Twilight

[Michael]

Okay . . . didnt really read it. Got one and a half chapters in while sweating to death and thought "wow, this is the worst thing i have ever read". what a bunch of trash. i hate meyer. terrible, horrible. i love a good popcorn book but really?

[Lori]

LOL. I have a love/hate relationship with this series. If it weren't a teen book, and weren't written by a very conservative lady, it would probably be more interesting. But I can't stop reading them, anyway. The 2nd one I didn't care for at all, but I enjoyed the 1st and 3rd -- not as grand literature, but as something that was a total departure from what I normally read. I think it just hit me at the right time.

Some things I did dearly hate in the series:

1)The overuse of the word "grimace". Shoot me in the eye if it's not on every other page.

2)Constant descriptions of Bella making dinner for her father. Holy shit, man, watch Rachael Ray or pick up a take-out menu. Why do we need to even KNOW that, anyway? Contributes NOTHING to the plot.

3) As the series goes on, I found that Edward was first, dangerous and smoldering and yummy. By the third book, I thought he was just stupid for being with Bella and acting like a lovesick puppy dog -- not a good look for a vampire.

Sigh, but with all that being said, I liked it for other reasons and will read the next one. But your post is COMPLETELY warranted!

[Nikki]

Lori that post could have easily been written by me. Why do I read these things? I don't really mind the storyline itself, and I do like childrens and young adults literature. So I guess that's why I keep going with the series (have yet to read the third one). Here are a couple of my problems

1-The dialog is terrible. It's laughably bad.

2-How many times do we have to hear that Edwards hands are icy and cold?

[Elizabeth]

I *still* remember the description of the granola bar Bella ate. I found that book- the dialog and the narrative both laughably bad. Bella did NOT act 17- even her "i've never acted my age" crap didn't fly.

[Bree]

I have a love/hate relationship as well...i really liked Edward, but the descriptions of how cold he was by the third book was wearing...i mean i'm an intelligent person...I GET it! But i was sucked into the storyline and enjoyed it in a the way i would any novel that is just something i read for fun and not for intellectual stimulation :)

[Lori]

Brenda -- sucked in -- haha, you made a punny! :-)

Sucked in is a good way to describe these books. I just can't help myself. But if I could reach through a book and slap one or two of the characters across the head it would be SO satisfying!

[Lauren]

Ah, Bella Swan. Never has there been a better example of an uber cliche Mary Sue. I actually love these books, so sue me. But if I have to read another page and a half about Edward's "devasting" good looks, and cold skin and his and Bella's "love" I'm burning my eyes out. Other than Bella, I loved the books. Point blank. But anywayz

[Holly]

Lauren, I loathe the fact that she only serves to as a mirror of the author's deep-seated psychological feelings of inadequacy!

God, I am sooooo freaking sick of hearing how perfect Edward is, aside from that annoying undead thing. I am just not attracted to men who have no flaws and are thus boring and unrealistic, and I have no comprehension as to why anyone else would be.

I thought she was actually a pretty good character in the first book. Fiesty, and she talked back to Edward and his cronies. But then once she was in luuuurve with him she just became an annoying codependant.

I guess it's realistic with the high school mentality, but GOD, can't we have some better examples for impressionable young minds?

[Ed]

I'm typing this message in secret, because my wife would come over here and slap me silly if she saw it...

Nevertheless, Twilight is an extremely linear story. I read the book for one reason (see above), and determined that I wouldn't pursue any further. I'll go see the movies, but that's because they'll be easy and only take two hours.

The story is extremely linear, with no depth in the characters, and certainly no feeling that these people are real. The reason, incidentally, that Bella is seen as making dinner for her father, I'm sure, is that the author is trying to convince us that she's not the irresponsible, impetuous teenager she acts like throughout the book (in other words, she's taking care of him, even though she can't seem to take care of herself). There's no reason for me to believe that there's even a shred of real love in the story. A big problem, since that's supposed to be the premise of the book, right?

[Saybaar]

The only thing that really galls me is that Bella and Edward's relationship is so lopsided--Edward is so clearly superior in every way. There's no way that can possibly be healthy. Then again, no YA romance I've ever read depicts realistic or healthy relationships, so...

