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katrinarose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
For such a short book it sure packs a punch. I loved the ending and the grim reality that we see of Neville’s life. Despite the monotony of most of his days, this book flew by for me. And even now after seeing hundreds of versions of a vampire and/or pandemic story, I still find this one original and compelling.
Content Warnings
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
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Elokuvaversiosta poiketen tässä post apokalyptisessä novellissa zombien sijasta temmeltävätkin vampyyrit. Robert Neville on maailman viimeinen ihminen - kaikki muut ovat jo ajat sitten muuttuneet vertaimeviksi hirviöiksi. Päivisin Neville etsii ja tappaa vampyyrejä, täydentää varastojaan ja vahvistaa puolustuksiaan. Öisin häntä piinaavat ulkona odottelevat vampyyrit.
Robert Neville kipuilee yksinäisyytensä kanssa, juo liikaa ja vihansa vimmassa käyttäytyy aggressiivisesti. Ymmärrettävästi hän ei juuri nyt ole ihan parhaimmillaan. Kirjan alussa hänen suurin ongelmansa tuntuu olevan seksin puute, mikä nykylukijalla saattaa nostattaa hieman kulmakarvoja. Tätä lukuunottamatta kirja on kestänyt suhteellisen hyvin aikaa.
Lopussa kirjassa on hyvin toteutettu kohtaus, jossa Neville todistaa verivihollisensa kohtaloa. Loppuratkaisu onnistuu ehkä hieman yllättävälläkin tavalla kääntämään kirjan asetelmaa.
Content Warnings
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
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Gun violence
Minor: Suicide, Animal death, and Rape
mconroy9137's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
This story is a sharp character study of how one person struggles to survive a world in which they find themselves the only living human, surrounded by others who've succumbed to a virus or disease that's made them like vampires... staying indoors during the day, repelled by garlic and maybe crosses, and roaming the streets at night often in a state of frenzy having attacked and killed the living and continuously returning to the house where the story's main character, Rober Neville, lives. The story begins with Neville a few months into the vampire plague, having acclimated himself to a ritual dictated by the habits of the threatening vampires and designed to fortify his dwelling and safe enclosure.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Chronic illness, and Mental illness
Minor: Animal death and Death
iinasomnia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, and Animal death
rogackia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Addiction, Misogyny, and Suicidal thoughts
sofipitch's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
2.5
This was so incredibly tropy, the man manly man who is all alone, he's tough and smart, he has a fridged wife and daughter, he is tormented by sexual desire for the female vampires bc he doesn't know how to jack off, he'll do anything to survive but contemplates suicide constantly. Either this bad already been done before a million times or this laid the groundwork for a certain kind of "tough good guy" character. The only part I really liked was the dog. I also give this book credit for an attempted scientific explanation for vampires, it sucked and would never hold up, but I appreciate when science fiction actually does the science part
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Animal death
Minor: Racism and Misogyny
ironically's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
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
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Not really comparable to the movie. This actually may be a case in which I prefer the movie.
<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>
<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>
Content Warnings
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