I Am Legend is utterly different from the film. The character is moodier, he doesn't have a pet dog, the monsters are vampires, he's not a scientist... In fact, here I'll have to admit I really loved the fact he wasn't and that he sets about learning for himself. He picks up a microscope and textbooks and learns. It's a very good arch and it makes him relatable. He's not some genius, he's a dude with a question and that question sets him on a course toward the truth. Very refreshing compared to modern writers who just sort of make the characters who they are without any development. The only thing that changes in today's books is a sudden, usually palm-to-forehead-moment, where something seemingly obvious occurs to them and their genius saves the day.... Dumb.
I adored the film. But I wonder why they didn't just write an original screenplay with nods to the book. They changed everything. A different setting, different character, different antagonists... It's like asking two people to draw a picture of a car from their minds-eye. You'll get two VERY different drawings. Both of them a drawing of a car, but there's no need to worry about calling them the same thing or worrying about copyright infringement. They're similar but separate. Wonderfully so.
And please tell me if I'm totally wrong and the film isn't meant to be based on the book or something. Like, it is just inspired by and they used the character's name as a nod to the book. Or whatever. I don't know.
I loved the book and rate it high. It's dark and moody and thrilling. The character is the perfect example of flawed, but heroic. There's a real exploration of the way isolation and fear grinds on a human. And there's a real sense that curiosity and hope are cousins. It's a great book, strong and courageous. It'll make you want to live through a pandemic... Almost.
There are a few things that are a bit dated. But someone else might just breeze past them.
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.As for the ending... I felt like it almost didn't belong to this book like it was such an amazing ending. It worked with the book, it really did and it worked so well because of what came before... But it just seemed WAY ahead of the rest of it somehow. The ending is worth five stars. However, I give this one an overall rating of...
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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