'Twilight' Verdict

Friday, October 17, 2008 Posted In , , , , , , , Edit This 3 Comments »
So anyway, I gave in to pressure to read Twilight. Luckily it was a quick read. I got through it in one day. I don't usually read books like this and initially I was not enjoying it. But it did get slightly better. In the end, I gave it a solid 4 out of 10.
I know, you're shrieking with disbelief...

The first hundred pages I felt like the author was still trying to figure out how to set the story up. The next couple of hundred pages were slightly better because it seemed Ms Meyer increasingly knew where she was going. The 'vampire falls in love with a human' aspect was a novel one. However, I did not like the intense sexual tension that kept up throughout the whole book. It just made me want to gag.

It wouldn't let up.
Bella's dialogue mainly consists of: "Edward is beautiful and perfect and gorgeous. What stupid thing can I do today to get myself nearly killed? Edward is beautiful and perfect and gorgeous. Edward is a vampire. His instinct is to rip me to shreds. But he's beautiful and perfect and gorgeous. I can't exist without him." On and on...

The speed with which Bella 'fell in love' was unnatural, or at the very least, inadvisable. Bella completely ignored her life (father, school, friends) in favour of worshipping the perfect Edward (who incidentally, only liked her smell). He became her life. What message does this send to the mainly teen female audience?

Although Edward was perfect, he did not have any real personality. Apart from listening to Claire de Lune, and lying in the sun, we don't even find out what Edward likes to do.
One of Edward's comments wins the 'Most Inane' award -"I may not be human but I'm still a man." Huh?


For me, the best part was when Bella was trying to save her life by running from a bad vampire dude. The bad dude cleverly tricks her and she is forced to deal with a dangerous situation by herself. The suspense builds up nicely around her as she plunges (yet again) into mortal danger. This was what rescued the book from a 2 out of 10. The last ten or so pages were actually not too bad.
But... I don't recommend this book.
Sorry.
If you like romance (sometimes I do) I recommend you read (or at least see the 1969 movie of) 'Romeo and Juliet' before you give this one your attention. Then there's 'Pride and Prejudice', not to mention 'Gone With The Wind'.
"Seek ye out of the best books" right?







3 brilliant observations:

Cheryl said...

Ok, first you are much better than I. When Edward was lying, glistening in the sun and Bella looked at him for hours, I chucked the book across the room, never to pick it up again. I will have you refer to my blog on my comment re: my reasons for disliking the book. It was probably Sept. or Aug. 2007. I'll let you know exactly. I think we made a few of the same points about this book.
I love you for this post. I was wondering what was going on in the world with grown women LOVING/OBSESSING over this book!! I can now breathe a sigh of relief that yet another dear friend of mine is at least as sane as I am!
And yes, Pride & Prejudice, Lynn Austin even, but please can I never hear about Twilight again!

Cheryl said...

Here is what I posted Wed. Aug. 8, 2007...

BLAME IT ON BEING PREGNANT...
Not that I can't stand the following book, because I would NOT like it pregnant or not, but that I am actually venting about it.
Ok, the big craze here is the book Twilight. I've heard young women and grown women rant and rave about it and so I borrowed it. WHAT THE CRAP?
My first clue that I wouldn't like it is that it is by an LDS author, not that I don't love a good historical fiction or doctrinal LDS author, but a romantic LDS author, well I have yet to find one that I really like. So my second clue, it's about vampires. I know that should have stopped me right there, but it didn't.
Ok, so hear me out on some of the reasons this book is so ridiculous to me, and I happen to know that 3 of my 4 readers that read my blog are highly offended right now because they are some of the several that "love" this book! Maybe you 3 can defend yourselves and give it back to me (not the book but fighting words). (:
1) It's about vampires! (ok, I had to re-emphasize that one)
2) The vampire is 90 years older than the girl that is "in love" with him.
3) The vampire (edward) is attracted to her (Bella) only because her blood smells good. (EEEWWW!)
4) They (Edward and Bella) can't even kiss or make out because it will inevitably end up in her death (What?)
5) When Bella cuddles up to Edward it is like cuddling up to an ice cube.
6) Edward watches her sleep every night, all night long. (Creepy)
7) The moral of the story is, "Even if your boyfriend wants to kill you, it is ok to date him if he is hot!"

Cheryl said...

Actually I don't think passie is American, more like Cheryl-ese. It's just short for pacifier (or binkie as most Americans call it.) It seems like a word a New Zealander would say!