Just picked up Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund; I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles, about the reign of Queen Elizabeth I as told from her POV; and I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson. I am actually looking forward to the movie, so I got curious enough to pick up the book which I want to read before I see it.
I ordered I Am Legend and it should come any day now in the mail. Can't wait.
I finished Legend last night. Spoilers ahead.
There is just no fucking way that Hollywood is going to go with the ending in the book (which explains the title). I was really enjoying the story - the concept is nothing new (though at the time of its publication in 1954, it prolly was a fresher idea) - an apocolypse of sorts wipes out the world's population and one man is left alive. Well written, and the idea of explaining why people became vampires, and why garlic affects them, etc. was interesting - unfortunately, with Smith at the helm of the movie, I'm afraid this is going to turn into a standard horror movie instead of looking at the psychological impact that the end of human kind has on the protagonist.
That said, as much as I enjoyed it, I can't say that I liked the ending all that much. It explained the title, and it certainly was a twist I didn't forsee, but it was a little depressing as well. I would still recommend this book, though, as reading Neville's outlook in this new world was interesting and entertaining.
My translated edition must have been abridged: only about 150 pages, and for some reason "vampires" is replaced with "werewolves" (the latter doesn't change much, I hope). Does Neville or another character say something directly about Neville becoming a legend?
The English edition is only 170 pages. Unfortunately, the edition I picked up failed to mention that its I Am Legend with a bunch of short stories, which ticked me off, as I was expecting more to the story.
How did they trade in vampires for werewolves? There's a whole section about how Neville is trying to understand why garlic affects them so, and the fear of crosses, etc - all things that people relate to vampires, not werewolves. Odd.
Neville is the one at the end who makes the connection that he is their boogeyman. In fact, the final line in the story is "I am legend," which is what Neville thinks as he realizes that he will be the nightmare story that people will pass on down for generations.
Dear, sweet Harley Kwink...I'm madly in love with you. Marry me! We can go to Canadia. Or Boston or something. It'll be grand...You know the cookies are a given. They are ALWAYS a given. You could dump me tomorrow and you'd still get the cookies. Boston..shit, wherever dyke weddings were legalized. And where better to rub their little piggie noses in how bad they suck than right on their doorstep? What are they gonna do? Be jealous of you? Stare furiously at your tah-tahs? Not willingly give you cookies, but instead begrudgingly give you their cookies? Woman, time to wake up to the powers you wield - Uschi
