I Am Legend

By: Richard Matheson

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

The basis for the film starring Academy Award nominee Will Smith, I Am Legend is a classic of horror and suspense.

In I Am Legend, a terrible plague has decimated the world, and those who were unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into bloodthirsty 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?

Richard Matheson’s chilling tale is a white-knuckle ride into a world of darkness and terror.

©1954, 1982 by Richard Matheson (P)2007 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"One of the ten all-time best novels of vampirism." ( Fangoria)
"The most clever and riveting vampire novel since Dracula." (Dean Koontz)
"I think the author who influenced me most as a writer was Richard Matheson. Books like I Am Legend were an inspiration to me." (Stephen King)

A full circle story

I think this would have been a story overlooked by me except I got it free and had nothing to lose.

To be the only person alive for 3 years...Neville went between sanity and madness.
I did find myself lost at times between current and flashback. Maybe Neville did as well. I’m not sure if I was intended to find humor in Cortman’s nightly visits, but I did. I pictured Cortman and Neville being the kind of men who would compete over the best kept lawns in their former lives. Then for 3 years Cortman stands on the lawn and yells for Neville to come out. I found myself wondering what Cortman or the other vampires would have done to Neville if they would have caught him.

Did I like the narrator or not? I can’t decide. At points he read so slowly that I increased the speed of the playback. Then I found myself having a hard time following along, so I’d switch back. Early on I found the speed of his reading cumbersome. When Neville’s watch stopped, and he had to race the vampires back to his house the narrator read faster. After that I found that I appreciated the slower cadence and found it increasing the suspense of the story.

This was a binge read for me.

Very gripping

Of course nothing like the movie. It is much better in my opinion. The narrator does a great job with the voice acting and conveying emotion.

Legionary

I liked the movie but loved the book so much more. I was surprised by the depth of the main character and how it drew my interest until the last word! The narration was so well done...not overly dramatic but voiced in a way that made you connect with the story and emotions of Robert.

Really enjoyable. Much different than movie.

More enjoyable than the movie, however the characters outlook on women makes him a less likeable character these days. Maybe that was the point, I'm not sure. The story is good though, if bleak.

Ends Prematurely

This was. . . unexpected. It's dark, which I typically like, but I had a bit of trouble connecting. I think that this could have benefited from being a longer story. Something was missing, and honestly, the book went and ended right when I wanted it to start.

Better than I expected. Totally recommend.

I saw the movie first, as usual that was a big mistake. The audio book was one of my most memorable books

A great vampire story.

I saw the Will Smith movie first. I never knew this was a book. The book is a great story. The movie strayed from the book in many ways, but was also similar is some respects. I recommend this book and for the price it's a no Brainer.

Better than the movie

The saddest part about listening to this book is I learned how Hollywood destroyed another great story. Performance and story line were engaging and interesting from the beginning to the end.

Good story GREAT Narration

Written in 1954 and set in the 1970s, this is the story of a man living in a world in which vampires have become the dominant species. You explore his world, his mind, and the shape of how things might be after such a cataclysm.

Of of the main character's primary drives is to find out what caused this vampire epidemic and how it might be fought. While the science is a bit dated, it is still fun to examine and I found these parts to be the most interesting.

As for the production quality, Robertson Dean does a MASTERFUL job of bringing the story to life and infusing it with everything from psychosis to anger to sadness to horror. Bravo!

Buy this audiobook if only to listen to a first rate narrator suck you deep into a well-told story.

I love this story, always have... it's amazing

I can always go back to any part of this book and just immerse myself..