Meyer, Stephenie - Twilight

[oyceter]

It was really odd reading this, because I had heard rilina rant about it a lot, but my sister was reccing it to me (and nearby while I was reading it).

I think I would have really loved it, had I read it a few years earlier, before I got sick of the entire vampire sub-genre, particularly the entire YA vampire sub-sub-genre.

Bella has moved from sunny Arizona to rainy Forks to stay with her dad instead of her mom, who's off being married. She starts noticing the strange Cullen family at school, particularly Edward Cullen, who is gorgeous and sends conflicting signals. They fall in love! It's too bad, since I think the book would have been about ten times more interesting if they fought crime instead.

Several elements of the book made me think that it would work much better as shoujo manga: a) Bella is clumsy and klutzy beyond belief, yet spunky, b) every other guy in the school miraculously has a crush on her and she doesn't realize, c) Edward is supernaturally gorgeous, and d) Bella's smell is irresistible to Edward.

As a benchmark to see if you will like this or not, if you haven't already fled at the shoujo manga description: Bella describes Forks as literally being hell on earth for her, despite the absence of pitchforks, flame, or anything else; Edward is introduced as having bronze hair.

The thing is, I can totally see why the book is a best-seller and loved by girls everywhere. It's got the same formula that's in Sailor Moon, every series by Watase Yuu, and most romance novels: clumsy, normal girl is pursued by a preternaturally handsome, dangerous guy who dramatically rescues her from situations despite her brief attempts to show her independence. Granted, Watase Yuu's guys are generally less dangerous than most, and most shoujo manga doesn't even have the brief attempts at independence. And the romances tend to lovingly describe every gorgeous detail of the guys, whereas manga lingers over them in two-page spreads. But in the end, it's largely the same wish-fulfillment fantasy.

And, in general, I am a fan of female wish-fulfillment fantasies. I just think I have read too many of this sort, and so, my buttons have shifted enough that this didn't grab them. I would also snark mercilessly at it, except my sister likes the book and recced it, and because this is so the thing I would have loved way back when I was reading LJ Smith.

Also, (minor spoiler!) in this world, vampires sparkle like diamonds in sunshine.

sorry, totally could not resist. but really! they sparkle! LITERALLY!

ETA: And why is it that hundred-year-old vampires are always attracted to teenagers? I don't understand! And why is it that hundred-year-old vampires still act like mooning teenagers as well?

Links:
- buymeaclue's review
- habiliments' review
- sophia_helix's review

Comments

[oyceter]

HEE! In that case, I feel they should be forced to live in high school forever as punishment.

[oyceter]

You are a fellow LJ Smith fan! Now I'm sad I didn't know this last year because I would have inflicted a ton of reminiscing on you.

But yeah. I am for actual illustrations of sparkly vampires, but not necessarily reading about them.

[oyceter]

I liked that one a lot because it was sort of a non-romance and a neat take on the usual human-vampire romances. Though I'm not sure how often I'll reread, because wow, was that not a happy book.

[oyceter]

I still need to read that! I read Silver Kiss a while back and meant to pick up Blood and Chocolate but just somehow never did.

[oyceter]

Another LJ Smith fan! Awesome!!

I loved Night World the best, though I am also secretly fond of Forbidden Game, even though it totally had the wrong ending. I read the last book of Vampire Diaries first, so I was ok with it, but when I finally got around to reading the first few, I came to the same conclusions about Elena and Stephen that you did.

But yes to adoring Mary-Lynette and Jez! And I was more in love with bad boys then, so I completely fell for Ash and Mor... I forgot his name.

[oyceter]

And, reaching 450, they have a midlife crisis, buy a corvette, and cruise the high schools.

That is so awesome. I love the idea of high school girls as vampire mid-life crises.

[keilexandra]

My school friends rec'd this book (very strongly) to me, so I read it without any reservations and expected an easy YA romance. I loved it; NEW MOON made me cry and gave me a tight, painful feeling, even as my brain recognized how cliche it was. Hey, maybe my tolerance for YA hasn't been completely destroyed. [Link is f-locked; don't remember if you still read springgreen]

Most reviews I've since read online are negative, so I'm glad that I wasn't prejudiced by that going in.

[evil-kat.livejournal.com]

I should totally write THAT book!

[oyceter]

I read it without any reservations and expected an easy YA romance.

Hey, that is good too ^_^. I suspect I would have liked it more had it not been about vampires and had I not read it now, as opposed to before -- also, not commenting on your age! Commenting more on the insane amounts of vampire books I have read. Like, seriously. I think the only reason I wasn't a full-blown loligoth kid was because a) I didn't know such thing existed and b) I was too wimpy to stand out that much in a class of 20 people.

[oyceter]

You should!

[shewhohashope.livejournal.com]

It's Morgead! I wasn't sure whether it was Mordred, Morgaine or neither and I had to look it up.

[keilexandra]

Vampires are good--it's werewolves that I can't stand. XD

[penmage.livejournal.com]

LJ Smith was my high school experience. I had no idea there were other people who read her!

[oyceter]

Hee! Me too. I never quite got into them.

[oyceter]

Me too! I am so happy to find all these people in comments!

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

I actually prefer BaC to SK -- I feel like so many authors (*coughLKHcough*) have borrowed heavily from her portrayal of humans-in-pack-mentality, it's a shame her book isn't just as widely known.

[tatterpunk.livejournal.com]

I seriously thought LJ Smith was me, my sister, and our cousin's secret guilty pleasure.

She's got quite a cult following that still thrives on the internet -- her section on FFn.net, for instance, is impressive for someone who a) was never a bestseller and b) hasn't put out a new book in, what, over a decade?

She just satisfies the craving for cheese in so many of us. ;)

I think you're right -- the soulmate thing worked best whenever the people involved either denied it or didn't get immediate vindication from it -- i.e., falling into each other's arms immediately afterward with "It's you! It's been you all along!*" so forth etc.


*Listen, LJS, if you're lurking and reading -- I wanted to like "Dark Angel," okay? But I couldn't. Because it sucked.

[oyceter]

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people prefer BaC to SK -- I can sort of see why, given that SK is good, but really freaking depressing.

[oyceter]

That is awesome! Although now I am hoping her section on FF.net isn't so big that it disqualifies her for Yuletide, because now I sort of want LJ Smith fic for Yuletide, muhahaha.

[katie-m.livejournal.com]

I suppose it helps you stay current. But still, talk about hell.

[(Anonymous)]

I really liked the book. And i really didn't find the sparkling hilarious, i didn't even think about it that way. Both me and my friends and classmates really enjoyed her books.

[oyceter]

Cool, I'm glad you guys did.

Forget you all.

[(Anonymous)]

I LOVED Twilight!!
I also LOVED New Moon and Eclipse!
They're very well written, in my opinion.
And Stephenie's view of vampires is different than yours. She see's them as drop dead gorgous and sparkly.
So what?
Grow up.

Re: Forget you all.

[oyceter]

Hi!

I'd appreciate it if you'd sign anonymous comments.

Also, I'm glad you liked the book. My not liking it doesn't make your liking it any less valid, so I would appreciate not being insulted for not liking it.