I am Legend - Sharon's Comments

I managed to watch two movie versions of this book before actually reading the book, and I have to say it's interesting that they both changed the same plot twist into a completely different plot twist.

In the movies, the girl he finds is a real girl (not a vampire), and there is a small community of humans living in bolt-holes in the hills. The "Legend" that Neville becomes is that of the saviour of humanity - his sacrifice enables the "true" human race to survive.

Meanwhile, in the book, he becomes the "vampire" (of sorts) for the "new" human race. The legendary figure who strikes while your innocent family is sleeping, and in the "morning" (evening) you wake to find your loved ones dead and surrounded by a pool of blood.

I'm not sure the final twist works in the book, though. It feels as if we missed out on some information that Neville should have worked out. I mean, if they were forging a new society, making scientific advancements and creating an armed police force (of sorts), surely there would have been evidence of this in the daylight? Surely Neville would have noticed things being repaired and indications that society was starting up again?

I can't help but feel the book needed a few more chapters to flesh out some of what was going on in those last few episodes.

Other than that, it was a fun read - a great way to spend a couple of hours and a pleasant diversion for killing time in an airport.

I'd be interested to see if anyone ever films the whole book - and to read some discussion on why all of the adaptations feel compelled to change the ending so radically. Does Hollywood feel we need to have more hope for the future? Is the book completely devoid of that hope, just because humanity (as we know it) ceases to exist?

I Am Legend - Helen's comments

Well finally got the book (thank you Sharon) and read it too. Didn't take very long (one of the shortest books I have read lately) and a page turner as well. It was actually pretty riveting reading but fairly gruesome, more horror than science fiction/fantasy which is what I like best.

I haven't seen the new movie with Will Smith or any of the previous films so can't comment on the similarities or differences. It does get you thinking though about how you would survive or even if you would want to survive if you were the last man/woman alive.

The whole vapirism as a disease based on scientific evidence rather than superstition was something I hadn't read about before and the tie in with the plague and and other pandemics was an interesting concept.

Cool twist at the end. He didn't save the world, but became the minority. Humanity survived (or did it) and he became legend like the vampires before him.

Call for Books: May's choice

The last book has been announced. Can we have suggestions for the next book, please?

Attach them as comments to this post.

The new pole will hopefull go out before ANZAC day - and will hopefully include suggestions from people other than Sharon and Helen.

And the Winner Is...

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.

"a plague has decimated the world, and those unfortunate enough to survive are transformed into blood-thirsty creatures of the night. Robert Neville is the last living man on earth. Every other man, woman, and child has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?" (Dymocks book stores).

This was supposed to be our book for March, but it will have to be our book for April. If everyone could kindly get themselves a copy of this book and read it, and then think of something to say about it.

Your challenge is to read the book and then answer the following question:

"What did you think of this book?"

Remember, everyone is required to post their own two bits, and then offer a comment on at least one other member's two bits. Please post your own comment some time during the first week of May.

If this wasn't the book you would have chosen, might I suggest you engage in next month's choice a little more pro-actively?

A Tied Result

Okay, we've tied on Captin Alatriste and I am Legend.

Looks like we need a tie breaker. Do we want the book about Musketeers or the book about Vampires?

Beyond the Sharon and Helen Show

Up until now, this has pretty much been the Sharon and Helen show. It seems the simple instructions "give Sharon your email address" have flummoxed many of the people we invited to join.

Anyway, with any luck we will have a few more people joining, voting and contributing in many ways.

If you've just joined us, welcome. Please read the first couple of postings talking about the set-up of the book club. Then vote for a book.

If you don't like the books selections for this month, you should make sure you put your two cents in for next month.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Sharon.

Book choices

Okay, no one else suggested anything, so the book choices for this month come straight from the Helen and Sharon show.

They are:

• The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (Helen's Choice)


• Captain Alatriste, by Arturo Perez-Reverte [translated into English](Sharon's Choice)


• The Bride Stripped Bare, by Anonymous (Helen's choice again)


• I am Legend, by Richard Matheson

The poll will be appearing more or less around about now. Remember to vote for two books.

SB

Further clarification of the rules

In response to some questions, here are a few further clarifications of the rules:

You are expected to post your own opinion of the books as an author, then place comments on each other's posts. That's why I invite you to become blog authors when you join the book club, so you can actually post your thoughts instead of just tagging them on. Blogger doesn't just show all of the comments automatically, so this is the best way for everyone's thoughts to be nice and visible.

Unfortunately, even though you're all listed as authors, I seem to be the only one who can change anything on the blog itself (settings, permissions, templates and what-not). If you want anything changed, just ask me to do it and it shall be done.

Books that missed out on previous selections can be suggested again. The way I was thinking of doing it was that the runner up from the last month is automatically included in the next month's suggestions lists and anyone who wants can nominate any of the other books for another go around. If the same book has been suggested six times in a row without being chosen, though, we might think about retiring it from the list for a round or two.

The book club is not limited to librarians at JCU - but it is by invitation only. If you want your cousin who works in BHP in Western Australia to join the club, they are more than welcome, as long as it's a member of the book club who invites them in and at least one person who is already a member (say, yourself) knows them and is happy to introduce them to the rest of us.

Anyone in the whole wide world can read the postings of this book club, as long as they already know the address. It's not indexed anywhere, and won't turn up in a search. Potential members are more than welcome to read a few entries before deciding to join - just give them the URL.

To join the club, you have to give me the address you want to use as an author. I send you an invitation to co-author the blog, you accept and fill out the necessary boxes to start posting away.

At the moment, the blog is moderated and I'm the moderator. The moderation doesn't apply to authors, though, so any comments you leave on each other's postings will pass through without going through me first. If anyone else tries to comment, though, I'll have to approve it first.

I currently have no idea how to pass control of this blog onto someone else. When I find out, we'll talk about a succession plan.

Endeavour is spelt E-N-D-E-A-V-O-U-R. That's "ea", "ou". Just remember that, after the first "e", every vowel is in a pair.

Book Suggestions again

Right, now we're up to three suggestions:

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (Helen's Choice)

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte [translated into English](Sharon's Choice)

The Bride Stripped Bare by Anonymous

(Helen's choice again)

?

Would someone like to suggest a fourth? Otherwise, this is going to turn into the Helen and Sharon show for the first book selection.

Book suggestions

Okay, folks,

First round of suggestions for books for the first book club "reading" -

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel (Helen's Choice)

Captain Alatriste by Arturo Perez-Reverte [translated into English](Sharon's Choice)

?

?

We need some more suggestions, people. I can pull a few more out of my hat if you want, but I'd rather hear from the rest of the gang.