I have a confession to make. I read Twilight. And then... I read the sequel. And while I haven't read the third or fourth books yet, I probably will eventually. But sometimes complete mindless drivel can be fun; it's nice to read and not have to think at all. And I promise, read Twilight, and you won't have to think (except when you're thinking, "Really? That's lame." over and over). With the movie coming out this week, I wanted make clear that, while I read the book, I did not find it a literary masterpiece by any means. And to compare it to Harry Potter? That's just dumb.
The story follows Bella Swan, as she moves to a new town and falls for the gorgeous outsider at her high school. We soon find out that the unbelievably good-looking Edward Cullen is a vampire. The author then proceeds to go on and on about the deep love the two suddenly began to feel for one another, and how amazingly hot Bella finds Edward. At the end, Bella gets in a little trouble with some rival vampires, providing the only action and somewhat interesting elements of the entire novel, before Edward bravely comes to her rescue. The boring end.
So why did I read it? Well, I like to read. I like to read EVERYTHING. From Nora Roberts to Tom Robbins (though I prefer Tom Robbins). It's just fun to get lost in another world. And Stephenie Meyer creates a somewhat interesting world. The cool elements are there. Love: I can dig that. Rivalry and battle: awesome. Vampires: sweet. Vampires that glitter: ...what? Seriously? He "glitters" in the sun? Well... ok... whatever, I guess...
Should teenagers read this book? Sure, why not. My problem? The complete and ridiculous obsession that rivals only that of the Harry Potter series (which is a little excessive itself). This really is a mediocre book that should be read, and then forgotten. Set aside, and only re-visited during a blizzard when you are stranded at your parents' house, and the only book available is an old copy of Twilight, left in the basement because no one wanted it. This is not a book that is worth waiting in crazy lines at midnight the day it's released.
The things I didn't like? The characters and the plot are weak. I know that there are many literary elements that make a story "good", and I won't get into those. But characters and plot are essential.
The story follows Bella Swan, as she moves to a new town and falls for the gorgeous outsider at her high school. We soon find out that the unbelievably good-looking Edward Cullen is a vampire. The author then proceeds to go on and on about the deep love the two suddenly began to feel for one another, and how amazingly hot Bella finds Edward. At the end, Bella gets in a little trouble with some rival vampires, providing the only action and somewhat interesting elements of the entire novel, before Edward bravely comes to her rescue. The boring end.So why did I read it? Well, I like to read. I like to read EVERYTHING. From Nora Roberts to Tom Robbins (though I prefer Tom Robbins). It's just fun to get lost in another world. And Stephenie Meyer creates a somewhat interesting world. The cool elements are there. Love: I can dig that. Rivalry and battle: awesome. Vampires: sweet. Vampires that glitter: ...what? Seriously? He "glitters" in the sun? Well... ok... whatever, I guess...
Should teenagers read this book? Sure, why not. My problem? The complete and ridiculous obsession that rivals only that of the Harry Potter series (which is a little excessive itself). This really is a mediocre book that should be read, and then forgotten. Set aside, and only re-visited during a blizzard when you are stranded at your parents' house, and the only book available is an old copy of Twilight, left in the basement because no one wanted it. This is not a book that is worth waiting in crazy lines at midnight the day it's released.
The things I didn't like? The characters and the plot are weak. I know that there are many literary elements that make a story "good", and I won't get into those. But characters and plot are essential.
Bella has no interesting qualities at all. She has no hobbies or interests other than her obsession with some boy she met in high school. She's not a member of the math bowl, or in high school choir, or on the volleyball team, or addicted to World of Warcraft. Nothing. Is this really a good role model for young girls: someone addicted to a boy, with no goals or aspirations of any sort (other than her dream to be turned into a vampire herself)? I have a hard time being interested in a protagonist like that. And Meyer's other characters are all equally one-dimensional.
The story line is dull. It arcs at the very end, when Bella's life is threatened by the "bad" vampires. But the rest of the book is slow moving and uninteresting. There are very few things that surprised me at all as the story went on.
Now, I'm not a writer. There is no way that I could write anything as good as what Meyer's written. But I am a reader, and I know I've read many things better than Twilight. It's laughable to compare this to the Harry Potter series. Rowling may not use a myriad of literary techniques, but the basic elements are there. Her characters are well-rounded, with both good and bad qualities and multiple interests. The story is complex, with twists and turns, and mysteries that take seven books to fully unravel.
But hey, the Twilight books are fun to read. It takes me back to when I was younger and boys were the most important thing in the world. I just think teenagers also need to be reading other books (and not just Harry Potter). Books with intelligent and strong heroes/heroines, who fight for what they believe in and let no boy (or girl) bring them down. And books that are just a little bit better written than a high school creative writing project.
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