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3.22 AVERAGE
3.22 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
thoughts
- haven't read these books since i was like 11 so it was a nice refresher! i do think the writing style was simple and easy to follow; i can tell why i enjoyed it so much growing up
- i don't know if it is poorly written enough to warrant a 2 star but i do think nostalgia is a driving factor of my enjoyment of this book and i did enjoy it! i was however, very confused, as to why this had such a large following in the late oughts before the movies came out like? these books aren't really anything to write home about
- kind of made me sad :( like i think bella is a normal kind girl and tries to be a good daughter and idk. just sad to think abt what will happen and how meeting edward uproots her entire life :(
- timeline of their relationship was SO QUICK compared to what i remember as a child and they are declaring their love for each other despite only have a couple of genuine conversations? like i do think they love each other and have a lot of devotion and love but i don't believe that they actually like each other? like what is their attraction rooted in other than like. being dangerous and unknowable to the other??? the unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him quote is in chapter EIGHT????????? like you don't even know each other đ
- surprised by how much bella and jacob seem to actually like each other and want to be friends i think they are so cute... for NOW.....
- forgot about all the cullen lore omg can't wait for more as the books progress
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*A Defence of Twilight*
Twilight, perhaps more than any other book franchise, is often scorned and disparaged as the lowest quality fiction. Yet the franchise is the 20th best-selling book series of all time, with 120 million copies sold, outselling even the James Bond series. I have read across genres and literary styles and I think Twilight deserves the popularly it has amassed, and to this day it remains one of my favourite books and I stand by this on a recent re-reading.
This review isnât trying to make it one of your favourite books too but it is challenging some widely-held assumptions about the series.
What genre is Twilight?
Originally pitched by Meyer as âsuspense romance horror comedyâ, the first book is also said to be influenced by Pride and Prejudice. Although a notable difference is that Darcy is a traditional romantic hero, whereas Edward is a Byronic hero. Yet other parallels exist with the Austen classic and Meyer draws from other classic literature in her series. The first book has many gothic romance themes too and draws influence from Jane Eyre and of course, Dracula. Although not originally intended as a YA novel, since the events take place in a high school the decision was taken to market it as such. However, the series is widely read by adults and teenagers alike.
What makes Twilight great?
I believe there are three main reasons:
1. It makes the reader feel - Meyer captures the intense emotions of first love and vividly depicts fear, anxiety, hope, despair, anger etc. in the raw way that teenagers feel them. And the characters are vivid and feel real. I believe this is partly due to Meyerâs mixing of genres. In real life people donât just behave in a way consistent with one genre and seeing gothic themes explored against comedy is unique and deepens the realism of the characters. This comedy writing is something Meyer is rarely credited for but Meyer writes the light comedic relief well and itâs interesting to see gothic themes paired with this unlikely partner; and
2. Its cultural impact - The highest accolade of any writer is to have their story immortalised into legend and myth. Well-known examples of this include cases such as Frankenstein or Dracula where the names in the books have become ubiquitous with their respective mythology. Twilight popularised paranormal romance like no other book and solidified the idea of the âromantic vampireâ. In many ways Twilight was a natural successor to Carmilla, Dracula and the Anne Rice series, each in their own ways exploring the seductive elements of vampirism. Meyer took it a step beyond sex, to arguably the more radical position of love; and
3. It created a prominent female-focused genre - The wild success of Twilight established paranormal romance and fantasy romance as publishing staples. It made publishers pay attention to female-focused fantasy as a big seller and paved the way for series today such as ACOTAR. Why is this important? Well, when you think back to what book first got you into reading, itâs unlikely to be Ulysses. For many men itâd be something like Star Wars- an accessible read with ideas that capture the imagination. Twilight did this for many women (and of course some men too). It speaks to female fantasy in a female voice and it was one of the first times female desire and imagination was explored on such a large scale. Plus, Twilight is not only influenced by the classics but has references to many classics in the books and this has spurred many readers to go on and read the classics. So establishing female fantasy at the forefront of publishing attracts new readers and by serving the female market, we acknowledge women as a valuable part of the readership that have long been underserved.
Why is it unjustly scorned?
1. One of my very best friends drew my attention to this first and most important point. (This wonderful friend also first noticed the parallels between Twilight and Jane Eyre- thank you for all your insight, Cathy!) Twilight is often scorned as silly, with its werewolves and vampires, by the same people who revere Star Wars, with its wookiees and wampas! Star Wars is an equivalent writing quality, with equally fantastical elements. So why is Twilight disparaged and Star Wars is respected as a beloved tale? The answer: Star Wars serves a predominantly male audience and Twilight serves a predominantly female audience. Disparaging one series ahead of another when both are of an equivalent quality and the main difference is the target demographic is symptomatic of a chronic latent sexism in society. This is corroborated by the disparagement the Romance genre receives as a whole and no such scorn is given to any other genre;
2. The main romantic relationship is seen as âproblematicâ. Itâs difficult to address this without going into spoiler plot points but I will say Bellaâs agency increases as the relationship progresses and the series goes on and that wouldnât be typical in an unhealthy relationship. I would also note that the intensity of the relationship is characteristic of gothic romances and should be assessed in that context; and
3. The scorn, like the book, is part of popular culture now and is continued by many who havenât read the book and are not the target demographic for the book.
Should you read it?
It depends.
