BOOK REVIEW: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

It seems rather redundant writing a review of Twilight because everyone knows what's it about (don't they?) and everyone who wants to read it will have already read it (won't they?), but I'm going to review it anyway, because it surprised me.

As I said in a previous post, I only really decided to read Twilight because I'd read such bad things about it that I'd decided it was rubbish and wanted that opinion reinforced. Yeah. Stupid me. Oh, but I did say I was worried that I'd get just as sucked up in it as everyone else has. And I did.

I won't bother recapping the plot - y'all know it's about a girl who falls in love with a vampire, right? - but I was engrossed from the first chapter. By halfway through I was actually dreaming about the book! Dreaming about it! And I'm 38! No wonder it's had such an effect on teen readers.

And, yes, I totally fell for the romance, even though, yes, Edward is obsessive and controlling and - ew - he watches Bella while she sleeps, but so far there's nothing worse than you read in romance novels - Edward is a standard "masterful" male. Bella was a much more sympathetic character than I'd been led to believe. I found her voice entertaining and her actions believable, you know, in the context of being in love with a vampire.

The last - what? - quarter of the novel was incredibly exciting. So exciting that, with one chapter to go, me and my husband went to meet some friends for dinner and when they texted to say they were going to be late, I genuinely thought about asking my husband if he'd mind just sitting there while I finished the book.

Yes, I'll be reading the rest of the series. Oh dear.

Comments

[Kirsty]

Hurrah! I felt exactly the same way. The book gave me the samme feeling as when I was a teenager watching 'My So Called Life', I couldn't stop thinking about it!!
Watch the film!

[Keris]

I did pick up the DVD in the library the other day, but I'm scared of getting a mad crush on Robert Pattinson (is it Pattinson or Patterson?) - I'm 38!

[Seana]

I thought the book was way better than the movie....I think they always are!! I was a crazy, sleep-deprived zombie when I read all the Twilight books; all four in two weeks!! It's a wonder I got any work done!

[Kirsty]

Ha! I was almost in full crush mode after watching the film and then I listened to this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11u7O-hYMRg

and I was an absolute goner!
(His guitar intro is a bit long, but then he sings and OMG!)
You WILL get a mad crush on him! :D

[Erin]

Ugh, damned Twilight series. I stayed up ALL NIGHT for FOUR NIGHTS IN A ROW reading those books! Thank goodness I was on hols :)

Mind you, they're AWWWWFUL, but SOOOOOO addictive. Sigh. (I'm saying "awful" in the context of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Narnia Chronicles, mind you ;)

Ugh, and you WILL love Rob Pattinson. He's too pretty for words. (And I like film Bella better than whiny book Bella :)

x

[Linda]

It is engrossing. And I had dreams about Jacob especially after the second book. Swoon! And I'm in my thirties.

[Keris]

Ha, Linda! I think Jacob's about 15 in the first book so no crush on him for me... yet. :)

I don't think Rob Pattinson is pretty at all... yet. In fact, when I was reading I was thinking if Edward's meant to be so beautiful why did they get that ordinary-looking dude to play him? But I appreciate I'm in the minority there (and will no doubt change my mind when I see the film).

Erin, I didn't find Bella whiny in the first book at all. And I was expecting to because of stuff I'd read. I really liked her!

[Kristan]

It only gets more ridiculous and addictive. Just a warning. But I loved it. :)

[diane]

Oh no, don't say I'm going to have to read it too - I feel all left out now! ;)

But as you were reading it, Julia Allison, who I follow on Twitter, was reading it too, and she linked to a review (which she agreed with), which said: "Bella is one of the most useless, insipid heroines I've encountered in a long time -- and I genuinely love Fanny Price, btw -- while Edward is like a textbook example of a creepy stalker boyfriend..." (http://www.amazon.com/review/RSRWCQQ2MKHJZ/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm) That really put me off as it was so detailed and thought-out and articulated exactly what I thought I would hate about Twilight.

Maybe I should give it a chance, but I'm still in no big hurry... x

[Keris]

Oh yes, Edward is totally a creepy stalker boyfriend, but, like I said, so are a LOT of romantic heroes! But I genuinely didn't see Bella as useless or insipid. I thought she was strong! But, you know, I've been wrong before (can you believe I just admitted that in print?!) :)

[Keris]

You'll have to read it now, Diane, if only to tell me where I've gone wrong!

[diane]

Ha, maybe I will... although I should point out that telling you you're wrong is not a motivation for me (really!)

[Keris]

Well I'll be grateful anyway, Diane. You're much more perceptive than me (I get too caught up in the story) and you make me think. (Which is a good thing.) :)

[Dot]

I was exactly the same as you, read the first book and then was hooked and had to read all the others and yes now I have a HUGE crush on Robert Pattinson!! Hope you enjoy the other books as much!

[diane]

Aw, thanks Keris. You might have flattered me into it! :) x

[Michelle]

Ugh. No crushes on Robert Pattinson for me. I thought the Twilight movie was horrid.

[Tinsie]

I watched the Twilight DVD thinking I'd hate it, got hooked instead, read the book and got hooked even more. Scary!

[JR]

The movie made me feel like slamming my head in a car door. THe book made me feel like slamming someone else's head in a car door.