The Twilight Series

Subject: The Twilight Series Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:04 am

Okay, I've been reading through the "Least Favorite Books" section, and Twilight conversations seem to have taken off. I figure, it seems big enough to warrant its own thread.

Don't get me wrong -- I LOVED Twilight. Like I said before, New Moon was suckish, Eclipse was pretty okay, and I still say BD was freaking amazing -- but SM DID break her own rules. So that, for me, made it pretty suckish.

The one thing that bothers me about the entire series is this: it's become a fad. There is no "eh, it was pretty okay. Not my favorite, though." It's either "OMG I LUUUUUUVED IT! MARRY ME, EDDY! " or "ew, it was the worst thing ever." Especially in my town. It's also made it hard on the guys around here -- their girlsare expecting too much of their boyfriends. I kid you not, I heard about an argument that happened the other day in the cafeteria where one girl screamed at her boyfriend to be "more like Edward, dammit!"

It's pretty annoying.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Feb 09, 2009 10:28 am

Wow, that is nuts! Be more like Edward? Whoa!

I live in Utah, and since Stephanie Meyer is a Mormon, let's just say that Twilight is HUGE here. It's quite annoying. When BD came out, I couldn't even walk down the street without seeing girls walking around reading it... sitting on their porches reading it... and it's all anybody talked about for months and months.

I think it's great that she has had so much success, though. I wish that for any author!

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Feb 09, 2009 11:28 am

Well Lady you asked about the direction well - Bella in the beginning of the series was anti-marriage and kinda anti-commitment/kids due to her mother's influence and was prepared to give up everything to be with edward - her choice. Edward wanted to get married. etc. Basically in eclipse she decides to marry him purely cause he promises to finally have sex with her. . . .

ok - then BD happens

Spoiler:

Wow this has been festering for a while - sorry for the rant!

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Feb 09, 2009 12:13 pm

Emily,

Rant away. I'll join right in. Smile

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:24 am

Oh man...

I got a shirt for my birthday that says "And then Buffy staked Edward. The end."
xD How great is that?

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 18, 2009 7:44 am

That's awesome!!!!

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 18, 2009 4:10 pm

Novel-Goddess wrote:: Oh man... I got a shirt for my birthday that says "And then Buffy staked Edward. The end."
xD How great is that?

Yes!!!! That's the one I told you about on the Draft! Isn't it amazing? Have you gotten any comments for it yet?

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:00 pm

Hahahahaha, yeah. My friend Grace is probably going to steal it if I wear it around her. She wants one, and wants one BAD. She's very anti-Edward.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Fri Feb 20, 2009 9:27 am

Novel-Goddess wrote:: Oh man... I got a shirt for my birthday that says "And then Buffy staked Edward. The end."
xD How great is that?

OMG ROFL!

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Sun Feb 22, 2009 9:11 pm

I'm just going to add my comment on this series, that's it.
First off, I want to say I liked the beginning because of the mystery and I knew what it would lead to. But then Edward really disappointed, I mean really disappointed me. He was a wimp and Bella was annoyingly co-dependent. I threw the book into the back of my closet after I was finished and couldn't believe I wasted my money on it.

But it kept saying on my mind, so eventually after I reevaluated the characters and somehow came to understand them so I read it again. And mostly I liked the side characters in the Cullen family. So yeah, that's how I came to like, not love the series.

New Moon was horrible though until we met the Volturi, they are what saved the book. I wanted to shake Bella by her shoulders, put her on anti-depressant medication and get her with a really good therapist. She seriously needed a life, still does. Eclipse was actually my favorite for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe it was because of the other vampires or because of the impending doom of her becoming a vampire, I don't know. I still don't like Breaking Dawn though. I hated it the first read, but came to terms with it the second read, but it took a really long time for me to finish it the second time.

All in all though, my thoughts on Bella are I can't believe a person would think their total destiny in life was to become a Vampire. Rolling Eyes

White font bothers my eyes...

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Feb 23, 2009 12:47 pm

I read the 1st 2 in the series to see what the buzz was about - Not my typical reading material - more of a homework assignment, but I could see why it generated a following. Lots has been made about Stephen King recently ripping Stephenie Meyer. I don't think that was particularly fair - they couldn't be more opposite. It's all a matter of taste really, but if there's something out there that gets kids to read - I'm all for it.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:53 am

OK...this is going to be a hard one for me, because I have a few friends who love the series...and I really dislike bad comments on people's books because I know how hard it is to write 1 book, let alone a series!

I read all four books for two reasons, 1) some good friends recommended the 1st book and 2) the movie release. I prefer to read original stories before I see the movies.

My naked thoughts...bad sentences. Bad dialogue. Very strange myths that were hard to believe even if the story is about the unbelievable. I love vampire stories, don't get me wrong. But if Edward had skin as tough as marble...well, you know...ouch...

I read all 4 books in hopes that the writing would get better, but it only got worse. It made me think very hard about how to choose the right editor. I think the story had so much potential and could have been that long awaited "the next Harry Potter" or even better...but the difference is...I'm going to sound a bit like Stephen King, JK Rowling learned how to write while she wrote the HP series but Stephanie, in my opinion, did not.

