Sherry
- Wednesday, July 2 2008
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Ken, they are awesome. I have read the whole series and I am lookiing forward to the next one Aug. 2, check out my YA group called VampiresWitchesWeresall that2 and you can see the response from the YA regarding these books. We have a thread where we listed our top 5 books and I think Twilight was number 1 on everyones list.
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Ken H
- Wednesday, July 2 2008
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Great, thanks Sherry! I'll check out your group. Thanks.
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This is an excellent series! I cannot wait to get my hands on Breaking Dawn, which comes out next month.
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I have read the first 2 and they are rather addicting-but in a sweet high school sort of way. I just love them and look forward to reading the 4th!
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KHT
- Wednesday, July 2 2008
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Oh are you ever going to have a flood of response to this question! The movie is coming out in December...December 12th to be exact :)
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The story is decent. The characters are great. The writing....not so great. But I love the series just the same. It is my literary chocolate.
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i couldn't stand the characters, though i know i'm seriously in the minority. the first book is okay, but i felt like it went down from there--the main character is weak and the love interest controlling to the point of abuse. it's incredibly popular, so i've read them to know what my students are talking about, but i was not impressed.
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In terms of the /writing/ I think the books get better after Twilight.
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Sherry
- Thursday, July 3 2008
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I am suprised by your response drunken..I thought that you would like these books, the main character I agree is a little weak, but I have to disagree about the controlling part being abuse, I don't get that at all....I loved the series and it's great that you read what your students are interested in so you can discuss issues with them..I wished more of my teachers had done that when I was in school..it makes a difference when your teachers are hip to whats cool.
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sherry, at one point he literally locks her up "to keep her safe"! i just couldn't stomach how passive and weak she is...and how she's always just passed from one man to the other, father to edward to jacob and back again.
when i first read the book, i just didn't love it like everyone else did...then, when the popularity just got so intense, it started to really bother me that young girls think of edward, for example, as being an ideal boyfriend--cold, hard like marble and constantly fighting the urge to kill me just doesn't seem ideal in my book! at least she and jacob are actually friends at first, but then he also forces the issue...and her dad applauds him, even though bella obviously didn't want that attention in that way.
i'm not a huge "social issue" reader, so it's not like i live on my high horse, but i guess i just don't have the stomach for propagating a generation of passive girls who think a man should call all the shots. yeah, yeah, it's just a book...it's just not the book for me. :)
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Sherry
- Thursday, July 3 2008
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I agree..I have raised my daughter to be her own person without needing a man to survive..they are nice to have but I don't have to have one to live...AMEN!..
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KHT
- Saturday, July 5 2008
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I also read this because so many of my students were talking about it, and I wanted to know what the hype was all about. I did recommend them to other students once I read the whole series. However, I , too, felt that the main character was a bit weak in the second book. I was a bit impatient as I felt the story was moving too slow. Despite my thoughts, they are good books that would get students to read...and anything to get them to read is an achievement.
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Drunken- I could not agree with you more (you and I may have "chatted" about this before). There are SO many stronger female characters in YA-- and I find it tragic that students aren't drawn to those books they way they are drawn to Twilight (and the Bella/ Edward relationship).
I do not like this book at all because of this tremendously disturbing and antiquated relationship; many have suggested reading the other books, but I genuinely do not care to do so.
I find it disheartening that this is still a popular portrayal of how men and women should relate to one another.
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zawadi
- Wednesday, July 9 2008
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"it started to really bother me that young girls think of edward, for example, as being an ideal boyfriend--cold, hard like marble and constantly fighting the urge to kill me just doesn't seem ideal in my book!"
drunkenlibrarian, I'm used to being the minority and I'm with you (pun intended). I am disturbed by the character Belle and the message that stalking and being submissive is acceptable. And when you work with young women who actually do believe this, this is a big deal.
We've had a similar discussion about the messages in this book in the high school teachers' forum.
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I'm with drunken and zawadi on this one. I read Twilight at the behest of a coworker, and probably will not read the rest of the series. Ugh! to the retro gender relations and Bleah! to the whole "vampires are inherently sexy" thing (which I have NEVER gotten). Stephenie Meyer apparently comes from a Mormon background, which may help explain Bella's extreme submissive posture.
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drunkenlibrarian,
I think you make some excellent points about Bella. At the same time, she continually disregards Edward's "orders" and takes her own path. I think she's fairly brave considering the people she is dealing with. I reserve judgment until I read Breaking Dawn because this series has potential as a coming of age story. Bella has just graduated high school and is looking at her future with several extremely different options. How she chooses will make all the difference to me in the way I ultimately view the series.
I completely agree with you on the subject of Edward. I can't wrap my head around the attraction to a cold, hard, controlling person like that. Jacob is even worse. His actions are loathsome and his abusive behavior should not be tolerated by Bella OR the readers. In the end though, I think the relationships (as fantastical as they are) are believable. That's why I like the story. To me, it is less of a romantic tale than it is a messy ride through the final moments of youth. Edward and Jacob are well thought out symbols. Edward is not a typical vampire. Meyer was very clever in the way she made her vampires resemble crystals. They sparkle in the sun, they are hard and cold to the touch, they do not breathe and last forever. They represent a denial of the natural world. The werewolves are out of control. They are subject to fits of passion and unreasonable emotional attachments. They represent a total surrender to the natural world.
