(no subject)
I finally read Eclipse. I still love New Moon. I just really don't get Bella and Edward. Mostly, I just don't get the attraction to sparkly cold granite over warm masses of muscle and a doggy grin. However, there were parts in Eclipse where Jacob came across as the boy he really is. Annoying but endearing too. Edward came across a little better here, more patient, not in that annoying I've-got-eternity-to-outwit-you patient, but patience born of care and love. That was nice.
Still, Jacob is the man. I adore him. I had to check the squee in the 2am reading of That Kiss. The One Where Bella Finally Gets It. That was worth reading three, four, (maybe ten) times. Seriously, I am getting so tired of how wonderful it is to kiss cold hard lips and how it makes Bella breathless and twitterpated. Say yes for heat! Say yes for fistfuls of hair! Say AMEN for bowing against a body that yields and has a heartbeat!!!
Then Meyer tore my heart out and had it running with the pack to try and heal poor Jacob after he sees and accepts her choice and accepts it himself. I had a different ending in mind, more conflict for Bella (which she justly deserves), but Meyer's ending was beautiful and eloquent and in keeping with the stories of the tribes. Loved it.
Why is Bella even referred to as the "heroine" in this trilogy? She has no strength.. She is right to fear her ability to keep from killing. She can hardly control herself around Edward (something she truly desires.) How is it going to be for her when the thirst is a biological need? An instinct? The way she has been written so far would indicate that she'd have little to no control. Using her abhorrence for blood as a human would be a cop out don't you think? Would the Cullen clan be able to keep her virtue intact? Hmmmmm. The Jacob-Bella might be able to pull it off. Her convictions are so much stronger there. Unless you count that insane and seemingly out of place aversion to marriage. Not just the aversion but the complete brain-block she got even discussing the matter. It grated on my nerves. It made no sense to me. Yes her parents married young an got divorced but considering her predicament with Edward you'd think she'd be more concerned about possibly giving up her soul than a piece of paper and a little gossip. Stupid.
I just did not like the way she was with Edward or the Cullens. She was weak for the most part of the trilogy and only with the passionate strength and determined influence of Jacob did she break out of that two-dimensional, damsel in distress caricature.
Little things I love about the trilogy:
Anything Alice. Alice should always feature. I adore the fact that she tries to be so human in such a vampire-like way. Completely over-the-top every time and mostly just doesn't get the meaning of all the human theatrics on top of that. Ironic. Then to be paired with the one vampire who has emotion overload to the point he can share. Love it. I wish Jasper was fleshed out more here too. His story fell kind of flat even if it did explain his weakness a bit, more of a device for plot movement. I would love it if he was the one to have to change Bella. If he could overcome his weakness to do that, what confidence it would give him, and peace!
One of the best-written parts of the whole series was Rosalie trying to convince Bella to be human, to realize, to KNOW what it is she wants and needs before it's too late. A lot less words in that segment and Rosalie's story came together and connected much better than Jasper's did.
The wolf pack. The legends. Even though they had similar qualities as the vampires in their ability to read thoughts, I liked the way it came through with the pack better, how they felt every nuance of a thought, not just the thought itself, and how they longed to be solitary because of it, even if just for a few moments.
Things I didn't:
Bella's weak character...again.
Charlie's clear preference for Jacob over Edward. (Yeah, you'd think I'd be with that but no...)
The Volturi - I didn't think they came across as so scary in the second book and it was almost laughable in the end of the third.
The legend of imprinting. I really don't like the idea of not having a choice in your mate. I got the feeling Jacob didn't either, he didn't like the idea of predestined matches, whether it involved Bella and Edward, or his friends and toddlers (yeah, weird.) I liked the way he explained it to Bella that he's what should be her future if all the supernatural didn't exist. If the Cullens didn't exist, he would be Just Jacob, Her Jacob and that she knew it too.
*shrugs* I guess I'm once again in the delusional category in this series. Nothing new.