In short, the romance is terrible, but the characters (except for Bella) are pretty good and the setting and a lot of supporting characters are very good and creative. I don't think it deserves all the hype, though.

[Karen]

I really wanted to love Twilight. I'm a big vampire fan and have enjoyed every book I've ever read with vampires in it...except this one.
I did not like Bella or Edward. I found them flat and boring. Their love made no sense. I mean, I know Bella is a very mature teenager, but she's a teenager. What would a 100 year old have in common with a 17 year old? Bella didn't seem to have anything, other than the fact Edward liked how she smelled, going for her. Boring, boring story. Only interesting characters were the Cullens' but I didn't really care about them much either.
Too much repetitive language got annoying. I wanted to punch the author in the face-- how many times can you write that someone raised an eyebrow?
Odd thing is, I'm so curious about whether or not the rest of the series is just as bad that I'll eventually end up reading the other books. *sigh*

[Monique]

I picked this up in an Oxfam-bookstore and read the first few pages. I had heard some good things about it, but I found the writing to be so stilted and awful and silly, that I couldn't bring myself to buy it.

Still, I see that quite a few people here did enjoy Twilight. Should I give it a try despite the fact that I abhor the writing? Or is it better to accept that I'm one of those who just doesn't get this writer?

Oh, by the way, I'm new here, hi! I don't know if I'm supposed to introduce myself somewhere, but couldn't find any place to do it so I just decided to start posting. :)

[Jordan]

Hate Twilight. I hate the series. I actually read up to page 100, before the book was well-known/popular and I didn't like it. Now, EVERYONE at my school is reading/read it already! I hate it! It's so dumb and everyone says 'Omg Edwards soooooo hott!1!' and when I say he's ugly, I swear to god I get death threats. Well not really, but people get angry.

[Saybaar]

"Sparkly princess". I love it. Except he's too testosterone-fueled to be a princess. Other than that...I agree about Bella too. I find all the characters in those books tolerable or even likable except Edward and Bella, which kind of ruined it for me.

[Ranata]

Brenda, I agree. I didn't take the books for anymore than they were suppose to be. They aren't the best literature but I thought the storyline was good. Good enough for me to go by the other 2 books and I had no cash. LOL

[Ranata]

Lauren, Bella is terrible. It's too bad we have to see through her eyes. I can't wait for the one from Edward's point of view. Now that was some good reading.

[Emily]

Like/hate, though hate overpowers the like.

Descriptions of Edward's "liquid topaz eyes" and "sculpted, incandescent chest" drove me especially crazy, as well as Bella just being lame.

(That said, I will likely see the movie, trying to sit as far away from rabid teenagers as possible).

[Mallory]

I have to agree with you, Emily. The hate DOES overpower the like. Bella's descriptions ARE annoying and I'll be seeing the movie, though I'll be throwing popcorn at the screen the whole time, so I have to sit up front.

The book captivated me, because, in all truth the plot is captivating. But, soon after, you begin to realize that "Meyer's not the best writer..." and Bella's a bit of a slut. And that you honestly don't really care about the characters because they're so...well...perfect. Unrealistic.

If you find me a straight guy that's as sensitvie and caring as Edward, tell me. I think I'd faint. Because, honestly, I don't think one exists.

[Tara]

I'm a fan of plenty of "junk food for the brain" books: a good, quick, entertaining read with a healthy dose of escapism. However, this series (and I probably shouldn't talk because I did read them all) was easily the worst I've read in years. I know it's for young adults, but I still find it melodramatic to the point of hilarity, as well as entirely lacking any depth or insight. The only thing I liked was the characterization, but unfortunately, Bella is the character who lacks the most dimension. She bores me to tears. And the movie looks about on par with "Meet the Spartans."

[Sue]

Bella is as interesting as watching paint dry. She is terribly flat. Many of you mentioned "laughable" dialogue--so true! There is so much potential with this story line, but the flat, PASSIONLESS characters is very annoying.

And although Edward is "perfect," love in itself is "imperfect," which makes me really wary of his "devotion" to Bella. Surely he would go after someone with a personality.

