Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3)
Book Review: Best book in the saga, better depth & plot
Summary: 5 Stars
This book was probably the second best of the saga (Twilight being the best, even if too short for all the events & info in it). Bella actually had some depth in this book, though she did still continue leading Jake on, even with Edward in the picture, and Charlie only encouraged it. I was glad that she seemed to finally be coming into her own, but also agitated that now the tables were turned. Instead of her trying to have her cake & eat it too, at the expense of everyone, now everyone else was doing that to her.
You've got Charlie grounding Bella (who is now 18), which is childish. It would be understandable in regards to "my house, my rules" if he was telling her he didn't want noise (in/out traffic, friends, etc) while he was sleeping or not home. However, he was basically keeping her under house arrest with supervised visitation...unless it was a person he approved of, in which case "sure, go wherever you like". That's just backwards logic for a legal age child living under their parent's roof. Then you've also got Charlie basically forcing Bella to Jake, after she had told him she didn't want to lead him on anymore. He still continued to force them together, with his driving force being that he didn't like Edward, not caring that doing so would just be worse on both Jake & Bella.
On top of that you've got Edward basically putting Bella on parole by telling her she can't visit Jake (even when she started wanting to). At that point you're removing her free will & dictating what she can/can't do with her life...while at the same time trying to tell her that you want her to be happy & live her life & you don't want to force her into anything? At the very least, Bella finally is more independent & brings the story to life with some defiance on all fronts.
The final addition to Bella's repression in this book is Jake's interference. He constantly tries to pry Bella & Edward apart...but not for Bella's benefit, for his own. He basically tries to force himself on her in the hope that she'll see that she belongs with him. And on that note, we can go back to Charlie again. Jake basically forces himself on Bella, she punches him, breaks her had, and upon telling Charlie...he basically high-fives Jake for taking the hit without so much as a mark.
And all of these conflicts are what made the book worth it. No more one-sided puppetry. Everyone was pulling everyone elses strings, and in so many different ways, that it lead to Bella breaking out somewhat & actually being a more interesting character. The book as a whole was more interesting. There were now so many character interactions to pay attention to. Suddenly you had interactions that weren't the norm for the character, and you had to keep reading to find out how those interactions would grow & change. There was more involvement between the pack, and it almost started to seem as though Leah and Jake were going to become closer.
However, underneath all of the layers to this story, I was still stuck on the whole Bella - vampire thing. I really wanted to see her hurry up & change so that she could have some new life to her character. Between the change itself, the struggle of being a newborn, discovering what her special ability would be, etc. Then Edward has to destroy it all with additional conditions, one being marriage, which she can't commit to. That one drove me right up the wall because it was a way of pussy-footing around the issue & wasting more time. It didn't stop me from enjoying the book because there was so much else going on, but it was nagging in the back of my head most of the time. The only other thing that bothered me was that even though the book was written more maturely, and the characters were older, none of them could manage to talk about physical intimacy without seeming like immature kids.
Book Review: Easy read, but left too much to be desired
Summary: 3 Stars
I'd love to give this book 4 stars, and I feel like I'm being a little unfair now, but I am really very disappointed in Eclipse. Stephenie Meyer set such high standards for me with Twilight, it's hard to accept any less.
To give Mrs. Meyer credit, the writing style in Eclipse is consistent with Twilight and New Moon, making it an easy read. Meyer may not be the world's most fabulous writer, but her writing is simple and relates well enough to the readers. Meyer develops amazing sub-stories in the book: the werewolves' origins is explained in more detail and the readers learn with the characters as they discover new things about their own mythological beings; Jasper's story comes clear and ties in very well with the underlying "action" plot of the story; Rosalie's story is explained as well and a little of her character even; and Edward learns and makes up for his mistakes, showing great character development.
However, despite all those positive factors, what made the book a disappointment was Bella's relationship with Edward and Jacob. The entire book focuses very strongly on the emotional turmoil of the characters--so much in fact, that the plot with the serial killings was heavily overshadowed, eclipsed even (haha, I'm sorry, I had to add that). As an avid Edward fan, I was upset with Bella's behavior in this book. In Twilight, I found her character to be extremely effective as a narrator and very easy to relate to. In New Moon, she was still effective, although I started growing weary of her self-pity, but in Eclipse, Bella is an emotional mess. Bella becomes a distant character to me in this third installment. The only positive growth she had in this book, was finally coming to understand the meaning of her decision to become a vampire, which was a great development and nicely done. That aside, I do not enjoy reading books where the main character is too emotional to be stable. Her feelings are still relatable, but one has to ask, is this really welcomed? I felt that her emotional turmoil with Edward and Jacob really brought the book down, and in the process, was unnecessarily cruel.
Edward and Bella are still very sweet (although the high school setting has always made it a little awkward for me to read) and their moments together are significant. Unfortunately, Eclipse no longer has the sweet and innocent romance that Twilight so beautifully harbored, which to be fair, is only to be expected but leaves me feeling there is much to be desired--that there is something missing.
