Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
by Stephenie Meyer
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Book Reviews of Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Book Review: Sparknotes: Twilight
Summary: 3 Stars
"Twilight"'s plot is simple, perhaps even basic: an insecure, slightly misfit teenage girl gets fed up with her mother (without actually being angry at her mother) and moves halfway across the country to live with her father, in a small, charming, albeit constantly rainy, Washington town called Forks. There she meets and develops an almsot instantaneous attraction to a vampire, though, at the outset, she doesn't know he's a vampire. Typically, that revelation waits until she is, in her own words, irrevocably in love with him.
Honestly, I'm a voracious reader. I love well-written books, but I'll never turn my nose up at a good, or even passable, story, either. I wasn't particularly impressed with "Twilight"--as most people can painlessly admit, it certainly isn't a literary masterpiece--it's really fun to read. Stephen King--recently notorious for stating that the author of this book is an untalented writer--once described a state called "the gotta". As in, "I gotta know what happens next." Even if you're not enjoying this book, you more or less gotta know what happens next.
"Twilight" has some good qualities. It's a fun story, and a salable one. I won't go so far as to say it's addictive--for most experienced readers, one go-through is enough--but it's gripping. As well, the dialogue, particularly between Edward and Bella once their relationship hits the romance point, is really realistic. In my experience, couples who get along do talk like that. This "banter" has been under attack in many forums, but I enjoyed it. Meyer has a good ear for dialogue.
Also, "Twilight" has pushed many reluctant readers into the literary sphere. This is in and of itself a great achievement. It doesn't matter how sloppily or amateurishly a book is written if it pushes somebody to want to read. All of "Twilight"'s faults should be forgiven simply on this score. (Note: for many reasons, "Twilight" is a jumpstart book primarily for girls. Boys usually don't like it much, though there a few exceptions, so don't rule it entirely out.) This is further proof that, even if it's not a great story, even if it's not classic or phenomenal or brilliant, it's accomplished something. Whatever your feelings toward the book, it's best to acknowledge that.
So, it's fun, it's easy to read, it's gripping, the vampires are sizzlingly hot and it makes you gotta know what happens next.
Nevertheless, "Twilight" contains a lot of points easy to criticize.
As has been noted, the characters are sometimes shallow, more fitting to a TV show or film than a novel.
For one, Bella is a disappointingly weak heroine. She calls to mind the static princesses of old fairy tales, who did nothing. Bella does nothing for herself. She moves to Forks, which, in light of her character, is a genuinely surprising move. In many ways, she typifies the "ideal" female: she's a good cook, she's quiet, demure, acquiesces to and takes care of the males in her life, and doesn't like doing things on her own. During one scene, she can formulate no way to save herself, although any sly, enterprising heroine--especially in a fantasy novel--should have been able to at least play for time. But no: she loses her head completely, so cowed she cannot scream, and it is up to Edward to save her.
Another issue with Bella: she does not seem to actually be in love. People in love do not generally soliloquize about their love interest's facial features. During infatuation, sure; but once you're actually in love, physical appearance takes a back seat. It always does. Reading angsty, long descriptions of Edward's face, every time she sees him, is not only tiring, it is annoying, and unrealistic. Further, some of the more purple descriptions of him read almost like a description of a woman: his eyes, his face, lips, hair-- what is described is androgynous, and could, in a different setting, be construed as female.
In many ways, it's almost as if Bella appreciates Edward's appearance more than his personality--which is unsurprising, as Edward's personality, while beguiling and enjoyable within the novel, is noticeably lacking.
Edward is moody and closed-off. Worse--in the opening scenes--he behaves as if he hates Bella. No matter how gorgeous he is, weeks of straight hate-displays will dampen anybody's passion, particularly that of someone as insecure as Bella. Even when he loosens up, his personality has no continuity: at times, he comes off as an abusive, controlling father; at others, like a moody teenager.
The sideline characters have no development, either, which is a disappointment; there was a lot of potential.