I don't care how old Edward is, and how mature/independent Bella is supposed to be, their choice of words and lack of imagination was unbelievable. The major driving factor of the series is the raw lust and wishful thinking...sorry... I do like vampire stuff though, so I will see the movie when it comes out in April here in Japan. I hope that the film version has worked out the voices of the characters so that I don't have to cringe in the theater...

Embarassed

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Feb 24, 2009 2:33 am

em well Tulsa personally i wouldn't rely on the movie being better. Some people loved it but i . . . well. . . . *shudders*

I'll let you make your own opinion anyhoo.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:38 am

Whew, someone else criticized it before I did!

I was excited on reading the synopsis/plot outline. But when I read it, it didn't do much for me.

Like many others who didn't like it, I've read several paranormal novels. You know, when you're reading a book, you identify yourself with one or more of the characters, and sometimes whatever happens to them feels like it's happening to you? Somehow I just couldn't identify myself with any of the characters.

Actually Novel-Goddess has written a review on her blog. She sums up the way I feel about the characters.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Feb 24, 2009 12:08 pm

I could never be a critic. Guess I try to give everyone benefit of the doubt because I know how much work goes into it .

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:07 pm

My 16 y/o niece introduced my to the Twilight series last summer when she stayed with us. I've read better, and I've read worse, but my niece LOVED the books. She spent the whole summer with us taking care of my daughters so as a treat I got tickets to the Breaking Dawn Concert/Booking Signing event they had in Seattle. Boy did I score points there. Our seats were in the Orchestra pit, 2nd row, right in the middle. My niece could almost reach out and touch Stephenie. We got our copies of BD autographed as well.

I was most intrigued by the story of how she became a writer, and how fast she came into her success.

I LOVED her other book "The Host".

Cass

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:56 am

I totally respect anyone who has been able to get their work finished and/or published. I also believe that flat out criticism is a hard thing to give as well as receive. (That's why I usually don't do it...I've posted on my blog before that it is like screaming "ugly!" at someone's baby...it's not nice...and I don't know if I would respond well to it.)

I didn't really mean to sound like a critic... it's just that I like vampire stories and I do enjoy romances... occasionally, that I really wanted to like the series. And I guess I did, to a certain extent, since I did read all 4 books, even if the last two I sort of speed read.

I also respect the fact that the series has given a lot of 'young folk' a reason to read...I just hope that their reading doesn't stop with her novels... Because, the lack of substance to the characters' dialogues was just...blah...too much "oh Edward is so beautiful..." For someone who was supposed to be as well read as Bella, her vocabulary was very limited...

I'm not redeeming myself am I? I'll see if I can give "The Host" a go one of these days....maybe my opinion of the author will change then. But was it written is written.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:58 am

aaah see, what happens when I rant?! What is written is written... Rolling Eyes

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:23 am

Ooooohhh i think that is so deep Tulsa Very Happy

very intriquing mwahaha

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:04 am

I read through it with delight when I first found out about it (quite late in the game, but at least before the movie hype!), because it is TOTALLY my genre. I read paranormal romance and urban fantasy like a madman (especially if they have to do with vampires), but I also adore the YA versions.

LJ Smith, who I still think is fabulous, spoiled any other genres for me, I was so obsessed with her books - which also feature vampire love stories.

So Twilight was something I had to read. And I really enjoyed the first two. . and then I realized that, unlike LJ Smith's heroine, Bella was hopelessly weak and dominated by the men in her life. Ugh! That made me angry, but I still enjoyed the third one. And then there was the fourth, which bombed all notions I might have of an perhaps-independent woman (oh, or any good writing).

So now, even though I really enjoyed the first one, and quite enjoyed the second. . . I feel like I didn't like the series at all. The last one ruined it for me.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Mar 30, 2009 2:00 pm

I think this is quite hilarious summary of the twilight saga

http://lucylou.livejournal.com/566295.html

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Mar 30, 2009 10:30 pm

Emily, thanks! Jacob's comments were the best!

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Mon Mar 30, 2009 11:19 pm

Emily, that site was hilarious. I like the first strip and the reading hangover bit.

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Mar 31, 2009 5:24 am

Haha, I found that via a link on Colleen Lindsay's Twitter. It's pretty hilarious! Razz

Subject: Re: The Twilight Series Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:10 pm

Cass wrote:: My 16 y/o niece introduced my to the Twilight series last summer when she stayed with us. I've read better, and I've read worse, but my niece LOVED the books. She spent the whole summer with us taking care of my daughters so as a treat I got tickets to the Breaking Dawn Concert/Booking Signing event they had in Seattle. Boy did I score points there. Our seats were in the Orchestra pit, 2nd row, right in the middle. My niece could almost reach out and touch Stephenie. We got our copies of BD autographed as well.

I was most intrigued by the story of how she became a writer, and how fast she came into her success.

I LOVED her other book "The Host".

Cass

You would sure get bonus points from me on that.

But I agree with you, I LOVED "The Host" more than the Twilight saga. I do still like Twilight--but The Host just doesn't compare to it at all since it is more of a "complex love" story.

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