I am always in love with Patrick Wolf while I am listening to him

[katranna]

I didn't need thegreatmissjj's continuous posting on how bad "Twilight" is to mock it (the very concept of literally sparkly vampires that willingly repeat highschool over decades and decades and a heroine named "Beautiful Swan" is enough for that), but it certainly helped keep it in my consciousness. So, partly inspired by this snarky chapter-by-chapter

Comments

[thegreatmissjj]

In real life, I think everyone hates Bella, but the series' enduring popularity comes from the fact that a horde of 13-year-old girls thinks Edward's the most perfect man ever. Even I will admit that Edward isn't that bad, although if I had a choice I would go with Jacob (another guy character in the book who apparently plays a more prominent role in later books) who, you know, doesn't hang around in her bedroom at night WATCHING HER SLEEP. CREEEEEPY. And my threshold for creepy is HIGH.

I actually found her work fairly readable. I kept turning the pages without a problem until my hatred of Bella completely overrode the book's readability. I've never actually been so MORALLY DISGUSTED with a character in my life. I suppose it's to Stephenie Meyer's credit that she created such an unforgettable heroine, but ew.

[greensword]

I've never actually been so MORALLY DISGUSTED with a character in my life.

It's not that the character's so unbelievable - I've known people that self-centered and/or passive in my life - but the inescapable knowledge that Meyer wants us to love her and identify with her and overlook all her myriad faults is what gets me. I think Bella would make a great character in a different kind of book.

[katranna]

That's really the crux of the Mary Sue problem though, isn't it? I mean, there are Mary Sues that are just boring to read because they ARE perfect (pretty, sweet, nice), but mostly the issue is that there's some unremarkable character that the book keeps insisting is AWESOME, without anything to back that up.

[nattydotorg]

I never even heard of this book / movie / ordeal until I read Entertainment Weekly this week. And it was all how the author is "the next JK Rowling" and yadda. Um, what?

This all sounds pretty awful. Of course, part of me now wants to read it.

[katranna]

Haha. It's a trilogy and there's a fourth book coming out! I rather like their covers though. You should take a look at them. :-)

Despite my non-like/slight dislike of Harry Potter, I never thought that either the concept or the execution of it was anywhere near as bad as this. I just thought lots of other more talented and original people had done it earlier and better, and my main gripe was that she was getting all the attention when I felt it should really be due to her influences.

With "Twilight," I just don't understand how there even could be such a big deal made over it, when it's basically on the level of random fanfic as far as plot, characters, and writing goes--and not even particularly good fanfic at that.

[nattydotorg]

The covers are definitely well done. Rather classy dressing for what's inside!

I don't know if they were comparing the writing styles necessarily so much as the level of "hype" surrounding the books. But, I really don't see near the level of excitement about this book as, say, book 7 of Harry Potter. Like I said, I hadn't even heard of these books until EW featured them! But yah, these just sound awful and not exactly well-written.

[glamourcorpse]

Okay, having heard so much fuzz flying over this book, this is my first toe in to the writing. *looks over her Nanowrimo* I'm a fuckin' rock star compared to this drivel.

[katranna]

And I haven't even quoted any of the descriptions of "liquid topaz eyes" and "incandescent chests" and Apollonian good look!

[glamourcorpse]

OUCH. Ouch ouch ouch.

[eyeteeth]

I read a page or two of the book because I saw it on a table and wow, how bad and depressing. Shitty writing aside, it's been over a hundred years since Dracula and people are still crapping their pants with glee over that same rape fantasy?

[katranna]

Well, Dracula was a bit different at least--the vampire was sexual, but he wasn't portrauyed as "sexy," and here it's more Dangerous Love than "rape fantasy." And really, I can see the appeal of "I LOVE you but I have a drive to KILL you!" Plus, such basic fantasies are enduring. :-) The writing and characterization bothers me more!

(Aren't you also writing a novel about vampires? You should try to finish it quick, hah, while everyone's still so gaga over them.)

[eyeteeth]

I'd call "dangerous love" in this case a close cousin to "rape fantasy" -- basically, "I want this beautiful man who might harm me." It's a conflation of desire and violence. (Not that I'm saying that never happens in life.) And Dracula, while he was not beautiful, and while he had bad breath, was portrayed as evoking a similar combination of desire and terror. Of course that book was also about how the menacing furriners are going to rape our white women, and there was a whole lot else going on, but I maintain that there is a similarity. The pure chaste ice princess who secretly desires to be ravished by the alluring dead guy.

You're right, though, it's the shittiness of the writing that's the main problem. My personal main problem is that I write about vampires too and this kind of book makes me feel as stupid as the author seems to be. I just try to keep reminding myself that there was a similar outpouring of vampire fiction when Bram Stoker wrote Dracula and that his book endured while who has ever heard of Varney the

[katranna]

I've heard of Varney the Vampire. :-D

[ballatetta]

I got halfway through it, waiting for a)something to happen or b)Bella to stop being utterly useless and boring, then gave up all hopes.

Utterly overrated in the worst way. Yuck.

[katranna]

Haha. Yes, it's just kind of hard to slough through. I mean, if you know that Edward's a vampire beforehand, then the book basically has no plot.