I was recently introduced to new series of books and read through them to see what all the hype was about swirling around them. This is not really a review, but my thoughts that I've compiled regarding the four books by Stephanie Meyer, "Twilight", "New Moon", "Eclipse", and "Breaking Dawn".
*spoiler warning* I will mention some spoilers, so if you don't want to know how it ends, you might want to stop reading now.
In a nutshell, Belle, our heroine, falls in love with Edward, who happens to be a "vegetarian" vampire, who feeds off of animals and denies his lust for human blood, as does the rest of his coven-family. The books center around their relationship, and Belle's relationship with Jacob, her best friend, who becomes a shape shifter werewolf, the only true enemy a vampire has. Eventually, Belle yearns to become a vampire herself, so she will never have to be separated from Edward, her soul-mate. Edward is reluctant, as he believes to turn her will take her soul, but demands that if she insists, that she become his wife first. They do marry, and get shockingly pregnant, a huge surprise becomes vampires can't conceive together, but apparently vampires and humans can. The pregnancy kills Belle, but Edward turns her into a vampire before her heart stops beating, and thus, she becomes immortal with him. Their daughter becomes a figure that brings unity to humans, vampires (vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike), as well as the werewolfs, and thus the saga ends with Bella, Edward, and their daughter living immortally happily-ever-after.
*Note* This is not the type of book I usually read. I love the fantasy genre, but have never been drawn the romanticism of vampires, so this was a step-out for me to read this series.
Thought #1: One of the huge positives I see with these series has to do with Belle and Edward's relationship; it is flawed. They fight and argue, miscommunicate (a lot), give and take, and also wait until their wedding to consummate their relationship, though their honeymoon was not a dreamy fantasy - it was filled with conflict. Nowadays, you don't see a lot of abstinence and self-control in mainstream America, especially pointed at teens (however, I think they could have saved themselves some heartache in that area while they were dating by avoiding some temptations all together, but that is just my two cents on that). In addition, I think the author builds up the sexual aspect a lot for a series aimed at teenage girls, and is setting them up for disappointment in real life. Goodness, I wish I had fireworks with my first kiss, instead of the reality of awkwardness most people experience! :-p But Edward and Belle's physical relationship is a high-note, as Edward resists Belle again and again (both as a vampire and as a man), as much as she pushes and tempts him.
Thought #2: Is the other end of the spectrum with Edward and Belle's relationship. Belle routinely lies and tries to hide her relationship from her father, and is amazed at herself at how the lying and manipulation becomes easier throughout the series. Edward finally forces her hand and she has to let him know about them, but he never knows the whole truth until the very end. In the end, however, everything is hunky-dory with them, once he has turned her. It ends very happily-ever-after, and in my option, a little too perfect.
Thought #3: The vampires are very glorified in this series (obviously), and this bothers me some. The myth of vampires is rooted in the belief that they are evil, souless, and doomed. The "Twilight Saga" portrays them as immortal good beings, as Edward's coven/family denies their human bloodlust. Throughout the book Edward is compared to angelic beings, and even a couple times, Belle thinks of him as an immortal god. I was struck that in the scene where Edward shows Belle why he skips school on sunny days - they are in a mountainous meadow and he steps into the sunlight for her, and shows her that his skin is like sparkling diamonds in the sunlight. Anyone else get the jolt of a comparison of Jesus' transfiguration? And that leads me to...
Thought #4: There is is subtle religious doctrine evident throughout the books. In a sense, one could almost come Belle to Mary. Self-sacrificing, pure of heart, immune to the supernatural talents of the vampires, she becomes miraculously pregnant with an immortal half-human, half-vampire child, when all thought vampires could not bear children. Then in a violent birth, she dies, and Edward "resurrects" her, into her perfect immortal form, where she and her husband and daughter live out their afterlife in our time. On a similar note, their daughter, Renesemee, is a savior-figure to the various races affected in these books. I know Ms. Meyers was a graduate of Brigham Young University, and though I'm no expert on Mormonism, I do know a few main points and see the influence in the writings, whether she made it intentional or not.
So, what was my option?
They were a fun read; I couldn't hardly put them down as I wanted to see what happened next. Book Three, "Eclipse", was probably my least favorite, as the plot wandered all over the place and mostly focused on the relationship problems Belle and Edward were having.
Yet if Emily was 13, would I let her read them? Nope. And not for the religious standpoints - my hope for Emily is that she will be well-taught in the truth to recognize what is and isn't. No, my objection is that there is too much undercurrent sexuality, and the disillusion of relationships. Not every man (and exspecially teenage boys) as self-controlled as Edward is portrayed, and won't stop and flee when the temptations come. Belle is the one who is aggressive with Edward in this area, and hates the idea of marriage. In fact, she felt horribly trapped when Edward gave his ultimatum- no marriage, no sex, and was resentful towards him for saying that and sticking to it. Not the role model I want my daughter to have.
Would I recommend this series to others? Perhaps, but there are better fantasy series out there. Of course, Tolkien is a favorite, but for newer material, Christopher Panolini's "Inheritance Cycle" comes to mind first - the writing and story lines are much, much better.
I may write a formal critique later. I actually am reading through them again, slowly, to explore some of my first initial thoughts of the books, instead of reading to see what happens next. In the meantime, if you are die hard Twilight fan, don't crucify me for my observations.
