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katrinarose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Body horror, and Medical content
Moderate: Child death and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content
singalana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, and Violence
Minor: Violence, Sexism, Rape, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
scytheria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Gun violence
Minor: Suicide, Animal death, and Rape
mconroy9137's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Alcoholism, Violence, Misogyny, Alcohol, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Grief, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Body horror, and Kidnapping
Minor: Vomit, Child death, and Medical content
ruthypoo2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The first half of the story puts the reader in the mindset of Neville, going through his daily activities to find sustenance, supplies, and maintain his home. In addition, he also goes out into the community finding the slumbering vampires to kill them and throw their bodies into a fire pit, which has been determined as the only way to ensure they cannot return walk the earth. For much of the first half of the book, Neville struggles with loneliness and carnal desire, and facing a gradual mental unraveling. The story does an excellent job of portraying the monotony of day-to-day life as Neville tries to stay sane and find a potential cure for the vampire plague. His time has some peaks but is mostly about how he adheres to a strict schedule in order to survive.
In the second half of the book, as time has progressed, emotions and actions increase when Neville encounters another human being and dares to imagine there could be a future less bleak than the life he's been living for a number of years. However, being a survivalist, Neville questions if the solitary existence he's come to accept is worth risking if he decides to take a chance on the possibility of human companionship.
The author, Richard Matheson, does a stellar job creating the turmoil and fractured mindset of someone who may be the last living human alive. Though it's very small, the world building in the story is stark and desperate and easy to imagine as the outcome after a plague will have decimated the earth's population of living creatures. Matheson conveys multiple layers to Neville's personality, which is understandably a little off kilter but still exudes a will to survive in spite of the struggles he experiences. The book has a really good story arc that's engrossing as and gives the reader someone to root for from beginning to end.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator, Robertson Dean, did a fantastic job embodying the mind and soul of Robert Neville. Mr. Dean was just the right voice for this character and managed to exactly characterize the various mental avenues Neville goes down in his valiant effort to stay alive and stay sane... one day at a time.
Moderate: Violence, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal death and Death
iinasomnia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, and Animal death
rogackia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
sofipitch's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Racism and Misogyny
ironically's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, War, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gore, Death, Animal death, and Violence
cnohero's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
<Spoiler>Pros:
This was really well written and gripping. I read well past my bedtime.
I'm impressed by it's scientific discussion especially for it's time (1960's).
Excellent world-building and just enough horror for my taste but not too much.
This book did bring me to the edge of tear and could be very moving in some parts
Cons:
I did not like the main character. Maybe he supposed to be unlikeable?
I hated the way the author discussed lust and sex. I really have a hard time with the discussion that the main character was so sexually deprived he was tempted to have sex with the living dead.
Overall I was not comfortable with the discussion of women they are not treated well or regarded well through the book. There was too much emphasis on women's bodies and sex. </Spoiler>
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gun violence, Gore, Death, Cursing, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief