Goodreads | Eclipse (Twilight Series, Book 3)

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Saya rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

01/27/08

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: Only read for the sake of the very few important things that manage to happen

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Eclipse took what magic was in Twilight and survived the boring but interesting New Moon and killed it off with it's length, lack of imagery, inconsistencies, and lifeless characters.

The high school romance theme is COMPLETELY abandoned- we have the occasional, random scene since we need some build up to Bella's very boring graduation where she doesn't care. I think the high school theme is one of the reasons Twilight was such a success, the reader was really in B...more

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Julie rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

06/12/08

bookshelves: horror, young-adult

Read in June, 2008

recommends it for: Everybody... ok, Twilight fans.

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I'm not sure I can write a very cohesive review for this, so I'm just going to mention some of my major thoughts and go from there.

Some of my favorite parts:

The title. It makes such beautiful, perfect sense now, that any worries I had about the final result of the Edward/Jacob question seem so silly! Way to come up with a perfectly suitable title with perfect imagery. :D

Asshattery. Good grief, but there was a lot of jerky behavior in this one, and most of it was coming from Jacob. He...more

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Katharhino rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

03/28/08

bookshelves: fantasy, romance

Read in March, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Like New Moon, Eclipse started out annoying me, then managed to hook me and draw me in anyway.

As the story gets started, everyone is being stupid and cliched – Bella dense and somewhat selfish, Edward controlling, and Jacob rude. Only after the action started to pick up and the conversations between the three main characters began to gain a little depth did I find myself really getting absorbed.

Also like New Moon, once hooked I couldn’t put it down, and yet I finished the book feelin...more Like New Moon, Eclipse started out annoying me, then managed to hook me and draw me in anyway.

As the story gets started, everyone is being stupid and cliched – Bella dense and somewhat selfish, Edward controlling, and Jacob rude. Only after the action started to pick up and the conversations between the three main characters began to gain a little depth did I find myself really getting absorbed.

Also like New Moon, once hooked I couldn’t put it down, and yet I finished the book feeling slightly ambiguous. Why is that? The plot is not the problem – it’s well crafted with both external and internal forces coming to a crisis with Bella at the same time, and concluding with a final decision that ought to be extremely satisfying. The werewolf/vampire interactions were really fun to read as well, with lots of delightful details about the way their minds work. Action scenes were well-written and suspenseful.

Characterization is mostly good. I appreciated getting a little more depth to some of the minor characters, especially Jasper, who has the potential to be really fascinating. I think I might have a teeny crush on Jasper – only a teeny one, because my heart belongs to Jacob. Jacob is the best character of all – really well drawn, very realistic and totally charming, flaws and all. This makes it even more difficult to sympathize with Bella; but Bella has always been a bit of a Mary Sue.

It’s hard to believe in someone who has vampires and werewolves falling all over her and still is remarkably clueless. I liked Bella for most of the book, but I did start to have issues towards the end when I couldn’t help agreeing with her that she was being really selfish. She was starting to acquire a rather Potter-ish savior complex, and no, she really wasn’t being fair to Jacob. Also, the conversation with Edward about sex/marriage was kind of “meh” to me. I do appreciate (as I know Alyson will agree) a man who will argue for virtue. In general, that makes me go weak at the knees. But I think Edward is using the wrong reasons in his argument, while Bella’s motivations are all confused – she’s believable and even likeable when it comes to hesitantly trying to seduce Edward, but then I find it hard to sympathize with her attitude toward Edward’s proposal. It seems selfish, again. I think one of the problems with Bella is that Meyer is trying to make her strong and independent and the next moment she’ll be fainting and dissolving in tears. Bella is a teenage girl with insecurities, which is fine and sometimes comes across quite realistically, but then don’t also try to make us believe that she is more mature than her age.

Edward’s characterization is equally spotty. Good Edward moments: his joy when Bella puts on his ring; the whole conversation with Jacob in the tent, even though the setup felt contrived. Ridiculous Edward moments: that he doesn’t feel the slightest resentment toward Bella for insisting he stay behind from the fight (not how things work in real life); the idea that Bella’s really hot (literally) kiss with Jacob wouldn’t bother him in the slightest. That’s really inconsistent and unbelievable, not to mention making Edward a little too perfect – which might be part of my problem with the ending.

However I think most of my uneasiness comes from the setup of Bella’s internal conflict. I realized, pondering it, what the problem is: after all the angst and struggle and indecision, not to mention my own strong belief in the idea that love is a choice, a conscious commitment – despite all this, Bella’s final decision is a non-decision. There’s no real uncertainty about what she’s going to choose. I mentioned this in my review of New Moon: when you set up the Fated Lurve that is Stronger than Death, you kind of paint yourself into a corner, as a writer. It doesn’t help that Bella’s literary comparisons have been Romeo and Juliet and Wuthering Heights. I don’t care for Romeo and Juliet, and Wuthering Heights should never be mistaken for a romance. Not to mention the fact that both those works are tragedies and only work as tragedies. No one ever wonders what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had been happily married for twenty years and only argued about the way Romeo would never wring out the dishcloth.

This is why the Jacob/Bella relationship is in many ways much more interesting than the Edward/Bella relationship. Sweet as Edward is, there’s no real natural conflict there, and all the artificially inserted conflict (like sex, protecting Bella, the timing on making her a vampire) ends up feeling forced and therefore slightly annoying. Whereas Jacob is everything a hero should be: funny, devoted, conflicted, flawed but not too flawed. I admit to tearing up a little bit during Bella’s goodbye with Jacob: “I could have been your air and your sun.” GAH! *sob* It’s not that I minded Bella choosing Edward over Jacob – it’s sad but well-written. It’s that she doesn’t really have any reasons for choosing; in fact she doesn’t choose at all. She just accepts that “this is the way it is.” If choice is the grand theme of your novel, I think there should be some, y’know, real choice involved. Poor Jacob is just as fated as Bella/Edward.

Despite all this, I did like the book. I liked it, I was interested, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s fortunate that Meyer is actually a decent writer. She’s created a fun mythology, mostly interesting and likeable characters, intense relationships, and readable plots. Did I mention being hooked whether I like it or not? I’m going to have to buy the next book, now....less

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Meridyforgot rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

09/23/08

bookshelves: ya-that-is-too--adult-

recommends it for: more people who want to learn about unhealthy romantic relationships

Finally, my long awaited ;) review:

Again, first of all, if you are going to use a piece of literature influence your book, choose a cool one! Wuthering Heights??? Another infamous piece of literature which illustrates how to destroy a romantic relationship. I loathe Wuthering Heights more than I do Romeo and Juliet. So, yes, this review is going to be somewhat harsh. Sorry.

Where to begin? So many topics to discuss. First of all: do not fall in love with...more Finally, my long awaited ;) review:

Again, first of all, if you are going to use a piece of literature influence your book, choose a cool one! Wuthering Heights??? Another infamous piece of literature which illustrates how to destroy a romantic relationship. I loathe Wuthering Heights more than I do Romeo and Juliet. So, yes, this review is going to be somewhat harsh. Sorry.

Where to begin? So many topics to discuss. First of all: do not fall in love with two people at once. Once Bella chose Ed, she needed to let Jacob (poor guy) go. It was selfish and cruel of Bella to hang on to Jacob that way, when she knew that, he was in love with her. She has a hard time letting Jacob go because she missed him and he is her best friend. If your best friend and your lover are not the same person, sorry sweetie, you need to let one go. If you “adult” enough to love someone and have a serious physical relationship, you should be “adult” enough to handle that situation and make the right choice.

Next topic: Your love and your best friend should really be the same person. Or in the very least you should be friends with your love. So much of Ed and Bella's relationship focuses on the physical aspect of it. I may be exaggerating a little, but I feel that they are not really in love with each other, they are each in love with the other person's body. Jacob sums it up well. He mentions to Bella that Edward is her drug. Um, last I checked, drugs are bad for you. I hope that their relationship remains at that level of passion for eternity, because if doesn't, there goes the relationship....gone. Reality is people, no one maintains that level of passion all the time. That is why we have we have books, seminars, and counseling sessions about “spicing up” a marriage. This is where the friendship thing comes in. At times when the passion is less, you have the companionship of a good friend to sustain you. Bottom line: passion is good, but a relationship needs friendship to support it.

Next: Marriage. It irritates me that Bella doesn't want to get married because she thinks it has a negative stigma. The thought process is along the lines of, “It's not modern to get married. People will look at me funny for getting married so young. It didn't work out for my mom. We're committed to each other for eternity, what do we need to get married for?” Lame. They are going to be living together, having sex, and basically acting like married people. Why not get married? Will that somehow make you less committed to one another? And how cares what other nosy people think? Are you going to let nosy people run your life? Girls with Bella's attitude tread on dangerous ground. Many girls with this view point, meet a guy, feel passionate, and move in with him. They might decide to have kids in a year. Then when the passion is gone, he leaves and finds a new girl to live with. He doesn't have a problem with it, it's okay. He wasn't breaking a commitment. Now our girl is a single mom. She feels hurt and starts thinking all men are this way. Wrong. Some men are bums and when you go around offering them sex on a platter with no responsibilities, they jump on it. Girls should encourage men to be responsible, not feed their desires for an easy, sexual life. True empowerment is realizing that you are worth a man with morals who is willing to be responsible and committed to you. (Yes, they do exist.) If he's not willing to make you a promise to be around through good times and bad, then he's not worth your time. It's a good thing for Bella that Ed is now truly committed to her and learned from the whole dumping episode. Ed is willing to MARRY Bella, in front of everyone, and make her an everlasting promise of commitment. Wake up Bella! I mean I know marriages end unhappily sometimes but at least we are heading in the right direction.

Bella states (I'm pretty sure it's in this book, if not we'll discuss it now anyway), “Love is irrational.” Wrong. If love makes you irrational, do yourself a favor, slap yourself on the face, and wake up! Okay. Now that you have your brain back, ask yourself some questions: Is the person you love stable? Does he treat you with kindness and respect? Are you making any stupid decisions that will ruin the rest of your life???? Yes, love can make a person giddy, and cloud judgment, but honestly it should not make one stupid. Seriously people. Let's have some self control and responsibility for our actions here. If you can't control yourself from impulsive decisions, then your not ready for serious commitment.

Okay, last thing I will say about this book. It is very adult. I wouldn't want my teen, if I had one, reading it. Pretty much, Bella and Edward nearly have sex. There you go. That and the fact that this book portrays some messed up ideas about love makes me against it.

Don't worry though, my review of Breaking Dawn will be nicer.
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Missy rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

05/10/08

Read in May, 2008

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

****I know this was already a long review, but I added more at the end. Thus, you may be getting this as a second email.

I am so glad I read this series again. I have realized so much more than I did the first time around, and it all makes so much more sense. The author's website (www.stepheniemeyer.com) also helped things really set in. If you haven't already, I recommend reading the frequently asked questions, extras, and outtakes. Some are just for fun, but others answer questions tha...more ****I know this was already a long review, but I added more at the end. Thus, you may be getting this as a second email.

I am so glad I read this series again. I have realized so much more than I did the first time around, and it all makes so much more sense. The author's website (www.stepheniemeyer.com) also helped things really set in. If you haven't already, I recommend reading the frequently asked questions, extras, and outtakes. Some are just for fun, but others answer questions that explain the story much better.

For instance, I like how she addresses two things: why Edward left in New Moon, and why Bella fell in love with Jacob. The FAQ page answers why Edward left from his own point of view, but it also made me realize that he had to leave in order for Bella to realize that she couldn't live without him (this realization was not in Edward's plans, but it solidifies Bella's choice). In Eclipse she even wonders if she would choose Jacob over Edward if she didn't have this knowledge, and this would have been impossible to know had Edward not left. It also shows us that Bella is not making the choice to become a vampire over a typical teenage romance, or because someone so beautiful loves her, but rather because Edward is her true love.

I was actually mad at first that Bella had fallen in love with Jacob, and that she let that relationship go so far. I thought she was being stupid and selfish. Now I realize, though, that it makes her choice so much more valid. Had she become a vampire at the end of Twilight, it may have left all of us wondering if she really made the right choice, and if she would just regret the decision later. However, now that she knows exactly what she's giving up (her parents, a normal-length life with someone who helped her heal from the darkest part of her life, and children), it makes her choice seem much more like a sacrifice. She is willing to give all of that up for Edward. Like Stephenie Meyer says on her website, that life with Jacob could be the better life for her, but Bella chooses the Edward option anyway. This shows that her love for Edward outshines all of the normal "human" wants.

