Written by Phoenix native Stephenie Meyer, the popularity of the young-adult series comprised of Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and the newly-released Breaking Dawn has reached critical mass. With a Twilight film adaptation coming to theaters this winter and an opening day’s sales of 1.3 million books for her latest installment, Meyer can be left with no doubt of her success. From a first-time novelist to a mainstay on the best sellers list, she has risen through the ranks like a veritable juggernaut.
But why? To figure out why the books were inspiring legions of fans and a dozen fan-sites (including the recently hacked Twilight Lexicon), I read the books myself to see what’s what.
To put it simply, dear reader, I was horrified. Not just by the sickeningly purple prose or the lack of general writing quality, but the books themselves are insulting on every level-as a woman, as a teenager, as a literature student, and as a graduate of the Harry Potter craze. What’s worse is that so few seem to realize it.
Twilight is the story of the so-called “average” new girl Bella Swan (Ha, ha, get it? Beautiful Swan?), who finds herself as the object of not one, not two, but a total of five boys’ romantic designs (because she’s so “plain”, see?). The most important of these is the mysterious, hilariously-Byronic Edward Cullen. Bella plays the pitiful damsel in distress a few times and after 200 pages of thinly written suspense, we learn that Edward is in fact a vampire. Never fear, though, because Bella’s “Adonis-like” admirer is no Nosferatu. Instead, he and his vampire family are so-called “vegetarian” vampires, feeding off of animals instead of humans and inexplicably attending high school (during lunch periods they buy trays of food and stare at each other so that Bella can conveniently get a glimpse of Edward from across the cafeteria). The first novel deals with Bella and Edward’s romance and is capped off by a hastily tacked-on plot designed to shove Bella into the damsel in distress role yet again so that her vampire lover can save her.
Okay, you’re saying. It’s a little cheesy. But why is that so bad?
First and foremost, the books present a female heroine who can hardly take a step without needing some boy to rescue her. In fact, the books represent sexist views in almost every way-from the fact that Bella gives up her ambitions and plans for college to get married to Edward, the fact that she is portrayed as a modern Eve, begging the noble, moral gentleman for sex while he desires to preserve their virtue, the fact that their relationship is dangerously unhealthy, and finally to the fact that nearly every single female character in the book is a hopelessly negative caricature.
The series does not improve with subsequent books, either. In New Moon, Bella enters a self-described “zombie” state when Edward leaves her. In fact, the author oh-so-cleverly inserts blank pages with the months’ names as a poorly conceived plot device for showing the depths of her heroine’s pain and also to avoid having to write the “hard stuff.” Bella turns near-suicidal; she purposely puts herself in harm’s way-going so far as to jump off a cliff-to hear her lover’s imagined voice in her head.
What does this say to readers, bearing in mind that the target audience is the tragically impressionable 12-17 year old girls? That they should fall apart at the seams for months if their boyfriend leaves them? That reckless self-endangerment is okay, so long as it’s to be close to your lover? What a lovely message to send to young women.
The sole bright spot of New Moon is the lovable Jacob Black, a member of the nearby La Push reservation and newly-turned werewolf. It is in Bella’s scenes with Jacob that readers see a glimpse of actual personality, and the burgeoning romance is certainly much more true to real-life teen romances than the lofty ideals of the star cross’d lovers Edward and Bella. But add another half-forgotten plot into the mix and Edward and Bella are reunited, with Jacob left by the wayside like a kicked puppy. Pun intended.
Eclipse. It is in this tome that Edward and Bella’s relationship takes a decidedly worse turn. Edward goes so far as to remove Bella’s engine from her car to prevent her from seeing her friend, Jacob, and even has his vampire ‘sister’ kidnap her from a weekend. Bella is a little peeved at this, sure, but she writes off Edward’s atrocious behavior with the terrifying “he’s just a little overprotective” and “he does it because he loves me”. Reader, I actually felt a little sick while reading this, despite these so-called good intentions (they’re always leading to hell, remember). Not only does Meyer give her two characters an obviously unhealthy-even abusive-relationship, but she romanticizes and idealizes it, and not only with Bella and Edward, but with Bella and Jacob as well.
Jacob, in fact, gets a bizarre personality transplant (lycanthropic dissociative identity disorder, maybe?) and turns into a real asshole in this book. He actually forcibly kisses Bella-twice-while ignoring her protests and actually threatens suicide should Bella refuse him. But not once does the thought of abuse, sexism, or inequality even occur to her main character! In fact, halfway through Jacob’s forced kiss (sexual assault, mind you) Bella actually decides that she’s in love with him. What is this??
I threw down my copy of Eclipse in disgust and I was ready to forget that the books existed until the Twilight-mania began anew in the lead-up to August 2nd’s release of Breaking Dawn. I can write this article just having read the first three, I told myself. In the end, though, partly due to morbid curiosity and partly a result of wildly irrational hope that somehow Meyer would redeem herself, I gave in.
I was wrong. In Breaking Dawn, Meyer gives us an honestly bewildering and at times horrifying close to the series. The several hundred pages are filled with sickly-sweet self-indulgence and a blatant dismissal of continuity and realism. In brief, Bella and Edward get horizontal at long last (but only after they’re married, of course-we can’t have the naughty temptress taking away Edward’s 107 year-old virginity) and Bella somehow gets pregnant. Please, Meyer says, never mind the fact that all the vampires’ body fluids are replaced with their ‘venom’ or that sperm dies after three days, much less a century. Even more fantastically, the vampire/human spawn grows at an alarming rate, so fast in fact that Bella feels it “nudging” her at approximately two weeks of gestation. Now, I’ve never been pregnant but I did take health class back in high school and I’m pretty sure that there’s something wrong with that picture.
I’ll spare you the details of the rest of this horror show. Trust me, the birthing scene is something I desperately wish I could un-see (after the loosely-called ‘baby’ breaks Bella’s pelvis, spine, and ribs from the inside, Edward ends up clawing his way to a surely-unsanitary vampire version of a Caesarian section using his teeth). I’m sorry. I had to share my pain. Bella becomes a super-special vampire with super-special powers and she wins the not-conflict of the not-climax. And don’t forget her nifty ability to go hunting in a forest in a cocktail dress and heels.
Thankfully, the ‘Twilight’ series is over. Not as great is the fact that millions of girls are reading this sexist tripe without a care in the world, obsessing over the “perfect” Edward Cullen and the “hot” Jacob Black, pretending to be Bella Swan and ignoring the unhealthiness of the relationship just as successfully as the character does. What happened that two hundred years after feminist hero Elizabeth Bennet is put down on the page, we get one of the most awful excuses for a female literary hero that I’ve ever seen?
So frankly, excuse me if I bow out of the Twilight mania. I’m going to go sink my teeth into Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman and pretend that Stephenie Meyer’s terrible series did not set gender equality back two hundred years in the minds of millions.
Read my follow-up to this piece, entitled Twilight: A Follow-Up, and a Promise!
Comments
1,790 Responses to “‘Twilight’ Sucks… And Not In A Good Way”
Brilliant review! You are so right about the mess that is this series.
Oh, thank god for saying that! I tottlay agree.
Thank you so much for this article. The craze for these series of books are truly unbelievable. It is a dime-story/trashy romance story at best. If you believe Meyer’s success is the only surprising thing, you should really check out the MOTHERS who encourage their children to read this trash. I am all for literacy and including families to read with their children because in an era of the internet, it’s nice to read from a book and not a screen. However, it’s completely inexplicable by all accounts any parent would condone these books as some kind of guide.
I really hope more open-minded journalist pick up on your review on this series.
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“What happened that two hundred years after feminist hero Elizabeth Bennet is put down on the page, we get one of the most awful excuses for a female literary hero that I’ve ever seen.”
The worst part about it is that Meyer has stated that one of the books is inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Isn’t that just awful?
thanks so much for trying to take the blinders off of the deluded millions reading this crap! i totally agree, very well written and if Meyer reads this she surely won’t be able to look at herself in a mirror
I 100% agree with what you just said. The books are overrated and I can’t understand why anyone would read them. I’ve read the first one and it was seriously a waste of time. It bothers me that EVERYONE reads them.
you are my new idol.
Yes, yes, and YES!!! Thank you so much for this article!!
I just find it so interesting that HP was under so much controversy for it’s “pro-Magic” messages, when Twilight’s messages are so much more disturbing, and yet no one has said anything about them. Other than the fact that the writing and characterization just plain SUCK, I honestly don’t see how this book could have been published. I find it somewhat offending how they keep comparing this hack writer to JK Rowling, who actually knows how to write and construct a decent story. Rowling actually fills up her 500+ pages with an actual story, not just fluff with a poorly tacked on “plot” in the last hundred or so pages.
Once again, great job on the article! I hope many more people get a chance to read it.
The most hilarious part? If you mention any of this to Twihards, they either stick their fingers in their ears and hum, or they shriek about how, “OMG ITS JUST A BOOK STOP ANALYZING IT OMG UR RONG”. For extra lolz, observe their Chris Crocker-esque reactions to any and all criticism of the Holy Mrs. Meyer. Seriously, it makes the “LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE-AHH!” videos look perfectly reasonable. Apparently, if you say anything that isn’t glowingly positive about the books, you’re hurting her widdle feewings and you’ll make her cwy, and you’re a bad bad person.
And to add a cherry of rage to this WTF sundae, take a gander at some of the interviews she’s given. Words cannot describe.
