Twilight

[bonny_kate]

The short (and free of spoilers) version is that I found Twilight to be a quick, light read that I didn't particularly like, but neither did I particularly hate or find huge problems with. As a fast read, it is decent, but as to anything more, I think it has too many issues to be considered a great work of literature, or even reread very often.

The long version




There are several minor issues that annoyed me about Twilight, such as why Belle suddenly is attractive to several boys at her new school, or why she is suddenly (often) in life threatening danger. But these are more issues of continuity, and so rather than go into any of these, I want to address the unhealthy relationship between Edward and Belle.

Edward is dominating in the relationship to a disturbing extent. He watches Belle while she sleeps, without her knowledge at first, but later with her knowledge and consent. He listens to all her conversations with her friends about him, and tells her, so that she knows that he is always listening. He follows her because he thinks she will get in trouble. Rather than resist him, Belle gives in to whatever he wants because he is physically stronger, and because he is so good looking. If Edward was a man, I think that this would be clearly considered disturbing or at the very least unhealthy behavior, but because he is a vampire, it is excused. He knows that his behavior is harmful for Belle, but he will not leave, although he believes it would be better for her.

Belle thinks he is perfect in every way. He is fabulously handsome, terrifically strong, and he comes to her rescue and saves her life on at least three separate occasions. She even goes so far as to call him a god or an angel. He loves her not for her physical appearance, but for her personality and her humanness. She seems to only love him for his physical appearance, and the novelty that he is a vampire. In fact, she is very much like one of those annoying goth groupies in Buffy who goes around trying to get turned into a vampire. She is upset that he takes her to prom instead of turning her into a vampire. I found this particular scene annoying for two reasons. First, she has an unhealthy fixation to become a vampire. Second, she lets him drag her to prom even though she has specifically stated that she does not want to go, because he is physically stronger than she is, which is a stupid reason. There are all kinds of ways of resisting that are not physical.

In short, the relationship reminded me of that of Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, but of a terrifically handsome Mr. Rochester and of a Jane who is neither as intelligent nor as virtuous, but who lets Mr. Rochester walk all over her, to the detriment of them both. Belle should not give Edward his way, nor should she allow him to repeatedly cast her as the damsel in distress. (I have written about this false paradigm before, here).

I also have an issue with the fact that Belle is a human, and she is in love with a vampire. Edward is always described as cold, and he has no heart. Further, his desire for her has always the strong element of a predator's desire. She desires him because he is a vampire, and is drawn towards him because of that. (At some point in time I need to write a long post about the unhealthy attraction of vampires, which I must confess I feel at times.)

The book is certainly not evil, I wouldn't even go so far as to say I would recommend against it, but I do worry about the type of girl who would read it and sympathize with Belle and fall in love with Edward.

Comments

[nimlotbradamant.livejournal.com]

Twilight just bored me.

I had so many better things to do :P.

Deep, I know, but there it is.

[bonny-kathryn.livejournal.com]

I skimmed it rapidly. Few books bore me when I skim them rapidly. Also, my patience when reading has increased exponentially for each Dickens read. It is also hard to be more boring than the whale bits of Moby Dick. Heh.

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

Thinking about what I didn't like the book, many are the same as what you've said here... you're just much more articulate than I am :) Another thing that I dislike is that, aside from her obsession with Edward... there isn't much to Bella, at all. Actually, none of the characters in the books felt real to me in any way. I couldn't care about them.

[bonny-kathryn.livejournal.com]

I liked Alice, and my friend liked Carlyle. But overall, I would agree that the characters are rather flat.