In case you’ve been in the cupboard under the stairs and missed it…

Jul 26, 2008

Posted by: John Admin

Uncategorized

I know I said that my first several blogs would be the works that Jo loves and is influenced by, but I’m just a little bit TOO antsy to let this one sit for a month or two. So, I Am A Big Fat Liar. Sorry about that.


Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Hatchette, 2005.


I must admit – it will be a little hard to review Twilight objectively because I am completely enamored with at least two characters in this series. Or three. Possibly more than that. The first novel in the soon-to-be-quartet is one of those books I’ve read over and over in the last year. So what kind of fan would I be if I didn’t get in a nudge before the final novel in the series comes out? If you haven’t heard of Twilight yet, you are definitely missing out on one of the Next Big Things, as Candace’s blog will show you all the time, and Melissa A’s blog will show you today. Is it worth the hype? Welllll… to be fair, I think it doesn’t really compare to Potter in its writing, but it doesn’t mean I love the story ANY less. If you want to save the indepth struggle within myself not to fangirl, I’d suggest reading the first 50 or so pages to see if it’s one you’d like.



Twilight is the story of Edward and
Bella, seemingly ill-fated lovers, in a fairly traditional love story
with a supernatural twist. Both are 17 (sort of) and meet in biology
class when Bella moves to the eensy town of Forks, Washington. Edward
apparently hates Bella at first (and arguably third and fourth, but not second); she
decides to start playing sleuth when Edward exhibits some superhuman
powers. They fall in love and somehow make things work out even though
she is an utter klutz (you are reminded many a time) and he desperately
wants to suck blood, mostly hers. That being said, it isn’t just a love story. There are fights, bloodthirsty vampires, fast driving, stalkers, baseball games, the concern of being the “new kid”, and snarky jokes galore. I do love the snarky jokes.



Yes, I said vampires (in case you’re living in a closet and didn’t know that already), but don’t let that turn those of who you don’t like romance or vampires books off entirely. Truthfully, I don’t really like either one and I couldn’t put this book down. My original blog when I finished:



“I think I’m in Love”


id=”wti:0″ style=”margin-left: 40px;”>Wow.

I’ve only read the first; the other two are in the mail. I bought it with moosatcows on Saturday and I’ve already read it twice. I’m not obsessed yet, LOL. But after I finished it the first time I could NOT stop thinking about Edward, the too-perfect vampire boy, and I felt a bit smothered. So I had to read it again to pick apart the writing (and that one **** typo that drives me crazy!) so I could get over my crush. 😉 It is pretty contrived – the character has nearly no faults. But I suppose he has been alive for over 100 years now, so he has had plenty of time to work them out. I’m not as sure that I will like the others as I’ve heard the plot takes a slightly different turn, so we’ll see. There is only one way that I want to see the series end, so I may be a bit moody when the final one comes out, lol. So, good love story, fast read. Just enough danger to keep me edgy.

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I am trying to sound like a slightly healthier fan than I was at that point, but I’m not sure it’s working. I still agree with most of what I said previously – the author herself claims that she is a “storyteller, not a writer,” and there are points where that definitely shows. She tends toward the same descriptions much more frequently than you ever see in Rowling’s work, but it seems appropriate given the characters. The plot also seems to move in fits and starts, but not in the “I know I’d better be extra careful and look for clues now because this seems inconsequential but I know Jo…” way. The climax seems a bit out of place with the rest of the story to that point, but works more as an arc color=”#ff0000″ id=”ic7h”> introducing the action in the later novels.



However, all of that stuff out of the way, Meyer genuinely made me care about all of these characters. When I read these, I feel like the Cullens and Swans and the rest are actually people I know, and I want the best for them. The pivotal characters throughout the series have some very serious flaws (yes, I know that’s not what I said in that first blog I just quoted), but that makes them feel more like they really exist. It is rare that I am so empathetic for characters in something that is not just stellar in every way, but I am in this case. The majority of the draw in the novel is not because of something that happened, but something that is NOT happening; Bella and Edward’s romantic tension is absolutely tangible. Most readers would agree; they are interested not to see if Bella survives the series or if all foes will be conquered, but because Meyer has created a truly lovely story about a handful of people who care deeply for each other. Whether the words they exchange are flowery or fumbling, they rarely feel fake. This story IS first love. The author has a gift for manipulating my emotions, and apparently those of millions of others.



Potter fans may love this book because of the characters. While there is action, the plots aren’t nearly as action-based. If you read Rowling because of the way the characters interact, you’ll probably like these. It’s a pretty solid fantasy that’s set more firmly in the real world than in Hogwarts, which was a nice change for me after the emotional roller coaster of just finishing the last Harry. In fact, some say that they love Twilight even more than they loved Harry. I think that’s sacrilege, but that didn’t stop me from planning this year’s vacation around meeting Stephenie Meyer for approximately three seconds. 😉
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This novel is NOT for everyone, and I don’t have a knack
for guessing to whom it would appeal yet. Twilight is written from the
perspective of a slightly obsessive high school female, and that really
turns some people off. The words of a reader who I admire were
something like, “If I had to read about one more car there would be
much more murder surrounding this book.” On the other hand, my middle
school students, both male and female, absolutely swoon
over it. My female high school students who’ve read it also really
loved it. I have seen many a high school boy reading it, but none of
them were my own kids and I didn’t particularly want to randomly accost
someone on the metro or in the park about his reading habits, to be
honest. Adult women (particularly of the Leaky-fied variety) seem to
be 50/50 as love and hate – there seems to be no middle ground when it
comes to Edward and Bella. I don’t personally know any adult men
who’ve read it other than on forums, so I can’t make a fair statement
about that one, but I can point you to the incredibly funny Caleb (aka TwilightGuy) for his perspective.


id=”qvt71″>If Twilight was up your alley, definitely pick up the follow ups: New Moon, Eclipse, and the conclusion, Breaking Dawn, which will be released on August 2. To be honest, I didn’t enjoy these as much as Twilight because the story sort of changes its focus (well, not that I’ve read Breaking Dawn yet), but many people do. Meyer also has out a fairly different semi-sci-fi story called The Host, which I’ll probably review at a much later date. Really.





The Leaky Cauldron is not associated with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any of the individuals or companies associated with producing and publishing Harry Potter books and films.