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A review by moth_meg
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Something keeps drawing me back to this series. Reading the Twilight Saga reminds me that there are so many different ways to enjoy books, and a star rating representing quality is really just one small piece of that experience. This is a two-star book, but a 5-star experience in terms of discourse, lore, and community.
The way this book bounces between being seemingly self-aware and then completely unhinged is so strange and weirdly entertaining to me. I love the random (and fleeting) moments of clarity where a character will say something completely rational.
Take this good advice from Charlie:
The way this book bounces between being seemingly self-aware and then completely unhinged is so strange and weirdly entertaining to me. I love the random (and fleeting) moments of clarity where a character will say something completely rational.
Take this good advice from Charlie:
“I don’t think you should dump all your other friends for your boyfriend Bella…it’s not nice, and I think your life would be better balanced if you kept some other people in it”
Of course, she doesn't listen.
Or this hot take on Wuthering Heights from Edward:
Or this hot take on Wuthering Heights from Edward:
"I don’t understand why you like it, the characters are ghastly people who ruin each others’ lives”
The book is quoted frequently and romanticized throughout the book after this.
Bella can be genuinely insightful and funny one moment, then completely irrational and obsessive the next. Although her inner monologue about Edward can be cringe-inducing, I still think she’s a likable character. Maybe i’m just charmed by Kristen Stewart.
I love to read Bella as an unreliable narrator, or Edward as the villain. But at the end of the day, Meyer has made it clear that was not her intention with the books. Somehow the true entertainment value of the twilight saga comes from the readers- the "Twilight Renaissance" has encouraged readers to take the books less seriously and laugh when they’re comically bad, but also to look more deeply into what’s there, finding unexpected characters to love (Charlie) and to hate (Edward).
Twilight has become a piece of media that people love to hate, and as far as I can tell, Meyer has handled that gracefully. Regardless of why people gravitate to this series, it’s impressive that she created something that SO many people have been drawn into.
<b>Moral of the story: I don’t love Twilight, but I sure do love talking about it.</b>
Now for some actual complaining...
This has been my most frustrating experience with the Twilight Saga yet. The first problem I have with this book is the narrative surrounding consent and coercion. The way these topics are handled does not sit right with me.
From the start of the series, these books have romanticized a very imbalanced power dynamic. Eclipse takes this a step further on all fronts, showcasing Edward's hold over Bella by having him literally kidnap her and hold her in his family's house against her will as well as emphasizing the fact that he tracks her every move . Yes, Bella is in danger for the majority of the book, but her desires for privacy and agency should still be respected. It's disturbing to read how she tolerates and rationalizes this abusive behavior. I would have loved to see Bella stand up for herself and hold her ground just once instead of melting as soon as she remembers how pretty Edward is.
Even worse, both Edward and Jacob are incredibly manipulative of Bella in this book.Edward pressures Bella into accepting his marriage proposal using every tactic he can think of, including expressing his belief that if they were to have sex before being married, she would be damned . These implications regarding premarital sex and virtue are extremely uncomfortable, especially in the context of the rest of the story. You would think a book that tackles the topic of sexual assault of varying types through Rosalie and Bella's experiences would at least attempt to add some nuance before implying that sex before marriage sends you straight to hell .
And then there's Jacob. The love triangle (an already tired trope) is executed horribly. We know what Bella's decision will be from the beginning, there is no suspense, no tension.The moment Bella realizes that she "loves" Jacob, she has already let him go. Not to mention the fact that Meyer absolutely destroys his character on the way to Bella's realization. Jacob threatening to kill himself in order to manipulate Bella into agreeing to kiss him is beyond immoral and completely goes against everything that was appealing about his character to begin with. Jacob's main function in the story is to serve as a foil to Edward and embody the human life that Bella is choosing to leave behind. He sees and treats Bella as an equal rather than "protecting" (i.e. controlling) her as Edward does. At least he *did* until this book. Truly disappointing in terms of both characterization and plot development.
I would have much less of an issue with the inclusion of these plot points in the book if they had actual consequences. Rather, all characters are quick to forgive, which both minimizes and normalizes this shitty behavior.
I am fascinated by the way that Meyer includes so many plot points and characters that could be incredibly dynamic, then chooses to skate past them without diving deeper into what could've been very interesting arcs. Tell me more about the Cullens and their backstories! The glimpse into Rosalie's past life is one of the highlights of this book, and I gladly would've read more chapters devoted to her story. Bloody revenge in a wedding dress! Give me more of that story PLEASE . And to double down on my previous point, I would've loved for Bella to have been able to talk with Rosalie about the broken boundaries in her own life. Maybe they could've bonded. Maybe they would've teamed up to teach Jacob a lesson.
A central narrative through the book is that of the "third wife", a Quileute woman who sacrificed herself to save her husband and sons as they battled a vampire. [Sidebar: let's not forget that the Quileutes are real people and have <a href=https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/twilight-quileute-tribe/>faced real consequences</a> as a result of the Twilight series.] This story feels a bit like Chekhov's gun, it's referenced so many times that we know Bella is going to commit a similar act. When this moment finally comes, it feels incredibly anticlimactic.Not only does this moment take place away from the larger battle (which we don't even get to see), but it is revealed that Bella's risk was completely unnecessary. She cuts her arm to distract the vampire-fighting the young werewolf Seth, but Edward tells her later that Seth was only pretending to struggle, and that he was only thrown off by her attempt to help him. And just like that, Bella's act of bravery is trivialized.
Stephanie Meyer left me wanting much more in terms of plot, character development, and excitement. I knew not to expect much from this book since Eclipse is also my least favorite of the Twilight movies. Will my curiosity (and critical streak) be strong enough to push me through Breaking Dawn? I'm not sure yet, but I suspect it won't be too long until I'm tempted to see demon baby Renesme in her literary form...
Bella can be genuinely insightful and funny one moment, then completely irrational and obsessive the next. Although her inner monologue about Edward can be cringe-inducing, I still think she’s a likable character. Maybe i’m just charmed by Kristen Stewart.
I love to read Bella as an unreliable narrator, or Edward as the villain. But at the end of the day, Meyer has made it clear that was not her intention with the books. Somehow the true entertainment value of the twilight saga comes from the readers- the "Twilight Renaissance" has encouraged readers to take the books less seriously and laugh when they’re comically bad, but also to look more deeply into what’s there, finding unexpected characters to love (Charlie) and to hate (Edward).
Twilight has become a piece of media that people love to hate, and as far as I can tell, Meyer has handled that gracefully. Regardless of why people gravitate to this series, it’s impressive that she created something that SO many people have been drawn into.
<b>Moral of the story: I don’t love Twilight, but I sure do love talking about it.</b>
Now for some actual complaining...
This has been my most frustrating experience with the Twilight Saga yet. The first problem I have with this book is the narrative surrounding consent and coercion. The way these topics are handled does not sit right with me.
From the start of the series, these books have romanticized a very imbalanced power dynamic. Eclipse takes this a step further on all fronts
Even worse, both Edward and Jacob are incredibly manipulative of Bella in this book.
And then there's Jacob. The love triangle (an already tired trope) is executed horribly. We know what Bella's decision will be from the beginning, there is no suspense, no tension.
I would have much less of an issue with the inclusion of these plot points in the book if they had actual consequences. Rather, all characters are quick to forgive, which both minimizes and normalizes this shitty behavior.
I am fascinated by the way that Meyer includes so many plot points and characters that could be incredibly dynamic, then chooses to skate past them without diving deeper into what could've been very interesting arcs. Tell me more about the Cullens and their backstories! The glimpse into Rosalie's past life is one of the highlights of this book, and I gladly would've read more chapters devoted to her story
A central narrative through the book is that of the "third wife", a Quileute woman who sacrificed herself to save her husband and sons as they battled a vampire. [Sidebar: let's not forget that the Quileutes are real people and have <a href=https://studybreaks.com/thoughts/twilight-quileute-tribe/>faced real consequences</a> as a result of the Twilight series.] This story feels a bit like Chekhov's gun, it's referenced so many times that we know Bella is going to commit a similar act. When this moment finally comes, it feels incredibly anticlimactic.
Stephanie Meyer left me wanting much more in terms of plot, character development, and excitement. I knew not to expect much from this book since Eclipse is also my least favorite of the Twilight movies. Will my curiosity (and critical streak) be strong enough to push me through Breaking Dawn? I'm not sure yet, but I suspect it won't be too long until I'm tempted to see demon baby Renesme in her literary form...
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault