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It once occured to me that I have read too many books to understand how real love is supposed to happen; I was convinced that, having immersed myself so deeply in fictional lives and fictional worlds, that my own life and my own world could only disappoint in comparison. There was a difference, I felt, between necessary escapism and unhealthy pre-occupation: and that I was teetering dangerously close to the latter.
Then I read Twilight and I just didn’t care anymore. Who wants real life when you can have sexy vampire love? Basically, those that havn’t read Twilight are living in a dark, sad world away from Edward’s lustrous locks and Bella’s irritating chronic self deprecation; they are living in a world where Jacob’s winning smile does not exist and vampires and werewolves are the stuff of nightmares instead of dreams. Frankly, that’s a place I don’t want to be. You can keep your Elizabeths and Darcys and your Anthonys and Cleopatras. Bother me not with anything that doesn’t involve sexy vampire boys and their tortured souls.
This is the real secret of Stephanie Meyer’s success: she wrote possibly the most loveable and desirable man ever. Edward tops every romantic hero in the history of literature I can think of. Ever. Seriously. Have a go. I bet you can’t think of anyone Edward coudn’t take. And yes, of course, he has the whole 'vulnerable, agonized' thing down which only makes him more irresistable. Edward's imperfections somehow only make him more perfect. Edward is there to fall in love with. He is there to make your boyfriend jealous, and all other men seem, well, just a bit rubbish.
I have to admit that I was somewhat reluctant to begin the Twilight Saga. I witnessed the hype with mistrust, having within me a deep natural suspicion of anything which inspires gaggles of screaming teenage girls. I avoided reading the books until I was coerced by a dear friend: and, having no pressing commitments, I read all four books within the week. In fact I did not just read them, I more or less ate them. They compelled me in a rare and in many ways unexplainable manner.
The Twilight Saga is charming, intriguing, occasionally highly original, and, above all, accessible. And it is this accessibility, that allows me to forgive this utterly absorbing story and its author for the literary sins that the critics seem unable to. Twilight gave millions of people a reason to read again. Its beauty is in its simplicity and its passion. Above all, it gives hope. All love stories give ordinary people living their ordinary lives hope that they could experience something as extraordinary as true love.
Twilight is no exception- in fact it is one of the best love stories I have ever read. It is no Romeo and Juliet, it is no Pride and Prejudice: but why ever should it be? These classic and epic tales of the past are limited to those with the time, patience and skill to unravel archaic semantics and bizarre conceits. The love of Edward and Bella is every bit as intense and convincing as any from all of literature, and has the added bonus of not giving one a headache attempting to trawl through unnaccountably difficult text.
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I agree with you totally I have never read a book all my life until my daughter came home with twilight books and I just couldnt stop reading its brought back the romance in my life lol
# Posted by Kiri on 6:20, 30 September 2009
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