I Play a Writer on the Internet

After having a few days to recover, I can give my final thoughts on my Twilight adventure.

Audience is everything with this book. I think the reason opinions are so sharply divided is because this book is a one-trick pony. If the main character, Bella, makes you feel like ‘this is/was me’, then I can see how this book can be appealing. A hopelessly awkward girl who you can totally relate to gets the boy who is not only the most beautiful guy in the school, he’s literally the best boy ever. Mix in a little mystery and danger for spice and I can see that would make an entertaining fantasy. Even if you’re rolling your eyes from time to time, a little silliness might not take away the fun. Well, you have to like all the soppy ‘we’re obsessed with each other conversations too.’

So okay, I can actually see the appeal. The author has done one thing really well, she made a character that many in her target audience can strongly relate to. I think the common refrain ‘how did this book get published’ falls flat since this is a powerful element and the publisher clearly made the right call–it sold like hotcakes.

If the trick doesn’t work for you, this book is awful. The romance between the leads simply is, it doesn’t develop. There is little to no plot through most of the book, simply a string of drawn-out, repetitive conversions between the leads about their mutual obsession.

No serious character conflict exists and the only one hinted at between Billy Black and Bella never goes anywhere in this book, he warns her about Edward but doesn’t take any action, she ignores his warnings and promptly forgets about them.

Even when there is briefly some plot going on with James hunting Bella toward the end of the book, the rescue happens off-screen, so to speak, and it doesn’t change the characters in any meaningful way.

All in all, I found the book very dull and difficult to listen to. However, it does illustrate the power in creating a character than is compelling to your audience. It may be the worst book I think I’ve ever made it all the way through, but to the right audience it’s compelling. Of course, really good authors have a way of making their books compelling even to the wrong audience; I don’t want to give too much credit.

This remains one aspect of this book I do find unsettling. I worry that it romanticizes a relationship that is very unequal and behavior that is not okay.

There is this creepy aspect to the relationship where Edward is unquestionably in charge and acts as an adult to child. Bella is rather helpless most of the time without Edward around and he has been around for a hundred years while Bella is 17. The heroine being portrayed as child-like isn’t exclusive to Twilight and Bella actually is a child, but this kind of uneven relationship still makes me uncomfortable. For goodness sakes, there’s a scene where Edward has to buckle her into a car seat.

Worse though, is Edward’s behavior and the way Bella reacts to it. He’s a stalker, there’s nothing else to call it when he follows her and breaks into her house to watch her sleep. Bella just finds it romantic, yuck. Not to mention this is a wasted opportunity for conflict. Also, he constantly tells her how he must control himself around her so he won’t hurt her. Yes, he’s a vampire, it makes some sense, but Bella simply eats it up, ugh. Add this to the controlling behavior I mentioned previously and at times I found this relationship rather sickening.

So there it is, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I think I can see the reason it’s so popular and I think I can see the reason it’s so despised. One thing for sure, I won’t be going on to the next book. The author may do one thing really well, but it’s definitely not for me.

I finished!

The epilogue went on a lot longer than I thought it would. There’s not much to it. Bella wants Edward to turn her into a vampire, and Edward doesn’t want her to stop being human when she’s so young. Jacob shows up to deliver a message from his dad, Billy Black. It’s just the same warning to stay away from the vampires and to say “we’ll be watching”. The very ending line is sort of suggestive in that Edward says something about “forever” and presses his lips to her neck. I’m pretty sure he’s not going to turn her, but I like that it’s ambiguous.

Anyhow, I’ll post some closing comments before long. Overall, I have to say the word I’d use to describe this book is “dull”. Obviously, it’s not dull for everybody, but it was for me.

Almost done. I got all the way to the beginning of the epilogue due to snowy roads and a slow journey home.

No Alice and Jasper intercepting her, she goes to the dance studio to meet James. James is all polite and calm. He explains that he tricked her by using a video tape so her mother is away in Florida. Bella is all relieved and seems pretty accepting that she’ll be killed in a minute. Scared, but accepting.

Ah, James doesn’t intend to kill her right off. He intends to draw it out an video tape it so Edward will be able to watch. Apparently he wants Edward to come after him as part of the game. The prospect of a painful death finally urges Bella to action, she bolts and James starts to beat her up, breaking her leg in the process. However, she gets cut and the sight of blood is too much for James, he gets ready for the kill.

As expected, the Cullens do show up to save her, but the reader doesn’t get to see any of it because Bella is drifting in and out of consciousness, thinking she’s dead. Once James is defeated in the rescue we don’t get to read about, they discover that he bit Bella’s hand, another thing we didn’t get to read about. Anyhow James’ venom is in her blood. Edward sucks it out even though it’s hard for him to stop since she’s his perfect flavor of blood or whatnot. Logically, it should be Doctor Cullen that does it since he resists blood all the time being, you know, a doctor. But whatever, obviously it has to be Edward for the drama.

Anyhow the rest of the story is soppy conversation between Edward and Bella. Really drawn out, very slow conversation. There are a few other points, Bella is going back to Forks because of Edward, the reason given for her injuries are falling down the stairs (the classic domestic violence cover, sigh), and her heart stops when Edward kisses her. This is another moment where you think it’s metaphor but it’s not. She has actual cardiac arrest, the heart monitor flatlines for a moment. Oh please.

As the epilogue starts, Bella is made up and dressed all fancy-like by Alice, and Edward is in a Tux. Oh, let me guess, he’s taking her to the prom? Incidentally, I love that they put Bella who is supposed to be the world’s clumsiest person in a stiletto heel (description in the boot) while her other foot is in a walking cast. Do they want to watch her fall down some more?