Count: Why don't I sparkle?Me: Ummm... Because you're made of cloth?
Twilight bashing has become a favorite pastime. After all, who wouldn't cringe when reading cheesy lines such as this:
He lay perfectly still in the grass, his shirt open over his sculpted, incandescent chest, his scintillating arms bare. His glistening, pale lavender lids were shut, though of course he didn’t sleep. A perfect statue, carved in some unknown stone, smooth like marble, glittering like crystal.
From Stephen King, bloggers, to Harry Potter fans, it seems that everyone feels strongly against the popular book quartet. I've read all 4 books and, when I read the book almost 5 years ago, I found Twilight refreshing. The other three books though are a different story. I won't go into the details on why my appreciation for the books waned -- this article does that for me.
Whatever reason you may have for not liking the series, I still admire Stephenie Meyer because of the following:
- Being original - Who would've ever thought to write something about vampires vs. werewolves? Truly a novel concept.
- Fearlessly spitting on folklore - I've always thought vampires were outright scary. But, they're not -- because they sparkle! They don't need to have fangs, too.
- Writing winning characters who take control of their destinies - Rather than write about a heroine who actually has skills (and a personality), she comes up with a character who simply pops up everytime the heroine needs help. Simply brilliant!
- Eliminating flaws in the hero - Why settle for flawed characters when you can develop a protagonist who's beautiful and perfect! And who sparkles!
- Having a witty writing style - See italicized paragraph above. (Sadly, that doesn't sparkle.)
6 comments:
two words: vampire baseball. ugh!
Hi, KyusiReader. After all the Twilight bashing, i'm afraid to admit i actually liked it. Twilight--- not Eclipse, New Moon or Breaking Dawn--- just Twilight. And one more reason to admire Stephenie Meyer: she got a lot of people to read.
i admit i liked the story itself. i found the story to be very tragic -- the Edward Cullen figure. what does it mean to be a 120 year old trapped in a 17 year old's body? one of the significant conflicts of modern man -- the puer - senex problem. i suspect for all of her books short-comings, it is this among others that has gripped the invisible hand of the market.
Hi, Peter! This post really made me laugh, in appreciation.:) Simply because, when I read the Twilight series before it hit big, I absolutely loved it. Never mind that I realized that it was mindless and the writing below par. I'm just a sucker for star-crossed love.
And I know there are people who make a habit out of bashing it, but I think that Twilight bashing can get old. Some fans have moved on, as they're meant to. Perhaps the bashers can move on, too.
One thing, though--Meyer's concept wasn't original. She got most of her ideas from Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton. I make a habit of reading vampire literature.:P
@Portobello's coffee: That scene actually was better read than seen. In the book, the sport was very atmospheric, and it somehow served as a vehicle for Meyer to show Bella just how magical the Cullen family is.
@after8: I have to agree with you. The Twilight books are revolutionary in that sense. They actually encouraged, nay, forced people to read just to find out what happens between the "star-crossed lovers." My niece, who's no big fan of reading, read the Twilight books and enjoyed them!
@line of flight: Interesting theory. I must read more about it. Is that the same as the puer aeternus?
@fantaghiro23: There have been a lot of readings about why people are so into vampire literature, and I would love to hear about your fascination with them. Growing up reading Stephen King novels, I'm still uncomfortable reading about vampires in a non-horror theme. I guess that's why I found reading Harris' Dead Until Dawn difficult.
Thanks for the chuckle :o) I read and enjoyed Twilight, but took it for what it was... obviously not a literary miracle, just a good vampire fix!
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