Why I hate Twilight « Vulpes Libris

Why I hate Twilight

March 7, 2009 by Eve

twilight … let me count the ways…

Okay, this was always going to be a contentious idea, to write a piece about why I hate a book. I mean, it’s all subjective isn’t it? One man’s meat and all that. And I just don’t go round willy nilly hating books, and I certainly don’t talk about them here if I do. But there are certain things about Twilight which are downright wrong and I think these things should be talked about if only to get other people talking about them. And Stephen King started it…

So, first off I’ll give you my position on the whole Twilight saga phenomenon. I have read the first book, Twilight, in fact I read it in about two days, flat out, couldn’t put the bloody thing down. (I think there are drugs impregnated in the paper.) All the way through I was groaning and moaning, slamming the thing down only to pick it up again five minutes later, then getting so annoyed I’d shut it away in a cupboard and then hear it singing to me… “Eve, Eve, come read me… you know you want to… (honestly, drugs I tell you!).

What is the book about? Erm… vampires and romance, I guess – but no sex, definitely no sex. Bella goes to stay with her dad, she meets beautiful Edward in Biology, then Edward isn’t in Biology, then he’s back in Biology again, they play baseball and he glitters, there’s a big fight (during which Bella is unconscious – more on that later), she’s rescued, the end.

So, let me count the ways…

1) It’s very strangely written, almost like an accountant’s dissertation on the difference between gross and net…

I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away towards the dark forest behind us. He’d said that the Cullens didn’t come here, but his tone implied something more – that they weren’t allowed; they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

… the girl is supposed to be 17 years old for gawds sake, she sounds like an old man smoking a pipe and wearing a cardigan with leather elbow patches.

But that’s not why I hate Twilight.

2) Nothing happens! Abso-bloody-lutely nothing. I kept waiting for the excitement and tension and the fulfilment of the promises given in the first line of the Preface…

I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few moths – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

… would you not have expected something wild and terrorising after this? It is a book about Vampires after all. But no… pages and pages of touching and looking and angsting and Edward not being in Biology, and then him being there, and then not… and nothing momentous at all. And then, when there is an opportunity for a big fight and loads of action Bella passes out and we miss it! WTF??? I threw the book at the wall at that point (only to retrieve it 10 minutes later and start reading again… really it was the drugs!).

But this isn’t why I hate Twilight.

3) Everyone is beautiful and the way they’re described is almost nauseating. I got to the stage where I wondered if I could survive reading any more about alabaster skin and billowing caramel hair and perfect lips. Ack!

The thing about all of this though, is that Bella is supposed to be totally unremarkable. She’s goofy, accident prone (to the point of being almost a clown, unable to walk in a straight line without falling over!), she isn’t sporty, she isn’t pretty and she doesn’t relate well to other people… then she comes to this town and tah-dah everyone is in love with her. Not just the gorgeous, alabaster, billowing perfect Edward… but everybody! How did that happen?

This is not why I hate Twilight but it does lead me on to…

4) It is the most obvious Mary Sue story in the history of literature. It has to be. All the things that happen are just far too good to be anything but total wish fulfilment for Stephenie Meyer. I know writers all put some of themselves into their books but jeeeez, there’s a limit to how far they should go. There’s a fabulous piece on Cracked which illustrates my point far better than I can.

But this isn’t why I hate it.

5) There are many, many, many other annoying things – the plot holes the size of the grand canyon, the deus ex machina, the creepy 100 year age gap between the main characters, the sparklyness, the fact that Bella’s smell turns Edward on – not her witty conversation, not her intelligence, or her kindness …

… we’re getting to the reason why I hate Twilight…

6) I had always felt deeply uncomfortable about the way this book portrayed Bella. At the start of the book she seemed pretty clued up, a normal teenage girl. By the end she was a lying, pathetic, characterless stooge and all thorough the actions of one man… the hundred and odd year old Edward Cullen.

Her smell turned him on so much that she had to try to stop smelling so he wouldn’t kill her. She had to keep herself chastened, for fear of sending him into a feeding frenzy. She apologised all the time for being herself. She trailed around after him like a lovesick puppy and eventually she could barely stand up without his help.

“Get in,” a furious voice commanded.

It was amazing how instantaneously the choking fear vanished, amazing how suddenly the feeling of security washed over me – even before I was off the street as soon as I heard his voice.

He commands her, he’s livid with her, he gives her instructions and she follows every single thing he tells her to do. She surrenders her mind, body and spirit to this guy without a second thought. She lies to her father to cover up what this boy is and tries desperately to keep him and his family a secret…

… this is why I hate Twilight!

The girls reading this stuff are as young as eight or nine years old, I know, I’ve seen them buy it and I’ve seen their parents buying it for them… and their parents have never read the book themselves. At that young age girls have not yet formed opinions or attitudes and they’re ripe for influence. An article in the Guardian gives a brilliant account of exactly the way I feel about this. I won’t go into the fact that the author is a Mormon and has admitted that she has used her real-life attitudes in her writing (read my point 4. for back-up about this!), but I will stress that there are some questionable motivations and opinions in this book which could be influencing a generation.

So yes Twilight does appear to be addictive, it does have some totally cheesy writing, some wooden characters, some gawdawful plot points – but all of these are totally forgivable (hell I read Flowers in the Attic about a million times when I was twelve!). But the thing I won’t forgive is the portrayal of women as weak-without-a-man creatures who need told what to do and who should follow exactly what their men tell them without question… that’s a dangerous message to give our children.

Posted in Entries by Eve | 121 Comments

121 Responses

on March 7, 2009 at 7:24 pm Jackie

This was a great review, starting out funny & ending in fury. Well done!
I’ve been thinking about reading this series just to see what all the fuss is about, but I have a feeling it would cause the same reactions in me as you’ve described. I would get very angry at the man controlling everything a woman does. That attitude was bad enough a hundred years ago, but to portray a modern girl with no backbone like that is a disservice. It’s revealing that this quality has never been mentioned in any of the reviews I’ve read, which makes it seem almost subversive. I was constantly hearing about the bad influence of Harry Potter, which sounds far less dangerous. Of course, it was mostly Fundamentalist Christians who protested Potter & this old-fashioned subservience is more in line with their thinking.
I agree that this is not a good message to be sending a whole generation of girls,not all of whom will mature into a better, more advanced view of a woman’s role in relationships.That’s a lot scarier than vampires.
on March 7, 2009 at 8:01 pm Lisa

Dear Lord, Eve. Consider me well and truly put off Twilight. I am shocked.
on March 7, 2009 at 8:10 pm rosyb

Me too! Just read the Mangan article you linked to (I always like her) and I had visions of Surrendered Wives all the way through. Argh. And more argh.

The idea that it is all the woman’s responsibility to behave a certain way with men all the time and that men’s actions are women’s responsibility makes me choke. Didn’t that go out with the ark?

An eye-opener, Eve. I didn’t know anything about this book except that it’s popular. Is it all part of the growing abstinence and being a virgin trend going on these days?
on March 7, 2009 at 8:17 pm rosyb

PS – And what is that cover suggesting? Eve and the apple? Holding the temptation in her hands and guarding it? All the connotations there are a bit dodge too.
on March 7, 2009 at 10:48 pm Nikki

I absolutely loathe Twilight. But here’s a confession… I’ve never read it. A friend had the sequel New Moon on holiday and I read a few chapters and she had to restrain me from throwing it into the pool. It was so poorly written that I could have cried. I know so many people who have been rejected by publishers, but this got published! Then there’s the actual content. All that seems to happen is that Edward glitters and then she is torn between him and Jacob. It’s just so relentlessly DULL! Your points, your main problems with this book, I agree with. Bella’s passiveness is too terrifying to even be properly irritating.
on March 8, 2009 at 12:19 am kimbofo

I have been sooooooo tempted to read these books but I’ve researched them to death to the point where I now know they’ll make me as angry as hell to read them. Your wonderful review has only confirmed that. Thanks for having the courage to provide the other, never-mentioned point of view because the way these things are flying off the shelves you’d think there was something very special about them. (I was going to say the books suck, but that might be pushing the vampire pun too far, no?)
on March 8, 2009 at 6:09 am Kari

What a fantastic review.

I sometimes feel as if everyone I know is trying to convince me to read these books. Last term, one of my students described Twilight as “the next Harry Potter“; others bring the books to class and sit there reading avidly until the lecture begins. All of these students are young women, and most of them declare that the books are the best things ever and I really need to read them now. Yet…every description of Twilight I have heard has made me want to gouge out my own eyes. Do we really need another stupid story about a helpless, whining girl who swoons over an immortal with a tortured soul? Is it not possible for well-written stories about strong and intelligent girls and women to become popular? For pity’s sake, teenagers…read some of Tamora Pierce’s stuff. It’s fantasy. It’s exciting. The protagonists are not helpless. There are occasionally (very) brief lovey-dovey bits, though they never take over or destroy the actual story. Why oh why oh why can’t people get all obsessed over Tamora Pierce? Just for fun? And as a personal favour to me?

Sadly, it does seem as if a lot of girls are attracted to Twilight-quality pseudo-romance. Excuse me while I go find a corner in which I can quietly weep for humanity.
on March 8, 2009 at 11:10 am Brian Clegg

When I started reading this I kept thinking, ‘Yes, but it must be good writing in some way, because Eve kept coming back to it, so it’s okay really.’ But I guess that’s like saying ‘Hitler must have been a good orator, because people were really excited by what he said, so he must have been okay really.’