If youâre intrigued to read a suspense-gothic romance-comedy in a modern day setting and want to relive the feelings of falling in love for the first time then yes, you may have just found what will become one of your favourite tales.
If not, maybe this one isnât for you and thatâs ok too.
In summary, Twilight is not for everyone, but then again neither is any piece of fiction. The subjectivity of taste should never overshadow the objectivity of value. Twilight deserves respect for its phenomenal success, for carving out a new female-focused genre and for attracting many new female readers by catering to a female audience.
So donât give us âTwihardsâ such a hard time and weâll go easy on you Star Wars fans too!
Twilight, perhaps more than any other book franchise, is often scorned and disparaged as the lowest quality fiction. Yet the franchise is the 20th best-selling book series of all time, with 120 million copies sold, outselling even the James Bond series. I have read across genres and literary styles and I think Twilight deserves the popularly it has amassed, and to this day it remains one of my favourite books and I stand by this on a recent re-reading.
This review isnât trying to make it one of your favourite books too but it is challenging some widely-held assumptions about the series.
What genre is Twilight?
Originally pitched by Meyer as âsuspense romance horror comedyâ, the first book is also said to be influenced by Pride and Prejudice. Although a notable difference is that Darcy is a traditional romantic hero, whereas Edward is a Byronic hero. Yet other parallels exist with the Austen classic and Meyer draws from other classic literature in her series. The first book has many gothic romance themes too and draws influence from Jane Eyre and of course, Dracula. Although not originally intended as a YA novel, since the events take place in a high school the decision was taken to market it as such. However, the series is widely read by adults and teenagers alike.
What makes Twilight great?
I believe there are three main reasons:
1. It makes the reader feel - Meyer captures the intense emotions of first love and vividly depicts fear, anxiety, hope, despair, anger etc. in the raw way that teenagers feel them. And the characters are vivid and feel real. I believe this is partly due to Meyerâs mixing of genres. In real life people donât just behave in a way consistent with one genre and seeing gothic themes explored against comedy is unique and deepens the realism of the characters. This comedy writing is something Meyer is rarely credited for but Meyer writes the light comedic relief well and itâs interesting to see gothic themes paired with this unlikely partner; and
2. Its cultural impact - The highest accolade of any writer is to have their story immortalised into legend and myth. Well-known examples of this include cases such as Frankenstein or Dracula where the names in the books have become ubiquitous with their respective mythology. Twilight popularised paranormal romance like no other book and solidified the idea of the âromantic vampireâ. In many ways Twilight was a natural successor to Carmilla, Dracula and the Anne Rice series, each in their own ways exploring the seductive elements of vampirism. Meyer took it a step beyond sex, to arguably the more radical position of love; and
3. It created a prominent female-focused genre - The wild success of Twilight established paranormal romance and fantasy romance as publishing staples. It made publishers pay attention to female-focused fantasy as a big seller and paved the way for series today such as ACOTAR. Why is this important? Well, when you think back to what book first got you into reading, itâs unlikely to be Ulysses. For many men itâd be something like Star Wars- an accessible read with ideas that capture the imagination. Twilight did this for many women (and of course some men too). It speaks to female fantasy in a female voice and it was one of the first times female desire and imagination was explored on such a large scale. Plus, Twilight is not only influenced by the classics but has references to many classics in the books and this has spurred many readers to go on and read the classics. So establishing female fantasy at the forefront of publishing attracts new readers and by serving the female market, we acknowledge women as a valuable part of the readership that have long been underserved.
Why is it unjustly scorned?
1. One of my very best friends drew my attention to this first and most important point. (This wonderful friend also first noticed the parallels between Twilight and Jane Eyre- thank you for all your insight, Cathy!) Twilight is often scorned as silly, with its werewolves and vampires, by the same people who revere Star Wars, with its wookiees and wampas! Star Wars is an equivalent writing quality, with equally fantastical elements. So why is Twilight disparaged and Star Wars is respected as a beloved tale? The answer: Star Wars serves a predominantly male audience and Twilight serves a predominantly female audience. Disparaging one series ahead of another when both are of an equivalent quality and the main difference is the target demographic is symptomatic of a chronic latent sexism in society. This is corroborated by the disparagement the Romance genre receives as a whole and no such scorn is given to any other genre;
2. The main romantic relationship is seen as âproblematicâ. Itâs difficult to address this without going into spoiler plot points but I will say Bellaâs agency increases as the relationship progresses and the series goes on and that wouldnât be typical in an unhealthy relationship. I would also note that the intensity of the relationship is characteristic of gothic romances and should be assessed in that context; and
3. The scorn, like the book, is part of popular culture now and is continued by many who havenât read the book and are not the target demographic for the book.
Should you read it?
It depends.
If youâre intrigued to read a suspense-gothic romance-comedy in a modern day setting and want to relive the feelings of falling in love for the first time then yes, you may have just found what will become one of your favourite tales.
If not, maybe this one isnât for you and thatâs ok too.
In summary, Twilight is not for everyone, but then again neither is any piece of fiction. The subjectivity of taste should never overshadow the objectivity of value. Twilight deserves respect for its phenomenal success, for carving out a new female-focused genre and for attracting many new female readers by catering to a female audience.
So donât give us âTwihardsâ such a hard time and weâll go easy on you Star Wars fans too!
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
What a classic!! Absolutely loved this book!
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book does not actually deserve five stars, but my inner teenager still loves this one to the moon. So five stars it is.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No