I was also mad that Bella cried for Jacob so much the last time she left him. I hated that Edward had to see her in so much pain and agony over another man; especially because Edward is so unselfish and really does just want her to be happy. This too, however, serves a purpose in my mind. Now that Edward has seen the depth of Bella's love for Jacob and her pain, he knows that Bella is acutely aware of all that she is giving up by joining his vampire world. It's been his concern all along that Bella doesn't realize all she will be giving up to be with him, but now there can be no doubt in his mind that she realizes this. It's strange how a second reading has put these things into perspective for me. . . .

Well, this was a long review, but very cathartic. Thank you to all of you who have made it this far! I do hope that in Breaking Dawn Bella marries Edward, becomes a vampire, and that Jacob imprints on someone. We know he won't imprint Bella, because the FAQ page tells us that it happens the first time a werewolf sees the person after they become a werewolf. I really hope the werewolves don't try to hurt Edward; I think I would die if anything ever happened to him!

One thing I love about Edward is that his love for Bella is so pure and so strong. I have no doubt that Jacob loves Bella, but his is much more selfish and self-centered. He just wants Bella. Edward wants Bella to be happy whatever the cost to himself. A few times in Eclipse he talks about the strong relationship between vampire "soulmates," and at one time he said the werewolf imprinting thing is ALMOST as strong as the way he feels about Bella. Now, when I read about imprinting, it sounds like there is no other love in the world stronger, and that nothing can break up a couple where one has imprinted on the other. Edward fully knows how strong the imprinting bond is, as he can read the werewolves' minds. However, he still knows that his love for Bella is even stronger. Isn't that sweet?! Oh, Edward is perfect!! One more thing: Jacob still has a human heart, and I have no doubt he will get over Bella and find someone else. Edward would never get over her.

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Veronica rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

10/15/07

recommends it for: Teen girls with far-fetched illusions of romance

I had expectations for this book, but I found it to be a terrible disappointment. Where to begin with?

First of all, I have lost most of the respect I had for Bella as a character. Her obsession for Edward has really gone overboard, to the point of becoming downright annoying, even unhealthy. She worships the ground he walks on, and is all too ready to dump her parents and friends just so she can spend more time with him without growing old. She doesn't seem to have any serious problem with ...more I had expectations for this book, but I found it to be a terrible disappointment. Where to begin with?

First of all, I have lost most of the respect I had for Bella as a character. Her obsession for Edward has really gone overboard, to the point of becoming downright annoying, even unhealthy. She worships the ground he walks on, and is all too ready to dump her parents and friends just so she can spend more time with him without growing old. She doesn't seem to have any serious problem with the idea of making her parents worry, or the thought of never see them again... she's willing to stomp over anything that isn't Edward, even things that can enrich her life. She's like a satellite, her boring life revolving solely around him. She has no self-worth, and spends a good deal of the book whining, complaining and sighing, I really wanted to shake her hard at times and tell her to GET A LIFE.

I also find it deeply disturbing that Bella is not more repulsed by the idea of blood lust. How could she accept the thought that she will want to kill people (even her family) so easily, just because of him?

Second, Edward has gone from charming to BORING. There is such a thing as being too perfect (read: dull), and Edward fits the mold perfectly. His character is so flat, and how many times can we hear Bella and Edward exchange their love for one another before becoming bored? I mean honestly, how perfect can he be before it simply becomes ridiculous? Most of the book is spent on the two of them fawning over each other and Bella saying over and over and over again how sexy and good-looking he is. Writing tip for the author: You don't need to tell us countless times that your character is wonderful. Actions speak for themselves. Jane Austen didn't need to remind us several times that Mr. Darcy was perfect... he simply was.

Third... Jacob. He's the reason I gave this book 2 stars. He was the most compelling character in the book. He wasn't perfect, but he was fun, honest, and very human, making big mistakes, but always trying to do his best... he was impossible not to love. He was real, not a perfect pretty doll with no flaws. Sadly, he was mostly wasted.