Oh and Meyers won't put a graphic (intimacy) scene in her books because she wants her children to be able to read it without discomfort. Puh-leeze, I'm not rooting for a graphic intimacy scene done in bad taste (and there is such thing as good taste when it comes to writing it), but when you combine "love" and vampires, things are going to get graphic. that's just how the vampire world is. The Cullens should know that.

[Lori]

Sioux says

Puh-leeze, I'm not rooting for a graphic intimacy scene done in bad taste (and there is such thing as good taste when it comes to writing it), but when you combine "love" and vampires, things are going to get graphic. that's just how the vampire world is. The Cullens should know that.


*****

HEAR HEAR!!!!!! Gimme a little, well, SOMETHING! That cold hard chest of Edwards is getting kinda dull! :-)

[Sue]

Thanks Lori. You rock! Oh, and I was reading 'New Moon' last night to pass the time (it was actually more like torture, but i am honestly curious what happens with the rest of the series) and it was when Bella had her nervous breakdown or whatever in her truck before she found the motorcycles. and i'm like, 'yeah, you're not good enough for him. get. over. it.'

[Rachel]

The main reason I don't want to read Twilight is because the damn book is everywhere. I cannot walk into Barnes&Noble or Atlantic Books without Twilight being the first book I see. It's terribly frustrating. And okay, the concept of 'sparkly vampires' kind of... concerns me. I think I'll just stick with Dracula, thanks. :|

[Suzanne]

I am laughing so hard! I have been saying all of these things to myself but its great to hear them confirmed.

I am TRYING to read the series so I can discuss them with my niece who loves them (and was a complete non-reader before she discovers these books.) I thought I was just too old to get it, but maybe its not just that.

1. Bella is so PASSIVE. She is like a scared rabbit all the time, just staring at Edward (or trying not to stare at him.) She is constantly acted upon and does not act herself. She is prey.

2. What is the deal with all that cooking? She is acting wifey for her DAD? If he cared about home cooked meals he would have learned to cook. Why put this in the story....over and over and over.

3. Role models. Argue all you want, but people (teens even more so) look for models of behavior in their books. Bella as rabbit? Love with a seriously inappropriate partner? Waiting to be rescued is what girls are supposed to do?

I am glad that my niece and millions like her have enjoyed the book. I didn't. Maybe I'm the freak.

I'd love to hear more analysis of the book. Keep the thread going!

[Mary Ellen]

What killed me about this series was its total disregard for conventional vampire/werewolf rules. I know fiction allows for plenty of creative reworking of archetypes but damn, it's like she's unaware of the hundreds of vampie stories that came before her, like she thought "so how should I deal with these vampire things, hmm?" and began pulling traits out of a hat. Vampires should not be allowed to go out in sunlight without burning, much less turning rainbow and sparkly. Nor should werewolves be allowed to transform without the presence of a full moon.

Also, someone needs to inform Ms. Meyer that adverbs are not the same as adjectives, and that "impossibly" is lackluster and lazy descriptor even when not egregiously overused. Seriously, if you're reading this book, count how many times things are described as "impossibly" fast, "impossibly" beautiful, etc. Once I got to 50 in Twilight I gave up, let alone the other three books.

And finally, my biggest gripe, which others have voiced as well... Bella is a dreadful example of femininity to set for youth. She's needlessly and annoyingly self-martyred, to the point of lunacy - "you didn't like what I just said? What's WRONG with me? How can I be such a terrible person as to say something you don't like?"

Also, I hate that Edward carriers her everywhere. Piggybacks through the forest are one thing; carrying her up and down stairs in her own house? Quite another. I hope the already-anorexic younger generation doesn't internalize this ridiculousness, and expect that being light enough to be carried everywhere is necessary to fall in love.

All in all, though, the kids I teach go nuts over this book, so it's handy to have read it. If only they would engage in criticism instead of just sighing over cold, hard, impossibly beautiful Edward...

[Laura]

Mary, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's St. Germain Chronicles also allow vamps to go out in sunlight without burning (the key is to have shoes filled with your "native earth).