There are also plot holes. This always drives me crazy. I don't usually care if a plot is farfetched--I'm a scifi/horror/fantasy fan, after all--but it HAS TO MAKE SENSE within the book, and IT HAS TO TIE TOGETHER. This novel's plot felt patched together and weak in many places, nothing but an excuse to write about a vampire romance, which IS irritating. Character-driven fantasy is very refreshing when it's done well, but the character must be interesting for this to succeed. Bella is not very interesting; Edward is much more so, and even then, he's not spectacular at all.
One really interesting observation is the identification that occurs between Bella and many young women who read this story. Girls identify with Bella much more strongly than usual; whether it's because they want Edward, or just feel hapless like she does, Bella Swan seems to be the personification many girls want of themselves. I think this is another reason these books are so popular: for whatever reason, girls feel like Bella.
Ultimately, "Twilight" is a shallow story with shallow characters, but they are fun characters in a fun story that people want to read. So, Meyer may not be a literary genius, but she's quite the entertainer, which is just as impressive.
I had hoped "Twilight" would have a lot more depth, and that Bella would be stronger, Edward more of a person and less of a shallow fantasy. Nevertheless--to repeat--it was a fun book. So, if you're not-an-English-major who likes a fun story, pick it up. If you're keen on masterpieces or intelligent plots or characters, though, give it a pass.
Overall, "Twilight" is, in my opinion, worth a read.
Book Review: Overrated, Misogynist Trash
Summary: 1 Stars
I mean, I don't even know where to begin here. As a long-time Anne Rice fan (I first read "Interview with the Vampire" when I was thirteen) I was intrigued by the excitement surrounding Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga, which is said to be bigger than Harry Potter in some circles. However, I was also wary. According to several online reviews I had read, the series is also alarmingly sexist, maybe even misogynist, especially given Edward's controlling nature. I entered the first book with an open mind, but all too soon realized that the criticism was well-deserved. In fact, I will venture to say that the fact that I even finished all 498 pages of that tripe is surely a testament to my tenacity as a reader.
Now I'm not such a literary snob that I think all YA novels are mere fluff. Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy and Diane Duane's Young Wizards series are challenging, philosophical, and composed of flowing lyrical prose. Duane's "High Wizardy," for example, tackles themes of entropy and redemption against a sci-fi backdrop that rushes from one fantastic planet to another with an ancient, demonic enemy in hot pursuit. So in other words, to excuse poor writing and weak plot by saying, oh, it's only a teen book, what do you expect, you're too old to understand. . . That's insulting to teens and insulting to the writers who write for them. (And I'm only 23, BTW.) So no, I am not going to walk away from "Twilight" and its sequels and dismiss them as a lower literary form not worth my time. There are real problems with these books that need to be addressed.
The meteoric celebrity of cheesy boy bands, trashy reality shows, and Paris Hilton is more than enough evidence to prove that popularity does not always indicate quality. To me, the hype surrounding the "Twilight" saga is equally mystifying. Thematic issues aside, if the first book is any indication, they're not even good. The story is overly drawn-out and needlessly meandering, while the characters are as flat as the pages they're printed on. Take protagonist Bella Swan (and yes, that is her name), for example. When we first meet her, she's nothing but a sullen child transplanted to a town she hates. "It was to Forks that I now exiled myself - an action that I took with great horror. I detested Forks." (Oh the DRAMA, the sweeping FLOURISH.) From there she never develops, never exhibits anything but perpetual disdain for her surroundings despite the two boys who immediately fall in love with her and the group of friends she effortlessly joins. But then she meets undead Adonis, a.k.a Edward Cullen: "He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature could be meant for me." It's as though the existence of this flawless being alone lifts her from her interminable grumpiness to a blindly blissful stratosphere beyond the reach of such lesser beings as her classmates and father.
And yet, paradoxically, it is also the proverbial gilded cage. She's lost in him. He has become her whole world: "I wondered where we would have gone. North somewhere, so he could be outside in the day. Or maybe somewhere very remote, so we could lay in the sun together again. I imagined him by the shore, his skin sparkling like the sea. It wouldn't matter how long we had to hide. To be trapped in a hotel room with him would be a kind of heaven. So many questions I still had for him. I could talk to him forever, never sleeping, never leaving his side." (Oh yeah, he sparkles. For a REALLY good example of Meyer's bad writing, check out the section where Bella first sees him sparkling in the sun. My friends and I had ball doing "dramatic readings" of it.)
Now obviously, that's how love often is for teens, there's no denying that. But the simple fact that we're talking about a guy whose sole asset seems to be his utter physical perfection leads the reader has to wonder if this is only a case of the OTHER L-word: lust. And it isn't so much that Edward lacks a personality (as some have charged) - it's that the personality he has is so damn disturbing. I mean, he sneaks into her room at night and watches her sleep? And she's cool with this?
*Sigh* That's really the whole book - sour girl mopes around, then becomes trapped in the orbit of possessive, threatening sexy vampire dude. Oh, there's some action involving a "tracker" who wants to kill her, but it's still not enough to raise "Twilight" as a whole from its own banality. I think the real losers here are all those teenyboppers and bored middle-aged housewives who, for whatever reason, have fallen head over heels for these books. Please, for the love of God, I beg you, read Anne Rice instead. Even the worst novel of the Vampire Chronicles ("Blood Canticle" comes to mind) is better than this trash. Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" is also recommended, as is Kouta Hirano's "Hellsing" series for all you anime/manga fans.
And for a FAR superior Mormon vampire book: Eugene Woodbury's "Angel Falling Softly."
EDIT: Just found this today . . . It's the eleven characteristics of an abuser from The Domestic Violence Guide. Any of them sound familiar?
1. Constantly criticize you and your abilities as a spouse or partner, parent or employee?
2. Behave in an over-protective manner or become extremely jealous?
3. Threaten to hurt you, your children, pets, family members, friends or himself?
4. Prevent you from seeing family or friends?
5. Get suddenly angry or "lose his temper"?
6. Destroy personal property or throw things around?
7. Deny you access to family assets like bank accounts, credit cards, or the car, or control all finances and force you to account for what you spend?
8. Use intimidation or manipulation to control you or your children? Hit, punch, slap, kick, shove, choke or bite you?
9. Prevent you from going where you want to, when you want to, and with whomever you want to?
10. Make you have sex when you don't want to or do things sexually that you don't want to do?
11. Humiliate or embarrass you in front of other people?
Based on what I've read about the later books, Edward eventually ends up fitting, what, seven of those? Run, Bella, run!
Book Review: All hype, no substance.
Summary: 1 Stars
There's been a lot of talk about Twilight - that it's amazing, it's the next Harry Potter, don't die before you read this book, and so on. My sister recommended it to me and I borrowed her copy to read.
I wasn't expecting The Next Harry Potter (too soon), but I was expecting at least a little more depth from Meyer, given the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I really love young adult lit, but Twilight was disappointing in almost every way imaginable; it fails at characterization, romance, plot, originality, and realism.
I'll try to keep it short; here's a list of my main issues with the novel.
1. Edward glitters in the sunlight.
2. Edward GLITTERS IN THE SUNLIGHT.
3. In keeping with nos. 1 and 2, the descriptions, especially of characters' physical descriptions, were trite to the extreme. It DROWNS in purple prose. Edward glitters. He looks like an angel or, alternatively, a god. He's really, really pretty. His eyes glow and are deeply expressive. He's shiny. Okay, we get it, thank you. Let's explore personality and interests now. Wait, personalities? Individual interests? Never!
4. The adverbs. Dear sweet Jesus, the adverbs. A well-placed adverb is a good thing, but one in almost every sentence bespeaks laziness and lack of attention to detail/description. I know it's cliché to say so, but it's all tell and no show. That's not all Meyer's fault; I blame bad editors as well. Also, Edward needs to stop "growling" things. What does that even sound like, anyway? Someone growls, glares, or sighs something every two seconds.
5. Bella is a depressingly weak pushover. She lets Edward boss her around and control their relationship. I understand that this happens sometimes in relationships, but here it's never questioned, never addressed with a critical eye - Edward's actions are always justifiable, or at least forgivable, because he loves her SO MUCH. Which bring us to the next point ...
6. The romance was unbelievable and cardboard-thin at best (and manipulative and monstrous at worst). After two weeks, Edward and Bella are madly, "irrevocably" in love with each other, to the point where they're willing to die for each other and run away from their families to spend the rest of their lives together. Uh-huh. It frustrated me to no end how shallow their relationship was, based almost purely on physical attraction and little else (such as actual compatibility; although I guess you could call Edward's domination and Bella's acquiescence "compatible"). Real-life romances are almost never like the movies. The kissing scenes had me rolling my eyes. Cliché to the extreme.
A friend pointed out to me that teenagers sometimes really are melodramatic and think in those terms ("I will die if I don't have him/her"; "s/he is an angel from heaven"; etc). She is absolutely right. However, a mature author will (gently, and hopefully with a sense of humor) point the reader toward the characters' mistakes and misconceptions, their consequences, and hopefully their developing maturity and consequent growing relationship. That did not happen in Twilight; Edward's and Bella's actions are always forgiven or even justified because of their everlasting love for each other. Twilight is wish-fulfillment for the emotionally immature. In real life, hasty and thoughtless actions have consequences.
7. Edward. What can I say about Edward? I get the feeling you're supposed to like him. (And judging by the numerous fangirls who prowl the reviews' comments and sometimes say nasty things to negative commentators, many do.) I've heard that Meyer said he's her idea of the perfect man. (??) But he's not likeable - or even relatable. He spends the entire book making absurd cryptic remarks to Bella ("I'm dangerous ... you should stay away from me") and being broody, angst-ridden, and generally emo. How annoying is that? Yet Bella (and fangirls) flock to him like he's God's gift to teenage girls.
Again, of course there are guys like that. But Edward's actions and attitudes are approved and validated throughout the novel. A better treatment of Angsty Teen Boy, for example, would be Cassandra Clare's Jace Wayland. He's just as cliché as Edward in many ways, with many of the same issues, but the author and the characters have a more realistic and critical attitude toward him that takes his flaws into account, and the story recognizes his selfishness.
Note to Edward and his fans: Stalking is creepy. Not romantic. When I think of that bedroom window scene ... Ew ew ew.
On a (slightly) more positive note, I did appreciate some of the more original ideas that Meyer attempted to incorporate, such as the nontraditional "vampire myths aren't true" thing (although in the book, it did sound a little like Meyer was saying, "See! Look at me! I'm nontraditional!"), and the idea of especially appealing scent/flavors. But they got lost in bad execution.
The book does have its own special "mindless entertainment" value, but I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Sorry, I was wrong. This wasn't short at all. I guess I got carried away by the intensity of my feelings. I'm really disappointed that so many people seem to love this book, while better authors are making less money.
I have heard that the second and third books are better (alternatively, I have also heard that they're worse), so I've ordered it and am going to give Meyer another chance. Twilight was her first book, and I'm happy to support an author as they're growing and maturing. But my expectations aren't high.
There are better YA writers out there for you to crack your teeth on, fantasy or not: Scott Westerfeld, John Green, Phillip Pullman, Garth Nix (the Abhorsen books), Cassandra Clare. None of them are perfect, or even THAT good, but pick up one of their novels if you prefer your characters multifaceted and your emotions/situations/plots/language ten times more complex and nuanced than Twilight.
Book Review: From a teenage girl who is not hypnotized by this mess...
Summary: 1 Stars
Yes! I am a teenage girl, seventeen actually, who has escaped the cruel spell this holds over my brood. A friend of mine who had succumbed to the book's power leant this piece to me two years ago, with the encouragement from many other girls, to introduce to me a wonderful, beautiful love story that involved vampires. I borrowed it indeed, because I love vampires and I love romance. But when I returned this book after a week to this friend of mine, my only thought and my only verbal regard to this book was, "What the hell is this?"
Full of disdain by the book's completion, I realized that this current obsession among my fellow teenagers was a clear example that our race's evolution has halted. It's beyond me how anyone can read such drivel and call it literature! Because of the generalization that all teenage girls love this book, I've actually had to tell family members not to buy the series for me for my birthday or Christmas as a precaution. But, I digress. What was wrong with the book?
Everything. The writing was just awful. Meyer seems to really enjoy the constant use of adjectives and adverbs to pump her sentences and increase their length. Also, character development doesn't seem to advance past physical description. Emotions are black and white, but what are the characters' hobbies? Bella had no personality, she had no interests, she had no hobbies, which is perhaps why Edward can't read her mind. Edward on the other hand is just perfect. He's perfectly handsome, perfectly debonair, perfectly perfect; but life will tell us no one's perfect, which Meyer tries to portray in his dialogue. However, the more we're blinded by looking through Bella's uneventful eyes, the more we see past Edward's evidently flawed tragic character and see that he's just perfectly perfect. Never mind that he's a paradox in himself, wanting to kill and love Bella at the same time, he's the perfect man. Who wouldn't be drawn to a man who loves you and wants to kill you and would love to kill you and would kill to love you? I guess, being a feminist, my standards are pretty different because I'm not interested in an abusive relationship with a vampire. A mass of fans will tell me I disliked the novel because I can't relate to it, and perhaps that's so. I guess, unlike the masses, I'm not dealing with a complex relationship with a bloodsucking walking paradox.
Meyer brags about having never taken a creative writing class, so I'm told. Well, Miss Meyer, it is all too clear that you haven't. Her books read like cheap stories one could read on fanfiction.net and it's not even a fanfiction! "Wicked" is a fanfiction based on the Oz stories, and somehow the writing is just amazing! What happened? "Phantom" is an amazing fanfiction based on "The Phantom of the Opera"! Meyer having never taken a class in writing is further evident in her incorporation of a self-inserted Mary Sue character. Trained writers know better than to insert such a character. Evidence of this character's Mary Sue status is the obvious fact that she's based on Stephanie Meyer herself, and the fact that she has a name with a secret meaning that was intentional: Her name is Bella Swan, which obviously translates over into "beautiful" swan, for those who recognize variants of the French word, "belle". Continuing on the evidence that Bella Swan is a Mary Sue character, many characters are drawn to her with no apparent reason. Many don't understand what Mary Sue character is, so please research it. It's too complicated to explain, but you'll know one when you see one.
Yes, the writing was terrible alongside the mutilation of a completely horrifying species of monster that had plagued man's imagination for hundreds of years. Centuries ago, people would trump through graveyards to decapitate the corpses of the dead, thinking that they were vampires. Noblemen and women, such as Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory, were accused of being vampires because of their ruthlessness and their amity for human blood. Bram Stoker penned his masterpiece Dracula; Sheridan Le Fanu wrote his Carmilla twenty years previous. These creatures were terrifying monters who could be slain by means of a stake through the heart, garlic, the power of a religious object, or the sun. They were afraid of water, they had no reflections or could cast no shadows, and would sleep in coffins filled with the dirt of their homeland. Prepare to be introduced to a breed of vampire than doesn't sleep daytime or otherwise, can walk into the sun with little more than blinking eyes, and are unaffected by many of the previous defenses against their kind. What a way we've come, from frightening vampires to these sissy pacifists! Anne Rice's vampires also debunked these vampire "myths", they still slept in coffins and could be harmed by the sun! It almost seems as if Meyer fed from Anne Rice's books and changed what she could to hide the evidence.
This book isn't even worth hearing about. If you enjoy fine literature and vampire lore, read the tales that shaped this species written in the 19th century. "Dracula" is almost a bible of vampire lore. Or if you have a more modern taste, try reading Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. The sweet lady has been writing those books for more than thirty years, and a character like the vampire Lestat and his exploits is always a joy to read about. Or if you favor romance, read Jane Eyre (which supposedly Edward Cullen's character is drawn from); nothing will have you more than Jane's love for Mr. Rochester. Star-crossed lovers? Read Romeo and Juliet. Do you need more than that? Read anything by Jane Austen. Or a nice little read for the teenage populace is a book called "Blood and Chocolate" by Annette Curtis Clause. It's short and sweet, but so detailed and well written. I recommend all these fine works of literature in hopes that people will take my advice and avoid this series. It gives teenage girls a bad name, it gives vampire fiction a bad name, and it gives romance a bad name.
Book Review: Twilight - An English teacher's delight!
Summary: 5 Stars
As an English teacher I was delighted with how Bella and Edward discuss classical novels and the characters flaws and virtues. While Bella is adventuresome but klutzy, Edward has beyond human strength. He could have been portrayed as the "jock" or popular, but I am ecstatic that he is well read (even if he is so old) and musically talented. This brings more depth to his character. His concern over wanting to place Bella's best interest and her mortality or soul before his love for her captivates the reader's attention. Bella too has a love and an attraction for Edward that makes her willing to risk everything just to have "experienced" him for a time such as this.
I absolutely identify with the believability of the characters. The thoughts that run through their minds are what draw the reader in closely, wanting more. I never viewed Bella as the typical high school drama queen who is self absorbed, her humility is what makes her so appealing. It was obvious from the very beginning of the first book that Bella was wise beyond her years. From a self perspective she thought herself to be ordinary. She is fiercely independent, not desperate for attention. Her sarcasm shows spirit along with an honest straight forwardness indicating that she is not totally accessible. She doesn't mind being alone.
As a grown woman with 3 grown children the Twilight series was recommended to me by my daughter's friends (I am a high school teacher). Then I soon discovered that so many of my own friends and even my sister had read the entire series. I was intrigued. So after receiving the first 2 books in the series for Christmas I sat down to read. At first I said to myself "why am I reading a novel about high school students? I teach them every day!" Well that shows how shallow I was thinking. I was immediately drawn to Bella's character, wise beyond her years, sacrificing her own desires for others, such as her mother. I liked how she wasn't all "into herself" like many teenage girls seem to be. She was content with the small stuff that make up our days. She is responsible and knows herself enough to not become involved in things she isn't good at. She is a heroine of sorts in a self-sacrificing way from the very beginning, and that's when I was totally hooked! I just had to see where her life would lead.
Enter Edward Cullen. You know 30 years ago I would have scoffed at the whole "love at first sight" thing. It seemed so corny and trite when you are a level headed, independent, free-thinking young woman with values and morals that ground you. Bella embraces each of these characteristics. But her first eye contact with Edward is more than an attraction of mere curiosity due to his intensely outward and physical beauty. She seems drawn to him in a way that she cannot explain and she "thinks" that when he looks at her that there must be something strange. It is quite endearing that Bella does have a few insecurities - it makes her more human. But like I said, as an adult I was surprised how appealing and drawn I was to both characters. I couldn't stop reading until I completely finished all 4 novels in the series and even mourned as I came closer and closer to the end of Breaking Dawn!
I have been happily married for years to a great guy who I still adore. This series helped me to remember what it felt like to be drawn to someone who you do not always think you deserve, but that they also love you back with such intensity that it almost does not make sense. Thank you for that! I am playing scenes over and over in my head from when my husband and I first met. They are precious memories indeed and it is delightful to travel back in time to that place.
Since you ended up writing this series for young adults I just thought having an adult perspective might be enlightening. The "clean" element and the appropriateness of this story ties into how I think I often express myself as an adult. While my 3 children obviously know that their father and I have an intimate relationship, they certainly do not need the details. What makes our relationship so special is the strength of that intimacy which is between just the two of us. I have shared with my children how important intimacy is and the fact that it expresses itself more fully as trust is developed throughout the relationship. But again, the most important details are the ones that can be shared like how when you love someone deeply it is not a controlling or selfish love, it is liberating especially when you place their best interests before your own. Such is the case with Edward and Bella. They each share this quality of intimacy long before they engage in a sexual relationship. It is endearing how Edward's character is so influential in keeping Bella pure. Even as a vampire his predatory nature is as a protector of her and not to fulfill himself and his own pleasure through her. Again this appears virtuous and draws the reader to want more.
There are so many "moments" where the characters connect discussing classic literature and music. It is very flattering to a man or a woman for someone to share your interests in reading and music, especially when it is not typical. Edward and Bella show maturity by having more developed interests than other people their age.
Some of my friends said that "New Moon" was their least favorite of all the series. I felt quite the opposite. Bella's loss and pain along with the agony of going through life without Edward was integral and necessary for the story to develop. It sets the stage for the rest of their story. I felt like I was living through the events in this series. You write so candidly and with the ability to make the reader feel right at home with the characters. Overcoming obstacles became their mantra. Bella the brave and courageous, a humble old soul. Thanks Stephanie for sharing this part of your dreams with each of us!