posted
Well, I finally knuckled under to some friends at work pestering me and read the first book.
Overall it was mediocre at best. The substantially disturbing parts - and there were lots - along with the substantially boring parts - there were even more of those - were counterbalanced overall for me by my interest in the Cullen family, and the Native-American Indian tribe near the town, and the interactions between the two.
And, of course, there was lots of implausibilities or outright I-don't-buy-it moments. For one thing, Bella is to me only marginally interesting. She's certainly not - aside from physical characteristics - not anywhere near as interesting as Edward suggests. Her thoughts aren't especially insightful or amusing, her words aren't either. Her reaction to Edward isn't particularly interesting, given that he is apparently the heroin of eye-candies, and has an intense and curiosity-provoking reaction to her the first time they meet. Her lack of fear of his vampire-ness isn't really very noteworthy either, because lots of people overlook incredibly big flaws in their crushes. Especially their first real OMFGHE'SSOBOOTIFUL@ crushes.
Edward isn't interesting either, or certainly not very much. His attraction to her is initially at least purely physical, and he literally can't help his desire for her. So...he trains himself to control himself, that was mildly interesting, but as far as couples-in-love go, not very. The things he cites about her that are so interesting are, to me, so not very interesting I can't help wonder if he's just lying, either to himself or both of them.
And oh, of course the creepy parts. Breaking into her house, stalking her, watching her sleep, reading the minds of her friends to follow what she's doing...some of these can be forgiven or rather understood but still criticized because of his particular attraction to her. But the spying on her conversations? And when she calls him on it, he specifically doesn't say, "I'm not going to do it again," and is only reluctantly apologetic for it.
I can see mildly-interesting, starstruck Bella not being very concerned with any of this. People in love are often stupid, and teenagers in FIRST love are sometimes the most stupid category of people on the planet. I would've liked someone in the situation - maybe from the supposedly-well-adjusted Cullen family? - taking Edward or Bella aside and saying, "Hey, love is fine, but let's talk about boundaries, respecting them, and most of all insisting the other person respect them."
It was tedious how literally every boy in the story is attracted to Bella, and how her human friends basically get her cast-offs. It would be slightly less tedious if she merited that amount of attention.
I liked Jacob the most, I think. Even if he does inexplicably seem to crush on her quite a bit. His father is intriguing-what incidents in the past does he know about that the Cullens aren't telling?
I might read the next one, because I've heard it has very little Edward, and lots of the native americans.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Careful with the sequels. I also liked Jacob at the beginning. He had hobbies and friends and a good relationship with his family. All the things Bella and Edward lack or ignore. But Meyer absolutely destroys his character as his feelings for Bella increase. Jacob's friends later in the series are interesting but sadly, also very disturbing.
Posts: 1733 | Registered: Apr 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Clive Candy: Edward Cullen was attracted to Bella because of Bella's innocence, because of Bella's need for protection. Because of Bella's femininity
Did you girls get that? I think you know which ones I'm talking to here.
Posts: 1794 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Clive Candy: Edward Cullen was attracted to Bella because of Bella's innocence, because of Bella's need for protection. Because of Bella's femininity
Did you girls get that? I think you know which ones I'm talking to here.
It's a right treat when a man with such preferences states them clearly. Saves time, that.
Posts: 14017 | Registered: May 2000
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posted
He ought to wear a sign or something-saves even more time:)
The funny thing is, of course, desiring such a partner in and of itself means the one who wants that is less suited to be a protector. Not just because it means the person desiring that is badly sexist, though of course that's true too, but it's a way of saying, "I want a grown-up sycophant."
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
And that's another thing that was dumb about the story: to be killed, vampires have to be torn apart literally and incinerated? Pft. What nonsense. They have no weaknesses. Even if they were discovered, it would amount to serious inconvenience, not danger.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Grown men who like the helpless are the ones who know that only the stupid and brainless are likely to give them the time of day.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
You would think that Twilight would be a bomb. Well, it has made lots of money and lots of fans, many of them adults. Its not even the only one of its kind. Why so popular? That is the question that all criticism seems to ignore. Mostly I think taking shots at the books has become a fad or status symbol. I honestly can't answer to the popularity because I am not a fan, but I do recognize its popularity can't be dismissed.
I can't stand "Edward is a creep" any more than I can "Edward is dreamy." For me, they come out sounding like the same high-school rhetoric about the popular boy.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Because criticizing everyone is SO much more sophisticated. You call everyone immature without nuance or evidence of any understanding! How clever and insightful you are!
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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quote:His attraction to her is initially at least purely physical, and he literally can't help his desire for her.
I thought the fact that he can't read her mind was a big part of the attraction. I could buy that after everyone being an open book to him, a closed book (even not that interesting of one) would be incredibly appealing.
Posts: 1947 | Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
I think the popularity is easily understood - the books are about obsession, and the reader gets a bit caught up in the obsession.
What bothers me about Twilight is the message that a boy who tries to dictate who you can be friends with, and wants to watch you while you sleep and follows you around under the guise of "protecting you and making sure you don't get into trouble" is something desirable or God forbid, romantic. It's not - it's stalkerish and creepy.
I teach 12 and 13 year old girls and I have girls around the age that this stuff is marketed toward and I am concerned about the message they are getting. I wouldn't be so concerned if I didn't know that too few of my students have healthy relationships in their own homes to model. I'm not so worried about my girls - my oldest has read Twilight and we've discussed it and yes, laughed at it. My students though, live in a world defined by crime and violence and I don't want them getting any more reinforcement that control=love.
Naturally, I can't control what they read (and yes, part of me is just thrilled that they read at all), and it's not my job to teach them how to handle relationships - way beyond my scope as a teacher they see 50 minutes a day, five days a week. But still...because I care about them I worry and wish they were reading things that displayed much more healthy relationships.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:I thought the fact that he can't read her mind was a big part of the attraction. I could buy that after everyone being an open book to him, a closed book (even not that interesting of one) would be incredibly appealing.
That was a part of it, but unless he goes about peering into every mind he encounters, he wouldn't have been aware of that initially-which is when the attraction first happened. Maybe he would have been equally attracted to her without the pheremonal qualities of her blood...but we'll never really know.
At any rate, if memory serves, he talks about things she does and says being interesting-and, really, they're just not. Unless you literally salivate being around her in the first place.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
I actually don't mind that part - that's the fantasy. The most awesome guy in the world adores you, and you don't have to do anything or be special already.
Sure, it's unrealistic, but that's why it's a fantasy. That part I think is fine.
What Belle said bothers me a great deal more.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
That's fine as fantasy, it's just where it goes wrong with me is where that stuff is posed as a good relationship or something. It's just not. And of course all the stuff Belle says, too.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
The idea of adoring someone and thinking they are wonderful without them actually being the most beautiful or brilliant sounds pretty good to me.
Not the other stuff, but that part would be okay.
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