Thank you Stephanie Meyer for reintroducing me to the art of reading. “Reading” the way it is meant to be, books should not be read it should devoured. Reading “Twilight” was like becoming a younger version of me. The version of me who – in the late afternoon after school when all the kids in the neighbourhood would be out playing, I would be looking for a good place to hide and finish reading a book. It is a wonderful feeling to be lost within a book, the kind of reading where you drop everything food, sleep etc, ignore the people around you and read, just read for the sheer joy of reading. That is what Stephanie Meyer’s first book in the Twilight Saga series did to me – I just could not put the book down.
Twilight does not convey a way of life nor a strong life changing or life affirming message which I usually find in some of the more serious books I have read. In fact Twilight is more like reading a Mills & Boons, the silent strong man falling in love with a fragile girl – except in Twilight you just need to replace the silent strong man with an incredibly strong and an incredibly beautiful vampire – Edward Cullen. And the fragile girl would be Bella Swan, a beautiful, uncoordinated (yes she is stumbling all the time) delicate 17 year old but with strong convictions and intuition.
The story follows the usual pattern of a typical love story – boy meets girl, boy hates girl - in this case obviously because she is his food; but eventually falls in love with that same girl. And the usual complications follow which tests their love for each other and how they come out the better from this experience.
Everything is typical in this book – Bella’s fears that she might do something inadvertently to awaken the monster within Edward, or her fear that this is all a dream and he will just disappear one morning. Or when invited to visit the Cullens’ her fear that she will not be accepted (instead of fearing that she may be eaten) – all of it, is what a typical teenager would fear for.
But what makes this book different say from a typical M&B is the sheer innocence of love, the kind of love that only teenagers are capable of. With stars in their eyes and their rose tinted glasses firmly in place they strongly believe everything will work out just fine. So what if your boyfriend happens to be a vampire and a part of him thirsts for your blood? He will find the will to overcome that thirst because Love can win over anything, even a bloodthirsty monster, right?
Edward, also a 17 year old (who has stayed a 17 year old for the past 90 years – go figure) has his own fears. As he tells Bella:
“I could kill you quite easily Bella, simply by accident ... I could reach out meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake...”
Poor Edward has to mind his manners all the time when he is around Bella which provides for some comic relief amidst all this hopeless romance.
Strange isn’t it, that it is these young beautiful people who bring joy and hope to humanity with their perfect bodies (you’ll never be as slim and perfect as you were when a teenager) and pure love are also the ones who bring fear - ask any parent of a teenage kid! They always worry that their kid will fall in love with the wrong type – I’d like to say one thing for such parents – relax s/he is not a vampire at least.
According to psychoanalysts, the reason why this book and the movie based on this book with the same name became so enormously popular is apparently because the vampire’s bite stands in for penetration. Teenage girls love the romance but it is the actual act of penetration that they fear the most. It is in this sense that Twilight is the perfect fairy tale for teenage girls. And of course it is popular among the boys because they see a perfect macho representation of themselves in Edward – the irresistible male albeit a vampire.
Did I like the book? This question requires clarification. The practical me loathed the book for its fantastical and impossible story but the hopeless romantic me fell for it hook line and sinker. Can’t wait to get started on “New Moon”, second book in this four part series.
Verdict: Hopeless romantic - go pick up the entire series, NOW!
Practical person – must read to know romance for what it truly is!
Rating: 4/5
Twilight does not convey a way of life nor a strong life changing or life affirming message which I usually find in some of the more serious books I have read. In fact Twilight is more like reading a Mills & Boons, the silent strong man falling in love with a fragile girl – except in Twilight you just need to replace the silent strong man with an incredibly strong and an incredibly beautiful vampire – Edward Cullen. And the fragile girl would be Bella Swan, a beautiful, uncoordinated (yes she is stumbling all the time) delicate 17 year old but with strong convictions and intuition.
The story follows the usual pattern of a typical love story – boy meets girl, boy hates girl - in this case obviously because she is his food; but eventually falls in love with that same girl. And the usual complications follow which tests their love for each other and how they come out the better from this experience.
Everything is typical in this book – Bella’s fears that she might do something inadvertently to awaken the monster within Edward, or her fear that this is all a dream and he will just disappear one morning. Or when invited to visit the Cullens’ her fear that she will not be accepted (instead of fearing that she may be eaten) – all of it, is what a typical teenager would fear for.
But what makes this book different say from a typical M&B is the sheer innocence of love, the kind of love that only teenagers are capable of. With stars in their eyes and their rose tinted glasses firmly in place they strongly believe everything will work out just fine. So what if your boyfriend happens to be a vampire and a part of him thirsts for your blood? He will find the will to overcome that thirst because Love can win over anything, even a bloodthirsty monster, right?
Edward, also a 17 year old (who has stayed a 17 year old for the past 90 years – go figure) has his own fears. As he tells Bella:
“I could kill you quite easily Bella, simply by accident ... I could reach out meaning to touch your face, and crush your skull by mistake...”
Poor Edward has to mind his manners all the time when he is around Bella which provides for some comic relief amidst all this hopeless romance.
Strange isn’t it, that it is these young beautiful people who bring joy and hope to humanity with their perfect bodies (you’ll never be as slim and perfect as you were when a teenager) and pure love are also the ones who bring fear - ask any parent of a teenage kid! They always worry that their kid will fall in love with the wrong type – I’d like to say one thing for such parents – relax s/he is not a vampire at least.
According to psychoanalysts, the reason why this book and the movie based on this book with the same name became so enormously popular is apparently because the vampire’s bite stands in for penetration. Teenage girls love the romance but it is the actual act of penetration that they fear the most. It is in this sense that Twilight is the perfect fairy tale for teenage girls. And of course it is popular among the boys because they see a perfect macho representation of themselves in Edward – the irresistible male albeit a vampire.
Did I like the book? This question requires clarification. The practical me loathed the book for its fantastical and impossible story but the hopeless romantic me fell for it hook line and sinker. Can’t wait to get started on “New Moon”, second book in this four part series.
Verdict: Hopeless romantic - go pick up the entire series, NOW!
Practical person – must read to know romance for what it truly is!
Rating: 4/5
Wow! I wish I can express 'thoughts' as well as you! Pun intended!
ReplyDeleteReally wow.. I think you must have really liked it to give it 4 :) I am sure Meyer turned many in to readers but somehow her writing never impresses. I was hooked to the book from start to finish but something was missing. Great review
ReplyDeleteHmm I think I must give this lady a shot now ... :D Thoughts please lend me the book
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the wonderful comments.
ReplyDeleteShwetha - I know what you mean by 'something was missing'... but yes I was mighty impressed with this book..
Birdy - sure you can borrow this anytime :)