Ugh, I hate these books with a passion. I’m right in the target demographic, so about half of my friends are worshiping these things and getting furious at me for not liking them. If there’s anything worse than that books themselves, it’s the fanbase. Like Narwhal said, they can’t bring themselves to understand that these books aren’t the greatest pieces of literature ever written.
SMeyer has to be one of the most clueless authors I’ve ever known of, to the extent that she’s stated in an interview that her books “don’t have any meaning.” She also said that she’d been planning the Rosemary’s Baby plotline before she even wrote the second and third books, because it was the only direction she thought the story could go. She shouldn’t go around bragging about never having done any creative writing before Twilight, because it shows. Badly.
Thanks so much for writing this. Like the others have said, you couldn’t make this argument to a fan because they’ll deny it up and down the street. But it’s great you did. It’s nice to know that at least ONE article notices these blatant flaws.
It’s so strange that people who see the book for what it really is are in the minority, isn’t it? Like being surrounded by those body-snatchers or something. I dunno, the point is GO YOU for writing this and try to pass the information on. I’m glad we have one more sane person in the world.
But I noticed you didn’t touch on the themes regarding pedophilia. Next time haha
Bella Swan is damn creepy
Her relationship with Perfect Vampire Boy is creepy
How the hell did this blasphemy, the Twilight Series infect millions of teenage girls?
Stephanie Meyer, you FAIL
However, this review totally cracked me up while grossing me out at the same time.
You should go hang out with the Washington Post. The highlight of their review was “Reader, I hurled.” IT SEEMS TO BE A TREND, DON’T YOU AGREE?
All really excellent points. I agree, Jacob has been the only redeeming factor in this series, enough so to keep me in the fandom and shipping Jacob/Bella. I cans ee how people see a personality transplant with him in Eclipse, but I think he’s just an angry, desperate kid doing whatever he can to save Bella’s life.
Funnily enough, I am massively obsessed with Pride & Prejudice now. Austen and the Bronte sisters, I am SO all over them, and I have Bella to thank for it. Ironic, no?
So, basically, I agree with you on pretty much all points. The website I have linked is a community of Breaking Dawn critics, either people who dislike the entire series or are disappointed by the fourth book alone (and by extension, the whole series, even if they still like it.)
This was amazing. I’m linking it EVERYWHERE.
Hey, Kismet.
Very well written essay. I wish more fans would start perceiving the Twilight series like this. However, I disagree with your take on Jacob’s actions in Eclipse. You kind of contradict yourself when you say Bella & Jacob have a “real-life teen romance” and then dismiss the fact that Bella realizes she is in love with him by the end of Eclipse. Bella is an awfully stubborn and clueless person. Jacob was doing everything in his power (whether it be ethically right or wrong) to show Bella that she can have a good life if she chooses to remain human. Bella realizes she loves Jacob after the kiss because she comes to the realization that she can’t bare to lose him. Also, you forget to mention that Jacob was the one who saved Bella from her depression after Edward left her. Jacob was the one who brought happiness back into her life so I don’t she how she can’t fall in love him. Bella even calls Jacob her own “personal sun”.
Nevertheless, I agree with all the points you made. This series is definitely overrated and I fear for all those young teens who obsess and think this its greatest book ever written.
I agree on every point without exception.
If only we could have some new, strong female lead in a new young adult fiction to ease the pain.
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I’m sorry, but i don’t agree with anything you say. At all. I loved all four books and there are plenty of us out there who also enjoyed the series. I can’t wait to read more of Stephenie meyers books. So Fuck you all.
I have read all the books and by the end of the first I wanted to slap Bella. I have 3 girls(5,3,and 6Months) and I don’t want them reading this book at least until they have had a few healthy relationships and have had a chance to develope strong minds and opinions and relize that this not real life. I really didn’t like the last book. I was hoping that Meyer would come up with a better story. I am not a writer but I think I could have writen a better story.
No doubt I’ll be drawn & quartered for saying so, but I much prefer escapist fantasy to the bitter, negative harping of frustrated feminists. I guess it’s a sign of the times that those who don’t like/appreciate/understand a particular point of view feel compelled to vilify it with the most negative spin possible. Mostly what I hear in such rants is, “I couldn’t care less about a balanced point of view; my opinion is obviously the only correct opinion!” and “Anyone who doesn’t feel like I do is an idiot!”
You do make a few valid points in your essay. Too bad it is so vitrolic that the people you would like to influence are immediately turned off and will never benefit from the thought and effort you put into writing it. All you accomplish by such tactics is whipping up the frenzy of other like-minded souls.
Ugh. Give me a break. Every time, in any facet of entertainment, movies, books, tv, whatever, that we get a female protagonist, there ALWAYS has to be some pretentious discussion as to whether or not that protagonist is a feminist portrayal. I found Bella to be selfless, often clumsy, full of love, and incredibly grown-up. She is surrounded by men who love her and a family called the Cullens, who, if we could set aside the anti-feminist argument for one second, are one of the most incredible examples of compassion and tolerance in books and film today.
Sometimes there is more to a book or an entire saga than the heavily scrutinized choices of a female protagonist. Isn’t it more important to embrace the fact that a female author is reigning in the industry right now, that J.K. Rowling wasn’t the end of powerful women in letters, and that this time around, the protagonist is female?
I could’t agree more with you! And what bothers me most is that there are thousands of teenagers in the world that wanted to have a relationship like Edward/Bella. That when I say something like what you writed, people look at me like I’m an Alien. And that’s because they can’t understand that Edward is not perfect and Edward/Bella is such an unhealthy relationship. Personnaly, I have a great relationship and maybe that gives me other point of view. Or maybe is because I was in that “fase” when I was younger. The thing is I don’t dream with a “perfect” obsessive and overprotective boyfriend, and with a relationship when you have to give up all your life, friends, family, your individuality because your boyfriend. In that cases, sonner or later someone get really hurt.
I used to be a twilight fan, but I couldn’t even read Breaking Down. The story is too much ridiculous for me, I still have some sense of quality, I don’t eat everything that people gives to me without thinking twice like some fans do.
(And I know my english is not perfect, but do you know speak portuguese? :D)
This is a fictional book, and I totally disagree with YOUR OPINION. I enjoyed the Twillight Saga.The reason I don’t want to go point by point with you is space, time, and I’m not trying to convince you to change your opinion.
I am just an average reader no fancy titles but with comments like: ” I was horrified”…from the first three books, why keep on reading Breaking Dawn?
Dear writer, it is obvious that you believe that your opinion is the only one that counts, since your opinion piece refes to the people that like It, in this manner
“What’s worse is that so few seem to realize it.”
It seems to me that you are close minded, and only care of the rights of women who only agree with you.
Your opinion piece was very disappointing, I am going to go pretending that feminazis do not exist in this educated world.
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Zungia’s reply frightened me…it doesn’t matter if your an “Average” reader. Bad writing is bad writing, it’s not really an opinion. When you have as many mistakes in grammar as SMeyer does, it’s just bad. Also shallow love is another thing you can’t argue with, it just is. But I agree with your post, I don’t think your a feminazi or that you think your opinion is the most important.
I’m still laughing about it. This 23 year old tomboyish single woman is really glad girls finally have someone to listen to besides you!
A Zuniga: It does not take a “feminazi” (a decidedly UN-educated word, by the way) to see the blatant anti-feminism in these books. A child should be able to see it. “Mommy, why doesn’t Bella ever have anything to do when Edward isn’t there? Doesn’t she like to draw or color at least, or have any other friends to play with?” or “Mommy, why does Bella think her daddy only loves her and wants her for her cooking?” or “Mommy, why does Bella want to die and leave her mommy and daddy forever?” *rolleyes*
If you think that there is nothing wrong in the message of these books, then you prove the author’s point that “so few seem to realize it.”
It is not close-minded to disagree with the message of these books anymore than it is “close-minded” to disagree with the message of Men Kampf, even if the one is obviously less extreme and evil than the other.
Tarah: “Sometimes there is more to a book or an entire saga than the heavily scrutinized choices of a female protagonist.”
But isn’t this series all about the choices of a female protagonist? In this case there really isn’t much more to it than that, and thus it is perfectly acceptable–necessary even–to analyze her weak, anti-feminist, immature choices and decision. You say that Bella is “selfless” and “grown up,” but she is only selfless in certain situations (her desire to leave her family and friends forever to be a vampire and her deciding to risk her life and succumb to death in NM were extremely selfish decisions), and is extremely immature (last I checked, mature people don’t want to go to college only to have sex with their love interest all the time, or don’t act like ungrateful brats when people try to give them presents, or don’t want to commit to vampirism forever, but not marriage).
Excellent article, spot on except for your analysis of Jacob in Eclipse–the second time he kisses her was *not* forced (especially if you list the “suicide threat” separately), so it was not “halfway through…sexual assault” that she decided she loves him! The first time he kisses her was wrong, and he deserved to get punched, though it’s understandable as far as him desperately trying to make Bella see other options besides suicide by fang. His ploy at the end was manipulative and also not entirely morally sound, but it was also part of his attempts to save her life from vampirism, and it did ultimately succeed in showing her she did love him, and that there was another life path she could choose from than death and Edward….
So even if Jacob acts a little more annoying, and does a couple of things he shouldn’t, I don’t think that makes him an asshole in the second book–he’s mostly just desperate, and running out of time before the woman he loves/his best friend kills herself…..
The feminist argument plays like a broken record. Feminism is about choice. Bella chooses the path she wants out of life and never lets anyone persuade her otherwise. That is the essence of what woman fought for in the 70’s, their right to choose their path in life, not the idea that to be be a real woman you have to shun love and become the most hard-a$$ professional out there.