I also the think the magic Twilight had dissapeared. I liked the books because the author made the whole vampire/werewolf thing so credible, but now, with armies of vampires raging through Washington, credibility has gone out the window. Also the whole book was focused on on a love triangle that everybody knew how it would end, and it made everything very predictable. And how come nobody saw that Victoria was behind the killings, when it was so darn obvious even to the casual reader? Were they stupid? Overall, a great disappointment, I'm not sure if I'll read the next book in the series. Why bother? ...less

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Sarah rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

07/26/08

bookshelves: young-adult

recommends it for: people who want to analyse why so many girls/women have serious mental/social health problems

polyamory (and a big dash of feminism) would solve these people's problems like THAT!

seriously though, this book is ridiculous and pretentious (CONSTANT wuthering heights references, anyone?). what is WRONG with bella? is it *really* necessary to make her so stupid just so that we'll "relate" to her? it's insulting. also, for an idiotic book, i actually really liked jacob (notice the deliberate use of the past-tense, here). he was the only *real* character in the entire tome-like n...more polyamory (and a big dash of feminism) would solve these people's problems like THAT!

seriously though, this book is ridiculous and pretentious (CONSTANT wuthering heights references, anyone?). what is WRONG with bella? is it *really* necessary to make her so stupid just so that we'll "relate" to her? it's insulting. also, for an idiotic book, i actually really liked jacob (notice the deliberate use of the past-tense, here). he was the only *real* character in the entire tome-like novel. however there are some seriously disturbing descriptions of him forcing himself on bella. his behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and it's just shrugged off like "oh, boys with be boys. ho ho ho! good for you sonnyboy!" that's the same mindset that perpetuates the rape culture that's currently going on in our society. disgusting.

also i fundamentally don't understand the edward-obsession. or maybe i should say that i do understand it but that it's WRONG. people who actually realistically think that edward & bella's relationship is actually what love should be like are fucked up. yes. go ahead and get upset. it's true. the person you're in love with should not emotionally manipulate you and try to control you. EVER. period. not if they think it's in your best interest. not to "save you pain." no. never. neither should they try to prevent you from spending time with your best friends. i dont give a rat's ass that edward eventually "lets" her go spend time with jacob. that's not the point. it's not his place to be "letting" her do or not do anything. i'm sorry, but your partner is not the same person as you. they do not "complete you." they are not "your soul." you are complete on your own. and if you're not, you need to work on that by yourself. furthermore it implies that bella's love for jacob cancels out her "love" for edward. the whole book is consumed with jealousy but no one ever tries to resolve the jealousy. it's just like "that makes me jealous. don't do that. because it will make me feel jealous." instead of looking to see WHY it makes them jealous and dealing with that problem. no no, because that would be silly to resolve a problem. instead, let's IDEALIZE the jealousy as DESPERATION and then say oh yes, what a good boy edward is for ignoring his jealousy instead of dealing with it. what a HERO for letting bella hang out with her best friend.

also, granted it been a LONG time since i've read wuthering heights, but i feel like bella and stephenie meyer fundamentally miss the point of the book. edward supposedly thinks that cathy and heathcliff are selfish iredeemable idiots. bella thinks that "the only thing that redeems them is their love." absurd. the point of wuthering heights is not to idealize heatcliff & cathy's love. the entire point of wuthering heights is that the "love" between heathcliff and cathy (which is the same kind of "love" that edward & bella have) is destructive, while the love that young cathy and hareton have is more REAL & therefore successful because is based on people changing, growing, and being less desperate and more like actual friends. Gee, that second relationship sound a little bit more like the way jacob acts with bella! until, that is, stephenie meyer turns him into edward2 by making him force himself on bella and start acting controlling. gross. desperation & control is not a basis for a healthy relationship. and in both cases (edward & jacob) bella eventually gives in and LIKES the controlling manipulation. That is a FUCKED UP message to be sending. why yes, girls, "Ideal Love" means letting someone control you/force himself on you and then liking it, while meanwhile you should feel (or at least act) like an incompetent moron. and boys, hear that?: even if a girl says no, she doesn't like you — or if she says, no i don't want to do these things — go right ahead and MAKE HER, she'll like it eventually. because she doesn't know what she wants. because she's just a silly little girl.