I think (I hope) my 15-year-old who likes the Twilight stuff is mature enough not to face the dangers a 9-year-old reading it would. I always hesitate to say ‘don’t read that’ to her a) because that’ll make her want to read it more and b) I do believe people ought to make their own mind up about books, not follow the herd without having read them.

But argh, you make it difficult, Eve. I think you should set up as an agony aunt for parents whose children like Twilight.

Dear Aunty Eve,
What should I do?
Worried of Wiltshire
on March 8, 2009 at 12:08 pm brideofthebookgod

I’ve been dithering over reading Twilight for a long time, largely because a number of people whose opinions on books are important to me really rate this series. I do love a good vampire story, but something in the back of my mind has been telling me to keep away. It’s good to hear someone articulate what I’ve suspected.
on March 8, 2009 at 8:16 pm Nikki

Also, the descriptions of love in the book aren’t about love. Strangely, it describes an obsessive crush rather than actual true love. And it all seems to hinge on outward appearances – Bella “loves” Edward because he’s pretty and glitters (I have issues with the glittering) and Edward “loves” Bella because she smells scrummy. Perfect!
on March 8, 2009 at 9:07 pm Moira

You lot do realize, don’t you, that you’re engendering in me an almost OVERWHELMING desire to read one of these things just out of curiosity?
on March 9, 2009 at 1:01 pm Camille

Check out this fab Bitch Magazine article on Twilight as ‘abstinence porn’.

http://bitchmagazine.org/article/bite-me-or-dont
on March 9, 2009 at 3:29 pm PookyStew

Eve,
I loved your review! I completely understand about the drugged paper the publishers used. I could not put this series down and read it several times through and still can’t get enough, but have the hardest time telling why. WHY???

I agree, I don’t want my 9 year old niece reading it because Bella does give in to Edward right from the get-go and seems pretty spineless. By the end of BD, she does stand up for what she wants in her own way and we see a bit of development, but not terribly much. Not enough to be a good strong role model.

As a grown woman, I see this as a really long paperback romance. I too read Flowers in the Attic about a gazillion times in those early teen years and as gripping as it was then, I find now that the writing wasn’t great at all, it was just a good story. And that is what I have concluded about Twilight as well. Even with the thousand and one mentions of the word chagrin.
on March 9, 2009 at 7:08 pm Clorinda

Hmmm, well your review is what I expected from Vulpes. I just don’t understand why this blog keeps on reviewing popular or genre fiction – all you do is “diss” it….

That said, I do agree with you – I’ve read all the Twilight series and at lot of the issues you raise, I thought too. However, I don’t hate it. I love it.

Yes parts are badly written, yes, it’s not exactly the ideal material for a young girl to read. But after thinking long and hard about why I loved it, I came to this conculsion:

It took me back to my teenage years where it’s very important for a girl to be popular with boys. It lets a girl live out the fantasy of having a boy protect and obsess over her. He’s good looking, and he just wants her.

It’s a fantasy – what’s wrong with that? Why does every book have to live up to some feminist ideal?

What I found and you didn’t mention was how a 100 year old wouldn’t patronise a 17 yr old. What interest would someone that old and with that knowledge have in someone so young?

Also, the biggest thing I found unbelievable is how Bella wouldn’t eventually just get fed up with Edward and move on….At 17/18 this can happen very quickly.

I find the comments by people who hate the books but haven’t read them, as bad as the Christians who won’t read Harry Potter because of the magic in them. You just can’t diss a book when you haven’t read it.

Sorry, but despite many issues with the books (many of which I share with you), I loved the escapism in them. I’m not looking for reality – if I was, I’d read the news….

I guess this is just something you don’t quite get….
on March 9, 2009 at 8:40 pm kirstyjane

I have to say I think we do something rather important here on VL – taking genre literature seriously. And if those many and rather disturbing issues leap out and strike Eve, then why should she not write about them? Incidentally, we’ve written quite a few positive reviews of “popular” fiction (says the Fox who moonlights as a chicklit maven and Kate Lace/Katie Fforde enthusiast).

I did love this review – I wish more reviewers would speak up frankly, like Eve did here, about their perception of a book. And it’s hilarious too.
on March 9, 2009 at 10:20 pm Clorinda

But you fail to see genre literature as entertainment.

Some people don’t want to think about stuff, I don’t – I get that enough in my life and work. I want to switch off and be taken to somewhere else.

It’s like soap opera on TV….I don’t watch them, I don’t like them, but I don’t review them because I’m going write a bad review…however good the acting, however good the script.

I never said you don’t take genre fiction seriously. But I think you take it *too* seriously. That’s the problem…..
on March 9, 2009 at 10:44 pm Kari

Clorinda: The assumption that genre literature exists strictly to entertain and cannot, by definition, contain any meaning that goes beyond entertainment is one that a lot of genre writers find pretty frustrating. I don’t think Eve is denying that Twilight is entertaining (she couldn’t put it down, after all)…but acknowledging a work’s entertaining qualities doesn’t mean you have to examine nothing but its entertaining qualities. I read fantasy to be entertained until my eyes bleed, but I’d rather read well-written, nuanced fantasy that presents characters with actual personalities than poorly written, mindlessly derivative pulp. Terry Pratchett is as entertaining as you’re going to get with fantasy; he’s also an extremely clever man who satirises his chosen genre even as he embraces its conventions. The Harry Potter books are page-turners that are also designed to make readers think…not to mention hunt out the myths and folk tales on which they rely for some of their elements.

If you don’t want to think about stuff, don’t think about stuff. The Foxes generally seem to want to think about stuff. They write articles about the stuff about which they want to think. You read the articles and then, presumably, start thinking about stuff. If the Foxes didn’t think about stuff, they would have no reason to write the articles. “Wow…that book is entertaining!” is not the kind of statement likely to give rise to a thousand-word article, no matter how true it may be.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must return to my twenty billionth rereading of The Princess Bride. Wow…that book is entertaining.
on March 9, 2009 at 10:44 pm kirstyjane

DISCLAIMER: these views are entirely my own and are not intended to be any kind of VL mission statement or other such.

I don’t think taking it seriously is a problem in the least – any reviewer of any book is entirely allowed provide opinions for those who want to read them. After all, something can be both artistically interesting and great entertainment, or one, or the other. Speaking purely for myself, I think that there’s a lot of stuff sold as genre or popular lit that has real merit, that raises interesting questions and that absolutely deserves to be thought about. Or perhaps it takes on some really interesting or problematic topic, and there’s a perspective to be seen there. It’s fine not to like that, of course, but it strikes me as rather odd to read it then complain about how it’s exactly what you expected.

If something is out in the public forum, and is creating a great deal of interest and reaction (and in the case of something like Twilight) attachment among readers, why not read it and give an opinion? I think it would be rather condescending to write off all genre fiction as unworthy of a genuinely interested and critical perspective. I’d hate to do some of my favourite books that disservice.
on March 9, 2009 at 11:10 pm rosyb

“If you don’t want to think about stuff, don’t think about stuff. The Foxes generally seem to want to think about stuff. They write articles about the stuff about which they want to think. You read the articles and then, presumably, start thinking about stuff. If the Foxes didn’t think about stuff, they would have no reason to write the articles. “Wow…that book is entertaining!” is not the kind of statement likely to give rise to a thousand-word article, no matter how true it may be.”

Oh that paragraph is priceless, Kari! Hee hee. Yes. (I think.) Umm.

Clorinda – well I agree with you that people shouldn’t mindlessly slag off stuff they haven’t read. But all that happened here is that Eve voiced her very well-thought-out and expressed opinion and other people have said if it’s as you say, that sounds a bit worrying. But a lot of people are obviously off to take a look now so they can form their own opinion.

I don’t think there’s any shame in a good dose of feminism. Not enough of it about these days if you ask me amongst all the pink pink pink pink pink girlified media culture.

For myself, I’m inclined to agree with Brian Clegg. I don’t believe teens are THAT impressionable – or at least I think they are but by peers and images and the whole shabang that is out there. I think people have to come to stuff themselves and make up their own minds. I read Narnia without turning a hair as a youngster and didn’t pick up/wasn’t particularly interested in the underlying Christian message so maybe it’s more a case of you can convert those who want to be converted or who are already converted. Or something.

But look.

I think there is another issue here and that is that popular culture always carries messages and meanings – it can’t help it just by being popular it is a barometre of what is going on. And the fact that there are certain ideas in Twilight that reflect stuff that is going on now is surely valid for discussion. In fact, you could argue that it is MORE important to discuss popular culture than the rarified “high art” that is the interest, pursuit and affects so few in comparison.

As for soap – there is some fantastic stuff in there. I’d say that soap can be up there – as sophisticated, ironic, tongue-in-cheek, self-knowing as anything else. Entertainment aint easy and therefore is up for discussion.
on March 10, 2009 at 10:26 am Clorinda

**deep sigh in exasperation at no one listening to me….**

I think I’m going to start reviewing literary fiction on my blog….It won’t be pretty.

I don’t do highbrow…

By the way, before I sign off, I would like to point out that Eve has not told you all the full context of the quote from Twilight: “Get in”….

Bella was about to be gang raped and Edward has “come to her rescue”, so the context of the quote she has chosen has not been explained fully.

(Feminist comments about women being rescued by a man may start now….but NOT until you’ve read the book please.)
on March 10, 2009 at 11:04 am Lisa

Eve has reviewed loads of popular ‘genre’ fiction that she has enjoyed very much.

Some of her reviews can be found here:

http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/category/entries-by/entries-by-eve/

A reader doesn’t have to hate genre fiction in order to think that Twilight is garbage.

However, Clorinda, good on you for coming on here and arguing in favour of Twilight. You’re obviously not alone in enjoying these novels.

I shall ask my 13 yr old niece what she makes of the books, since I suspect she’s more the target audience than I am. I think it would be really interesting to get a teen perspective on this.

P.S For me the Twilight series sounds about as appealing as a steaming pile of turds, but I respect that other people feel differently on this issue. I enjoyed “Buffy” so perhaps I am predisposed to dislike its rival…
on March 10, 2009 at 11:27 am Moira

I applaud Clorinda for having the courage to fight her corner … especially when so many people must actually agree with her, but are plainly keeping their heads down …

I do, however, have to take issue with the contention – implicit in what you’re saying – that we’re ‘highbrow’ and only ‘do’ literary fiction.

I think you may be thinking of some OTHER Vulpes Libris … I mean this is the uncrowned Chicklit Queen talking … the one who’s going to talk to the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Conference in July … the one who wouldn’t touch anything she suspected of being ‘literary fiction’ with a ten foot pole. (Well, they occasionally sneak it past me in moments of weakness … but in general I avoid it like the plague …)

And as Lisa says, Eve has reviewed a bucketload of genre fiction very enthusiastically – as have others here.

Hers is by no means the only nay-saying voice I’ve heard on the subject of ‘Twilight’ … but hers IS the only one that’s admitted to having been unable to put the thing down – just like everyone else …
on March 10, 2009 at 11:28 am Eve

Sorry I’m late back… I’ve had horrific computer trouble…

Well, things have got lovely and discussiony here. Let me first say thank you all so much for all these interesting comments. And for joining in with what I had hoped would be a talking point… and it has been.

Brian, I would say at 15 there’s really little problem, by then I’m pretty sure your daughter will have her own opinions already formed and just take from the story what applies to her and leave the rest. I don’t think you need worry at all

Camille that is a brilliant link, thank you.

Clorinda, I think your comments need more addressing than the others but first off thank you very much for them… it’s a great stimulus for discussion and gives me an opportunity to say a bit more.

Initially, in answering some of your concerns here, can I clarify… I am the kids book person and I am without doubt the least cultured member of the fox-clan. I am Ms Popular-Lit if ever there was one… can’t really get my head round lit-fic very well at all. Twilight is absolutely my genre for reading.

I am also not really a feminist either *gasp*… really I’m not. I love being taken care of and do the pathetic woman thing to get my husband to fill the car with oil and fix the broken toaster. All that swooning means loads of jobs get done I don’t want to do

I totally agree with you that Twilight took me back to the heady days of falling in love and rekindled those memories for me. I have to disagree about Bella moving on at 17 though, since I met my husband at the same age, fell head over heels and 24 years and 2 kids later we’re still together. So without a doubt it captures those feelings better than any book I’ve read in a long time.

I did list a lot of the problems with Twilight that I saw, but none of them gave me reason to hate it… in fact I would have done a “Love it Despite…” piece if not for the ONE reason I hate it. I am assuming you are an adult and like many millions of adults are reading this book with adult formed opinions. BUT this is a children’s book and marketed as such and stored in the kids sections of bookshops.

I believe, when writing for children, the author has a duty not to subject the kids to any fiercely held belief/opinion/attitude. Maybe I am a bit naive in this and maybe I’m wrong… but the author’s whole attitude right the way through this series is not a healthy one for young children to be reading about. And this book is being read by very, very young children… and why not, it is supposed to be a children’s book.

Yes, I did take a quote from the aftermath of Bella being chased by some yobs… however, she was leaping into a car with a raging vampire who may or may not kill her at some point. But it was one of a load of quotes I could have taken, there are just so many points at which Bella gives up everything about herself and is no longer in charge of her own future or her own life. I am 100% in favour of romance where the man takes care of the woman… I love it! I believe this is really what young girls are after and why they read this book so avidly… deep down inside they want to be taken care of – and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that at all.

BUT I am 100% against romance where the woman surrenders totally to this man and where she is blamed for his actions, where she is held responsible for his failures, where she must follow his every command and where she is forced to lie to cover up for him. That isn’t romance, that’s abuse.
on March 10, 2009 at 2:29 pm Trevor

BUT I am 100% against romance where the woman surrenders totally to this man and where she is blamed for his actions, where she is held responsible for his failures, where she must follow his every command and where she is forced to lie to cover up for him. That isn’t romance, that’s abuse.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems you think this is Mormon doctrine, or at least Mormon culture.

I won’t go into the fact that the author is a Mormon and has admitted that she has used her real-life attitudes in her writing (read my point 4. for back-up about this!), but I will stress that there are some questionable motivations and opinions in this book which could be influencing a generation.

Do you really think that this is how Mormons raise their daughters? Do you really think that Meyers is attempting to indoctrinate young girls with Mormon doctrine? I find your assumptions about a religious culture and about its people offensive, ignorant, and quasi-malicious.
on March 10, 2009 at 6:07 pm bookchildworld

No, it doesn’t appear that she thinks

” romance where the woman surrenders totally to this man and where she is blamed for his actions, where she is held responsible for his failures, where she must follow his every command and where she is forced to lie to cover up for him. That isn’t romance, that’s abuse.”

is Mormon doctrine or culture.
She was referring to the theme of sexual abstinence.
I thought that was quite clear from the article.
on March 10, 2009 at 6:38 pm Clorinda

I have to say, since this review, I’ve seen a number of interviews with Stephanie Meyer on You Tube – just do a search on “Stephanie Meyer interview”.

She says that she wasn’t trying to impart any message – just that she wrote what she wants to read. She also said that she didn’t write it for young adults/teens. She just wrote it for herself (I believe she is 33ish).

I’ve also read the links to articles about Twilight that the others have left.

If Stephanie Meyer is telling the truth (and I have no reason to think she doesn’t, she seems ordinary enough) then it just seems to me that people are over-analysing a love story.

Eve – thanks for answering me. I hear what you are saying, but I always thought as I was reading it that Bella made the decision herself to surrender to Edward and I don’t see that as abusive. As long as she chose it for herself, who are we to argue? I feel that Edward gives himself to Bella just as much as she does to him. Perhaps the fact that he is physically stronger etc makes you think it’s an unequal partnership.

By the way, have you read the other 3 books? In Eclipse, there are some very “controling moments” by Edward. I suspect you may have a fit of vapours if you read it….

Also, one other thing – when Bella leaps into the car with a raging vampire – she doesn’t actually know he’s a vampire – she suspects it, and she is about to confront him about it….but she doesn’t actually know for sure….

Clorinda
on March 10, 2009 at 6:43 pm Trevor

My apologies, Eve. I see it is more likely you were discounting that bit of information about Meyer’s religion that is mentioned in the Guardian article rather than give a slightly tongue-in-cheek emphasis on her religion by apearing to “not go into it.” I misread (I do think it’s a viable misreading of something that could be written better, but I miswrite things all the time!) and appreciate bookchildworld’s clarification.
on March 11, 2009 at 9:24 am Clorinda

Eve, one further thing about my last post. I *am* assuming you haven’t read the other books in the series. This could be why I have a different attitude to the books than you do…

In the later books, Bella has Edward wrapped around her finger, and she manipulates him to the point where he is a lap dog. (Another fantasy of girls?)

This is especially true in the 3rd book “Eclipse”.

I think there might be a lot of young men who might object to the later books.
on March 13, 2009 at 11:12 pm I HATE YOU ALL

Shame on you for saying such horrid things!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First of all I know quite a lot of people who talk above their age. Also, you obviously didn’t read the whole book; ” Nothing happens! Abso-bloody-lutely nothing. ” Are you forgetting the deadly tracker vampires, Bella being nearly killed? Ring any bells, MORON? Oh, and everything being described as beautiful, DUH!!! IT’S A ROMANCE NOVEL!!! So, I’d like to put it clearly; Anyone who insults this book without an actual, reliable, REAL reason for not liking it is atotal and complete idiot! I know what you’re going to say, ” Freedom of speech, Right of opinion.” , but you didn’t give any actual reason for disliking the book in any way!
on March 13, 2009 at 11:35 pm Moira

That’s a very subtle username …
on March 14, 2009 at 11:00 am Hilary

I really enjoyed the article from Bitch magazine – thanks, Camille.

I was taken by the frequency in the comments of the view ‘It’s rubbish, but least it has got teenage girls reading!’ I really despise that view myself, whatever the work in question. This is nothing to do with Twilight, which I have not read, and which has now gone quite a way down my To-read list. Obviously. Reading is to be encouraged as an essential life skill, and a source of infinite pleasure and fulfillment, but how dare we wish on reluctant readers books that we think are poor quality? If popular fiction, genre fiction, strong storylines are what catches the imagination and the teen zeitgeist, surely they can be well written, and coherent.