I see a lot of comments about Bella being a weak or poor character. That's an interesting problem because the whole story is told in her voice. That's where a lot of people seem to be missing the point. How many stories have you read where the narrator belongs to a gang, is a nerd being picked on, is too caught up in peer pressure to make wise decisions or is so full of pride they need to be knocked down before they can see other people clearly? Bella is doing what you would do in her place. Just because she is surrounded by these other worldly characters doesn't mean she is perfect. She is an inexperienced girl with two self absorbed, neglectful yet controlling parents, flailing through life, wrapped up in a relationship that is hurtful and outrageous. This series is not about Edward and Jacob. It is about Bella. I bet we've all had relationships that were confusing and that we've all made foolish choices in the intoxicating world of young love. Why would Bella be any different? The story is not yet over. She may yet have that epiphany and turn the corner. If I get my wish, she will finally understand that soft exposure to life and death are an essential part of human existence and that passion must be tempered with reason. My hope is that Stephenie Meyer will guide Bella and her readers to the realization that a grown woman is a far grander thing than a vampire or a werewolf.
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drunkenlibrarian, I agree with you about the characters. I was trying to put together a thoughtful response about WHY I felt that way and WHY the series is still attractive to me in that it is a great opening to talk about some of the bigger themes with students...and then Howard1004 did it for me (eloquently).
Howard, thanks for posting your thoughts. I, too, have big hopes that Bella's choice in the end is neither Edward nor Jacob, but herself--a stronger, more confident, independent, fully realized (and embraced) self.
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Hello Drunkenlibraria,
I am having so much trouble getting through Twilight, which I must for my job.
The first few pages were enjoyable. I found the writing lyrical and the character interesting (she liked her red truck, indulged her mother and father in their little foibles, etc.)
Then the romance started. Oh Ugggghhhh! Even if you're a teenager, do you have to be that shallow and stupid? Looking over my own diaries, ok, I did have a lot of crushes, but I could name at least one personality trait that attracted me. "Cold and perfect," "Smoldering eyes..." Oh please!! What an abusive jerk. Since she's a shallow twit it's a perfect match, but what in the world is appealling about this?
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Worth reading just to keep up on the obsessions of one's students. On a personal note, the books are kinda like potato chips - ya can't read just one!
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I heard about the movie before the book. The fact it is about Vampires is what encouraged me to read it. I was so impressed. I love the Twilight Series. I never thought I could get all 'fan girl' about a book but Twilight turns me into a screaming fan girl!
Sometimes I think they're a little silly because they are for a younger audience but they are surprisingly well written and could be loved by anyone. I'm anxiously awaiting Breaking Dawn.
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Gia d
- Thursday, July 3 2008
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It took me a minute to read the book after hearing all the hype from friiends but after I did...well, I was hooked as well. Although after the second book NEW MOON, it left me weary about reading Eclipse.
I can remeber the intesity of my first love and how Bella feels. Although being with a Vampire and all his restraints would drive me nuts! LOL! It's a good book.
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I love love love this series! I'm 25 and still get excited about it! I can't wait for the fourth book to come out.
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Ken H
- Wednesday, July 9 2008
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Thanks everyone for your responses! I have started reading the first and am mostly enjoying it, will continue the series for sure. I sort of think I was expecting more, something that would just grab me and it hasn't quite done the that, but it is a good read for sure! I'll continue on with the series. :) Thanks to you all!
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I LOVED the first one, mainly for the love story and the part of the book that was set in high school (I'm a high school teacher).
The second one was okay, kind of depressing overall.
The third one was better, but still not as good as the first.
I am having a hard time waiting for the fourth book to arrive. I would recommend reading it if you like love stories with a lot of action.
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Crake
- Wednesday, July 23 2008
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I know that this discussion has been quiet for a while, but I've been trying to read Twilight at the encouragement of co-workers and patrons and I just recently had to give up. I am disappointed to say that I only managed to get about five chapters down before I said "is this all there is?!" and pushed the book away. The entire book seemed determined to be just about Bella and Edward pretending not to like each other and then flirting. I know five chapters isn't much of a dent, but I just couldn't wait any more for the story to start. I even skipped through a significant chunk, just to see if there was any actual action or plot later on and I kept landing in scenes where they were arguing and flirting again! I have asked the opinions of a number of co-workers, whom I respect and consider to be articulate individuals and all they seem able to gasp out is "it's just so compelling, I couldn't put it down!!!", without explaining why. Can someone please tell me what the story is actually about? I'm very curious about what I'm missing. Whenever I process a customer's reservation for "Breaking Dawn" at work and they start to gush about the series, I start to feel like the only person at the party who hasn't tried the spiked punch.
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Crake-- The book does have a lot of action--once the bad vampires get there. But the book is mostly a love story. So if you aren't in the mood for reading about a teenage girl falling in love with a boy that she really shouldn't get involved with, then this book probably isn't for you. I don't really know of any guys that have read the book, so I don't know if guys like this sort of thing. (I'm assuming you are a guy because you were wanting the action to start in the story.)
If you don't like the 1st one, you'll hate the rest of them. I thought the first was the best.
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