiater(retrieved from Amazon Sat, 28 Aug 2010 12:19:24 -0400) Neville is essentially the last man on earth, and the loneliness of his situation is the central part of the story. Matheson is able to communicate Neville's emotional feelings vividly, making him very real. We gradually acquire the story of the deaths of Neville's wife and daughter, essentially experiencing the pain he goes through when these memories overcome him. We watch him drink himself into a stupor as each night finds him besieged in his fortified house, surrounded by vampires, including his old fri… (more) |
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