But am I right to hold this opinion so strongly? What do others think?
on March 14, 2009 at 7:37 pm Moira

I’m in two minds (when am I not?). If something that I consider to be badly-written reactionary twaddle persuades someone who’s never read anything more demanding than a crisp packet to pick up a real book for the first time … then I think it’s served a purpose. One book could lead to others. True, to begin with, it’s only likely to lead to the rest of the series – Reactionary Twaddle Revisited, On the Beach with Reactionary Twaddle, Five Go Wild with Reactionary Twaddle – but it could eventually encourage someone to read something a bit more …. demanding.

I might wish that they weren’t reading something that could rot their brain, but … heck … just be grateful for small mercies is what I say …
on March 15, 2009 at 12:06 am Hilary

You’re all just stuck up on the feminist thing.
“She depends on him, it’s just another story about a girl who is depending on a guy”

BLAHBLAHBLAH, I HATE your review!
and can’t stand feminist.
on March 15, 2009 at 12:26 am Moira

Ah. Not OUR Hilary, I think …
on March 15, 2009 at 12:27 am Jackie

I’ve never understood why women are against feminists when almost anything that benefits women is the result of what feminists have accomplished= equal pay, votes, property rights, divorce rules, domestic violence laws, reproductive rights, health benefits, access to schooling, elimination of clothing restrictions, job openings, just to name a few.
Maybe if more females learned what has been gained, they would be appreciative, or at least acknowledge it, rather than just being dismissively ignorant.
on March 15, 2009 at 11:22 am One Night Stanzas » Blog Archive » Procrastination Station #29

[...] How do I hate Twilight? Let me count the ways… (I love Vulpes Libris!) [...]
on March 15, 2009 at 1:07 pm Hilary

Oops! Beg pardon, looks like I did have a little rush of blood to the head there …. except that I didn’t.

(signed) The original, and best, Hilary, who is not sure that she likes having an alter ego, especially a post-feminist one … I must keep taking the pills.
on March 15, 2009 at 2:10 pm rosyb

Hee hee hee hee.

Oh dear. Well I’m a feminist and have the hairy legs to prove it. Bring it awn!
on March 15, 2009 at 3:25 pm Kari

I am also a feminist and regard “post-feminists” in somewhat the same way as I regard people who believe reinstating slavery would be a darned good idea. If any “post-feminists” would like to continue to remark loudly that women should devote their entire lives to attracting men, they may go right ahead, but they should know that I shall be weeping tears of blood and screaming out my rage and despair in the dead watches of the night.

To be fair…I used to love the Nancy Drew books. Nancy was smart and capable and always catching criminals, but she was also chloroformed and tied up a lot. I do have a theory that girls like adventure stories just as much as boys do, and they also like having heroines with whom to identify; if all we give them are clingy, helpless little idiots who need to be rescued every five seconds, the readers will take ‘em. Instead of trying to smother the clingy-helpless-little-idiot books, we can maybe just go around promoting–and writing–the other stuff. Girls can choose their own poison…just as boys can.
on March 15, 2009 at 5:21 pm kirstyjane

I’d like to add my own feminist aside to Kari’s excellent feminist remarks, and say that if any “post-feminists” wish to proclaim their repulsion for the idea that women are, in fact, human beings and not objects to be used (which is what feminism really boils down to), that’s really just fine. “Freedom of speech, right of opinion”, as a previous poster put it (although I do not think she was being positive about either of these things, despite exercising both of them).

But they should also be aware that the fact that (a) reading (b) a book by a female author (c) quite possibly bought with their own money in (d) their spare time – which is a very modern luxury particularly for us gals, when you think of it – and what’s more (e) complaining about all this in writing makes them *extremely* privileged compared to the generations of women who came before those awful feminists and their struggle to achieve the kind of things we now take for granted (see above). They may also wish to ask themselves why they feel feminism is such a pointless thing, when there are plenty of women in other classes and other countries who would love it if their biggest problem was someone on the internet disliking their favourite book.
on March 15, 2009 at 7:33 pm rosyb

“They may also wish to ask themselves why they feel feminism is such a pointless thing, when there are plenty of women in other classes and other countries who would love it if their biggest problem was someone on the internet disliking their favourite book.”

This is exactly what I always think when people go on about how women are equal now and we don’t need to be feminists anymore. Who are “we” and how parochial is that attitude?
on March 15, 2009 at 7:35 pm rosyb

Err…I think we can safely assume that we’re a load of rabid old feminists then. Apart from Eve. And maybe a few others. *She says whipping out the old dungarees and flashing a hairy armpit*
on March 15, 2009 at 7:47 pm Moira

I always think of myself as more of a cantankerous old bat …

I’ve got me Helen Reddy LP somewhere …

“I am Woman, hear me roar … ” *Snigger*
on March 15, 2009 at 11:22 pm kirstyjane

Massively parochial, comrade Rosy, massively so. Living where I do, I can testify to that…
on March 19, 2009 at 3:59 pm Yasmeen

Incredible review. Unique opinion.

I agree with the fact that the book is quite addictive as I am finishing the 3rd one myself, and to be honest I am in love with. However, it doesn’t let teen girls face reality, they become ignorant of everything around them, including their family. But as the girls start to imitate this ” Bella ” there is number of positive thing they might start to do a) she was unselfish b) she wasn’t obsessed with clothes and money c) she agreed to die in the place of someone innocent.

So I don’t see the reasons why it should be banished to read, or just hated ’cause it brings some good values to the teenagers. Of course the love story seems to be too perfect and unreal, but I find it pointless to read something about boring everyday life and social problems. It makes ppl relax.

However well done, Eve!
on March 23, 2009 at 7:46 pm em

Fantastic review, really rocks. Bella really iritates me because its as though she cant do anything without a man. http://avphibes.livejournal.com/370683.html?thread=4671739 try that sight. if you still like twilight then you really are an idiot.
on March 30, 2009 at 3:16 am Driston Galvao

Excellent Review!

You have really captured the feelings that some readers are feeling. I never understood why i couldn’t put the books down! It was soo frustrating and I was so angry! Now it is obvious that I was expecting some twist or something.
on March 30, 2009 at 3:31 pm Yasmeen

Actually, we all understand that the book is not a masterpiece, but still we can’t put it down ! So let’s just read, ’cause I think that soon this mania is going to pass.
on March 31, 2009 at 6:38 pm muthoni

right on sister. i may be thrown all the way on the other side of the world but preach it like it is. i am one of the many people who have watched the movie but not read the book and save for a few scenes, i actually like the movie. the book, will wait until another sucker buys it because i don’t discriminate against books, i just don’t buy the ones i have found to be 50% disliked by the world. p.s. are you a ‘tween’ i think it refers to people betweeen ten and twenty two years of age.
on April 2, 2009 at 2:54 pm jacob

Marry me bella.

Cmon’ it isn’t supposed to win a pulitzer.. It’s a teen novel.
on April 3, 2009 at 9:27 pm Barbara

Bella certainly is NOT a Mary Sue! She’s whiny. She makes herself out to be this grand genius when she’s quite drab and dull. For instance, she claims to have read all of Shakespeare and Lawrence and all these great writers…. and writes dull, repetitious narratives straight from the thesaurus. Ever noticed how everyone “articulates” and “corrects” and never “says”? It’s a good idea not to become repetitious; it’s another to become a walking dictionary. And don’t you know? She’s this big “clutz”? How else is her big hero man going to save her and drag her around and command her any other way? She’s nasty to her friends, too. God forbid someone calls her mother when she’s in an accident or acts friendly to her face in school.

Why is she so pale when she’s from Arizona? Did she live in prison all her life? I lived in Miami, and even though I was a nerd, I was still colored because of window light and going out for, you know, school. Bleeeh.

Why did I come here and have myself reminded of this vomit?

An excellent read, though. I pity you.
on April 30, 2009 at 8:29 pm BLAIR

I LOVE TWILGHT AND I THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD GIVE IT A CHANCE. I ALSO FIND IT FUNNY THAT SOMEONE WHO HATES THE BOOK WROTE AN ARTICLE ABOUT IT AFTER READING IT. OBVIOUSLY, IT’S A GREAT ESCAPE; EVE READ IT IN TWO DAYS FLAT. LET GO OF YOUR PREJUDGEMENTS AND READ IT FOR FUN.
PS. I ALWAYS WRITE IN ALL CAPS, I AM NOT YELLING =)
on April 30, 2009 at 9:24 pm Riff Chick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez3BGZYzH7s&feature=channel_page

’nuff said
on May 2, 2009 at 8:18 am David Maybury | Blog » Twilight. Just one of those things.

[...] Then I found Eve’s comprehensive post on Vulpes Libris: [...]
on May 4, 2009 at 2:34 am I_LUVES_RPATTZ

I love twilight, and im super obsessed but i loved this and i agree… but wth is a mary sue?? that confused me.
on May 4, 2009 at 9:16 am Moira

A Mary Sue is a book in which the lead character is a thinly-disguised version of the author – a bit of wish-fulfilment.

