Reviews tagging 'Blood'

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

17 reviews

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. 

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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

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

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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

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Animal death

Minor: Racism and Misogyny

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

3.0

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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

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Rape

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>

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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

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Suicide

Moderate: Death, Animal death, and Blood

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