Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

9 reviews

refrejarator's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

2.0

The science still holds up at some points which is pretty cool. Interesting take on vampires, but uncomfortably dated (views of the 50s in regards to women and POCs).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Blood

Moderate: Grief, Violence, Cannibalism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Vomit, Animal death, Gun violence, and Medical content

POCs referred to as 'Negroes' and not named, only occurs in one chapter. Followers of Islam are referred to as Mohammedans. Jews and Judaism are also mentioned, but no derogatory comments made. Main character is tempted to SA/rape women, including comatose/sleeping/undead women. This is mentioned several times.

booksthatburn's review against another edition

Having heard for years that the book "I Am Legend" is much better than the movie (which I liked), I tried the book.
Holy crap, that was a quick DNF. The (cis, white, male) protagonist's main complaint about maybe being the last human is how it made him involuntarily celibate. Written in the 1950's, this has not aged well. Also, his reaction to vampire babes moaning sexily outside his window is to be upset about how much he wants to but can't/shouldn't fuck them. I like sexy vampires. I like unsexy vampires. I do not care for man complaining that sexy vampires are a trap.  I stopped after the weird thought exercise about whether vampires are worse than the mothers of politicians and arms manufacturers, distillers, and pornographers. 
The one thing I will grant it is that the audiobook narrator did a great job, their narration reinforced the trapped feeling of his perspective, how much he focuses his thoughts on emotionally safe pathways (for him), and tries to avoid his distress. Unfortunately those pathways are sexist as fuck. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Sexism, Alcohol, Medical content, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Minor: War

sassmistress's review against another edition

dark reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Very much not my usual speed, but I see why it's genre-defining. It must be a *really* early take on zombie apocalypse literature. It's a solid mix of psychological horror and zombie thriller, with a dash of that classic sci-fi introspection. Extremely gripping, at points, like The Walking Dead (sorry to relate it to something newer!) Choc-full of content concerns, though, so I can't rate it any higher. But I really enjoyed the read and want one for my classics shelf. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Violence, Gun violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Cursing, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Animal death, and Confinement

Minor: Death of parent, Child death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, and Self harm

- Very graphic depiction of alcoholism and heavy alcohol use, from the mind of the user. We're constantly watching strong drinks spill, smell, burn going down, numb emotion, etc.
- POV is regularly on the verge of a mental breakdown.
- Memories of his wife wasting away and dying, then having to dispose of her body. The grief is graphic. His child dies, too, though this is less prominent.
- Dog content:

He feeds the feral/traumatized dog and slowly befriends it. During this process, the dog is infected. He brings the dog inside, hoping to cure it before it passes, and it panics extensively. He calms it down, the dog licks him, he cries, and then says the dog died a week later.

- He is an atheist, but prays twice out of desperation. Religion is otherwise depicted as frenzied madness.
- Lots of lustful gaze and objectification. This is viewed as the inevitable result of a man's "deprivation" / isolation. One passionate embrace/kiss.
- Blood, obviously, and some violent "vampire" deaths, but most of it is kept at a moderate emotional distance. Most deaths are the MC bleeding out the sleeping "vampires", not described too graphically, but a few are more violent.
- Brief mention of rape, and a few suicidal thoughts.

oddreads_nicolestins's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal death, Body horror, Medical content, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Child death, War, Infertility, Cannibalism, Abandonment, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

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

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

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Medical content, Child death, Cursing, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

corpseparty's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Death, Gore, and Blood

Minor: Rape

stormwise's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was an interesting one to read in a COVID-19 world! This was my second read of this novel, the last time being over 10 years ago, and it definitely hit different in 2021 👀

I am Legend takes place entirely in the mind of its main character, Robert Neville. Well, no, it mostly takes place in a North American town that has been overwhelmed by the living dead. But the story is entirely from Robert's perspective as he grapples with his situation.

I adored the writing in this book - everything Matheson portrays feels so vivid. The monotony of Robert's survival routine, his tension and anticipation each evening as the sun sets, the frustration and grief he experiences...it all felt very real.

The true antagonist of this story, in my opinion, is Robert's own mind. Trapped in his house, trapped in his own head, his struggle to remain human drives him to inhumanity and is ultimately his downfall as he is unable to adapt to the new world.

I enjoyed the science sections - they were quite digestible compared to, say, Solaris which I found quite stodgy when I read it last year! Robert Neville himself isn't particularly likeable - his numerous comments on women made me squirm - but I don't think you're supposed to like him, really. Overall I really like this book - I'd describe it as a psychological horror that turns the vampire narrative on its head.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicide

Moderate: Death, Animal death, and Blood

Minor: Misogyny, Child death, Medical content, Gun violence, and Grief