‘Jane Eyre’ is the Grandmother of all Mary Sues!
on May 7, 2009 at 8:57 pm Camilla

Eve,
With this review I finally realized what my subconscious wanted to tell me… Some things don’t make sence in the book. Some things are imcomplete…
I read the book and I liked it very much ( I agree with you about the drugs on the paper ). Actually, now I’m reading Eclipse [...]
At first I wanted to be like Stephenie Meyer ( actually, I think I still want to write like her ), but then I heard wat someone on a wabsite said:

“Stephenie Meyer, thank you for ruining my life.
Before twilight, I was wide-eyed and hopeful in all aspects of life, including love. During twilight, I was just as enveloped in the idea that love is real, and being caught up in the force of love between Bella and Edward fed those fantasies that are fantasies for a reason (because that kind of love does not exist in the real world) and led me, ill-fated, down a road so overwhelmed with falsities that I would be here all night typing them out if I were so inclined.”

I really appreciate who wrote this, I didn’t had words for what I felt inside about the fantacies, but she did.

Like I was saying that opened my eyes and I realized what Meyer wanted to involve us… ( the drugs on the paper again )
But that’s what the writers want, make a best-seller of their books… And that’s what she did. Now she’s rich.

I don’t blame Stephenie for making that esay-to-obsess her Twilight Saga, but this is still being hardly fair.

P.S: It has nothing to do with the movie. I really like Robert Pattinson (:
on May 7, 2009 at 9:00 pm BLAIR

EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THE BOOKS AND THEN THEY CAN CHOOSE TO AGREE WITH EVE OR NOT
AGE 24
on May 8, 2009 at 12:03 am Kristen P.

I agree with that Camilla…
About the Mary Sue, check it out:

A Mary Sue is a female fanfiction character who is so perfect as to be annoying. The male equivlalent is the Marty-Stu. Often abbreviated to “Sue”. A Mary Sue character is usually written by a beginning author. Often, the Mary Sue is a self-insert with a few “improvements” (ex. better body, more popular, etc). The Mary Sue character is almost always beautiful, smart, etc… In short, she is the “perfect” girl. The Mary Sue usually falls in love with the author’s favorite character(s) and winds up upstaging all of the other characters in the book/series/universe. There are several main types of Mary Sue:

Victim!Sues: The Victim!Sue is your whiny, wimpy, pathetic female character who can’t seem to do much of anything except cry and get herself into trouble that the romantic interest of the fic has to rescue her from.

{ That last one is obviously Bella }
Sorry.. I am not judging anyone!

I like this review Eve! (:
on May 15, 2009 at 1:13 am my name

For people who hate the book you sure spend a lot of time putting it down. No lives apparently.
on May 15, 2009 at 2:23 pm BLAIR

PERFEDT MY NAME PERFECT!!! =)
on May 15, 2009 at 2:24 pm BLAIR

*PERFECT
on May 17, 2009 at 8:44 pm Rachael

The person who put the comment,

“For people who hate the book you sure spend a lot of time putting it down. No lives apparently.”

Your saying we don’t have lives when you Twilight fans go around writing tons of fanfiction, trying to convince all the haters to love it, putting hours a day into watching Robert-Whatshisface, thinking about the book for hours, thinking when will my Edward come, and wasting your time reading those god awful books. You put more time into putting why you love it down than we put into why we hate it down.

When it came out I loved Twilight, my life revolved around it. Then I gained common sense, and hated that I put so much time into those books and that I was such an idiot for agreeing with it.
on May 18, 2009 at 11:13 pm H

Yeah i really really hate the book Nothing happens at all

And lots and lots of adjectives that it makes you wanna puke D:

I only have started to read it because of some girl recommending me the book and telling me how its the best book and i should read it and all but i really hate it -*-

0/10 rating its just a waste of time, just reading the adjectives how someone is super cool fast, sexy, pretty, sparkly, strong, pale, insert 100’s more etc… without any real plot whatsoever =\

Really disappointed and i think they should pay us for reading this and wasting our time… Don’t think its worth the paper its printed on
on May 19, 2009 at 9:18 pm BLAIR

RACHAEL,
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE LOOOOOVE IT AND YOU HAAAATE IT, RIGHT?? =) I WOULD MUCH RATHER LOOK UP SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME HAPPY THEN LOOK UP STUFF THAT I HATE. SO IT’S FINE TO DISLIKE SOMETHING, BUT TO ACTUALLY HAVE A DICUSSION AND SPEND TIME TALKING ABOUT IT….? WOULDN’T YOU RATHER LOOK UP THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY? THIS IS TO ALL OF THE MISERABLE NEGATIVE PEOPLE ON THIS WEBSITE!!! LOL

*INCASE ANYONE WONDERS WHY I AM HERE IT IS BC I STUMBLED UPON IT AND APPARENTLY IF YOU COMMENT ON THIS PAGE YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY SENT EMAIL UPDATES WHEN SOMEONE COMMENTS.

PS I DONT SPEND MY LIFE ON TWILIGHT…. I LIKE IT AND MAKES LIFE A LITTLE MORE EXCITING, THATS ALL. NO BIGGY!
on May 24, 2009 at 5:09 pm Taylor

I totally agree with you. It’s like there’s drugs in the pages or something!

Also, if anyone wants a good vampire romance with a better protagonist (as in she can survive without a man), read Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith. It has some stuff from Dracula (the main character is a girl named Quincie Morris), but with a twist.
on May 27, 2009 at 10:19 am Abby

Honestly, you guys haven’t read the whole series…Its probably one of the best things that have ever happened to my life. Yer… I know the obsessive obsessive people do get a tiny bit annoying but i cant blame them…and im not saying you have to love twilight, but if its not nice don’t say it at all. Personally I love twilight, but still im not saying to you guys “I LOVE twilight and you guys are just weird not to like it.” Not that you guys are being mean. But other people do say it to people. One of my friends is now upset because some one has being bulling her about being a fan. So just be carefull about what you say. And yes some people are WAY too young to be reading it especially the 4th book. But by my age (15) its fine i mean it would be fine for 13 year olds but probably no younger.
on May 27, 2009 at 10:22 am Abby

I love twilight, but yes i do agree with you Kristen.P (about the not judging anyone)
on May 27, 2009 at 11:12 am em

Abby, i am 13 but when i first read twilight i was 11. people read way worse books than that, so……… i get bullied ‘cos im the only 1 at my school who doesnt like twilight. i have read the whole searies and they just get worse. Also the film is just hilarius because its to intense. its just rubbish. why are you looking on this site if you love twilight?
on June 1, 2009 at 4:46 pm Sandie

I’m not good with words or describing why I like and dislike something, I’ve only read part of the first book and I can honestly say that I was able to put it down and never pick it up again. I couldn’t really pinpoint why I disliked it so except for the lack of research on the authors part, I get “Originality” but somethings like Vampirism you should stick to the strong roots of the folkloric legends, at least I think because honestly the whole Bedazzling and Sparkley skin is wrong. You have pinpointed most of the things I haven’t been able to figure out and explain for myself.

PS I’m a V.C. Andrews fan and I think she’s a helluva better writer, I’ve been reading her books since I was 10 as “sick” as that is. But at least the female characters gain some strength and go through some turmoil that is a worth while read.
on June 8, 2009 at 1:29 pm Dori

Finally someone who doesn’t look at me like im crazy when i say i dnot like twilight… Bellas so dependant and plus no normal teenager would fall in that in love so fast with a guy who basically randomally comes up to some girl hates one minute and then loves her the next… CRAZY… the whole book reminds me of a Katy Perry song (HOT & COLD)!!!!!!!!!
on June 9, 2009 at 3:15 am joy

I agree! I truly hate, abhor, and despise Twilight for all that it is! Gosh, why would people even read such crap? ‘New school vampires’ as they say but in what aspects are they vampires?! It doesn’t even attract me, who is a vampire lover. Twilight doesn’t have something to show off when it’s compared to other authors of vampire novels like Anne Rice who wrote the one of the best novels in the world like the beloved Vampire Chronicles. And the feud with the vampire and werewolves? I think I saw it in the movie underworld. Isn’t the feud almost the same? Not to mention, there is also a vampire-human love story.

Even the whole movie made me criticize it all the more up till the end of the movie, really!

Give me a break, Stephanie Meyer and and write something better that could actually level with Anne Rice’s books even for just a little bit even though I’m not sure you could.
on June 13, 2009 at 4:19 am Katie

THANK YOU!
The one thing missing was the absurdity of comparing Twilight to Harry Potter… but that is so ridiculous it doesn’t need to be debated.
You have articulated my issues with twilight so well and your last point is excellent.
Thank goodness that there is still some common sense in the world!
on June 15, 2009 at 2:13 pm Kiki

ZOMG! You actually read thru it to the end? I couldn’t stand reading 4 chapters of it, and then I already got sick of Bella, Edward and the whole bunch that goes along with them.
Then I heard from others that the vampires sparkle, play baseball AND the girl is like…braindead and has more flaws… me thought: noooeees! Literature is going down? How can people like this? This can’t possibly be popular!

*cry*

thnx for the review
on June 16, 2009 at 1:59 am Jane

i know!
I couldn’t understand how addicting it was when it was such a dull plot!
Twilight is horrible, and Harry Potter is way better.
;D
on June 19, 2009 at 2:45 pm Sarah

Finally somebody with whom I can share some of my opinions. No action, horrible style and so on. I just don’t get it why people are loving it. But I have this theory: people esp. girls tend to like stories about beautiful vampires falling in love with a human girl and either restraining himself from sucking her blood or turning her into a vampire.

