In a previous post, I mentioned that Toby’s coworker’s wife sent me the Twilight books to read last year. I polished all 4 off in less than a month. Which is funny, because honestly, the writing sucked. Stephen King said it best:
The real difference [between J.K. Rowling and Meyer] is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer, and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.
So if the writing isn’t great, what is it about Twilight that draws us to it? The answer to that question is going to be different for each reader.
For many (both teenagers and their 30-40 year old moms) it is the same thing that soap operas and romance novels provide–the false notion of a perfect prince who is going to sweep them off their feet some day. Sorry to burst your bubble ladies, my Prince Charming has morning breath. But he’s so much better than a fantasy. He’s real. He loves me with an imperfect love, but its amazing nonetheless.
For others, Forks (the one that Stephanie Meyers has created in Twilight, not the actual town) is a cool place they’d like to buy real estate in. It’s an escape from the mundane world we see around us and a glimpse into a more exciting one. I get that. I probably subconsciously do that. Fiction books have been my fun escape since I was a little girl. Forget TV, give me a novel!
Another reason that some of us get sucked in is because we identify with Bella. Stephanie Meyer left Bella as an open shell of a character. Most of what we know of Bella in the beginning is that she’s a fumbling, awkward teen who doesn’t feel like she fits in. Are there any females out there who felt that way in their teenage years? Can I hear an amen?
But then Bella meets Edward…and although he isn’t clumsy, he’s weird. And, as it turns out, he’s the same kind of weird as Bella. By the end of the series, she becomes a vampire like Edward and this is exactly how she was meant to be. Everything in her life led up to it. Rascal Flatts already sang this song. It’s called “God Bless the Broken Road.”
This is why I feel like I am Bella. I was the loner in jr high & high school that felt clumsy, awkward, and out of place until a boy came along. One who embraced who I was and loved me for it. He treated me like a princess and quickly became my best friend.
For the record, Toby is not a sparkly vampire who walks around saying “It’s complicated,” but he does have the most incredible eyes I’ve ever seen in my life. 🙂
Why do you read/watch the Twilight series? Are you a Twi-hard or a hater?