Just finished 'Twilight', book one in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series. Once I got past the, overly sappy, romance elements. I really enjoyed the story. I also like her take on the Vampire mythology. I do think the story could have been shorter, she really wanted to drive home the depth of the feeling between Bella and Edward and she did a good job, but it could have been done in 100 less pages. what hooked me was when the suspense kicked in, SM did a great job of keeping the pages turning towards the end of the book. I will probably see the movie in theater now and will get the second book.
Another thing that struck me is, although this is a romance/suspense story, it was not tawdry or gratuitous in the sex and violence department. Rare with this kind of story in this day and age.
Quote from: Spooky on December 06, 2008, 11:45:14 AM
Just finished 'Twilight', book one in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Series. Once I got past the, overly sappy, romance elements. I really enjoyed the story. I also like her take on the Vampire mythology. I do think the story could have been shorter, she really wanted to drive home the depth of the feeling between Bella and Edward and she did a good job, but it could have been done in 100 less pages. what hooked me was when the suspense kicked in, SM did a great job of keeping the pages turning towards the end of the book. I will probably see the movie in theater now and will get the second book.
My daughter wanted these books and I got the first two and was going to save the rest for Christmas but NOOOO!!!
she had to have them several months ago. So I'm giving her a card reminding her of her early Christmas gifts. They
are very thick but evidently quick reads since she read the first two in less than a week. She loves the vampire genre
and I have been keeping her supplied with books for about 10 years in this group. Used to be far and few between, now
the paranormal books have just exploded.
Quote from: Phyll33 on December 06, 2008, 12:30:19 PM
My daughter wanted these books and I got the first two and was going to save the rest for Christmas but NOOOO!!!
It's definitely geared for her demographic.
QuoteThey are very thick but evidently quick reads
Very quick. I finished book one in about 8 hours of reading. Not bad for 544 page book.
QuoteShe loves the vampire genre
and I have been keeping her supplied with books for about 10 years in this group.
Has she seen the movies yet? I have decided I am going to see it today. I am still a bit down with the flu and sitting in the theater is something I think I can handle before I start off my next reading adventure in Kindle land. :)
Quote from: Spooky on December 06, 2008, 12:39:40 PM
Quote from: Phyll33 on December 06, 2008, 12:30:19 PM
My daughter wanted these books and I got the first two and was going to save the rest for Christmas but NOOOO!!!
It's definitely geared for her demographic.
QuoteThey are very thick but evidently quick reads
Very quick. I finished book one in about 8 hours of reading. Not bad for 544 page book.
QuoteShe loves the vampire genre
and I have been keeping her supplied with books for about 10 years in this group.
Has she seen the movies yet? I have decided I am going to see it today. I am still a bit down with the flu and sitting in the theater is something I think I can handle before I start off my next reading adventure in Kindle land. :)
That's why she wanted the books because the movie was coming out so she wanted to read them before it did. Dumb
me I bought it instead of realizing it was just based on the first book and I could have kept the others for Christmas
and let her squawk. :laugh:
Gingi saw the movie and now wants to read the book(s). One thing that struck me in reading a review of the movie, that goes along with what Spooky says about the 'sex' aspect. Apparently the gal who either did the screenplay or the director (sorry, can't remember which), is Mormon, so she did want to use the 'vampirism' as a euphemism for teenage lust. Gingi said the movie has the sexiest kiss she's ever seen in a movie, EVER. Showing these kids mastering their overwhelming desires should be a theme for youth groups across the country I'm thinkin'! You know the teen girls are going to watch it, the youth pastors/teen leaders need to drive home the theme, that you CAN control those natural desires you have as a young person. And just from what I've heard about it, it could be a good way to discuss homosexuality with teens. Just because you have desires, doesn't mean you HAVE to act on them.
Quote from: Saxon on December 06, 2008, 01:30:19 PM
Gingi saw the movie and now wants to read the book(s). One thing that struck me in reading a review of the movie, that goes along with what Spooky says about the 'sex' aspect. Apparently the gal who either did the screenplay or the director (sorry, can't remember which), is Mormon, so she did want to use the 'vampirism' as a euphemism for teenage lust. Gingi said the movie has the sexiest kiss she's ever seen in a movie, EVER. Showing these kids mastering their overwhelming desires should be a theme for youth groups across the country I'm thinkin'! You know the teen girls are going to watch it, the youth pastors/teen leaders need to drive home the theme, that you CAN control those natural desires you have as a young person. And just from what I've heard about it, it could be a good way to discuss homosexuality with teens. Just because you have desires, doesn't mean you HAVE to act on them.
I heard it was very morals oriented. I think someone put up a blog or review on that very aspect of it. I guess I'll
get the full scoop when the daughter comes home. First wave comes in on the 18th and the rest come in on the 20th.
I hope the weather isn't bad when they fly in, that is one worry about coming up here this time of year. It can be
hard to get in.
I was surprised Gingi went to see it. She's got a thing about her neck! She told me she realized why the other day when her roomie bought "Interview with a Vampire" at the Black Friday sale. She remembered seeing part of it when Tom was watching it a long time ago. Scared the heck outta her. She said she used to sleep with her arm over her neck for a long time afterward. Poor kid. She watched it again the other day, and that helped her realize where that 'neck phobia' thing came from. She hadn't planned on seeing it I don't think (Twilight), but she was bemoaning the fact that she had nothing to do and someone on her Facebook surprised her by showing up and saying, "c'mon, we're going to a movie!". heh.
I've read all but the last one, and while I enjoyed them on a 'This is just like crack' level, I do have some issues with them.
While I appreciate that Meyers is avoiding the sexed up drugged up teenage angst that you find in so much YA these days, I don't know that I would consider Bella to be a role model. Lord knows I'm not a feminist, but there are parts of this book where I just wanted to hurl it across the room and yell at her that she DOES have a spine and that just because he's beautiful, you don't let him get away with that crap. And while most of the girls I know who have read the novels would have the good sense to avoid creepy stalker guys, for those weaker minded individuals the books do seem to reinforce the 'Oh, but he's just being passionate and romantic!'.
No, no he's not. Call the cops ;)
Quote from: geogal on December 17, 2008, 10:47:35 AM
And while most of the girls I know who have read the novels would have the good sense to avoid creepy stalker guys, for those weaker minded individuals the books do seem to reinforce the 'Oh, but he's just being passionate and romantic!'.
No, no he's not. Call the cops ;)
Speaking of week minded, or rather, impressionable individuals...
My mom is a health tech at a local elementary school and there is this one young girl (5th or 6th grade?) who considers herself and emo girl, anyway, she came into the health room last week and she had glitter all over her exposed skin and my mom asked why and she said she was a vampire like in Twilight. The girl went on to explain the whole Twilight series to her, in great detail, while waiting for her mom to come pick her up. ::)
It reminds me of the South Park episode where Kyle started hanging out with the Goth kids. ;)
Butters: 'I'd rather be a crying little p$$y than a f@ggy little goth.'
I've been getting a hard time for reading the Twilight series from several friends and have had a hard time explaining why took the time to read the whole series if I didn't think it was a really good, well written and so on. Well, I like it a little more than this guy does, but I like the way he explains why he read the whole series. :haha:
QuoteI'm not a fan of the Twilight books. In fact, I curse the demented determination to pursue a storyline to the bitter end which made me plough on, reading through yawns, to the end of Breaking Dawn. But the wretched things do generate a dreary, low-level addiction, like a toothache. Eventually the nagging throb drives you to Waterstone's – or preferably to a similarly afflicted friend's to borrow their copy, grudging the engorgement of Ms Meyer's coffers – for another dose of lo-cal piffle. Still suffering, I'll almost certainly go and see the film, my head bemused and at war with itself. But I won't enjoy it.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/booksblog/2009/jan/08/twilight-vampire (http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/booksblog/2009/jan/08/twilight-vampire)
Quote from: Spooky on December 17, 2008, 11:04:10 AM
Speaking of week minded, or rather, impressionable individuals...
My mom is a health tech at a local elementary school and there is this one young girl (5th or 6th grade?) who considers herself and emo girl, anyway, she came into the health room last week and she had glitter all over her exposed skin and my mom asked why and she said she was a vampire like in Twilight. The girl went on to explain the whole Twilight series to her, in great detail, while waiting for her mom to come pick her up. ::)
Unfortunately, you are impressionable in school. Crazy that it's down to elementary. The punk clique was quite small back in my high school in the late 80's, like about 10-15 of them. Now it's more mainstream with the advent of Hot Topic to outfit a teenager from head to toe. But I can relate.
I knew a guy who was a year older than me, part of the punk crowd and wore a leather jacket, dyed his hair white blond, worshipped Anne Rice and Bauhaus, and would occasionally come to school with a mohawk and powdered/white makeup on his face. I was interested in a friend of his, who was interested in me until he knew I wouldn't put out, but the white blond guy and I became friends. It was hard to be friends with him because of the way he dressed. The crowd he ran with was pretty exclusive and into drugs. Still, he came over to my house once with another mutual punk friend (this guy was my age and in some of my classes) — when my parents were there — to watch "Sid and Nancy" and eat pizza. (I really don't know how we got away with that!) I crushed on him but we never got together and he never sucked my blood. Oh darn.
I'm leaving the whole Twilight thing alone. Harry Potter and Lego Batman is enough for me.
Quote from: Pearl@32 on January 08, 2009, 10:46:48 AM
I'm leaving the whole Twilight thing alone. Harry Potter and Lego Batman is enough for me.
That may be a good choice. It is like crack, I've head that said many times from peeps I know who've read it. I have also read a lot of very bad reviews that not only bash the books, but bash the people who read them. I can't understand why people do that? If you don't like something, fine, write about it all you want, but don't be a petty idiot and bash the people who like it.
I'm beginning to think they might have tinged the pages of the darn Twilight books with real CRACK! Gingi has managed to read all FOUR of the books since Christmas...even carrying the lastest with her at DISNEYLAND to read whenever she could! Now, if you know my kid and Disneyland, you can get an understanding as to just how scary that is.
She's sort of regretting reading them all so fast...she just realized that she will have nothing to read on the 'road trip' that Survivors is going on back to D.C. and then back across the Country for their 'tour'.
Quote from: Saxon on January 08, 2009, 12:19:58 PM
even carrying the lastest with her at DISNEYLAND to read whenever she could!
:o
Harry Potter beats out Twilight as the book of the decade
http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/harry-potter-beats-out-tw.php (http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/harry-potter-beats-out-tw.php)
Sorry, Stephenie Meyer! A movie made from your books may have won the weekend at the box office, but your novel Twilight only came in at #32 on a list of 100 books that defined a decade....
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I am sure Stephanie is crying her eyes out while lounging in her HUGE pile of money... Poor thing.