in a nutshell... what are the 3 twilight books about?

[juicychops]

just a rough storyline as i dont think its the kind of thing i like but willing to give them a go if you sell them to me well

You only have issues with imprinting? I have gazillions of issues with pretty much everything. I bet imprinting never makes it to cinema screens though.

I'm pretty sure that I would believe what kinds of fanfic there are out there. I don't write fanfic, but I do know a lot about it. The amount and variety of fanfic on pretty much everything is just staggering.

My problem with the relationships is that they aren't just angsty. That'd be fine. It's that they are abusive and dangerous.

I also despair at the fact that Bella has absolutely no ambition for herself whatsoever. As an aside, who would want to spend eternity with someone with no interests or ambitions beyond being with you?

Also agree that new moon and eclipse are filler. I'm surprised that the publishers weren't so cynical they split breaking dawn into two and told her to pad it out further. I'm sure you can figure out where I think it could've been split.

That's very true. On all counts.

Oh I loved these books. No way are New Moon and Eclipse 'filler'. Eclipse is the best of the lot.
And all those of you who complain that the love story is unhealthy and don't want their DDs influenced, it's a story of love between a vampire and a human. Hardly a situation any of your DDs will find themselves in.

Monkeyfeathers, abusive?

I'm Team Edward btw. Very much so. Very much not Team Rob Pattinson though. Terrible miscasting. He doesn't look right for the part and he's not a great actor.

What royalty said.

Also, stalking and threatened suicide.

It really worries me that any of this is seen as desirable things to have in a relationship or, even worse, manifestations of 'true love'.

The fact that it's between a vampire and a human is neither here nor there; the problem is definitely in that it idealises extremely unhealthy types of relationship.

Reality, keeps her away from her friends and family, hurts her physically? When and where? If the latter refers to Breaking Dawn, the gory bit, there were extenuating circumstances ie she was dying.

I love the books but they can be summed up thus...

"I like your face, your face is great, I like your face too much and because I like your face I might end up hurting you so I'd better try not to like your face"

"I can't decide who's face I like best."

dons tin hat

What royalty said.

That Edward is always walking around with a bad smell under his nose.

Now if they concentrated more on Rosalie and Alice then it might be interesing!!

Vampires who sparkle?? what is all that about? and do not feed? er whats the point??

Now Spike from 'Buffy' thats a proper vamp...swoon

ill go back into lurkdom now

this is how the Edward should be dealt with

Romeo and Juliet with bad teeth.

HTHTiggaxx

The real question worth asking is: why exactly are the vampires trying to hide their existence from humans? Its not like they need to.

Big hairy spider's summary is great.

Edward is very controlling about how and when Bella can see Jacob. The 'keeping her safe' stuff is almost like an exaggerated version of the ways in which many abusers justify their controlling ways. Bella also rationalises the danger and control issue throughout the books.

In breaking dawn, Bella can no longer see her family or school friends (not that she really had any). She only gets to see Charlie for ridiculous and dramatically unsatisfying reasons. She can't even speak to her mother on the phone. Indeed, despite claiming that her mother is her best friend, Bella sees her only once during the entire series.

To be honest it sets up a really unhealthy and dangerous situation as the ideal of true love. The books make reference to famous (and far better conceived) dysfunctional literary romances. However, unlike those romances, twilight does not end in tragedy.

dawntigga - love it.

Funny how different people's take on this can be. What looks to some like an abusive relationship to me is about passion and restraint. Edward knows it is wrong to do what Bella is asking him to do and tries to resist. The author is a mormon and they don't believe in sex before marriage - analogy is obvious.

Compared to most teenage reads this is pretty harmless. I've only seen one film so far but that was dreadful even the teenagers fell about.

Monkerfeathers is absolutely right.

"you're like my personal type of heroin"
There's romance--I love you like an addict loves heroin

Bella herself likens their relationship to Heathcliff and Cathy and Romeo and Juliet, and I'm sure we'd agree these are equally unhealthy relationships.

The only good part of Breaking Dawn was the section where Jacob narrates and thats only because I think Jacob for all his whining and grumpiness is actually one of the nicest characters in the book IMO.

I'm not sure breaking into a girl's bedroom, spying on her constantly and following her around are necessarily to do with passion and restraint. That screams stalker to me, and dangerous stalker at that given he's admitted he wants to kill her.

There is abstinence stuff in there, but it is lumped in with so much that's worrying.

Also we get most of the story from bella's pov, so all we get are rationalisations for the dubious controlling behaviour. The difference between Romeo and Juliet (for example) and twilight is that the unhealthy obsession masquerading as 'love' there does not end well, and nor should it. The problematic nature of the relationship is never properly explored and any consequences of it are brushed under the carpet. I agree that the bit from jacob's pov is by far the best bit of breaking dawn.

Thing that annoyed me most about breaking dawn is how unsatisfying it all is. It just isn't interesting when everything works out so perfectly and conveniently for everyone. I can't say more without giving more than is fair away, but so much of the plotting is horrible. Really badly done. Considering meyer has a degree in English lit, she must know she's produced an extremely shoddy piece of literature.

That said, I'll happily defend the right to readand even enjoycrappy literature.

By monkeyfeathers: 'Edward is very controlling about how and when Bella can see Jacob. The 'keeping her safe' stuff is almost like an exaggerated version of the ways in which many abusers justify their controlling ways. Bella also rationalises the danger and control issue throughout the books.'

Jacob is a werewolf not just any ordinary boy. And a new werewolf with limited control over his anger.
Again, that's not a situation any normal teenager is likely to face.

"In breaking dawn, Bella can no longer see her family or school friends (not that she really had any). She only gets to see Charlie for ridiculous and dramatically unsatisfying reasons."

Because she's freakishly pregnant with a vampire's baby/a vampire. People would notice if Bella saw them.

Really, why is it so hard to get your head round?

It's fiction, entertainment not a lifestyle manual.

"Vampires who sparkle?? what is all that about? and do not feed? er whats the point??"

They do feed, but on animals instead of humans so they don't have to go round murdering left right and centre. And the sparkling thing is why most vampires stay hidden in the daylight. But the ones in Forks can lead a relatively normal life because there's so little sunshine, which is why they live there.

Have you actually read the books or are you posting opinions on something you haven't read?

Just because it's a fantastical situation, doesn't mean it's doesn't relate to ordinary life. Yes, they're vampires and werewolves, so it's not a situation anyone would find themselves in. However, that doesn't make the relationship (or the controlling actions) any less problematic.

As I said before, most of the series is written from Bella's perpective, and this makes a great difference. We aren't getting the literal facts of the situation (however ludicrous and fantastical that situation may be), we are getting the version that Bella rationalises to herself. That could actually be a great strength in a work, but unfortunately the way it's plotted means that everything works out just perfectly and there are no consequences. The events of the book mean that, in the end, it really was 'all for her own good'. I'm not at all sure that's a good message to be sending.

It may be fiction and entertainment, but that doesn't mean that it cannot have powerful effects. It's horribly crafted fiction, but the ideas (if not the absolutely literal manifestation of them in the books--vampires, werewolves, freakish pregnancies and all) it conveys still matter. The great power of literary fiction llies in it's ability to convey ideas in a non-literal manner.