[nina]

Ouch. I was thinking of reading this book. I'm still going to give it a go though :)

[nina]

Ok, I'm more than halfway through this book, and although I'll admit it's kinda addictive, IT IS JUST SO BAD. I know that doesn't make too much sense...
To put it simply, the author just doesn't know how to write. She's appaling. I mean, I actually laugh out loud at some moments, cringing at her feeble attempts to describe the characters emotions.

Anyone else notice it's like 5 chapters of Edward just describing how enchanting he finds this girl he met like 5 minutes ago, and him asking Bella EVERY FEW LINES If 'she is scared of him' and her ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS replying with the same dull and foolish answer of "No."

But, will I read more after I finish the first one? Probably. Why? I have absoloutley no idea.

[Graceann]

Christina, I encountered this with an entirely different book, which I just finished. I couldn't put it down because I wanted to see what would happen next, but I was cursing the whole time because of the terrible writing. I got about 40 pages in and said "this better get MUCH less stupid, and fast, or I won't be finishing it." Then it continued to be stupidly WRITTEN but an interesting story nonetheless. Vexing.

[Tara]

Christina,

I appreciate your honesty with 'Twilight.' I have avoided it like the plague but something about it seems appealing to me, even though I keep hearing some awful things about it.

Yesterday at Target I walked past it and just kept staring at the cover, as if saying, "Dare I?"

I think I might, just to really see what all the hype is about and so I can have a say.

[Mathura]

SPOILERS RUN RAMPANT THROUGHOUT

---------------------------

I've read all four books. Four books of Bella, who I hate. I hated/disliked her from the very beginning. I, too, really wanted to love this series.

I love romance.

I love supernatural.

I love paranormal romance (well, I was expecting it to be more like Buffy or something, lol)

It just seemed like a series I would like. But Bella turned me off from page one. I hate Forks. I must take care of my mom. My dad's still in love with my mom, how sad. Forks sucks. How dare these immature highschoolers talk to me. Ooooh, hot people. Cullens? Hmmmm....

She did improve in that way: she showed that she genuinely cared for Charlie, and had, somewhat, non-Cullen friends.

Still annoyed me to death. She's always worrying, and I'm a worry wart but still! She goes on and on about how she doesn't want to hurt anyone (Charlie/Jacob/Edward) but ends up doing it anyways, several times.

The other characters were pretty good and she (author) gave back stories to some, which was appreciated. But, the romance sets off pretty fast and b/c I didn't love them, it took a lot away from the series. It just wasn't BELIEVABLE for me, and since I didn't care for it at the beginning... it just never changed. I honestly couldn't care much if Bella/Edward died or couldn't be together except for how the other characters would be devastated. And, geesh, does everyone have to love/like/want to kill Bella? And if so, why hasn't she died yet. Lol.

Nah, I don't mean to bash the books. It just didn't work for ME. Twilight - chose for book report New Moon - offered by friend, thought it might get better - The only reason I read the next two was b/c I LOVED JACOB. And to many Jacob-haters, no, I am not a Bella/Jacob supporter. I would've gagged. And I wasn't too happy with the Nessie stuff either; I would've preferred Leah.

[nina]

Tara, try it.
I've now read all 4 books.
I'll reluctantly admit that I didn't find the secondd and third ones to be that bad.
The fourth is, just like the first, terrible. Like astonishingly terrible.

It honsetly seems like she just didn't bother. Especially towards the end.
It's really just dissapointing to know that this type of rubbish can be a bestseller.
Where have all the truly talented writers gone?

[Emily]

I agree completely. I was forced to read the first one and then forced to read the second one. Both of which were absolutely terrible.

[[deleted user]]

I'm sorry Stephanie, it was a good plot, but...

IF IT WASN'T FOR THE TWILIGHT BOOKS AND MOVIES I WOULDN'T BE REMINDED EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE WHY I WAS SUICIDAL! THIS BOOK STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT HAS LEFT ME WITH A SUICIDAL ATTEMPT! ANYONE WHO READS THIS BOOK AND WANTS TO WATCH THE MOVIE NEED TO GO AWAY INTO A DARK PLACE AND DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[[deleted user]]

My love/hate relationship with this series isn't stopping me from watching the movie...

