If you don't read the whole thing, then read this:
And in the middle we have Bella, our everywoman. Actually, that’s not true. If Stephenie Meyer intended Bella to be the embodiment of femininity, she has done a poor job of presenting her as such, because just about every woman I know has more going for her than Bella does. Miss Swan is homely, insecure, stubborn, clumsy, shy, prone to obsessive behavior and completely lacking in self-awareness. In short, she is not an especially desirable heroine, and yet she is being furiously pursued by not one but two Prince Charmings.
What follows is an unrealistic and mostly unhealthy love triangle in which two emotionally unstable and supernaturally powerful alpha males duke it out for the affection of an awkward young woman whose only apparent ambition in life is to be married before she turns 19.
That is what I laughed at. I've read all the books, and I've seen three of the movies. I think the story line was pretty brilliant. The writing.... not so much. In the movies the acting is pretty horrible. I really can't stand Kristin Stewart, who plays Bella.
There are many people who like Twilight, and I'm not judging those people. I'm glad I read the books. I now understand what the hype is about. It was just interesting to read that post and think about it in a different light. They may be able to argue that the romance in Twilight is unrealistic, but Twilight does have some good qualities. Meyers portrays both Edward and Bella with some good morals. They waited until marriage to sleep with each other. There are not many teenage based romance novels that will do that in this day. Meyer's also shows that love is tough. It's not all happy go lucky. Love is something you have to work on. Love is patient, and love is kind. It is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrong. Throughout the books you can see the characters working on this. Although it seems pretty dreamy to have two attractive guys after you, Meyer's still presents the struggles that come with love.
* Also, if you read the article, read some of the comments. A few people said that, yes, you could find flaws in the book, but you can also find some great things about it.
There are many people who like Twilight, and I'm not judging those people. I'm glad I read the books. I now understand what the hype is about. It was just interesting to read that post and think about it in a different light. They may be able to argue that the romance in Twilight is unrealistic, but Twilight does have some good qualities. Meyers portrays both Edward and Bella with some good morals. They waited until marriage to sleep with each other. There are not many teenage based romance novels that will do that in this day. Meyer's also shows that love is tough. It's not all happy go lucky. Love is something you have to work on. Love is patient, and love is kind. It is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrong. Throughout the books you can see the characters working on this. Although it seems pretty dreamy to have two attractive guys after you, Meyer's still presents the struggles that come with love.
* Also, if you read the article, read some of the comments. A few people said that, yes, you could find flaws in the book, but you can also find some great things about it.
1 comment:
I agree with you. I enjoyed Twilight for its pure entertainment value, but I think that Bella is extremely codependent and Edward is disturbingly controlling, to the point of emotional abuse.
Do I find the books and movies interesting? Yes. But if my future daughter were to read this, I would definitely want to have a lot of dialouge about what a healthy vs. an unhealthy relationship looks like. So, I think the books are useful for a) entertainment and b) promoting conversation.
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