So all these females who love this series only love the plot in itself and they got themselfs worked up that these books will tell them the perfect vampire love story. And they stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that they are just plain bad(ly written).
on June 19, 2009 at 6:00 pm bleeding rose

I don’t hate Twilight but I do hate Bella! She piss me off all the time since Eclipse. There are reasons why I can’t stand here anymore :

1. She cried and weeps and moans and groans more than ten little kids put together. She would certainly win the biggest cry-baby’s crown. At least one think to be the best of all, while she is so average and capable-of-nothing.

2. She can do nothing. No playing guitar or piano or some other instrument. No languages speaking, well some Frenc and Spanish but only in beginner or elementary level, as she said in BD. So smart mind, no cleverness. NOTHING.

3. She has a rotten sese of humour. Not funny at all. She’s good for nothing but stupidly joking.

4. She has to be taken care of as a child. Edward does that. Especially in Isle Esme. He takes her to the island. He’s carrying the luggade. He’s unpacking and packing things. He cooks breakfast and dinner and supper (most of the time). He’s planning the calendar. He’s sometimes so bossy with Bella, comanding her. Bella is dependent on him. They are like Mussulman husband and wife, except that Edward doesn’t slight her. But sometimes she has Edward wrapped around her finger. Bella is asking him things, like sex. “Bella, what do you want? – I want this and that. – Ok, you can have it. – Edward, I want to stay longer here. – We’ll be here as long as you want.” Sound like child and dad having a chat. Really.

5. Bella is very indifferent to Edward feelings. She doesn’t care that how hard it is for Edward not to hurt her while making love with her.

6. Bella does not love Edward as much as he loves her, but she’s incapable of spend a few hour without him. I think he’s just a need for her, a lust. But not love.

7. I hate the most that Bella doesn’t defend Edward when Jacob is swearing him. I wanted to strangle her when Jacob showed Edward a memory of Bella being a zombie, it caused so much pain for him, and she simply stared and Jacob with wide eyes and said stop whatever you’re doing.

8. Flushing and blushing too much.

9. Always afraid of something or somebody. Flinching at the name of Volturi spoken aloud, always shivering and shuduring. Afraid even of Leah, in BD. Afraid of Kaure, though she mean well to her, just worrying. Such a coward, i can’t believe.

10. It drived me mad that all the maled falls in love with her, or, if not in love, at least want her. Let’s see : Edward, Jacob, Mike, Tyler, Eric. Not little, huh? They find her shyness and blushing and awkwardness and weakness very attractive. Weird. I can understand that, though. But that’s weird.

11. Bella is quite unobservant.

So that’s all. In fact, at first I liked Bella. Before she met Edward, she was absolutely other person, strong, smart and mature. After meeting Edward, he became a eighteen years old child. That’s how love changes people, ha ha. Not funny.
on June 28, 2009 at 5:54 pm bella

i am in luv with twilight…i hav red all the books and i own the movie nothing about twilight is great…everytime that i watch it i fall more and more in luv with it…:)
on June 30, 2009 at 1:15 am audrey

i thought that twilight was a great book while i was reading it, now it’s ok i do think it’s a bit over rated though. i understand why u don’t like it, but everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and i still like it. i think harry potter is a better book though.
on June 30, 2009 at 1:21 am audrey

i agree with bleeding rose, also is when she met edward, she completely blew off her other friends just to be with edward. i mean they were really nice to her and became friends with her when nobody wanted to be her friend, because she was the new girl.
on June 30, 2009 at 1:32 am audrey

i don’t think it matters how old u r 2 b reading twilight because i’m 13. so i am considered a teen, but i don’t think it matters. but i think that if you r younger than 13 u shouldn’t be reading breaking dawn, because it is bad for kids to be reading about that kind of stuff that is in that book.
on July 7, 2009 at 2:12 pm Jasmin

You have a proplem, or?
I love Twilight this is a graet movie… with krabat.!
i´m schockd what you wrode here on this page.
I hope you understand me :
Ich Liebe Twilight über die ganze welt!!!
i love twilight all over the world!!!
on July 12, 2009 at 3:42 am Julianna and Vanessa

I second the notion that twilight is one of the worst influences on teens/kids, and im a teen!!
-Julianna

That is totally right! i agree that women will feel that they cant live without their ONE man and marry the first guy that tells them they love her! Argh…but thats one of many reasons.
-Vanessa
on July 15, 2009 at 10:54 am Marie

Very good reviews, Eve.
I also have read the first book, Twilight and it’s funny because I had the same reactions as you that is, I was so appalled by the writing style at first (I thought that was easy writing, nothing very complicated, a mix of lots of common adjectives and very “clever/old” words) that I stopped reading for a while but then, I found myself picking up the book and reading on. There’s definitely a spell with that book. I guess I was curious to find ou how it ends. But I don’t feel like reading the other books so I don’t know how Edward is like in them.
The other strange thing is that I’ve seen the movie recently and although I was disappointed with many scenes in it, just like I was disappointed with the book, I feel like watching it once more!!! And no, I’m not “in love”with Robert Pattinson but he manages to make his character much more interesting than in the book.
I also don’t understand why Edward, a 100 year old is attracted to an ordinary teenager like Bella, except that her blood smells good. Maybe because the need to protect her (and dominate her) appeals to him.
Finally, I think this book is such a phenomenon because it represents the ultimate fantasy for girls: an ordinary but sweet teenager manages to make the “bad boy”(=vampire here) fall in love with her. And there lies the danger to me, in real life, “bad boys” are really mean, they hurt good girls eventually, they do bad deeds. too..By the way, why isn’t Bella a little bit horrified by the fact that Edward has killed people?
on July 15, 2009 at 2:54 pm blair

Marie
you should read the other books. its fun to be in fantasy world (i think). theyre not literary masterpieces, but theyre fun.
on July 15, 2009 at 7:33 pm anna corey

have any of you ever read the book ! it is my favorite book on earth. and you think all teenagers love it not all teenagers love to death. i think its a great saga what its about. and if you cant see that then you must be stupid. cause i’m 11 years old and i can see it. i’m on the forth book you should try reading the books there really good
on July 18, 2009 at 3:45 pm emily

anna

yeh, ive read the books and they are just sexist. if thats your favourite book then i feel sorry for you. i cant belive she actually gets paid for writing rubbish. if you cant see that its rubbish your probably not the sharpest tool in the shed yourself. try reading somthing good like maximum ride. or if you feel your grown up by liking such rubbish try agatha cristie or somthing.
on July 19, 2009 at 9:34 pm Destiny

I loved your review, I read the whole Twilight series and didn’t think it was all that great I mean it was okay but it wasn’t worth all the drama and merch and I mean jeez. And Anna I’m 14 and I just didn’t think that Twilight was all that great and it clearly states that most people that commented has read the whole series or at least the first book. And it they didn’t this review just confirms that the saga isn’t that good.And just because they don’t like twilight or it’s influence on young adults does not mean they are stupid. To be quite frank I think Ms. Meyer is getting way to much credit for this story. It is basically the SAME as any other vampire love story I have ever read. I will admit that Twilight has done some good like getting young people into reading and a few other things but it has done more harm than good. Anna you did not give any valid reason why you like Twilight just it was a great saga, and if I have insulted you I am sorry it is just hard to take some one seriously when I can barely understand what they are typing due to bad grammer and unorganized sentences.
on July 20, 2009 at 2:33 am Laura

I love this review.I’m glad you wrote it.I have read all four books in the series only to get an opinion on it.I’m sick and tired of the fandom saying “Have you even read the books” and once you go and read the “books” they go “OMGZ!If you hate them so much,why’d you read them?!!!!”
Im 14 and I have written better school reports and narratives than any of the books in the Twilight saga.Im also sick of people bashing me saying that I can’t read and that I don’t know what good literature is.My favorite authors are William Butler Yeats,Oscar Wilde,Howard Fast,Baroness Orczy,Kim Newman,and a bunch of other great authors whose works are beautifully written.
(Excuse my grammar.English is my second language)
on July 20, 2009 at 4:17 am Jay

I have experienced first hand the influences on young girls. I’m around them constantly, and they not only obsess over these books, but then strive to act them out.

It makes them pine over young men who are /not/ good for them, who are, in many cases, dangerous or just plain bad influences.
They stop focusing on reading anything worth while, or researching/learning anything important.

They all want to live in this world where they get swept off their feet by a handsome man, who was just obviously so miserable without them. I’s almost as if they stop developing into their own person.

Not to mention the almost creepiness in how much control Edward has over Bella. It sends a horrible message.

If I were a parent, I would not be too keen on buying this for my little girl/boy.
In fact, I recommend against it.
on July 21, 2009 at 10:24 pm Libb

Okay, for those who said “you haven’t read the full series so please don’t judge,” Well, I had already read the who series and I thought that over all, if you were to cut half of the descriptions out, the whole saga can fit into “two”books. TWO BOOKS.

I mean maybe if Steph didn’t go overboard with the descriptions, Twilight might have been okay. But my problem with the saga is how Bella is soooo obsessed because of Edward’s looks and that only. I mean seriously, if Edward were to be fat and ugly, Bella’s would not have liked him. But then again, vampires are suppose to be “beautiful”

And…”love at first sight?”

I don’t believe in that. Though there is LUST at first sight and the is what is between Bella and Edward…
My health teacher actually told us that
on July 22, 2009 at 6:45 am angelic13

This is more a response to the Twilight-lovers taking the mickey out of this review: everyone is entitled to their opinion. EVERYONE. This article never once called lovers stupid, idiotic, moronic, or any other such insult. It was an opinion, a review, and one very well based.