[Kate]

I finally read the first book! I thought it was surprisingly well written and a lovely fantasy about being taken care of. I found the romance completely believable, but I was kind of moony in high school so maybe it was easy for me to tap into that kind of drama. I was a little disappointed that Bella ALWAYS has to be saved, never saves herself, and that [spoiler:] at the end she is practically begging Edward to turn her, willy-nilly (conveniently forgetting that even the smell of blood makes her faint). But it was such an easy and diverting read I am looking forward to the next one, and to comparing the movie with my vision of Forks and its folk.

[Quentin]

ARRRRRGHHHH..... How is it possible to hate a book you haven't even read? I believe thats the case with me and these Twilight books. They seem to represent the type of book that I hate.
I mean, vampires.... and then teen girls that think their lives complicated, which is only an illusion brought on by their unbelievable naivette.

[Beth Ann]

I kept putting this series off because I'm REALLY not into the whole vampire drama because it always seems the same. However, I picked up Twilight the other day and I am now just about done with it. It is a bit wordy, like we really need to know what Bella eats EVERY single time she eats. I know she's trying to point out that Bella is human and eating is definatly what we humans do best, however, do we really need to know the details when it's time for her to eat? Anyway...other than that, I am really enjoying the story. The vampires aren't like all the other vampire stories out there. It's an easy quick read and the characters are interesting.

[Wendy]

I do not like the Twilight series. I am a married mother of 4 and I have to admit I loved Twilight when I first read it. But, then I started to think about what it promotes. This is a series that was intended for teenage girls. The movie is written for teenage girls. I think Stephanie Meyer goes too close to the line or immorality and uses too much sensuality in a book geared towards teenagers. Her second and third book are much worse. It's sad to see a Christian author lower her standards to reach the national market. She didn't have to. She had a great plot that could have been written without the 'steamy sections'. Don't even start this series. It gets you hooked and then you make excuses for reading the dirt later on.
!

Here's some of the specific problems I had with the series:
1. Bella is constantly lying to her father.
2. Bella and Edward constantly flirt with going too far.
3. In the 3rd book all Bella can think about is having sex with her boyfriend.
4. Edward constantly stays in Bella's room overnight. They may not do "anything" but that is a recipe for disaster. How many teenagers are going to think that is okay or normal or that they can do that without getting into trouble.
5. Swear Words (even though they are "mild", can't you write a book without them?)
6. In-modest dresses that teenagers are trying to emulate. Stephanie Myers goes to great length to describe Bella's prom dress which was inspired from a Paris runway dress she saw. How many mothers out there are okay with their daughters wearing dresses straight from the model runways? There was even a prom made by fans and the publisher about the book, where everyone came dressed as Bella. How inapporpriate for our teenagers!
7. Bella just does what she wants without thinking of others.

[Sonja]

I am very proud to say that I simply refuse to read this series. It is a phenomenon the way that Harry Potter was, and I truly ended up hating those. Therefore I will not waste my time with Twilight.

[Kate]

Wendy,

My understanding is that Meyer is very Mormon??

[Brette]

This book sets an awful example for teenage girls.
That being said, I love Jacob the werewolf :)

[Chandani]

I LOVE JACOB TOO! HE IS THE BEST!! HE COULD TO DO MUCH BETTER THAN THAT STUPID BELLA!!

URGH I HAT EEDWARD.

OH AND ALICE IS COOL TOO.

[Chandani]

Well in The rest of the books Jacob plays a KEY role. Hes basicly the main male charecter for New Moon and hes just a big charecter in the rest of them . Theres even a whole part of breaking Dawn that was written from his point of view. Once you get to know him you LOVE him. Unless you love bella. Cause then idk ur just weird.

i know Alice is the BEST! shes such a charecter!

Yeah, i always felt bad 4 Jasper 2. But i always imagined him being hotter than Deadward (yes i hate him very much)

[Brigid ✩]

Okay. I love Twilight. That's all I'm saying. Because I've learned that every time I say that, people throw rocks at me. Well, not literally, but you know what I mean.