Yes, their love was obsessive, but name a love story by any author where the characters aren’t consumed by their love? To claim this is unhealthy is to claim that books such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Romeo and Juliet, where in that case the two lovers committed suicide, should not be read by teenagers either for fear that they get the “wrong” message.
If you hate the story, fair play, but don’t construct arguments that have no merit.
Oh goodness!! Who cares!?! It’s a literary escape. Some people get heated about the most ridiculous things!! These books don’t make me want to be any less independent of a woman than I already am!! It’s an outlandish love story, with the attraction of vampires and werewolves who are portrayed in a different, yet appealing light. It’s suspenseful, plays with emotions, yet is clearly fiction and has no means of trying to be applicable to the real world. It’s written for enjoyment - not critical feminist literary analysis!!
I find that the enormous popularity of the Twilight series proves that now more than ever girls and young women are showing an affinity for traditional gender roles. I think it is a naturally built-in characteristic of a female to want to be cherished, and wherever is the harm in that? Does it make women any less stronger, independent, or intelligent than men?
I also find that a feminist debate over a fantasy novel is rather childish, this book is FICTIONAL, the characters do not share a normal relationship, yet it is being judged as so. I think the real debate should be whether the girls consumming these books are old enough to separate fantasy and reality.
Concerning the hero… Your sarcasm over Edward and Bella’s chastity doesn’t apply. The character of Edward is not a “perfect” seventeen year-old-boy, he is a 107-year-old man. He was born into a world in which people actually possessed scruples.
Concerning the heroine… Did any one stop to point out the feminist nature in Bella before she was thrust into the world of vampires? Did anyone make comparisons to Bella and your “ordinary” teenage girl? She was a precocious, independent, self-sustaining female who had never had a serious relationship and cringed at the thought of marriage? How feminist can you get?
Also, this whole outrage over Bella’s need to be constantly saved is hilarious. What do you expect her to do when confronted with a mythical monster- stop Edward in his tracks and say, ” It’s okay babe, I got it!”?
Concerning the pregnancy, I feel that Meyer’s characters possess traits to be admired, not disparaged. They are loving and self-sacrificing. However, in a world where women are quick to abort HUMAN babies, much less violent, blood-sucking ones, Bella’s actions could be perceived with misunderstanding and disgust.
I do not think the Twilight books are the best books in the whole world, nor is Meyer the best author. I DO however, feel that they should be appreciated for what they are- escapist fantasies- nothing more, nothing less.
I for one liked the first book. It was addicting…like crack or something (I wouldn’t know, haha). It wasn’t very realistic (duh, vampires aren’t very), but overall I liked it.
After that, the books got subsequently worse. Especially Breaking Dawn. And the way you described it so honestly…well…
You are my hero.
sherrilina
what you don’t realize is that,when I want a message or roll models I go to an institution or person, that is going to give me that according to my believe or need. I do not go looking for a book that is clearly fiction, doesn’t apply in the real world and is for my entertaiment.
Sneha
You lost me, but anyway if don’t like it the Twilight Saga fine,
but bad writing? that is your opinion not mine.
I thought is was very enjoyable . Mistakes and grammar? well there is something call editor,and have you notice how many grammar and spelling mistakes our text books have, that is scary!
@ Brenda:
If your friend made the “choice” to stay with her abusive boyfriend or to kill herself to be with him, would you think, “Oh, okay. That’s fine. Feminism is about choices.”
There’s more to feminism than choosing a path. There’s a huge difference between a woman choosing to stay at home with the kids rather than go to work (I consider that in line with feminism) and her choosing to die and leave everything about herself behind for the sake of being perfect and to be with a guy.
The biggest problem with these books is that romanitic love is shown as the be-all, end-all to life. Forget friends and family, give them up for dazzlement. Bella doesn’t even have to experience real motherhood. With Jacob and the other Cullens there, plus the fact that her child is practically invincible, will live forever, AND is accelerating mentally…she’ll never have to deal with the hardships of motherhood. She can just go shag Edward for all eternity.
I feel for anybody who lives in the belief that the Twilight saga is an actual good read, honestly. I don’t have any friends, or family members, who’ve read the books and actually enjoyed the story in the way in was intended. They’ve definitely gotten some unexpected laughs, please Edward as a pillow biter? My ribs nearly cracked with laughter - as opposed to being booted in them by my ~angelic~ demon spawn - but I don’t think any educated individual should be allowed to say that these books are going to have any literacy impact at all. I searched high and low for a plot, throughout the four dragging reads, fruitlessly. How she managed to have these awful works published, I can’t imagine. There needs to be a law against allowing the minds of our younger generation to be infected with this conservative rubbish. SMeyer should be ashamed of herself for trying to coast on the back of the unexpected, undeserved, popularity she achieved with what I can only assume was limited effort.
@ Sara. You do understand that “traditional gender roles” are what we term a social construction? Society has been conditioned to accept without question that women are the weaker sex, with the only desire in life to be ‘cherished and protected’ while men are the stronger, protectors, without whom we couldn’t exist. Please. Perpetuating that myth is how women are constantly branded the lesser of the sexes - if anything, I would have appreciated more of an effort from Meyer to show the equality that can exist between the sexes, rather than have Bella be the “adorable” klutz (oh, i’m rolling my eyes so hard now) and Eddie Sparkles her dazzling knight.
It’s becomes easier to fight the inequality within the world when the younger generation of women are informed of this imbalance sooner, rather than later - but filling their heads with nonsense about how nothing will ever mean a thing without their twu luvv by their side does nothing but harm.
First, let me say that I don’t think the first three books are very well written (and the fourth, well, I’m only 150 pages in and rolling with laughter it’s so terrible. I’ve read fan-fiction by 12 year olds that was more realistic, but I digress.) I enjoyed the first three for what they were (fantasy, teen-romance novels) while thinking that SMeyer’s success was a bit unwarranted considering how juvenile her writing is. However, she has never denied the fact that she writes these books as a total wish-fulfillment for her own crazy desire for Edward. She dreamed this guy and wanted to make him real. Fair enough.
I don’t, however, see the feminism argument. Perhaps it’s because I’m a little wifey who chooses to stay at home and do the laundry and cook for her husband (who works a strenuous job all day to put food on the table and a roof over my head) and take care of the house and finds it amazingly fulfilling. Oh no, wouldn’t want me as a role model for children!
I find nothing disturbing about Bella wanting to cook or take care of things for her Dad, and I think that she well understands his inability to really express his feelings and also the depth of hurt he’s encountered from divorcing Renee and not being able to help raise his own daughter. She *chooses* to do things for him, to be a responsible housemate, actually. She could choose to have pizza every night, but since her dad isn’t a good cook, she takes the reins. Go her. I think that’s amazingly empowered and mature when so many teenagers (and adults!) out there today prefer McDonalds to a home-cooked meal.
Do I take these novels seriously? No. They’re fantasy; the plots and characters are mostly unrealistic and Bella is much too self-effacing for me. Her self-opinion needs some serious help. As far as the sacrifices Bella wants to make to be with Edward, eh, as someone who moved 10,000 miles to be with her husband and only gets to see her family once every few years, I know how hard decisions like that can be.
But, if anything in this world is about sacrifice, it’s love. Would I kill myself to be with my husband? No. But I’m not a heroine in a fantasy novel, either.
First - It’s “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman.”
Second - I read the Twilight series and my feminist world view is intact! Can you believe it that women are not that easily influenced by works of fiction that they adopt any novel’s political agenda after reading it?
Third - Elizabeth Bennett is not much of a feminist hero to begin with. Not only is she a regular Cinderella, she passively waits for other people (in this case Mr. Darcy) to save her sister and her family’s reputation. And Wollstonecraft’s ideals she fails on pretty much every level.
Fourth - Breaking Dawn was indeed a really, really bad novel even by the low level standard set by the previous three books.
Personally, I wasn’t able to get past the first book. While it is… let’s say, mildly entertaining (if you’re a 14 year old), it did nothing for me and I found the writing to be quite poor and uneloquent. In fact, I still can’t get why the series are so famous, when there are thousands and thousands of better adolescent-themed books / vampire versus werewolves novels (whatever) out there. But then again, just because something has sold many copies, it doesn’t mean it’s brilliant. Harry Potter is so much better in every way it isn’t even funny.
Jennifer: You’re trying far too hard to thrust pseudo-intellectual English class feminism onto a book series meant for bored teenagers. “We” don’t all have to consider the idea of traditional gender roles a four letter word like you apparently do. The poster you are regarding makes a very valid point: where, in a woman’s desire to be cherished (or hell, a man’s desire) is weakness implied? The ideas of love and security do not have to demean one in any measure of strength, but steep that person in a larger measure of normal HUMANITY.
The Twilight Saga (or trilogy, as I prefer to believe) is not written in or for the traditional system of literary merit. A housewife is exploring her own imagination and dreams through middling prose and inspiring millions of kids (and grown up kids) to pick up a book and turn off the TV and we bitch and moan like this? How about celebrating that something has allowed the medium of the written word to stay as popular as it had become through books like Harry Potter instead. Despite declarations of love for Edward Cullen in facebook groups and applications most of these readers are grounded in reality. This is just a book with a Darcy-like character for a younger generation, not the downfall of modern humanity as we know it. Or an excuse to belittle people through tirades about supporting modern feminism.
Alright, where in this article is the writer saying she thinks women who choose to be housewives are bad role models? No where.
Everyone who is defending this series needs to keep in mind that just because you, yourself, are not influenced by the books does not mean that others are not either. Many of you are claiming your mothers, or in your twenties…you should be over the influence of the media. However, the majority of readers of Twilight are impressionable 12 to 16 year olds who believe that what they read is reality and tend to want to make their lives based around what they see, read, or hear.
This article is not so much about feminism as it is about showing how a story is telling young women abusive boyfriends are romantic and ideal. Just pretend you did not see any reference to feminism in this article, do you still have an argument against it? The writer is saying how this story portraying an unhealthy relationship is not right. There are girls I know who want boyfriends just like Edward and think he is so perfect and do not think other guys live up to that standard.
How is this not a negative influence? If you had a friend or family member who was in the same kind of relationship as Bella and Edward, would you not be concerned? If someone’s boyfriend is taking the motor out of their car, or having them kidnapped, or “suggesting” they not hang around certain friends anymore…can you honestly say you would not be worried?
And yet there are millions of teenage girls reading this and wanting it. It disturbs me that so many people are unconcerned that their children and people they know are reading this and wishing for it.
Okay, everyone, let’s be mature about this.
I’m personally against the books, citing constantly the errors in research and editing (at this point, I believe she bribed her editor), and moaning in sheer horror as I slog along, trying to find the enlightening plot in the story. Yes, it is fiction. No, I should not take it seriously. But when it comes down to it, stories affect the way people view things, and I believe that it should at least be a proper young adult novel and at the very least show some character development. Bella learns nothing about herself throughout at least two books, and as for her role in modern feminism, I must lean more toward the detraction theory. It may be a matter of choice, but I am disheartened to read that she goes into a coma for something like six months after Edward leaves. So she doesn’t go watch a sad movie and cry and bond with her friends - she chooses to walk around like a zombie moaning about her true love.
What message does that send?
As for her precociousness, she never shows it. Meyer always states how she thinks everything is just so easy and backward at Forks, but we never see her reading anything of her own volition, as far as I know. So she cooks - but what does that say about her father? He simply expects her to cook for him, and let us ignore the fact that he cannot have possibly eaten TV dinners and take out every night without gaining massive amounts of weight. Forks is a small town, as well, and unless he is at the gym constantly, he won’t exactly be getting much exercise. What does this say? That the man shouldn’t bother doing any housework at all? As much as some people may choose to cook and clean for their husbands, most of us would expect an occasional hand with the dishes or something. I do cook, and there are many, many days where I wish my parents would stop complaining about the dishes in the sink when yes, I do wash them nine times out of ten.
As for her love interest, I am extremely confused. What chemistry is there? He can’t read her mind, she’s not afraid of him. She smells tasty, he’s pretty. What else? Oh yes, he plays piano. And is pretty. And apparently, despite being frozen as a seventeen-year-old boy, who, scruples or no scruples, should have had some trouble resisting, he remains a perfect gentleman. Never mind that he went on a ten year stint of sin. Never mind that he lived through the hippie era. Never mind that biologically he is unsound. Where is the relationship development? They abruptly decide to start dating, she gets saved who knows how many times because of his or her own stupid fault, and then they end up married. Wonderful. I see no real bond there, other than the constantly stated one - stated, not shown, and if I must repeat the adage - let your actions speak for you.
Modern feminism…hmm, such a confusing word. What is it, exactly? Let’s define it as a choice to do what you feel is best for you…and let’s find if it really applies. What about the Yates case? She kills her children for their own “good” and it is her choice - she systematically drowned them, despite their struggles, put them in bed in a pretty little tableau, and called 911. She feels this is best for her, because now she cannot lead them into hell. A redemption for her sins. I suppose this is feminism.
I suppose too, that the questions I have read online are feminisms. That when a fourteen year old girl asks how to make her twenty year old, physically abusive boyfriend accept her apology after her father and brothers defended her, it is an example of feminism, because she wants what is right for her. What other skewed concepts of life do you wish to throw at me? Should we completely outlaw abortion and pray that no teen mother dies from a coat-hanger home abortion? Or that no black market will rise up, as it did for the Prohibition? I don’t like the concept of killing fetuses, and I would much rather that girls be taught to keep themselves safe, but is it good for anyone if the child grows up unloved? People have great potential - and no one wants to see a baby grow into something monstrous.
Feminism is the concept, I believe, of relative gender equality. We will never be perfectly equal, but I am sickened by the fact that Bella never stands up to Edward. She does not want to go to Prom beause, well, that’s the way she is, and she has a broken ankle. He tells her to go, and she goes. She cannot bear to have him leave her side, and the only time she stands up for herself on any issue is when it is about her death/vampiricy. She allows him to order her about, as if she is nothing but his beloved pet, and eventually endures a night of incredibly rough sex - which, the biological processes confuse me - from which she emerges mentally unscathed.
Bring out the whips and chains if you like, but if it’s going to leave bruises, that’s not a very good sign.
And just as a quick footnote: I am seventeen. I have a boyfriend, whom I love dearly, but I am nowhere as obsessed as Bella is. I would be furious if he decided I was not on equal footing as him - he has stated his dislike of some of my friends, but he’s never pressed me to stop talking to them, much less disabled my car, and I have done the same.
I shudder to think about what would happen if I had not been with him when I read the first book. I gritted my teeth throughout every idiotic act of “modesty” or “sacrifice”. I can not help reflecting on the insane difference between my dearest and Edward - and being extremely thankful for it.
@ Holeigh.
I find it hilarious that whenever somebody wants to discredit a point made, they find it appropriate to call it ‘pseudo-intellectual’, as if that is enough and they are the ultimate judge. And yet you completely misread my post. I don’t find anything wrong with people wanting to be cherished, or protected, as that speaks to our more primitive urges - what I do have a problem with is people dressing it up as only female or male proclivities. Which simply isn’t true.
Oh please !
everyone feel sorry for me, I Really love the books.
I have read worse books, with worse role models than bella,
but i don’t hear anybody putting the blame on those authors, you people have very selective ways of thinking.
let’s remember this is a fictional book that doesn’t apply to anybodys life.
Oh, I forgot to tell you, I read the host too and I had a great time.
my two teenagers read the books and were the ones that introduced the series to me. I am very glad
Perhaps the reason for us not criticizing other, much more horrid books is because they’re not currently under the title of “Bestseller” or “The Next Harry Potter”? What would be the point of it, if we don’t actually feel worried that it’s wrongly influencing generations of girls?
“It’s fiction” isn’t much of an argument. Especially if you look around the internet and find many girls comparing every aspect of their lives to the Twilight series. Not always in a positive way either. Teenage girls, for the most part, are insecure, and therefore often easily misguided by books such as Twilight. Whether you believe it or not, it happens.
The argument of Bella being strong because of her actively choosing to do this or that falls short when you find that her mind never does much choosing beyond, “I want to be with Edward. Edward, Edward, Edward.” Edward leaves her, so she chooses to be a zombie for several months. The author even exaggerates it by giving us pages with the names of a few months and nothing else. What does that say? This girl is so unealthily devoted to this one being that her life really is absolutely nothing but passing time. This girl does not choose to make herself healthy, it just so happens that another man comes into the picture and she decides to cling to him for support. Even then, she definitely chooses to hear hallucinations of her loved one getting angry with her, being fatherly in that “Bella, don’t do that, you’ll get hurt” kind of way. She definitely chooses to put herself in danger in order to keep the hallucinations around. She chooses to get near men that reminded of the ones that wanted to rape her earlier in the series. She chooses to go cliff-diving.
Bella does not actually care for her own life. She is defined by the men she loves. If she is not a Vampire Girl, she is a Wolf Girl, as she stated somewhere in New Moon. Without them, she is nothing. Unlike many other romantic novels, those aren’t the sweet words from a lover’s mouth, they’re real actions.
Also, when arguing whether or not anti-feminism exists in these books, perhaps some of the doubters should take a look at the portrayal of the other women in the series? The first argument against me might be that Rosalie and Alice are strong, and therefore the books are not anti-feminist, yet who are Alice and Rosalie strong in comparison to? Bella, right? Would you say Rosalie is tronger than Edward, Emmett, Jasper, or Carlisle? Same question goes for Alice, and then you’ve got Esme who is nothing more than a mate/mother.
That’s not to say I have a problem with anyone devoting themselves to their children or their lover, but I do think something’s wrong when every single female’s life story surrounds that one love or their children. Even when the women don’t have men, they spend their time pining over the one that left them. The men on the other hand have all these great backgrounds that stand apart from their women, if we even hear about their backgrounds that is- though I think Meyer’s lack of character development skills is more to blame in this case.
As you can see, you’ve been kind of forewarned. The obnoxious screams of the hardcore fans will come in droves because GOD FORBID a critic or anyone for that matter dislikes the series.
Again, while most of the “omg, ur sooo wrong” comments will arrive in the tons, beware of rabies, those Twi-Hards are vicious.
Thank you! Thank you so much.
I started reading the Twilight books when I was 18 and had just had the most miserable first semester of college. I was looking for anything to lose myself in and Meyer’s books were the first that came into my life. At the time I thought they were the greatest romance books I’d ever read, which you’d think that after my many years of reading Tamora Pierce’s books, where woman actually have spines, I would have known better than to like Bella.
But I have seen the light and it saddens me. One of my own friends is disgustingly in love with Edward and thinks he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread and it makes me sad that girls like her can’t see what you’ve so poignantly stated here. Girls should be given better role models in this day and age, and Bella is most definitely NOT an acceptable role model.
This article is like a breath of fresh air.
The perceptions that Twilight is giving girls’ around the world about reltionships is down right worrying.
Like, “He only does it because he loves me.” is one of the biggest reasons women give fro not leaving abusive relationships.
And yet girls all around the world believe that it is a justified reason..
Whatever happened to healthy relationships based on trust and commitment.
Yeah, I really need to get roung to reading the Vindications of the rights of women. It was written by Mary Shelley’s mother right?
“Third - Elizabeth Bennett is not much of a feminist hero to begin with. Not only is she a regular Cinderella, she passively waits for other people (in this case Mr. Darcy) to save her sister and her family’s reputation. And Wollstonecraft’s ideals she fails on pretty much every level.”
Sorry, but I had to reply to this comment, you are taking the story out of it’s Historical context.
If Eizabeth had been the good little girl she was supposed to be she would have married the first man who proposed to her.
She would therefor be stuck as an unhappy wife to Mr Collins.
What was she supposed to do when Lydia ran away with Wickham?
She has no money, no social status, nothing with which she could possibly influence anyone. Her father can not do anything either.
And she turns down Mr Darcy the first time he proposes because she does not see how she could be happy with him at that point of the story.
When we look at books written in an differnet era than our own we need to take them in context of the day. I mean people say that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is racist, but if you look at the context of that day it actually admitted that the Back slaves were people, which is much more then most people did.
@jennifer- bella was existing just fine before edward came along, and wanting Meyer to show more equality between the sexes is rather irrelevant for a YA novel. Bella is not Edward’s equal because she is a human, and he is not. That was the only differance I found, which was eventually eradicated in the last book. In what way are women branded with the title “the weaker sex” these days? History has proved that women can write books, give speeches, tend households, follow careers, fulfill dreams, lead nations, just as well if not better than men. Is this a brand we choose to place on ourselves? I believe in “equality” of the sexes. However I also believe that men and women are different. What is so wrong in that?
I disagree with your statement that society has been conditioned to accept without question that women only possess the desire to be cherished and protected. I believe that the past century, from women’s suffrage to women’s rights, completely refute that idea. Even throughout history, when women were treated worse than dogs, we didn’t need a wall street job or the vote to prove that women are certainly NOT weak.
It is just so great that this entire debate is doing the opposite of what is was meant to do! It’s only adding fuel to the fire if you know what i mean. I can see the headlines now-”VAMPIRE SERIES SPARKS CONTROVERSIAL DEBATE CONCERNING FEMINISM, AND TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES”. Meyer is going to have her hands full, and i personally would love to hear what she has to say about all this.
Thank you so much. It’s nice to see that not everyone in the press is blinded by this book. The story is, as Sara puts it, escapist. Yet, I find that many teenage girls believe it to be the Bible and dictate their lives after it, usually resulting in angry and often threatening responses to those who aren’t “dazzled” by Edward.
I read these books because my friends were so in love with them. I expected to like them, but I felt that Twilight was mediocre at best. I tried finishing the rest, but gave up halfway through Eclipse and read Wikipedia instead. When I told my friends, I was greeted with things like:
“But, I thought you were intelligent! Why don’t you like it?”
“You’re going to end up with someone like Eric and I’m going to laugh.” (The person who said this ended up rejecting an extremely nice boy because he was “on the chess team and a nerd.” Um hello? You’re on the math team. you’re technically a nerd too.)
“I hate you. Why are you alive?”
“I think we should get Edward to kill her.”
“I wish I was Bella. Then, I’d get my vampire friends to kill you.”
These were from people who I’d been best of friends with since the third grade, but this book has changed them. They were all very studious and looking at top colleges. Now, I’m the only one even looking at college (to anyone at MIT, if you’re reading this, I’d like to be accepted :D). I haven’t spoken to them about Twilight since then and I’m dreading the beginning of school because I know that they will talk about Breaking Dawn and how Edward and Bella are the epitome of human relationships. I’m 17 and, though I’d like to think otherwise, I believe that girls around my age are impressionable. My friends go around squealing, “OH! I wish -I- was Bella… Life would be so perfect.” So, you’d like to defer your admission to Dartmouth in order to get married (to a 107 year old man who left you at one point, resulting in a suicide attempt and a zombie-like mindset) and pregnant. Then, you’d like to narrowly escape death during childbirth and have your friend take a liking to your newborn daughter? Um, did I miss the memo?
Maybe I’m just drifting away from my friends, as so many teenagers do. Maybe, I just don’t understand this kind of romance. But, what I do understand is that no one is telling these people that being so devoted to a novel is bad and that the choices they make now could, potentially, change their lives.
OK people SHUT THE FUCK UP,if people like this book stop dissing it and stop compareing it to FRICKIN harry potter!they are 2 different series.and in the 2nd book BELLA SAVES EDWARD FYI!!!!!!!!!!!so there bella is a great role model she cooks for her dad,takes care of her mother,and does her homework and is an excellent stdent!and smeyer said bella will go to colleage but as infinate time so ahe can do what ever.so in conclusin if you say twilight sucks YOU SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO TWILIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Profanity just makes you seem immature. If you really want people to consider your opinion, you shouldn’t resort to ad hominems.
Screw You Twilight is awesome
HOW DARE YOU !!!!!! I’m at lost for words but you know what your only just another person ! But really this fandom is going to grow with or without you !!!! HONESTLY THIS IS ONE OF MOST BEAUTIFUL STORIES I HAVE EVER READ ! I’m not an intelligent person like yourself and others who have written comments on here but when I READ I LOVE TO GET AWAY AND JUST BE ENTERTAINED AND THAT’S WHAT THIS BOOK SERIES DID FOR ME ! I DON’T CARE ABOUT ALL THE STUPID LITERARY FACTS OR ANY POLITICAL OR WHAT’S RIGHT OR WRONG I JUST READ ! I’M SORRY I JUST FEEL REALLY BAD FOR YOU AND WHY DON’T YOU TELL US WHAT BOOKS ARE WE SUPPOSE TO READ HARRY ? NO I ALREADY TRIED THAT PASS …
SORRY BUT THIS WAS ONE OF THE WORSE ARTICLES I HAVE EVER READ !!!!
TWILIGHT FAN
TRUE TWILIGHTER ….
This article is awful ! Thanks for bowing out because honestly the Twilight fanbase just doesn’t deserve someone who’s so NEGATIVE in the community. I loved the books and so did MILLIONS so your just one of those people who can’t just take the ride and enjoy it for once. YOU JUST THINK TOO MUCH JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ! Well anyways I hope you find what your looking for because I doubt you’ll find it !
Team Twilight/Stephenie for me.
First of all… STOP GENERALIZING YOUR OPINIONS! gosh… its disgusting. if you would add a “i think” or “in my opinion” and “for me…” to your theories and thoughts, ok… but you say, that it IS this way. and that is wrong… neither is twilight perfect for everyone. its a question of taste and whatever…
and thats the ONLY reason i found your review just terrible.
i hate people who think the only thing that matters is their opinion… gooosh! stop it! don’t be that… that overheaded! irks.
and by the way… write a bookseries that is that popular and, in my opinion, genious. then you will have MAYBE the right to be so self-absorbed and post your review because you thought the world has waited for it…
SORRY Miss I’m too good for regular books. Women like you just piss me off and GIVE US A BAD NAME !
Harry Potter fans go away you guys are always looking to bring us down but I’VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU GUYS GO AWAY AND CRY IN YOUR ROOM BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO WAIT 11 MONTHS FOR YOUR MOVIE BOOOHOOOO ! Anyways I loved the series and it’s sad you had to write an awful article to get your retarded opinions out.
It’s an opinion piece. The author can express an opinion if he/she (sorry!) wants. There is no such thing as a better opinion. The author doesn’t think that his/her opinion is the only one that matters. If that was so, there would be no “comment” function.
So what your daying is, love can’t exist.
Soul mates don’t happen? There’s not half of you missing?
Have you read any classics, especially during the 1800’s, romance period? They’d do anything for their love. If you are a 13 year old girl (which i just so happen to be) and you believe that you need to kill yourself because your boyfriend left you, than you are an idiot, you just want attention. But to Bella, Edward wasn’t just someone she was in love with, he was her best friend, someone who completed her, the only reason why she was able to be fully happy, no parts were missing when he was there. She’d miss him even if she never met him. It may sound cheesy, but thats what he was to her, i don’t believe you can be truly happy if you meet your soul mate and they leave. But of course that is my opinoun. I haven’t found my soul mate, and i may never, but bella found hers and she can not live without him. It’s simple and not complicated. I’m sorry for my missspellings. I’m awful at typing and spelling.
I think that Twilight is AMAZING you people don’t get it do you SHE LOVES HIM!!!!!! Stephenie is a clever author and whatever you have against her is really idiotic!!!!!
Oh please the haters on here are harry potter fans who are still mad at their movie coming out late. GO AWAY ! They are so annoying !
Anyways the article was awful and it’s sad people like you have to bash something that’s not yours to begin with. But you know what theres opposition in all things and your it. PEOPLE JUST READ IF YOU LIKE IT YOU LIKE IT ! I LOVE THE SERIES AND NOBODY IS GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The TWILIGHT SERIES ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ur just a bunch of haters! its just a book and it makes people happy and brings joy to many people lives! STOP KILLING ARE JOY!
IT’S A LOVE STORY AND IT’S FICTIONAL GET OVER IT LADY WITH YOUR STUPID ARTICLE REALLY !
Maybe you should try THE HOST !
Can I ask where all of you guys got this link? I’m just wondering…
She can give her opinion BUT WERE GONNA GIVE HER OURS WE HAVE THE SAME RIGHT !!
WE LOVE TWILIGHT AND WE WANT TO LET HER KNOW WHY ! AND WE DON’T CARE TO CHANGE HERS !
See…why does the Twilight Series evoke so much hatred?
Why can’t fans of the book understand that not everyone loves the book?
Personally I thought Twilight was boring (only the end was somewhat interesting), but I got through it. Then I moved on to New Moon because I thought Meyer’s writing and story would get better ( I had faith. Faith.). It didn’t so I didn’t finish it.
And don’t say I don’t have an opinion when I haven’t read all of the books when you’re going to turn around and say “why did you keep on reading them if you didn’t like them?”
I can’t dislike them if I haven’t read them, but I can stop reading because I read enough and had enough. Stop asking that stupid question.
It’s like yelling at someone for no liking bananas or The Dark Knight. People have the right to their opinions.
First off, Bella’s mother (or Renee as Bella so disrespectfully calls her) left Charlie when Bella was a few months old so Renee spent a good 13-15 years (benefit of doubt) taking care of her daughter. It may have not been the best parenting, but Bella seems to be 100% so I don’t know why she has this idea that she’s done everything. Don’t forget Bella. You were a baby once.
I can’t stand my mother sometimes and sometimes I think I can survive without her, but she does more things behind the scenes then I could ever imagine.
And Charlie has been on his own for 17 years. No excuse. He’s not some caveman.
And no one has yet to tell me just why Bella and Ed love each other. What’s the basis? Please someone help me. Does he make her laugh? Does he know what certain looks on her face mean without her saying anything? Do they finish each others sentences (I know cliche, but it’s a sign)? Do they do things before the other knows because they know that’s what they wanted? do they just fit together?
Please. I want to know. And please don’t yell. Be civilized.
IT”S A BOOK!!!! Get over it!!! Why do people seem to love to degrade books that just happen to be cheesy or too feminist!!! It’s f*cking fiction!! Not real!!! People like it, that’s what matters!!! Yes, it will never live up to Harry Stupid Potter, but no book will!! Does that mean you get to bash on a series that has success even if you don’t understand it? Stephanie Meyer is a great writer, no need to be jealous because she’s better than you.
It’s no real!! It’s not hurting anyone! If you didn’t want to read it, then no one forced you to. Does that you mean you get to come online where the author and millions of fans are going to see who bash on there book? NO!!! People like to get lost into it, get over it!!!
And Get A LIFE!!
Fine. But, there’s no reason to insult her.
LADY THE ONLY THING HERE THAT SUCKS IS YOUR BLOG !
FOUR MOVIE, MIDNIGHT SUN AND MORE BOOKS …..
IT’S NOT OVER AND WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!
IF IT’S JUST A BOOK WHY THEY HELL ARE YOU ON HERE YELLLING ? YEA …..
“First and foremost, the books present a female heroine who can hardly take a step without needing some boy to rescue her.”
So you’re saying it’s bad if someone can’t save herself? You’re saying it’s bad if not everyone can defend themselves? Not everybody is wonder woman you know. And how is a human girl supposed to save herself from a car about to kill her? She can’t! Killer vampire? nope. How about 20 newborns? Yeah, she’s really weak for failing to defend herself there… Stephenie Meyer states on her site, “I am not anti-female, I am anti-human.” How is any human supposed to appear strong next to a vampire? They can’t. And I’ll tell you why Twilight has so many fans. It’s because we can relate to it, it’s a personal story. Take out the vampires, and you could probably put yourself in Bella’s place. I don’t think you have the right to personally tell people what’s sexist and what’s not. And besides IT IS FICTION! I really wish people would stop taking good books, and over analyzing them. When I read New Moon do you think I’m going to jump off a cliff because Bella did? Heck no! People read books for FUN, not to get a message for themselves. At least people who actually want to enjoy books do… And next time you write a review could you please make it less bias, not everybody is as “strong” as apparently you are…
Perfect response to Twilight. You’ve entered the minds of all the properly functioning brains out there and put their thoughts into words perfectly!
For a piece of writing to be good, in terms of literary rules (and yes, you HAVE to judge a piece of writing by those rules no matter who you are), there has to be a reason for writing it. When Meyer blatantly says, “They’re just vampires”, or “There’s no meaning behind any of it” (I’m paraphrasing here), that’s just about the worst thing any “author” can say or do! There HAS to be more to a story than just mushy romance!
Twilight has no deeper meaning intended except for influencing the 10-15 year old girls out there that you MUST find your own Edward NOW or you’ll die a lonely unhappy woman, and you might as well kill youself.
Please. Twilight is just bad writing. That’s all there is to it; Ani-femenism and abusive relationships aside.
what sucks is this article. NOT WASTING MY TIME.
Millions of books sold who cares what this lady says !
Only virgins who cant drive would actually like TWILIGHT haha. Everyone at my school who reads it is an ugly, sad loser, sry to say, deluded into believing theyre just ‘average’ and that someday, maybe some beautiful, strong boy will look at them and fall in love, even though it would make no sense and never really happen. So yeah, keep reading Twilight, losers, cuz it’s as close as you’re going to get.
Oh and I cant believe married women with kids like this. Really? LOL thats the most pathetic thing I have ever heard. What is WRONG with you???
I never insulted her.
I have a right to have an opinion and discuss the book. That’s what people do with Shakespeare and Robert Frost and Flannery O’Connor. They pull it apart and see the themes, conflict, etc.
So why can’t we do the same for the Twilight series?
I admit that those books are nothing compared to the previously mentioned authors, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look at them. Some people saw the flaws even they were reading them for the first time. They saw that actions speak louder than words and they watched Ed’s actions. That’s good if you didn’t notice, but as you said, it’s a book. Readers should leave fiction and fantasy on the pages. You say you want a hot guy like Ed, but then claim that it’s fiction and none of it is real. Well then…Ed doesn’t exist. He’s an exaggerated fictional character that would be impossible if he existed to today.
But sadly people don’t believe that he’s not real and that’s a problem.
I liked the Twilight saga and just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you have to be a bitch!! Stephenie Meyer is a great writer and millions of people love these books so f@#* off. but i do agree with you on the part that these books should NOT be compared to Pride and Prejudice cuz that is like the greatest book ever, in my opinion.
I personally disagree with you. You look at it from a VERY negative view. I’ve seen that with reviews about HP too, and arguments turn out to be just pointless. (they teach children witchcraft…that’s very bad…, they say there’s no good or bad, only power (well, yeah Voldemor said that, and that’s the bad guy) etc.)
I think it’s a very good book. Many people think Twliht isn’t, but some there are always people who don’t like a book (also with HP).
Ow, and please Twilight fans, now don’t get mad at all HP fans, because the person who wrote this likes HP and doesn’t like Twilight, that’s absurd. Many of the HP fans are Twilight fans too(like me).
Did you read The Host? It’s very different and I think you’d like it better.
And ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The HBP movie is coming in JULY…(sorry, I just had to say that)
~evanna11
Lily, probably most people got it from Bellaandedward.com
I’m sorry Evanna. Are you referring to me?
I’m simply turning the arguments of fangirls and readers who love the book on their head. They contradict themselves and I had to use a harsh (though, I didn’t find it harsh) example as to why none of these people make sense.
@ Jeanine: If you mean me (in your second post), I was talking to TwilightFan who consistently called Rice “stupid”.
Honestly, when a person publishes something, they are putting himself or herself out there and, while there will be praise, there’s also criticism.
Hallelujah!! A sane review of the series. I love you for writing this.
I’ve read the books and let’s just say I wanted to throw them out the window more than once but I’d spent money on them so I wasn’t about to do that. [The first 3 I bought second hand thankfully.]
I only read them because 99.9% of my friends were reading them and I felt so out of touch when they went on and on about them. The reason I hadn’t wanted to read them in the first place was because I don’t like Vampire stories but they said these vampires weren’t your typical ones so I thought. ‘Hey why not give these a go then’.
I wish I hadn’t given in. Really and truly I do. I only kept reading because I didn’t want to just stop mid-way through a series. I’m kind of weird like that. No matter how bad something is I won’t stop halfway through it.
So enough rambling on my part. Again thank you for posting this review. Very well written. That short page is better written than the entire saga put together.
This article sucks…and not in a good way.
wow. you are the craziest person in the world.
edward does all of that because he loves and
cares for bella and wants her to be happy. =]
stop critizising it… nananananaa I CANT HEAR
YOUU! - that was for one of the reviewers (; -
@ …on
Sorry I thought you were a fan.
But yeah. I agee.
I never insult Meyer and Rice (the author Anne Rice?) doesn’t deserve to be insulted either.
Theres one thing the FANS and STEPHIE MEYER have in common….conflict avoidance! I didnt read past the first book but apparently theres never any real battles in ANY of them, not even the last one. And the fans keep saying “stop criticizing it!”… they dont want no battles, not in their books or in real life. How fucking boooooring.
wow you’re a b**** and a snob for that matter… I’m sure you’re not too pretty yourself sunshine
Your opinion matters.
Its okay to state it.
But your title is just rude and disrespectful.
I’ve seen and read reviews for Twilight that hate the series but at least their titles were respectful. “Twilight Sucks… And Not in a Good Way” is a poor and rude way to state your opinion.
Your title gives off an amature vibe. Sorry.
how the hell could u write that!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ur such a freaking retard!!!! thsi is the worst thing ive ever read in my life. im a true twilight fan and there i nothing wrong with these series. if u do thing that (which obviously u do) u just have to remember that this is a FICTIONAL book!!! and U DONT HAVE TO BE A FAN OF IT!!!! we dont care-of course we disagree and we think that u should see or view of the books but apparently ur past resoning…. but i will tell u this and i know other twilighters will agree with me- stephenie meyer is a wonderful author and she is a great mom and is just writing for herself and to make a living. of course she is very happy when others enjoy her books but if they dont….thats ok with her. contrary to what u think SHE IS NOT A WITCH TRYING TO SUCK US TEENS INTO WANTING A ””BAD”” REALATIONSHIP LIKE BELLA HAS!!!!!!!!! this book is just for enjoyment…nothing more!! yeah, fans do fall in love with edward (like me!) and jacob (im team switz) and they do want to be bella but so what??/ if u dont agree witht he book’s views and ideas of stephenies writing then u shouldnt have even finished them of even have written this review. thats all i have to say. one thing though-i do have to give u this- breaking dawn wasnt that great. dont get me wroing im still a twihard twilighter but not a ‘breakingdawner’ im not mad at the plot she took- im just mad that the way she wrote was not the same and it wasnt as magical (yes, magical-just like twilight, new moon, eclipse) as the others. thats all. i really do feel bad for all u anti-twilight people. ur really missing out of a good part of ur life-reading these books and enjoying them just because they’re books. I LOVE TWILIGHT, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE, BREAKING DAWN, EDWARD, JAOCB, BELLA, ALICE, JASPER, EMMETT, ROSALIE, CARLILSE, EMSE, RENESMEE, CHARLIE, SETH, AND STEPHENIE MEYER!!!!!!!!!!
umm, she took her heels off when she was hunting?
and the second kiss Bella asked for.
;D
I think that you understime the teenagers today, I see them under a different light.
Teenagers today are well read, travel, they work, get involved in so many activites, music, art, they are independent and know what they want.
I had the opportunity to live abroad: China, Korea, Mexico,Thailand,Japan, USA. I can say that this bright young women and men are not uninformed nor uneducated. (I want to mention that I read the twilight Saga in other languages too)
Do they know the difference between a fictional character from a book with vampires and worewolf from a real life situation?….. let me think.
I dare to say yes, a positive yes. you will always come across some exceptions, not the rule, but that can be applied to adults too.
Are teenagers unexperience, awkard, undecide, odd, overbearing overexicited , trying to find their place?… yes
But who is not? I have seen tons of teens with a lot of common sense and more maturity than some adults.
Am I impressed by all these young women and men today .. YOU BET!
I am worried about the twilight Saga influence on the teenagers today? A definefly, clear, NO !
I do not understimate them for a second!
Haha, thats the classic ugly persons defence.
I love me some ugly people actually, I appreciate people of all stages of physically finesse as long as its accompanied by some braincells and a sense of humor. But those sad sacks who wallow in fantasies about impossibly beautiful, yet totally humorless people, when they themselves are so damn beat in the face region? It’s just pretty lolloriffic when you stop and consider it!
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okay clearly every one has their own favorite genre. IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE SERIES THEN FINE! Just stop putting negative comments about it. I bet half of you haters didn’t even read the series. You guys are just annoyed by all the talk and obsessiveness going around.
i personally love the series bc i find the chemistry between edward and bella absolutely romantic and AMAZING!
THIS ARTICLE SUX……..and not in a good way!
cecilia: “i really do feel bad for all u anti-twilight people”
Oh, do u? Why thank u! U so thoughtful.
Wow I bet the boys are all over you
Besides that the article was well written.
Sure, Twilight is not a master piece. But sometimes people just want to read a book without having to deal with the underlying details and the analysis. Just to read a book and enjoy is something that people want to.
While I agree with barely anything in your article, I understand that you have your opinion.
Though, this being said, I agree with Emy. It’s your opinion, yes, but there is no need for that kind of a title.
And truthfully, slating the Twilight Saga is quite blatantly the best way to get hits - hoards of angry Twilight fans are going to come here and slate you right back, or Twilight haters are going to agree with you. Which was probably the point of the entire article.
Just like a swarm of fire ants, rawr.
wow Dollywood, that was bit immature.
and now your probably going to reply with somehting more immature that sounds thoughtful and insightful. What a sharp mouth you have! and I applaud you for that… it’ll get you places…
if you don’t like the series, thats wonderful. But I don’t understand how you can’t understand Bella. Firstly, she’s the new girl, so obviously, all the guys are going to be over. Secondly, she doesn’t need a boy to save her, she just chooses to have a boy save her. So what if she can’t take two steps without finding a way to get hurt or need to be saved. MILLIONS of other girls are the same way. Me included. Thridly, in New Moon, Bella is devastated. I believe if the love of your life, whether they be human or vampire, left you, you would be in a state similar to hers. Sorry that not everyone in the world is capable of waking up the next morning and pretending like that never happened. Fourthly, whatever, you can have your opionion, and so doesnt everyone else. People like this book, people don’t, but there is no need to take it to this extent.
Ok, I’m one of the young teenage girls you’re talking about and I love the Twilight Series. I know everyone is entitled to their own opinion so I’m going to voice mine. The Twilight Series encouraged me to read classiscs like Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. I enjoyed them a lot. I really like Bella. Maybe it’s because I can relate to her. She’s clumsy, afraid of blood etc.
People say Bella and Edward are too obsessed with each other but I thought it was like a breath of fresh air to read about that kind of never-ending love in a time when people divorce everyday.
I don’t think Edward’s perfect. You have to remember that Bella thinks he’s perfect, but she would, she’s in love with him. Edward has his flaws. Yeah, he’s over-protective but he’s been waiting his whole existence for a partner and he knows that Bella could be killed so easily by one of his kind. He wants her to stay, forever.
I’ve read Stephanie Meyer’s book The Host too and I think it was a great read. I’m a huge Harry Potter fan too and I just want to say I completely agree with Evanna11.
I’m finished my rant now….. I think!
Um, WHATEVER!!! Why mince words when the books really do suck? Harder than a toothless ten peso Tijuana hooker, even.
Yes, there are very brilliant children and teenagers, but there’s also children and teenagers that get swept up (as you can see with all the capslock hate). There are actual people that want an Ed, but that’s impossible.
Now I won’t venture into the extremes (because I do have faith in us), but as you can see right now that some of these posts are very violent and fail to provide answers to the questions we have. We see things differently than you do and that would be fine if no one rejected a perfectly good human man because he wasn’t perfect or went crazy on someone with a different opinion or complained to their husband because he wasn’t Ed. That’s why we have a problem.
Not to mention it’s poor writing (too many adverbs, no subtley, purple prose, etc.).
Emy: No reply because we…AGREE! Praise Heathus!
wow rude much? if someone wants to read about a teenage girl who falls in love with a “vegitarian” vampire then they should be able to. if u dont like it (is it obvious) well o smart one DONT READ IT. i dont really care that much wat u say about the book just dont be so rude about it and PLEASE, go get some help b4 u ruin another books rep.
I am not a teenager, but a stay at home mom who appreciated the ability to get away from reality and enjoy a little unrealistic romance. I don’t think anyone would consider Meyer to be the author that Austen was; she is no where on that level. However, I find it funny that you feel the need to take the time to crucify another person’s work rather than creating something worthwhile of your own. Best of luck to you in your career. You will need it!
if u read the books with a mind set of feminist, independent rights and crap like that… its wat its gonna b. y cant u just read the book and say “hey i dont like that, but congrats to the authors success.” no. u people have to worry about all the other people in the workd instead of yourself.
so waht do i say???
WHAT HAPPENED TO UR INDEPENDENCE.???
i bet all of u wished that the love of your life culd b there to save you wen u were in need of help. and i bet u were all were a bit peeved wen ur boyfriend said he doesnt love you anymore and left u.
make wat u can of that!!!
Lia
We have to read it to not like it. If we didn’t read it then it would be pointless debating with you.
I truly can’t stand that argument.
srry i got bored and decided i wasnt done.
o and if u havent figured it out yet i actually liked twilight (just thot id let u know) i totally agree with cecilia and dollywood is a bitch (srry but u know its tru)
good thing u have ur point of view, but simply i dont agree with you, this book IS the bes,t while i was sad and lonely this book game me happines made me laugh and cry in a good way, but there are always twilight haters anywhere but whatever, its not like Twilight is my life either.
I personally love the twilight series. But we all have our own opinion. Millions of people around the world like these books, but not everyone can like them. You have your own opinion, and thats great. but i dont think you should go around writting articles telling people what they should and should not read. You read the series and didnt like it, ok so what. i read the series and loved it, ok so what. we are 2 different people. and i personally have to disagree with everything you said. again just MY personal opinion. The Twilight series is not a real life situation. You cant apply every little thing about these books to real life. Nothing in these books will ever happen in real life. its not possible. these books were written to entertain. To some people it certainly did that, to others not so much. we all have our own likes and dislikes so you read whatever you want to and ill read whatever i want to.
Oh I truly do admire STEPHIEs success! She was able to sell four books about gentle sparklepires to the masses, and considering theyre books where nothing really ever happens (no conflict-climax-resolution as one would expect and hope for when reading any book), and that the writing is really pretty mediocre verging on bad, thats absotastically amazing! But also proves that people basically have no taste or minds of their own and that they need a crap writer like Meyer to introduce them to Austen or Brontes before they would even think of picking those much better authors up.
