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A review by btlitell
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
My review is only for I Am Legend and not the other short stories included in this edition.
This was an interesting story. There are moments where it's clear that Robert Neville is hanging on by a thread and that thread is often stretched very thin. I appreciate that he's approaching the "solutions" to the vampire apocalypse from a scientific perspective as he tries to figure out why those things that kill them work and other methods don't.
I think including other religious symbols working for some of the vampires is a nice touch, especially since Neville explains the why behind that later. Totally makes sense that a cross would only affect an undead who, in life, aligned with Christianity. A cross being the only religious symbol that works is something that hasn't made sense in other vampire fiction, but I hadn't realized it doesn't make sense until experiencing a story where it's not the only religious symbol that serves as a solution.
While I will say the dog's death wasn't as traumatic as Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows, I still did not like experiencing that happening. I understand the literary device of hurting a character in such a devastating way, but still...
This was an interesting story. There are moments where it's clear that Robert Neville is hanging on by a thread and that thread is often stretched very thin. I appreciate that he's approaching the "solutions" to the vampire apocalypse from a scientific perspective as he tries to figure out why those things that kill them work and other methods don't.
I think including other religious symbols working for some of the vampires is a nice touch, especially since Neville explains the why behind that later. Totally makes sense that a cross would only affect an undead who, in life, aligned with Christianity. A cross being the only religious symbol that works is something that hasn't made sense in other vampire fiction, but I hadn't realized it doesn't make sense until experiencing a story where it's not the only religious symbol that serves as a solution.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death