As mentioned before, the plot regarding the serial killings is overshadowed by the emotional drama among the three main characters. Jacob is focused on in a large portion of Eclipse, and plays a large role. Whether his role is welcomed or not, that varies with the reader. The conflict involving the serial killings is built up through most of Eclipse, giving the reader high hopes, but the resolve leaves the reader wanting. Stephenie Meyer sets up a lot in Eclipse, perhaps too much for the book--many loose ends weren't tied together very well.
The ending was a little sloppy in my opinion, and left me very unsatisfied. I kept expect Meyer to redeem Bella and make things right, but the book ends on a rather open and sour note. Meyer may have tried to do too much with this installment and there were some unnecessary developments. I've always felt that Stephenie Meyer could do so much more with the Twilight series if the setting was not in high school, and if it was an adult book. Meyer is extremely talented and is a master at evoking emotion, let it be positive or negative. Sadly, Eclipse--no matter how beautifully written and wonderful some characters are--left too much to be desired. Meyer sets up for another book in the making, but forgets to resolve this one.
Book Review: And The Drama Rolls On
Summary: 3 Stars
It's been a great year for Stephenie Meyer. When "Twilight" first debuted in 2005, teenage girls fervently gobbled up her tale of forbidden love between the klutzy and emotionally inept Bella Swan and the stunningly beautiful and compassionate vampire Edward Cullen. Since then, Meyer's sultry saga has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and a film adaptation of Book 1 premiered November 21st of this year starring Rob Pattison and Kristen Stewart. Released in August of 2007 and selling 150,000 copies within the first 24 hours of hitting the shelves, "Eclipse" was a highly anticipated continuation of Meyer's histrionic yarn of love and mortality.
With most everyone's skeletons out of the closet by the end of Book 2, "Eclipse" (Book 3 of the Twilight Saga) charges full speed ahead into melodrama. Aside from a rather mundane plotline, what drives "Eclipse" ahead is the increased intensity of the love triangle that began in "New Moon". Bella, still selfish and obstinate, is pressing for her promised immortality and Edward stalls for time, pushing college applications and - much to Bella's chagrin - a marriage proposal. Jacob, still a glutton for punishment, is tenacious in his quest to convince Bella that she is in love with him but just doesn't realize it. He goes to great length to prove it while Bella resists him and Edward glowers with mounting jealousy, his natural conflict wiith what Jacob is and the awakening of long-buried human passions treading the thin ice of neutrality between Forks's supernatural residents.
While Jacob's and Edward's romantic tug of war with Bella poses the greatest threat, the Cullens have other worries. The flame-haired vampiress Victoria from Book 2 is still hot on Bella's trail and an unexpected visit from the Volturi still looms large, coupled with some distracting news about a rash of sudden unexplained deaths in nearby Seattle.
Meyer's style doesn't change and the reader will find she still overuses certain terminology ("grimaced", "he/she rolled his/her eyes", "muttered/murmured/groaned"); one would think that by the third book of this series she'd be touting a good thesaurus (apparently not). Some might also be turned off by her presumptuous comparison of her love story vs. that of Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's classic novel "Wuthering Heights". Ironically, "Twilight" may have stemmed from this novel a bit (though Meyer claims the initial idea for "Twilight" came to her in a dream) and it is obvious from Meyer's direct quotes from "Wuthering Heights" that she is a fan of Bronte's complex and multigenerational tale.
Bella's motivations are still mystifying. She wants to spend eternity - you heard it, ETERNITY - with Edward but scoffs at the idea of being married to him. What's the big deal? Her irrational and nonsensical way of thinking grates the nerves to the nth degree. The reader finally gets some background information on other members of the Cullen clan (Jasper and Rosalie in particular) and a surprisingly entertaining story on the legend behind the Quileute people. Judging by this absorbing aside, Meyer ought to take a stab at writing a novel about Native Americans. She has already referenced an actual Quileute legend in this book and could formulate a great supernatural and/or spiritual novel out of the many other legends that the Quileute tribe once believed.
Bottom line: Only those finding themselves strangely addicted to Meyer's juvenile saga will be going so far as to pick up "Eclipse" as well as proceeding to Book 4, the final book in the series ("Breaking Dawn"). For a casual and moderately absorbing read that fills the void of time and/or boredom, the Twilight Saga fulfills. It is an indisputable force in the Young Adult genre.
Book Review: Anticlimatic...
Summary: 3 Stars
I, like many others, awaited this book, anticpating Bella's immortal transformation and the Volurtio (sp?) visiting Forks to rush this life changing decision. I was also giddy to the point of hysterics at seeing the next development of Edward and Bella's beatiful and unique relationship further grow and deepen. Instead I was handed a six hundred page book of uncharacterized actions from unappealing lead roles and a soap opera love triangle that, to me, came out of absolutely nowhere.
Bella, the main character, was supposed to be someone the average reader could relate to. She wasnt popular, over pretty, overtly talented at any one thing...she was so very human, you couldnt help but empathize with her. But in this part of the series, she became this whiney indecisive melodramatic codependent little girl.
In the first book, Twilight, my absolute favorite, she stood above the people around her because she was oddly mature for her age. Her mother even mentioned her having the mind of a thirty five year old. In Eclipse, she becomes this reckless brat who stamps her foot under Edward's good sense and intentions. I was so incredibly disppointed with her lack of character development. She regressed completely and to me almost deserved Jacob compared to the selfless love Edward endlessly demonstrated.
Jacob Black? Ugh. Tolerated him in NM because he helped Bella but I knew he was going to be a roadblock in this one. What I didnt know was that Bella was going to be stupid enough to fall for this pathetic immature jerk. He is everything that is wrong for her. Jacob is the antiEdward and he proved with every selfesh action and deed why he was and never will be good enough for Bella. Or so I thought until Bella kept disappointing me.
Edward-um, why cant he be real? Lord. I cant be too peeved with SM and this book when she has created such an irrestible character in Edward. As a reader, you could practically feel his love for her emnating off each page. His love for her is defining and so overwhelming its hard to read without breaking down and crying. He more than proved himself worthy in Eclipse. I too was upset with how he left in NM but I knew his intentions were selfless. He has more than paid his dues and now I feel Bella is the one indebted to him. It was very hard to read Bella taking advantage of Edward the way she did, voluntary or not- she hurt him over and over. Just because he didnt hold it against her doesnt mean I didnt as a reader.
All in all, I didnt understand the point of this addition. The first two books clearly show the building and obstacles of Edward and Bella's love. This book should have also tested that, but to throw in her falling in love with Jake did not add further drama. It took away the essential brillance of the story and why it drew people in to begin with. The whole "torn" card was unbelievable and completely out of left field. Realistically I couldnt comprehend how she could be in love with Edward to the point of complete absorbtion...the author spending two books proving that..only to have her torn in the last few chapters and practically settle for Edward. It was such a distribute to the whole of things.
I didnt understand it and I still dont. I didnt know they were doing another book but if so, I hope these errors are rectified and then some because I was seriously scarred by the amount of disservice done to Edward and Bella. I am reading Twilight all over again just to make sure I wasnt delusional in my idea of what these two characters shared, lol.
Book Review: 5 Stars
The dear readers enjoyed this book so much that we could only say that the book is the best in the world. This book satisfies both genders within its pages. Eclipse has action scenes with mild violence for the boys and major mondo-gushy romance parts for the girls. Victoria, who swore to kill Bella in the previous book, is back with her ugly flame hairdo of evil, and has brought some interesting friends with her. Victoria might be a vampire, but Edward is driven by the power of all out love for Bella, his fiancé and a future vampire.There are two settings, the small town of Forks and the huge forest right next to it in the mountains. There is a great battle in the woods and a crazy struggle to graduate from high school for our heroine, Bella, in the town of Forks. In the mountains, blood is spilled and there is a great emotional battle between two of Bella's lovers. That battle is a vicious and dirty war for Bella's future as a human (with Jacob) or as a vampire (with Edward). Jacob sometimes has a delusional mind and misinterprets Bella and ends up in trouble with Edward. Edward cares more about Bella and her feelings.
The heroine of the story is Bella. She is caught between her other half (Edward) and her undyingly hot (literally) since- birth friend (Jacob).She has a few nicknames and pet names, some of which are: Bells, Bella, Love & Honey. Edward, who is the future other half of Bella, is a vampire. Vampires are born with ice-cold skin and no need to breathe. Edward is very over protective of Bella and can be come jealous. He DOES become jealous, only for a moment, but he gets jealous of Jacob Black(Jacob).Edward can read minds ,except Bella's, which is uncommon for vampire's to have special "powers"/abilities. . Jacob, who is a werewolf and is determined to keep Bella human, has a strange body temperature. His average body temperature is 109.9ºF. This is the average temperature for any of the Native American werewolves, like him and his friends. There are nine other were wolves besides Jacob. There are his friends Quil, Paul, Embry, Jared &his soul mate Kim, Sam &his soul mate Emily, Seth and Leah Clearwater. Jacob does have a nick name and it is Jake. Also, vampires and werewolves never, ever, never in a million years, get physically older.
There is a very complicated conflict here in Eclipse. The conflict happens to have mini one inside of the main one. The main one is that Victoria is back with an army of 19 new born vampires. New born vampires are ruthless, wild, out of control, and they are stronger than they will ever be again. Vampires are deadliest during the first 12 months and around the 12 month mark, their strength wanes. Newborns also kill among themselves so the original number could have been anywhere from 18 to 100 vampires. Victoria and her army of vampires are only in forks so that Victoria can kill Bella. The only resolution the vampires could see was to combine their numbers with the werewolves to save the town of forks and Bella. Two mortal enemies came together to save their world. One werewolf was hurt and Victoria was successfully dismembered and her body was burned so she was killed.
I love this book and I highly recommend is to any person who reads long books. The only complaint I have is that the epilogue was a little confusing. All romance, action and/or vampire lovers READ THIS I found that this book is great for rainy days and snow days when I'm off school. I ' (love) Eclipse and I hope for a fourth book from Stephanie