I tried.
So, it seems like everyone and their dogs are obsessed with this Twilight series. My boss squees like a fangirl over Edward, the floor manager is naming her daughter Bella, one of the other floor leads goes into convulsions anytime we mention Edward, and my sister will have serious freak outs if the names Bella or Edward are even mentioned.
So I tried. I did. I tried to read it. After months of saying, "This book sounds like shit", I went forward and tried to read it.
I hate this damn book. I hate the characters, I hate the writing, and I think Stephanie Meyer is the most overrated crap writer of our time.
If I could pick one character I hate the most, it would be Bella. What a whiny, angsty, co-dependent brat. I'm not a total feminist, not by any means, but my god, Stephanie Meyer took feminism back 3000 years. She can't live without Edward, she's obsessed with him, and anything he wants, he can have. If I could hate Bella anymore, I'm not sure I could have gotten past the first half of the book.
As for Edward. What a controlling freak. Dreamy? My ass. Clearly in love with Bella? Laughable. The most amazing character EVA? Hells to the no.
But it wasn't even the characterization that pissed me off. No, that would be the writing style. Or the lack thereof. I actually read a review that said Stephanie Meyer was the greatest untapped talent of our time. Seriously? She never should have been tapped for anything, and this book never should have gotten past a decent editor. I understand the book is for squeeing twelve year old fangirls, but the fact that it's so damn sexual, but is written like a) bad Grey's fanfic or b) an 8th grader depresses me to no end. I'm sick of people saying, "Oh, but it's the thought process of an 18 year old." Fuck that. You can write an 18 year old without writing shit like:
"Wordless.
!!!"
Are you shitting me, Stephanie Meyer? Are you? My 7th grade Creative Writing teacher would have beaten the shit out of you. Actually beaten the shit out of you. And I'm supposed to believe you're a fabulous writer? I'd rather read Upton Sinclair than Stephanie Meyer (which is saying a lot, trust me, as I nearly burned The Jungle my sophomore year).
There are few books in my lifetime that I have been completely unable to finish. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein, and a few others. Generally, it's the writing that loses me, especially if the story doesn't make up for crap writing. Some of the worst writers ever (Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown) are also some of the greatest storytellers, and I can get through the book without cringing at the writing. Twilight couldn't even manage to hold me, New Moon was worthless, and the little bit I flipped through the others made me cringe.
All in all, I think this is a trend that will die as quickly as it came around, especially once people get over their need for a new series of books.
So I tried. I did. I tried to read it. After months of saying, "This book sounds like shit", I went forward and tried to read it.
I hate this damn book. I hate the characters, I hate the writing, and I think Stephanie Meyer is the most overrated crap writer of our time.
If I could pick one character I hate the most, it would be Bella. What a whiny, angsty, co-dependent brat. I'm not a total feminist, not by any means, but my god, Stephanie Meyer took feminism back 3000 years. She can't live without Edward, she's obsessed with him, and anything he wants, he can have. If I could hate Bella anymore, I'm not sure I could have gotten past the first half of the book.
As for Edward. What a controlling freak. Dreamy? My ass. Clearly in love with Bella? Laughable. The most amazing character EVA? Hells to the no.
But it wasn't even the characterization that pissed me off. No, that would be the writing style. Or the lack thereof. I actually read a review that said Stephanie Meyer was the greatest untapped talent of our time. Seriously? She never should have been tapped for anything, and this book never should have gotten past a decent editor. I understand the book is for squeeing twelve year old fangirls, but the fact that it's so damn sexual, but is written like a) bad Grey's fanfic or b) an 8th grader depresses me to no end. I'm sick of people saying, "Oh, but it's the thought process of an 18 year old." Fuck that. You can write an 18 year old without writing shit like:
"Wordless.
!!!"
Are you shitting me, Stephanie Meyer? Are you? My 7th grade Creative Writing teacher would have beaten the shit out of you. Actually beaten the shit out of you. And I'm supposed to believe you're a fabulous writer? I'd rather read Upton Sinclair than Stephanie Meyer (which is saying a lot, trust me, as I nearly burned The Jungle my sophomore year).
There are few books in my lifetime that I have been completely unable to finish. The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell, Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkein, and a few others. Generally, it's the writing that loses me, especially if the story doesn't make up for crap writing. Some of the worst writers ever (Stephen King, John Grisham, and Dan Brown) are also some of the greatest storytellers, and I can get through the book without cringing at the writing. Twilight couldn't even manage to hold me, New Moon was worthless, and the little bit I flipped through the others made me cringe.
All in all, I think this is a trend that will die as quickly as it came around, especially once people get over their need for a new series of books.