I recently finished reading the three books currently released in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. It was a story I hated to love and loved to hate. While I cannot call it provocative, it was certainly compelling enough to get me through and the 1700 pages. For the most part, the story is a very cheesy teenage romance novel about a girl who falls in love with a gorgeous "good" vampire boy. Outside of agency, there really is no theme that left me with anything to ponder. However, it was impossible for me to read the series without being flooded with the nostalgia of first love, and at the same time, dread for my own children's coming teenage years. In the end, the always amusing vampire/werewolf angle was enough to get me past Bella's(the protagonist) annoying, whiny, and drama generating behavior. There were a few too many words and I found myself, at times, uncharacteristically scanning paragraphs for only the vital information. But for the most part, it was hard to put down and I advise not strarting it until you have a few days to dedicate to it.
Do I recommend it? Uh....certainly not for any literary value. Did I have fun reading it? I was very entertained about 70% of the time; the other 30% of the time I just wanted to be put out of my misery. Will I read book four which will finalize Bella's story? No doubt! I do need to know how it ends. Will I read book five, which is a retelling of book one from the vampire's perspective? I don't think I have the energy. Over all, I have to categorize it as a guilty pleasure. You all have an open invitation to go to the movie with me when it comes out(and no, I wont worry about which one of you is trying to hold my hand or provoke a strange group of men leering at us in the darkened alley across the street)! If you've read it, definitely tell me what you think!!!
2 comments:
I can't bring myself to read these because of the people I know who love them - yourself excluded. It's like the whole Work and the Glory thing again. You know the type - drama queens over 40 who think they and their progeny are the best thing to grace you with their presence EVER! Or the type that this is the only book or series they've read in years and can't stop talking about it or hyping it so you think they're well read (like juvenile fiction, no matter how fun to read will ever make them Einstein). One lady even went so far as to say "it was was so hot and steamy - I had to go find my husband," Gag me witha spoon! That's not to say everyone who reads these is like that, it's just my narrow experience. You obviously are not, and you indulge in good bibliotainment on a regular basis, not just the trendy. I don't know, maybe I'm just a bitter, contrarian snob.
On another note, a great read, again, not totally high literature but fun, is The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (one of Charles Dickens best friends). It's a great gothic novel - class distinctions, mysterious people, written in a testimonial style. Check it out or I can send you mine.
One more - rediscover the Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel for your kids. Awesome books! I'm the musical director for a local theater group's (Oakley Valley Arts Council, or OVAC) upcoming presentation of the broadway musical "A Year with Frog and Toad." Great show, great fun - check out the broadway CD - the kids LOVE it. I find myself often talking in the cadences of the books and fighting the urge to sign everything "your friend, Toad." (the character I most connect with lately)
Anyway, I took up way too much space. Sorry. And keep ignoring those Austen-ian taunts "She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain!"
Your friend,
Toad
I know what you mean! At first I thought, uh....I'll pass, but then everyone I knew was talking about it and I thought I better start before there are 10 books and 3 movies and it is Harry Potter all over again(I have still yet to read a single Harry Potter book and I barley even recall the first few movies)
Monica was telling me about how incredible the production of Frog and Toad is in MN. We saw a very dated claymation version tacked on to some other DVD we were watching and I can't remember Chucky ever laughing harder. I will definately have to get the books soon. The kids and I have been working our way through some Judy Blume recently and that will be a welcome contrast!
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