I can report that I actually FINISHED this book (more or less) on time, so that was a good start. It was my first foray into Vampire culture (books, films, or TV) but (dun dun dun) would it be my last?
Well... possibly. The Vampire Diaries didn't convert me to the vampire cause or convince me it's an exciting sub-genre, that's for sure. If I hadn't been reading this for book club I would have put this down after a couple of chapters, and never picked it up again. Which is ironic, as it definitely gets more exciting towards the end.
My main beefs with it were that I found it unconvincing (not to mention worrying) that a 17 year old girl would fall deeply in love with a boy she barely knew. I felt it romanticised unhealthy relationships. The teen/vampire crossover has always made me a bit uncomfortable, the use of blood-sucking as a metaphor for sex, and here it was stomach-churning at times. I would rather them have had a normal sexual relationship than this well, perversity doesn't seem too strong a word. [Also, given the risk of hepatitis and HIV, I'm surprised this new edition didn't edit out a scene where a group of girls become "blood sisters". Irresponsible, or what?] If it hadn't been a teen novel, it might not have bothered me so much. But when there are so many great YA novels which promote a healthy attitude to female sexuality, why anyone would read outdated stuff like this is beyond me. (It was written in the early '90s, which explains a lot.)
Worst of all, however, I found the prose rather... purple. I probably would have thought it was well-written when I was a teenager. Now I found it overwritten in the extreme, like the worst kind of romantic fiction ("Elena felt passion surge through them like summer lightning, and she could sense the answering passion in Stefan. But infusing everything was a gentleness almost frightening in its intensity." Blah blah etc.)
Plus, it had one of those endings that goes straight into the start of the next book, which always annoys me - I think each book in a series should be complete in its own right. AND there were hardly any diary entries in it at all. Pah.
Book club questions:
Did you read the book (or have you seen the TV series)? What did you think?
Have you read/watched other vampiric culture? (True Blood, Stephanie Meyer's books, Charlaine Harris's books, Anne Rice's books or the film adaptation of Interview with a Vampire, etc.)? Did you enjoy it/them?
How do you feel about the vampire/sex metaphor? Is there any way in which it empowers women? Do you feel uncomfortable about younger teenagers reading about bloodsucking?
Are you willing to put up with not-so-great writing if the plot of a book is great, or is great writing at the heart of fun reading?
Is there anything else you'd like to add? I'd love to know, even if you totally disagree with me! :)
I wouldn't even give it the time of day nor waste any time even attempting to read it. I've always thought the vampire 'genre' (if it could even be blessed with such a title) was stupid, daft and absolutely ridiculous. So there you have it. I would love to know why vampire tales are so popular, though. As someone who cannot stand the sight of blood - well, just - bleurgh!!
Posted by: peepo! | 04 April 2010 at 05:53 PM
Haha, oh well, at least you know your own mind! :) Probably not one for you if you hate blood, I agree.
I do wonder what the sociological explanation is for the wave of interest in vampire media is, though... Interesting.
Posted by: Diane | 04 April 2010 at 08:02 PM
I completely agree with you - it sucked. (Heh.) Not supposed to be online today, will comment more tomorrow.
Posted by: Keris | 05 April 2010 at 03:26 PM
I read it, but I really couldn't stand it. All that 'I'm so pretty and perfect' at the start left me feeling pretty unsympathetic towards the main character (I can't remember her name anymore) and then the whole childishness of the 'I call dibs' thing on another person? Doesn't make for interesting reading. And I agree with you on the falling in love with someone that she barely knows. I don't like that.
I do, however, watch the TV show. And I'm enjoying it a lot more than the book (I only read the first one, that was enough).
Posted by: Michelle | 06 April 2010 at 10:16 AM
Not a great deal more to add except that I think Twilight (the first book, at least) is MUCH better. There are a lot (I mean a LOT) of similarities, but the writing is better, the characterisation is better, there's more tension, etc.
I haven't seen the TV series (or any of the Twilight films) because I'm not into the whole vampire genre in general. I started watching True Blood, but it gave me the creeps - I know that's why some people like it, but it's not for me.
"Are you willing to put up with not-so-great writing if the plot of a book is great, or is great writing at the heart of fun reading?"
Oh I totally am. The plot is much more important than the writing to me. Sometimes the writing is so very bad I can't bear to hang around to find the plot, but not very often. I'm much more likely to give up on a well-written but boring book than a badly-written, exciting one. Unfortunately I found The Vampire Diaries both badly-written and boring.
Posted by: Keris | 06 April 2010 at 12:53 PM
It's good to have that comparison, Keris. I was thinking Twilight couldn't be this bad! Then I kept thinking, is it just me? Glad I wasn't alone in finding it hard to enjoy. I understand now why it wasn't the phenomenon other vampire books have been. I'm not sure I'll read another. And True Blood sounds far too creepy for me, too!
Posted by: Diane | 06 April 2010 at 07:55 PM
I loved Twilight (all 4 books, but especially the first). I managed about 8 pages of The Vampire Diaries -I thought it was so badly written I gave up on it, so can't even comment on the "blood sisters" thing as I didn't get that far.
Posted by: Emma | 07 April 2010 at 12:45 PM
Crumbs I am so late to this one - sorry.
I haven't read or watched anything with a vampire in since The Lost Boys then more lately (the first series of) Being Human on the BBC. Twilight has passed me by, as has True Blood and The Vampire Diaries. Many of my real life friends, however, love them all.
When you suggested this book I was pleased because finally I would see what all the fuss was about.
But then, this may sound as a cop out, but I agree with everything you said about it, Diane. This blood sucking just leaves me cold and I agree also with Michelle "All that 'I'm so pretty and perfect' at the start left me feeling pretty unsympathetic towards the main character (I can't remember her name anymore."
Posted by: Helen | 21 April 2010 at 07:58 PM
I'm sorry I put us all through it Helen! But I thought it was going to be SO much better... what a let-down.
I understand that in Twilight the vampires limit themselves to animals, which, while not exactly *nice* to read about, has to be preferable to teenagers sucking each other's blood. (Ewwwwwwww.)
Posted by: diane | 23 April 2010 at 11:48 PM