Audible Book Review: I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

This is an engaging horror story.

I Am Legend
By: Richard Matheson
Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 12-31-06
Language: English
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Sci Fi, Vintage
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
In I Am Legend, a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?
©1954, 1982 by Richard Matheson (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Review:
Robert Neville is a lone survivor of a plague that turned most survivors to a form of vampire. The authorities took his daughter to the burn pit but he protected his wife as long as he could. When the time came that she died he took her to bury her with dignity – he thought. At least he would be able to visit her grave. But when night came, she arrived at his door to visit him.

The neighbors and strangers prowl his lawn at night seeking his blood; hoping to make him one of them. He struggles with being a true, living survivor, with no one to talk to and only the taunting shouts of the dead outside his barricaded home. During the day Neville tracks the sleeping monsters to their lairs and kills them first with wooden stakes and later by other means he discovers. One night after a drunken rage he decides to study the decease to see if he can find a cure. After all he has hours and days and years…

It has been a long time since Neville has seen a person during the day or heard a voice other than the dead. He is shocked when he finds a woman wondering in a field one day. His ravings frighten her but he ends up dragging her home. Then he begins to wonder if she is another survivor like him.

The character of Neville in the book is not the one I remember from the movie. I suppose it is understandable that Neville would have bouts of craziness – being alone so long and always under night attacks. At times he is a sad character and other times pathetic. I hoped things would improve when he began reading medical journals. Some of the monologues and medical jargon got a bit tedious but it was part of the character development. I especially found the history and myth testing regarding vampires interesting.

This is a Vintage book written in 1954 and it did not have some of the more modern items I think I remember in the movie. I had forgotten enough of the movie to make this worth listening to as part of my TBR. I knew it was horror and I am thinking that the book achieves a different level of sci fi horror than the movie.

I enjoyed the ending dilemma which reveals the meaning of the title. I recommend this to horror fans, fans of a different, dark vampire (no sparkles), and fans of post-apocalyptic. I also recommend it even if you have seen the movie.

Audio Notes: Robertson Dean does an excellent job with the narration. He captures the dark tone of the story and the mania of Neville. I’m glad I listened to this rather than reading.

Source: 11/18/17 Celebrating 20 years of Listeners Membership Perk Free #audible20. This qualifies for 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.