[Chandani]

Lol

[Beth Ann]

I too enjoyed the whole series. There were things that bugged me, like the word GRIMACE on pretty much every page, lol, however, it was a fun imaginative story. No rock throwing here!

[Chandani]

*slowly drops the rock in her hand* ok......

[Brigid ✩]

okay thanks beth ann ... lol. i agree. i mean, i KNOW the writing isn't very good, but i really love the whole story. i think it's really creative.

and just to make my argument ...

Okay, so these are the arguments I get from a lot of Twilight haters:

a) Some of them just automatically hate Twilight just because of all the hype. Since Twilight is like pop-culture material now, ppl act like they're too sophisticated for it. Okay, so I admit I've been a book snob like this before. So I do hate a lot of books that other ppl love, just cuz my expectations were so high when I read them. And maybe if I hadn't read Twilight BEFORE it was popular, I would hate it now. But I did, so I don't. I know I'm being a bit of a hypocrite, but it's really not fair to judge a book just because of the hype over it.

b) Then, of course, there's the argument, "The writing sucks. It gives me a headache. I can't stand it for two seconds." Okay, your choice. If you want to miss out on a great story just because the writing isn't amazing, that's your decision; I'm not stopping you. But for me, there are times when I just have to ignore the bad writing of a book and let myself be drawn into the story. And seriously, Stephenie Meyer's writing style isn't THAT BAD. I mean, it's not really GOOD. But I'm a teenager. I read a lot of the teen books that come out these days, and a lot of them are reaaaaally crappy. Seriously. If you think Twilight is bad, try reading something like The Dangerous Days of Daniel X. Holy cow; now THAT is really bad writing. Besides, at least Stephenie Meyer is willing to admit that she's not that great of a writer. People are so harsh on her, and she has the confidence to admit that they're not completely wrong. But she still writes, because it's what she loves to do. You gotta respect her for that.

c) I also often hear the whole "Bella is so pathetic and Edward is a creepy stalker" argument a lot. Okay, while I don't completely disagree, I don't really agree, either. That is, I think it's not really fair to judge Meyer's writing based on her characters. I mean, I'm a writer. I know that sometimes characters just end up having traits that you never intended them to have, and you find yourself writing and saying, "Wow I'm making it seem like this person is a creepy stalker" or whatever. And anyways, in defense of the characters ... First of all, Bella is partly so obsessed w/Edward because ... well ... he's a vampire. He's pretty much designed to attract people. So her obsession isn't exactly natural. As for Edward: Well, you can't really blame him for being a little stalkerish and controlling. I mean, I know this sounds corny, but this is sorta his only chance at love. He's been alone -- besides his family, of course -- for, like, a century.

Now, this kind of goes hand-in-hand with another Twilight-hater argument, which is that this book is a bad influence. Come ON! I can see the reason behind some other Twilight hating arguments, but I don't see the reason behind this one. It's not like Meyer is trying to pass off Bella and Edward's relationship as healthy. Why do you think ppl read the books? Because they're full of CONFLICT that the relationship creates. That's what makes the series interesting. Besides, how can the series be a bad influence when vampires don't exist? You really think that a bunch of twelve-year-old girls are saying, "Gee, I'm going to go find a vampire to be my boyfriend!" I think I deserve a little more credit than that. Okay, well I get that you're saying that the book encourages abusive/controlling relationships, but it so totally doesn't.


Well uh I guess that's it for now. (that was a lot longer than i intended it to be ...)

[Clickety]

Okay, so I don't like the Twilight series - mostly because I never cared about the characters. With the exception of Alice, they are dull, stupid, and annoying. Creating a sparkly, testosterone-fueled princess does not automagically mean it will be an interesting character.

I didn't get to where the writing annoyed me because I quickly moved from reading the story to scanning the pages so I knew what happened. Blah blah blah... okay, she gets creep-o vibes from the Cullens but stares at them ANYWAY... blah blah blah

But the reason I despise the story is that Meyer persists in saying that the Cullens are vampires. And, well, they're not. She has removed the primary defining characteristic: the need to drain human life to sustain their own.

It's like saying "oh, they're vampires, but they age just like everyone else." Only stupider.