The reason STEPHIE gets reamed out isnt because of her success, JKR was way more successful and she didn’t get her ass chewed out on the internet nearly so much. Its because STEPHIE is successful for producing something that a good load of people find stunningly crappy! OMG I am too young to be a published writer so save your “write a book yourself” arguments, but I’m pretty confident I could take a poo, walk my dog, go to school, and come up with a lame concept like Twilight all in one day.
As a writer myself, I do not think about the people who are going to read my works, I write for myself. It’s MY story. And in Mrs. Meyer’s case, it’s HER book. It just so happens that this book was adored my millions, and the author of this entry fails to realize that this is a work of FICTION. Yes, it does have some flaws and such. However, that is not enough reason to “trash” the series.
The reason I am against this entry is because the author of the entry claims that the book was written to influence women to be damsels of distress. But we all know that books like those only aim to ENTERTAIN. Even if this book, or any book for that matter, includes anti-feminist or pro-sexist characters and situations, it is still just a book. People have brains to think for themselves. It is up to us to decide what to do with the information that a book presents.
Obviously, the author of this entry is very one sided and refuses to keep an open mind, which a good reviewer should do. He/she greatly succeeds in twisting the points of feminism and sexism to attack this book.
I’m sorry.
i couldn’t read everything.
i was getting blinded by the words. And besides, why are you yelling out that the book is bad? Just keep it to yourself or something. Besides, I read both Twilight books and Harry Potter books and by what I mean is all of them.
I don’t hate any or give to any what reason to them but
just step of. Besides, I think Stephenie gave reason to
the book to mostly talk about vampires and their habitat but probably just in her world.
Anyways, you are rude for one thing and sometimes, some people who have read twilight don’t actually think of feminist and stuff like that. Some of them get lost in their mind after reading the book or just can’t wait for a new one.
W/e
everyone has their own opinion.
you guys don’t have to fight over stuff like this.
if u like it..fine you like it. if you don’t, then you don’t.
and if other ppl post articles online about how they feel about it, and you don’t like what they said, you just close the window and continue on with your life. you don’t need to trash each other….
OH HA would you all say “its just FICTION” if a young adult book openly supported something like paedophilia or…
O SHIT WAIT
Thats so dumb though, srsly, to say that because something is fiction its above criticism. If you produce anything for the public whether its a computer or some cereal or some long johns or anything thats consumable then consumers will make their criticisms heard. AND WAIT WHY ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT THINGS ON THE INTERNET, ITS JUST SOME STUFF ON THE INTERNET WHYSO SERIS?
If you didn’t like the article then why did you read it?
Hmm…sounds familiar.
I could not even finish this pointless article. This person KNOWS NOTHING about Twilight. Stephenie NEVER ever said that venom replaces blood, that was a rumour on the internet, nothing more. She has addressed this several times. Why would she say that when she has known since 2003 that Bella would get pregnant. SO HA!, SCREW YOU! Secondly, why do people think Twilight is insulting to women? Of course Bella needs rescuing now and again, she hangs around with vampires!!! And she is a very strong person, she actually has most of the power in her relationship with Edward. The person is a complete TWAT!!!…and not in a good way haha. (people from england will know what i mean hehe)
First off, I am a fan of the series, and I do somewhat agree with this review. However, I am not an impressionable 12-17 year old girl and I despise Bella Swan with everything I have. Basically, you have to have a certain, sort of twisted mindset to enjoy them. Edward is a fictional hunk that falls for the “geeky” kinda girl. What’s wrong with that kind of romance? Psh, anyway, I just had to say that some fans (all of my friends, at least) usually agree with these reviews. We just love the loveable characters. Except Bella.
And having read a few vampire-themed novels before (not that I’m a fan of them, I just like to read), Meyer recreated the vampire image in a way no one else had done before. Yeah, it’s still weird, but its better than humans volunteering their blood for said mythical creatures, hoping that they can control themselves (and yes: there is a book like that).
“It’s just fiction!”-
What the hell? Fiction should still follow it’s own logic. If I wrote a fiction where only pink elephants could fly, I wouldn’t have a blue elephant fly. That is it. Like Dollywood said, it shouldn’t be above criticism if it’s fiction. That’s the worst excuse in the book.
“If you don’t like it, don’t read it”-
And when we say we didn’t read it, people say, “Well, you can’t have a proper opinion on it!” This argument is moot.
i must say this article was interesting to read. i agree with some points and disagree with others. i agree that Bella shouldn’t have gotten pregnant because of the physical impossibility, but it is fiction therefore not real. i didn’t agree with the hostility that seems to ooze out of ever sentence of this article. he or she seems to have abandoned self control in his or her attempt to convey that they aren’t a twilight fan anymore, or never were. well that’s fine, everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion. i won’t attack this person for exercising their right to tell the world that they hated a book series.
I could not even finish this pointless article. This person KNOWS NOTHING about Twilight and just sounds like a spoilt child who can’t understand or appreciate an emotional beautiful love story.. Stephenie NEVER EVER said that venom replaces sperm, that was a rumour on the internet, nothing more. She has addressed this several times. Why would she say that when she has known since 2003 that Bella would get pregnant. And vampires are FROZEN in time you retard so yes Kellen, whatever sperm Edward had when he was turned into a vampire would still alive and in his body. SO HA!, SCREW YOU! Seriously, did you even read Breaking Dawn properly?
Secondly, why do some ignorant people like Kellen think Twilight is insulting to women? ITS NOT AT ALL! Of course Bella needs rescuing now and again, she hangs around with vampires!!! But she is a very strong person, and she actually has most of the power in her relationship with Edward. Is Kellen THAT stupid not to have noticed that? Bella took care of herself and her mother perfectly fine before she met Edward remember?
And Edward was MUCH more then just her boyfriend unlike other teen couples, thats the whole f*cking point of the story! Thats why she fell apart, because he’s MORE then just a boyfriend!!!! Have you never read Romeo and Juliet?
Kellen is possbibly the most ignorant person i’ve never had the displeasure to encounter and is a complete and utter TWAT!!!…and not in a good way haha. (people from England will know what i mean hehe)
KELLEN RICE: GROW UP, go to your local store and buy a brain, and don’t insult things you obviously don’t understand!!!
I actually don’t like the Harry Potter series. But hey, that’s just me. I’m not going to go on and on about how “stupid and close-minded” HP fans are. Because again, like it has been said, EVERYONE is entitled to their opinions. Oh, and yes, I’m a fan of Twilight. Does that make me stupid and close-minded? Nope.
Obviously, a debate like this will be going on until FOREVER. Some people just can’t stick with what they like and leave what they don’t like alone. Oh well. That’s the world nowadays for you.
I think you have a point it really beacuse i think girls get obseed on finding their on Edward Cullen or Jacob Black , belive me I was one of them.
Did you even read the right book? You couldn’t have if you said all this.
The Twilight Saga is fictional, and written very well. If it wasn’t a well written book then it would not be number one on the charts.
you are rude!
Kellen Rice has an opinion on the book…like you do. She has the right to voice it…like you do.
If you like the book, that’s great. She didn’t. She saw flaws in this book and decided to address them. You can too.
Don’t bash her.
Oh i forgot their never gonna find one becuse it’s just a book and the movie it’s just a movie so the actors are not them and they’ll never be them.
o fuck off u dumbass moronic bastards. it’s a damn great series and you know it. u dickheads are stupid. u suck….and not in a good way
Why does everybody have to be so extremely cynical? I don’t care if Bella is a good role model or not, I live my life the way I want to live it and I don’t look toward Elizabeth Bennet, Wollstonecraft, or Bella for guidance which is how every “strong” female should live. Anyway, Twilight isn’t a story about role models and life lessons, it’s a story about an amazing, binding love. Bella’s not being weak, choosing Edward over college, because being in love, true love, is not being weak, it’s being human. You seem to feel that a woman isn’t strong unless she is alone. Also, Bella isn’t being a damsel in distress. If you recall, Bella herself tried to save her mom and the Cullens from James in the first book (damsels in distress don’t often wield the sword themselves to save their loved ones, that’s called a heroine if I remember right). Once again, you see the theme of love, she’d die for those she loved. Anyway, if the strongest, most independent woman was being pursued by a vampire, they’d have absolutely no chance to live through it and they’d need to be saved by another vampire. Also, about Stepehine Meyer, she never claimed to be the next Jane Austen, or even a good writer. In an interview, she actually said she wasn’t. She IS a good storyteller though, and that’s exactly what she did, she told an amazing story about love. Sucks for you that you think that being in love means being a stupid little girl. Maybe you ought to listen to what Stephenie Meyer has to say about herself, her books, and her characters before you judge them all. Since you obviously have no reasoning or logic skills when it comes to human emotions or behavior, you need to go listen to what Meyer has to say about it all before you attack everything. That’s what a good journalist would do.
Why can’t people just read a beautiful book and just take it for what it is? Why most they be SO cynical?
Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn are all beautiful books about a love that could not be broken and the very real characters that it affects.
I don’t agree with your opinion of the series. Maybe it’s not an “enlightened” dream, but I think women long to find someone that they love entirely and a love that is sweeping and life changing. That is what Edward is to Bella and that’s the main focus of the story. To me, it’s like Romeo and Juliet. Sorry if you feel that is a sexist and dangerous thing for young girls to read about.
I would be more concerned, if I were you, with shows like Gossip Girl that turn young women into bitchy stereotypes with nothing to do but cut each other down and sleep with everyone in their school. Just saying…
Although the fourth book was a HUGE dissapointment, I enjoyed the rest of the series. Not because “ZOMG EDWARD WUZ SOO HAWT” or because I saw Bella as a model-figure.