JESUS H CHRIST.

if the point of these books is to show that many people who are "deperately In Love" are actually really shallow and vapid and have no idea what love should be like, than BRAVO stepehenie meyer. but somehow i dont think that's the point, and if it is, it certainly didn't require 4 tomes of poorly-written text to get the point across....less

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Holly rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

02/16/08

bookshelves: young-adult

Read in February, 2008

It's finished. At least until the next, highly anticipated book. That book that is the beacon of hope to every disillusioned, silly, teenage girl who believes Edward really exists. Here's a bit of education for you: he doesn't. And even if he did, he wouldn't be interested in a selfish, self-absorbed, teenage girl.

My reviews of Twilight and New Moon still stand. Neither one was stellar, let alone worth the hype. I also think it's as if she wasted two books to get to this one. Eclipse was...more It's finished. At least until the next, highly anticipated book. That book that is the beacon of hope to every disillusioned, silly, teenage girl who believes Edward really exists. Here's a bit of education for you: he doesn't. And even if he did, he wouldn't be interested in a selfish, self-absorbed, teenage girl.

My reviews of Twilight and New Moon still stand. Neither one was stellar, let alone worth the hype. I also think it's as if she wasted two books to get to this one. Eclipse was enjoyable to read. Twilight and New Moon failed to fulfil their potential.

Eclipse wasn't stellar either, but I was pleasantly surprised by it. I could actually see myself re-reading this one. The writing improved dramatically. I think Stephenie Meyer suddenly remembered some of her college-learned writing techniques and realized what was missing in her previous work. I'd like to say she found a better editor, but I don't think so. Although, while the editing is still lacking, it is leaps and bounds above Twilight, which didn't seem to be edited at all. I appreciated the detail she finally provided. It was nice to see real conversations of substance. I appreciated the discussions and explanations. It was nice to see some back history provided for several of the characters. Although, the Cullen family is so involved with each other that it's still frustrating to see that even with the stories of Rosalie and Jasper explained, they remain one-dimensional characters. And any detail or substance to Esme is practically non-existent.

I still think Bella is a selfish, self-absorbed teenager and it's still hard for me to see why Edward loves her. Lusts after her, sure. And, I find the whole "I can't live without you" scenario annoying. I firmly believe that personal happiness is dependent on one person: yourself. Your life is enriched and blessed when you have the love and devotion of another, but they are not responsible for your happiness. I liked the interaction between Jacob and Bella when he tells her that he was right for her and the natural path her life would have taken. Jacob let Bella be Bella, he didn't try and control her. And had Edward not come back in New Moon, Bella would have been happy with Jacob. And just for the record, I'm not pro-Jacob anymore than I'm pro-Edward. They're just characters in a book.

I also find Edward's ultimate control over Bella disturbing. He orders and forbids. He acts like he owns her. And she lets him. This is not healthy. Nor is her ultimate submission to his family and what they want. She isn't her own person, but one who tries to be the girl she thinks each man wants. Is this typical of an 18-year old girl? Possibly. She's probably most like her true self when she's with Jacob. Also, in her relationship with Edward, she is prepared to give up everything: friends, family and children. And for what? An eternity as a vampire with a man whose most compelling attraction is his beauty, dangerous potential and the forbidden.

I do like Edward. I think that Meyer finally fleshed out his character quite a bit in this novel and I just wish she had done so earlier. I find it interested though that even though he's 100 (give or take a few) years old, she has him act more like he's a teenager. He may look like one, but theoretically he wouldn't act like one after all the life experiences he's had, even with the high school student charade they play.

Meyer has crafted a compelling story and characters with great potential. I have to give her that credit. Even though I was harsh in my criticism of the first two books, I continued reading them. I hope that the next book improves the series as this one did and not the reverse. I hope that we find more realistic substance to Edward and Bella's relationship as well.
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Lucy rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

12/18/07

Read in December, 2007

recommends it for: No one

I'm tempted to write a review for each of the Twilight books, but I really don't want to put myself through it. So this should do for all three books.

I understand the love for this trilogy. An unabashedly perfect, stunning, 'dazzling' hero who falls in love with an 'ordinary' girl; what teenage female wouldn't want to be in that situation?

Thing is, Edward is far from perfect, dazzling and certainly doesn't have a patch on Heathcliff - or even Michaelangelo's David, come to that. And Bel...more I'm tempted to write a review for each of the Twilight books, but I really don't want to put myself through it. So this should do for all three books.

