Twilight: Is it really that bad?
Located on the edge of The United States is a small town that has a vampire infestation. Forks, Washington a place immortalized in the four novel series, The Twilight Saga. I, like many of my peers, had a deep fascination of all things vampire during my formative years. In sixth grade I read the final novel and, once the movies were finished, I had to put the series behind me. I hadn't returned to the novels since my first reading in the late 2000s. I decided to revisit The Twilight Saga over the month of December. Below are my thoughts on the popular fantasy series.
The first novel was extremely nostalgic for me. I remember being jealous of my older sister because she was allowed to read the novel, but I was not. I felt that there must be some magic within those pages because my sister raced through the novels and begged to be taken to the theater once the movies emerged. After hours of begging my mom, she finally allowed me to read the first novel. The tone of the novel was so familiar, even though I haven't read the book in so many years. The setting of the novel was unlike anything I had seen before, and many novels followed the example that Stephanie Meyer set. I also really enjoyed the references to literature throughout the novel because I felt like Meyer was referring to works before her. However there were things that I did not remember, and did not particularly enjoy.
The female characters in Twilight are either vulnerable or catty. Bella is unable to fend for herself in the world of Edward, and spends her free time cooking and cleaning for her bachelor father. Jessica, Bella's best friend, is only concerned about boys and dresses, and is constantly jealous of Bella. Finally, Rosalie, Edward's sister, is nothing more than a picture of angst. I was shocked that I did not pick up the lack of female agency in this book. I wonder if my childhood would have been different if I had chosen to obsess over a different series of novels or a different genre.
I found that the novels were nostalgic, but they were also frustrating for me. I thought, during my first reading, that there was a reason for all of the happenings in the novel. But now it all seems coincidence. Why is Bella so special to Edward? How can Bella, as a 17-year-old, fully love Edward?These questions continually ran through my head while I read the saga for the second time. I understand why I was so interested in the books, but I hope that future generations have more uplifting novels to read.
The first novel was extremely nostalgic for me. I remember being jealous of my older sister because she was allowed to read the novel, but I was not. I felt that there must be some magic within those pages because my sister raced through the novels and begged to be taken to the theater once the movies emerged. After hours of begging my mom, she finally allowed me to read the first novel. The tone of the novel was so familiar, even though I haven't read the book in so many years. The setting of the novel was unlike anything I had seen before, and many novels followed the example that Stephanie Meyer set. I also really enjoyed the references to literature throughout the novel because I felt like Meyer was referring to works before her. However there were things that I did not remember, and did not particularly enjoy.
The female characters in Twilight are either vulnerable or catty. Bella is unable to fend for herself in the world of Edward, and spends her free time cooking and cleaning for her bachelor father. Jessica, Bella's best friend, is only concerned about boys and dresses, and is constantly jealous of Bella. Finally, Rosalie, Edward's sister, is nothing more than a picture of angst. I was shocked that I did not pick up the lack of female agency in this book. I wonder if my childhood would have been different if I had chosen to obsess over a different series of novels or a different genre.
I found that the novels were nostalgic, but they were also frustrating for me. I thought, during my first reading, that there was a reason for all of the happenings in the novel. But now it all seems coincidence. Why is Bella so special to Edward? How can Bella, as a 17-year-old, fully love Edward?These questions continually ran through my head while I read the saga for the second time. I understand why I was so interested in the books, but I hope that future generations have more uplifting novels to read.
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