The Graveyard Book & Twilight
Having a cold gives you time to read. I haven't had this much time to read in a long while, so in two days I've read two books.
Since I didn't want to read a borrowed and autographed copy of Twilight in the bath, I started reading The Graveyard Book in the bath on Sunday. A few hours later (no longer in the bath) I finished it. It was lovely and just the kind of children's book that I've always liked. At one point, Bod himself states why: he may have grown a year older, but he still feels the same. Most people know that feeling, but what they don't remember is that it more or less applies in the other direction too. Children aren't that much different from adults, and thus children's books don't have to be much different from adults' books. More importantly, the children in children's books don't have to be much different from adults in adults' books. Diana Wynne Jones got that, and now Neil Gaiman shows he also got that. Both get to remain on my "top five favorite authors list" (that incidentally only features three authors since I haven't decided on the last two).
So, yesterday I read the borrowed and autographed Twilight paperback. I had heard that Bella is almost a non-persona in the first novel, and that is very true. She's an "insert yourself here" template. I would compare her to Anne of Greengables, but Anne actually had a personality. Bella is a bundle of feelings who likes to read books, doesn't like P.E. and does fairly well in school except in Trigonometry. Most readers like to read books, so a MC who likes to read books is a sure bet. People who like to read books don't spend all their time playing sports, so it's not a long shot to guess they don't like P.E. And maths, well, who understands maths anyway? (I did, but I probably wouldn't have got too hung up on that detail.) She doesn't reveal her taste in music. She doesn't have a taste in clothes (or doesn't care - yet another point scored with the "outsiders"). She doesn't even have a favorite color. She practically has "INSERT YOURSELF HERE" written all across her forehead.
And the story? Chick-lit with vampires. Nothing more, nothing less. It's all about her feelings, which you can identify and integrate with perfectly since Bella herself doesn't claim any space. You're the one falling in love with Edward, using her as a proxy and her feelings as a guide for how to properly fall in love.
I only wonder how someone who isn't into guys reads this book. Or is Edward hawt enough that anyone (even straight guys & gay girls) can fall for him?
Oh, and what did I think of it? It was good up until the half-hearted attempt at a thriller plot near the end.
Since I didn't want to read a borrowed and autographed copy of Twilight in the bath, I started reading The Graveyard Book in the bath on Sunday. A few hours later (no longer in the bath) I finished it. It was lovely and just the kind of children's book that I've always liked. At one point, Bod himself states why: he may have grown a year older, but he still feels the same. Most people know that feeling, but what they don't remember is that it more or less applies in the other direction too. Children aren't that much different from adults, and thus children's books don't have to be much different from adults' books. More importantly, the children in children's books don't have to be much different from adults in adults' books. Diana Wynne Jones got that, and now Neil Gaiman shows he also got that. Both get to remain on my "top five favorite authors list" (that incidentally only features three authors since I haven't decided on the last two).
So, yesterday I read the borrowed and autographed Twilight paperback. I had heard that Bella is almost a non-persona in the first novel, and that is very true. She's an "insert yourself here" template. I would compare her to Anne of Greengables, but Anne actually had a personality. Bella is a bundle of feelings who likes to read books, doesn't like P.E. and does fairly well in school except in Trigonometry. Most readers like to read books, so a MC who likes to read books is a sure bet. People who like to read books don't spend all their time playing sports, so it's not a long shot to guess they don't like P.E. And maths, well, who understands maths anyway? (I did, but I probably wouldn't have got too hung up on that detail.) She doesn't reveal her taste in music. She doesn't have a taste in clothes (or doesn't care - yet another point scored with the "outsiders"). She doesn't even have a favorite color. She practically has "INSERT YOURSELF HERE" written all across her forehead.
And the story? Chick-lit with vampires. Nothing more, nothing less. It's all about her feelings, which you can identify and integrate with perfectly since Bella herself doesn't claim any space. You're the one falling in love with Edward, using her as a proxy and her feelings as a guide for how to properly fall in love.
I only wonder how someone who isn't into guys reads this book. Or is Edward hawt enough that anyone (even straight guys & gay girls) can fall for him?
Oh, and what did I think of it? It was good up until the half-hearted attempt at a thriller plot near the end.