I understand the love for this trilogy. An unabashedly perfect, stunning, 'dazzling' hero who falls in love with an 'ordinary' girl; what teenage female wouldn't want to be in that situation?

Thing is, Edward is far from perfect, dazzling and certainly doesn't have a patch on Heathcliff - or even Michaelangelo's David, come to that. And Bella is nothing like an 'ordinary' girl. What ordinary girl, when faced with her boyfriend hacking someone to pieces and burning the remains, would be completely calm - worried about her boyfriend's perfect face, in fact? What ordinary girl would accept that the two points in her love triangle are actually a werewolf and a vampire? Of course, Meyer wants us to suspend disbelief and enjoy the books as a fantasy; but the characters, the writing and the setting don't allow it.

Edward is far too perfect to go unremarked for so long, even in such a small town. As are his 'family', each of whom is utterly gorgeous physically and generally nice in character. How could such a family simply hide and be unremarked so easily? Why haven't any of them been noticed? Why is Edward living in a tiny town in the US when he has an entire world to explore; surely there are many more interesting places.

In the first book, I almost sympathised with Bella. She was in a new town, scared, miserable, but clearly strong enough to take a big step like leaving her mother's home permanently and moving to live with her father. I felt slightly sorry for her, and was glad when Edward finally stopped being nasty and patronising to her. I even smiled when Edward suggested Bella tell Charlie that Edward was her boyfriend.

In the second and third books, Bella was selfish, self-centered, whiny, and yet portrayed as self-sacrificing, brave, and 'stronger than she looks'. It seemed that every three pages Bella was swooning, being sick, crying or standing around and staring in shock. I don't read a book for the details of nausea. How could she be so utterly pathetic after all she had been through? Bella did not change at all throughout the three books; she remained ignorant, rude, and absolutely, foolishly blind to Edward's faults and her terrible situation.

Edward was completely flat; when he wasn't giving long, confusing speeches about what was going on and why he couldn't do this, that or the other, and why Bella should apologise and why he should apologise etc. etc., I found nothing of the character to identify with. He was nothing at all. I couldn't understand why Jacob - the only character in the books that I really liked - was so deeply in love with Bella after the way she treated him.

The romance between Edward and Bella was just that; 'romance'. Nowhere in any of the books did it feel like a true, strong, deep relationship. Even when Bella raced to Italy and saved Edward, I felt nothing. In fact, the only time any of these books made me feel something was at the very end of the third book, with Jacob's reaction.

Throughout the three books, the writing remained absurdly simple and badly constructed. More than once I had to flip back to understand who was speaking and who they were talking about; in particular Meyer's constant use of 'he' throughout the second and third novels was hard to follow.

The teenage girl side of me liked these books; pure shallow escapism is nice once in a while, and I did like the unabashed honesty of a 'perfect' hero. Naturally I wouldn't mind an Edward one day.

The writer side of me, the older side and the philosophical side wondered why I was reading these books at all. Surely there are better books with clearer tales, books with heroines who aren't needy, unhealthily obsessed with her boyfriend and utterly selfish? If anyone is looking for a good book to read, I highly recommend reading Wuthering Heights. ...less

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Sookie rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

08/19/07

Read in August, 2007

recommends it for: ages 10+, romance readers, fantasy readers, Twilight Series readers

Feature Review: Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Synopsis

As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Be...more

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Kelsey rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

07/11/08

Read in July, 2008

recommended to Kelsey by: my sister

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Seriously, don't read this unless you've read the others. I hate posting spoilers, even the slightest ones, because I know some people are stubborn enough to ignore warnings and then the beginning of the series is ruined.

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It must be said that the original Twilight is still my favorite. I can't get over that newness when they're discovering each other and testing their limits. However, Eclipse got a far more emotional response from me - I seriously...more

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Colleen rated it:

(review of isbn 0316160202)

07/27/08

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

This is a spoiler because I think it is a very important book, and it has a lot of scenes that lead up to Breaking Dawn. That is why it is in a spoiler. Read on.

Alright, so Bella is 'graduating.' May I ask, wow, that happened fast. What ever happened to exams? Or the occasional ideal of having a few months go by? Meyer seems to make them fast-forward quickly just to bring up the main focus of the plot that has been here from the last book: Edward wants to change Bella into a vampire, under ...more

Eclipse (Twilight Series, Book 3)

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