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

Uhg, I couldn't help coming back on to this thread and now I've seen some spoilers, argh!

I like the sparkly vegitarian vampires, I like the variety, at the end of the day vampires are a fictional creation and I don't see why everyone should stick to the same version. I grew up watching Buffy/Angel so it's nice to have someone with a slightly different take on things.

Sorry about the spoliers. I was trying not to say anything specific about the plot. It's very hard to explain the problems without giving stuff away though.

Monkeyfeathers and littlewhitewolf: Come on, its fiction fgs, my ds is 12 and just loves these books, she hasn't got any hang up-s with the "freakish pregnancy" or anything about a stalker. Unheathly to read, what rubbish. It's a love story at the end of the day, doesn't mean that my ds will go out looking for a guy who wants her all the time or stalks her. Why can't you just take the books for what they are a light-hearted love story.

does no one read anne rice anymore? Lestat is a vampire who doesn't twinkle, thankfully!! read the vampire chronicles if you want a taste of good writing aimed at adults. LOVE them, was bored silly with twilight gumph

Here's my summary:

Mormon Creationist warns women that sex before marriage sex is dangerous, and reminds us all that if we are sexually or violently abused by men he didn't really want to do it and it's all our fault for being such a God-damn temptation.

Hideous!

Uh.. 'sex before marriage' was meant to be struck out. Sorry.

On the thing about it just being fiction. Fiction is a place where we can imagine better (or worse) worlds for ourselves without any of the restrictions of reality, and where our satisfaction as readers is often linked to the kinds of justice that the ending delivers. Just because a book successfully enlists our sympathies on behalf of a character who is good looking and largely fits the model of the kind of masculinity we are, in our culture, attracted to, it doesn't mean that it's not pernicious that he is also sado-masochistic and fits the psychological profile of an abuser, or equally that it's not pernicious that he's the brainchild of a Mormon who actually does believe that sex is dangerous and that women are inherently sinful.

Enjoying a story and having a critical eye to the way that story manipulates our emotions or feelings are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Dear MattBellamysMuse

Er yes I have read the books!!! why would I post???and seen the both films (my friend is a twimom!!) As I may of said before Rosalie and Alice seem to have a much more interesting back story.

I thought the whole point of being a vampire IS that you are murdering left right and centre? where is the danger??

If someone told me that they were gonna imprint my newborn baby I would rip their head off!

But this is my opinion!! and no doubt I will sit through Eclipse with my friend and debate about vampire lore in RL

Nelix, I was bored by the Anne Rice books. I gave up halfway through the first one. And they're full of vampire cliches like sleeping in coffins etc.

Muffymk, I asked because others have given very strong opinions on this subject in the past who, it turned out, hadn't even read any of the books, which I found utterly ludicrous. Apparently they'd 'read some magazine articles' so therefore felt well enough informed to comment.

Sorry MBM

I love my vamps, ghouls and werewolves!! maybe Twilight was too much of a rom read for me. Now True Blood novels i love em!! Team Eric!!

Sigh, neither monkeyfeathers nor I are saying these books should be burned.

I myself am saying they are fine to be enjoyed (save Breaking Dawn because it is just dross) as escapism and as fluff, but the bones of the story, the romance between Bella and Edward is at its core very unhealthy.

Nobody (perhaps besides Meyer herself) should take my opinion so personally, nor do I wish to be perceived as someone with no sense of imagination. I am a big reader of urban fantasy so a huge proportion of books I own are full of werewolves, witches, ghosts, necromancers and yes, the odd vampire. All I am saying with regards the T saga is that I believe the love story is not one I would like my DD longing for--for a boy who loves her like Edward does. I wouldnt mind her reading them when she's older but I'd hope she'd take them with a pinch of salt as I do...

That being said DD is only 6 months old so I have a while to wait until she can read these sorts of books!

Twilight? It's basically about persuading teenage girls that abusive men are romantic, and enjoyable sex is bad for you.

I've just started watching Twilight again as I saw it before I read the books - God it's awful! The girl that plays Bella constantly looks like she's fighting the urge to be sick, and RPatt I'm afaid is not as hot as his pictures, although it's almost certainly due to that ridiculous white facepaint they have on him, when he's not so white he looks much better. Also - give that boy a haircut!!

MattBellamysMuse if you gave up half way through the first, you cannot say you were bored of her "books" plural nor can you say they are cliched in that as you progress through them you see why Louis chose to sleep in a coffin. Agree though the first is a slow read but it sets a premis for the rest. Also if you do read them you see where meyers and other writers base their vampires on.

Sandy22: I never said they were unhealthy to read. I said that the way in which the books develop their themes and characters is worrying. There's a big difference.

I also said that as both prose and literature they are very poor quality. That also is not saying that they shouldn't be read, just that they aren't very good (breaking dawn is utterly dire). There is not a cat in hell's chance that breaking dawn would have been published by anyone if it wasn't part of a hugely popular series (and therefore would sell millions no matter how terrible it was).

MBM: like LWW, I don't understand why you're taking any of this so personally. Neither of us said you were wrong to enjoy them.

That said, saying 'oh come on, it's only literature' is a bit silly. Books can be incredibly influential, for good or for ill, particularly books which reach a mass audience. There are always multiple ways to read a book, but the unhealthiness of the relationship is definitely and demonstrably there and even celebrated by the series.

That's a great link SGB.

Trouble is, I've heard/read all the arguments against it but it's like scoffing a whole bar of room-temperature Galaxy - I should know better but I don't care

Stakes thread through the heart

Monkeyfeathers, who says I'm taking any of it personally?
I'm merely having a *debate. You state your opinion, I state mine. That's how it works.

Nelix, you're right I can't judge the Anne Rice books by half of the first one. I wasn't totally bored so maybe I'll give them another go. i bought a set of three on ebay.

Ooooh mattbellamysmuse enjoy! Interview with a vampire is slow but worth Reading and the next one, the vampire lestat is brilliant and helps explain the first one.

I'd read that The Vampire Lestat was a great book but I got sidetracked by some other books. I'll give them another go, starting tomorrow.

Love it... i read all 4 in two weeks and i'm 26

though, i have to say i wasn't keen on breaking dawn, i thought it was too big and sometimes she rambled.. as if she knew she couldn't top eclipse. Plus wasn't keen on the imprinting as it made it feel slightly creepy, nor did i enjoy the sex bruising fiasco..just my opinions ladies.