I have read all the books in the series before you start jumping up and down; don’t start the bruhaha quite yet. But even I can see the huge problems.

No, I don’t agree with the subtle messages (and not so subtle ones) directed towards girls. No, I don’t think this type of literature should be used as a serious scapegoat for “at least girls are reading!” – honestly, that’s a load of bull.

No, I am not a strictly lit-fic type of reader. I read a lot of genres (fantasy especially) and have quite a bit of experience on what I like and/or approve of. I cringe at the takes on vampires, I really do, but I can kind of grin and bare it (though the sparkling thing is just a bit silly, you have to admit, and there are plot holes involving powers and limitations).

The romance is a bit abusive too; it is one thing for a man to be forward, step-up, and a gal to need a helping hand. It is another entirely for her to be a total sheep and for him to have mood swings faster than a pregnant woman with twins. Just because a woman can say Bella chose to do what she did of her own accord isn’t true. Sure, yes, to a degree she did. But a lot of things he does are bullying tactics; having been in an abusive relationship before when I was younger, I fully and completely understand that. But, unlike Bella, I have dreams and goals. Bella never has an other than “I love Edward;” though no real attraction is explained/explored.

Yes, I am a writer. Yes, I write fantasy. Yes, I write romance – love is in life, embrace it! Am I feminist? No, not really. I am to a degree (a girl can be strong) but I am also classical (even a girl needs help); but the guy can need help too just as he can be the one be strong in a way a guy can. Because men and women are simply different in many ways. Isn’t variety grand?

My female lead is both strong – takes a stand, makes the first move, uses her head, has goals, assertive – but also is traditionally feminine – beautiful, funny, has limitations (i.e. she’s kind of short), *sometimes* needs the male to intervene/protect. But it doesn’t mean she becomes worthless; it means she’s a human female living in a modern America.

I’m not saying at all Twilight has to become some high-lit reading (believe me, I can’t stand egghead writers like that) but Meyer does sling around some lingo that really doesn’t fit with Bella’s simplistic tone. Slips in character, missteps, some odd creepiness (not the age gap, the ‘watching you sleep without you knowing’-thing), and a vapid female lead paired with a ‘too perfect’ and only of importance because he’s ‘hot’ (how many normal nice guys did Bella blow off?) are what drive me nuts.

All I’m asking is that you do respect the haters – such as myself – who do have clear, well-thought reasons about why we don’t like it. Realize the limitations, enjoy the popcorn fiction. But know all I ask is that you see a woman can be modern & ‘feminist’ as well as classical and the ‘damsel-in-distress’. Versatility is interesting. Duality is interesting. Cardboard is not.

Now, for me to go to sleep!
on July 22, 2009 at 10:03 am Naomi

Okay, I read the Twilight book back when it first came out in 2005 and before this whole Twilight-mania began. The only reason why it became so big is because a movie came out and a hot dude played the role of Edward. I finished reading the whole series and still I couldn’t like it.
In reality the books are poorly written and I don’t know how in the world was Meyer able to get them turned into a movie, let alone published. The movie is way off and just BAD.
My little sister is crazy for Twilight just like every pre teen. Has society gone stupid? Even moms are going crazy for this sissy book. It DOES make the female weak and dependent upon the male. New Moon really pissed me off! I’m not a feminist but as a woman you do get tired of girls being portrayed as everyday girls gone goo-goo gaga over a beautiful boy. Books have defiantly lost their touch and new authors just can’t seem to get it right these days.
For every person who likes Twilight, to each their own, but don’t try to pull that Twilight-is-the-best-book-ever crap. To those who KNOW a good book, we’ll just stick to Anne Rice and Cynthia Leitich Smith

P.S. Bella is a Mary Sue, and Edward is portrayed as beautiful which to me is weird; guys are suppose to be handsome. Twilight is okay for when you’re young and blind but to call it a good book as an adult or even a teen is disappointing. GET SOME COMMON SENSE!
on July 25, 2009 at 6:52 am vampychronicles

Couldn’t agree with this review more. It’s witty and well-reasoned, and, well, pretty much everything that S. Meyer’s writing is not. Kudos.
on July 26, 2009 at 6:16 am missra

Very good review! I agree totally. The portrayal of women is what bothered me the most too. I think the disgustingly mushy romance gag-me descriptions were a close second though. No, I can’t say close…but seriously…
on July 28, 2009 at 12:40 pm Tyraina

Well I LOVE Twilight!
Yeaaah, whaaat?!
on August 11, 2009 at 6:26 pm ana

I agree 100% that twilight is the worst book out there!!!! im a former fan and after really looking at the books and seeing them for what they are..there nothing but damaging to young girls!!!! it gives them this twisted perception of love, which, is totally wrong.

Honestly, i’ve read different types of books such as fantasy (Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Pride and Prejudice and so on)…However, this book has horrible grammar and plain characters!!!! What kind of message are we putting out there?? That it’s okay for girls to destroy and change themselves for a man who can only hurt them?? What are we going..back to the dark ages?
on August 14, 2009 at 8:18 pm Isabella Connors

I completley agree with this review. I am 14 years old and I know exactly how it feels to be the only teenager in my family, in my school, who can not stand the series. What’s even worse, is everybody assumes I’m a fan based on my name. Isabella Marie. I’ve gone by Bella since I was 3 and now I can’t even do that without looking like a hypocrite for hating the saga. Ugh. There are so many reasons I hate this book.
1)I actually like Bella at the beginning of Twilight. She seens intelligent,has a backbone and a strong personality. Then the first hot guy she happens to see, she falls in lust with. I only know Edward’s personality based on the little bits and pieces I get from the writing, not be Bella’s commenting on it.
2) In Eclipse, she claims to be so selfless and pure, then hounds after Edward to turn her immortal. Honestly, I think the idea of living forever appeals to her more than loving Edward for eternity.
3) It’s creepy to see how many teenage girls at my high school try to act like her. They change their whole personality to model after her themselves after her. They drop their boyfriends in search of their perfect Edward, and waste away their time waiting for him to come. I even heard on the news in late 2008 that some girls were trying to purposefully break their legs so they could be like Bella. That’s incredibly dangerous! Doesn’t anyone else seem to see what a total brain-washing tool Twilight is?
on August 17, 2009 at 12:13 am Catherine L

the title of this article is “why i hate twilight”. so, all the twilight “luvers” leaving their comments on here…seriously, why? you know what this article is going to be about.
i love this article. all the articles written by people who dislike twilight with a passion always know how to back it up well while those who “luv” it fail to explain to us sane ones why its so gosh darned good.
i’m sixteen. a junior in high school. i am a former fan who liked the books when it was just ONE book and I am also proud to say that twilight is at the bottom of my reading list. i read twilight after i had already been exposed to some great literature so i’m sure that’s what saved me from becoming a mindless-raving-twilight-obsessed teen. maybe those nine year olds reading it will change their mind when they’re introduced to To Kill A Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, The Great Gatsby, and other fantastic timeless books. there are so many ridiculous things about this series. this book is so bad for young girls. when they find out what the real world is like and how you actually have to WORK at a relationship with someone else, that it’s not just looks and smell and whatever, that make a man want to stick by your side, they’re going to get a rude awakening. and then for those women saying, “well, at least its getting my daughter to read instead of watch tv” is just plain stupid. this book is a hypocrite in and of itself.
on August 18, 2009 at 6:49 am Julia

Besides all of these well put things did anyone noticed it expressed a large amount of the mournan religion. Don’t have sex befor you are married you know save yourself for 100 years then when bells gets married she pops out a kid. It is just total bull what they are trying to impress into are generations heads and she got married at 18
on August 20, 2009 at 11:42 am morgane

Its not so much the book thats so bad but the publicity its getting!The way I see it anything that just comes from nowhere to be so populer is not worth my time.Why dosent stephanie mayer come to the real world??!!great review by the way Eve
on August 22, 2009 at 2:06 pm Katherine

The thing that’s anoyed me, is that the book is advertised everywhere that it’s clouding out others that i think should be given a chance. i have to admit the books are adictive and i think that the author has done a great job. but….as an author myself i think that they needed a little more depth more action and less of the love sinareo. i mean seventeen???? it’s just a little too young to fall in love at that year and not get bord…
but back to my view, i think that it’s over taken the whole book industry and other books aren’t being seen, such as The house of night novels. i think they are unbelievable and would give the twilight saga a run for their money at any rate. it just seems to me….maybe a bit selfish that other authers who in my opinion have written fantastic novels aren’t being noticed because Twilight’s taken up all the space… i mean i went into a book shop the other day and all i could see was Twilight everywhere….i’m not discouraging the book i do personaly think that it is a good novel but i would like to see an even balance of books throughout the industry. it’s putting people like me and many other authors in the shadows because it’s take up all the room. i even think that harry potter has been shoved out of the light a bit.
on August 22, 2009 at 10:03 pm Katherine

