I Am Legend

I loved it; gripping, heart warming, shameful, despairing, brilliant and quite beautiful.

I'd seen the film some years ago and knew it was based on the book but had heard it diverged from the book a lot in the end. But wow, the book was a different beast.

The story centres around Robert Neville, the last man alive in a world of vampires and undead.

He's surviving, but for what he doesn't know. The story doesn't hold back to expose his awful constant sexual frustration and how, somehow, rape is normalised to him.

His survival is bleak and he knows it. He's constantly asking why he continues and fights for his sanity whilst every single night he barricades himself in his home whilst the undead come calling at his door.

Brilliantly written, brilliant story and I only wish it was longer.

When I read the last line of the book, I broke into a smile. Such a good story that holds up so well after being written in 1954.

A book on morality, shades of grey, and what it means to be the last man in a world full of vampires. This book had it all, and the crispness of the book did it justice.
I have a very strong feeling that this is one of those books that will look as if the backstory, and some additional expounding of details would make it better, but making the book more realistic, so to speak, would be just pointless filler getting in way of the plot.
Would recommend wholeheartedly.

3.5 stars. Saw the twist the moment she sniffed garlic. Did not like the ending, though I have to admit it fits well with the story. The dog... did not expect that, especially since he had him since the beginning in 00's movie adaptation if I remember correctly.

Overall I missed some more introspection. It was well written but it was missing soul. That may be on purpose as main character thinks he's the last man on Earth and so loses his humanity in drunken horny stupor but I do think that contemporary authors would enhance the story with some psychological stuff and make the characters deeper, their decisions more impactful.