P.S i have read the series and i do know about books, since i am an author. So no one can say your just a fussy woman who just wants more for her book becuase it’s not as advertised at Twilight. I actualy fully suport other authors. But this is crazy. Yes the book is a good read but it’s not mind stopping. In fact i’d never even heard of the books untill the movie came out and i doubt that many of you had either. Everywhere i go it’s Twilight all the time. it’s a great read for teens me being a teen i would know. But some of the things in the book like in ‘Breaking dawn’ are a but OTT for younger viewers and i think that that should be stated on the book. Apart from that i think the author is good and so are the books. But this is a little rediculous….it’s gone a bit over the top. I think that over time when all the films have come out then it’ll die down and after a year or two it’ll be gone. Other books like Harry potter and Lord of the rings etc. Will last forever.
Great review Eve.
on August 24, 2009 at 3:42 am Davis

Hi, I was a domestic violence case manager for years. Many people that I knew read this book and so I thought I should read it too to know what all the “hubbub” was about. I had no preconceived ideas about this book except that it was about vampires and a love story. I read half the book and had a panic attack because it brought so many memories of the stories I heard over and over again from abused women. I did not finish the book because I so distraught. I cried and remembered, for I had not thought of these survivors in over a year since I switched jobs, about the survivors and hoped that their lives were better. I had a very long conversation with my 12 year old daughter about this book! I told her if she was going to read this book we would have to volunteer at a domestic violence shelter. We had a very long conversation about control and domestic violence. She laughed and told me she had no interest in reading this book. She is reading a book called Boy vs girl about gender issues and she loves it. Thanks goodness there are other books for kids to read besides this dribble.
on August 25, 2009 at 5:29 pm Isabel

Well I’got the book but in the first tow pages I knew how it all was going to end so I put it down and slept, for this was such a boring, predictable, pompous reading.

Yep, this book is going to be one of those things that in a couple of year people would hide and feel shame about it, just like disco roller.

I guess teenagers don’t realize how poorly it was written, since they haven’t read another book in their short life.

Good review, I found it very accurate.
on August 26, 2009 at 1:16 pm Tara

Hmm… I love twilight and I am ten years old. I love the series, but I do agree with most of this atricle. It is addictove, and I was up in my room when I had nothing else to do from the time the sun went up to 10:00 the next day (the book was finsihed) and I loved it. I do not agree about loathing it like you do, however I do find it weird that Edward loves Bella for her smell and Bella loves Edward for his SPARKLY skin. Just to let you know, I am a ten year old and my mom says I’m mature (not just because she’s my mom) and she had asked so see a review for teh ages on yahoo! answers and it had given her a repsonse saying: if their mature. I do think that Breaking Dawn would be a little too bad for me to read, though, because of the baby and making out and sex. But the simple truth is, if you hated it so much why did you continue to read the book? That is wrong to continue and then write on the Internet about why you hate it. This is why I like it;

1. Bella and Edward have a sweet connection (even though they love eachother for the same reason.

2. Warewolves and Vampires

3. The volutiri are cool to read about

4. Victoria+ Alice; my favorite characters… they have a mind of their own and aren’t afraid to show it.

5. It’s the only book I would stay up in my room for hours and would only take a break tp use the bathroom.

6. It was like my own little ascape to fantasy.

7. There are parts it’s funny (not thinking about the errors and cheesy parts here)

8. Even though Bella goes on and on about how awesome Edward looks, I still think that was good description and that it was well written (even though after some while it just got borning reading about it)

9. ‘Your like a drug to me. My own personal heroin’ this is totally awesome.

10. Twilight DOES say ’said’ in the book(s) and I’ve read that it doesn’t in sokme articles (not yours) so that prooves that Twilight haters are liers…

That is why I like Twilight. But we all have differnt opinions… just be happy you weren’t forced to read a book you didn’t want to read… but deep down we all know you liked it ebcaise you picked the book up within 10 minutes after throwing the book. Doesn’t really make since.
on September 1, 2009 at 4:54 pm Yasmin

Finally! Someone who agrees with me. Bella is a freaking imbecciiillle.
She does whatever that retard vampire tells her to. The movie made me laugh because it sucked so bad. It is something written by satan
STEPHENIE-FREAKING-MEYER IS SATAN. People are obsessed with something so retarded. I seriously can’t express how much I hate twilight.
on September 11, 2009 at 3:10 am Edward (Sadly)

Yes, my name is really Edward. Do not make fun of me. DX

I believe that you really hit Twilight’s weak points– No progress, Bella’s a clumsy Mary Jane. I perhaps would read Twilight if it had a good plotline and a stronger Bella– I think that girls who are strong and know what they want for themselves are MUCH more attractive than the girls who let guys boss them around because, a) they are afraid the guy will leave, b)will not like her, ect.

Keep writing such interesting and LOL-envoking reviews!

I have made everyone call me Ed since the book was released– because I don’t want to share the name of a creepy stalker vampire.
on September 12, 2009 at 8:32 am hush hush by Becca Fitzpatrick « Vulpes Libris

[...] 10, 2009 by Eve As you may remember I did a little quiet sort of piece a while ago called Why I Hate Twilight…? Anyway, not wishing to stir up the same old arguments, I am going to refer back to it [...]
on September 14, 2009 at 6:21 pm Ana

Thank you. You are absolutely, truly right in all that you’ve said. This is a mindless book for mindless teenage girls, and it is sad to see such little girls, who are ripe for influence, reading these appalling books. I thought we lived in the 21st century, not the centuries before when women had to obey what the men said.
on September 15, 2009 at 5:00 pm Tasses

Found you through the Hush, Hush review link. This one Twilight post sent me to the subscribe tab.
on October 19, 2009 at 10:30 pm mouse

very very good. there were several things i hated about it and you summed it up. but your real point was what i also realized, that she is not only a mary- sue and edward not only a glistering (!) prince. but that they are are very dangerous mixture. i am so happy that i dont have any relatives in the age of twilight- reading. i would rip it off their hands! for gods sake, that book should be damned, censured, whatever. and they wanted to censure a book like “speak”!!!
on October 22, 2009 at 8:31 am Crazy Like a Fox. « Vulpes Libris

[...] diatribe on Stephenie Meyers’ ‘Twilight’ novels. She called it – pretty unequivocally – ‘Why I Hate Twilight’. For a while after it went up, there were a few desultory comments from our regulars mostly saying [...]
on October 24, 2009 at 1:27 pm Vulpes Controversial: What Makes a Good Review? « Vulpes Libris

[...] (check out some of the CAPITAL LETTER OUTRAGE about OUR SERIOUS FEMINIST WAYS on Eve’s post Why I Hate Twilight) nobody turns a hair when the harrowingly serious is discussed by two cartoon bear-like [...]
on October 25, 2009 at 4:34 pm rosie

LOL i love this reveiw XD
I’m thirteen and battling with nearly all of my friends about Twilight. When i try and tell them about Edwards constant abusiveness they all just tell me ‘it’s only because he’s scared of losing her.” WTF. Its like someone going ‘yeah, i’m scared of losing you so im gonna manipulate you.’ hmmmmmmm…
at least a few of my friends have kept sanity and it isnt just twilight this twilight that. im alsomates with quite a few guys and they all think its *@!£. oh and i have read all the books and i think the reason renesmee grows up so fast is that ms meyer didnt want to spend a whole book writing about caring for a baby.
Unfortunately the film is worse. by the end i was wondering why the hell i hadnt killed myself. seriously. whyy were they determined to make us all lose the will to live???
on October 26, 2009 at 7:56 pm Jessy

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

You have given voice to everything I’ve felt! I bow before you in AWE!

You are a blinding light in the opressive darkness that is Twilight!

((Drones on and on in an eloquent and over flowery fashion.))

P.S.

I am SICK of Twi-tards…

=~=
on October 31, 2009 at 6:12 am pennybloom

I could not agree more. In fact I did agree quite verbosely. See my Blog: Twilight on Feminism and Howling at New Moon: The End of the World is Nigh!

http://persistenceofperception.blogspot.com/2009/10/scary-stuff-for-halloween-twilight-on.html

Thank you for being a rational voice in an irrational world.

Clarisa Brown
on November 1, 2009 at 9:34 pm zimnomel

It is so comforting to see that I am not the only normal girl left in the universe…
I owe you a big THANK YOU.
Really, I just cannot understand why on Earth would anybody read this piece of rubbish. It does not deserve the paper it was printed on. Truly. This so-called book is depressing, unimaginative, dumb, poorly written, and so unbelievably boring that it isn’t even funny. I started reading it because some of friends were so enthusiastic about it (yeah, well-known story…), and when I was about to go and shoot Meyer to prevent her from fabricate more, ehrmm, “novels” (so just after the first 50 pages), I gave up and read a wikipedia summary instead. That proved to be way more interesting.
Poor trees. This is the main reason why the rainforests are vanishing.
How sad…
Anyway, I’m glad that I found this page. Life seems happy again. =)
on November 1, 2009 at 10:29 pm Marshmallow

i hate it when my boyfriend trys to tell me what to do, or tell my friends to “shut up”. he says hes jokeing but i know hes not. i feel the girls should be in control most of the time because guys always think there better than us.like last week he got all mad at me because my ex boyfriend was telling me about his new girlfriend, where still friends, its like he dosent trust me.
on November 2, 2009 at 2:13 pm Gemm

To be quite honest you all have your own opinions, you dont like the book? fair enough, but me.. im in love with them and im 16, no 8 or 9 year old!
on November 4, 2009 at 2:37 am Marshmallow

thats all good , i never said i hated them, i just think its not fair for bella to just do watever he wants her to.