BOOK CLUB FOR Twilight series - Page 2

[Leilamus]

I finished Twilight in three days last week and DP bought me New Moon on Saturday. I haven't been reading it at the same pace though Mainly because I've been working on getting some holiday gifts done before thanksgiving for family we only see then, but I'm determined to get going again!

I have to say, Bella's constant apologizing is getting to me. Every time something happens - like she just cut her arm at the bday party - she just whines. Man, make a decision already! I'm not up to the stuff with Jacob yet but I think I'm going to be team Edward no matter what. siiigggghhh.

[rockportmama]

I've read the first two - from the library. I'd put a hold on the first one and the second happened to be in the day I picked it up. I read the two of them in two days! I've got holds on the next two, now. The fourth book is in but not the third. Yeah, I'll wait!!

Maybe we could have separate threads for each book? That way we could discuss what we've read without worrying about spoilers?

[carriebft]

I would love to talk about the Twilight series and Romeo and Juliet (or some of the other works of literature she mentions throughout the books) I have lots of thoughts on this but I think first I need clarification on whether we can talk about spoilers here or not. Can we talk about all of Twilight? the series? A thread for each book might work.

[rockportmama]

Hey, got Books 3 & 4 from the library yesterday!:
Finished Book 3 at 5 this am:.

Please no spoilers for Book 4 yet! Give me a coupla days! I'm already dying of curiosity to know why so many of you hate it so much! Pretending it doesn't exist? My goodness! I'm simply dying of curiosity!

I don't feel like I should start the book yet. I read most of yesterday and need to play with my toddler today. If it weren't for the impending birth (39 weeks, 80% effaced, 2 cm dilated, station 0), I'd just stay up all night every night till it was finished. But I might need to be rested. At any time. Maybe I'll read it in between contractions? My midwives would love that!! LOL!

It's been a long time since I read Romeo and Juliet. More for Wuthering Heights. And I was probably too young to catch anything substantial when I did read them. I want to compare characters, motives, etc. See what she keeps alluding to. Or maybe she told us everything she wants us to know?

So, to start a friendly debate/discussion:
1) Does the Twilight series have more or less chance of becoming classics than the Harry Potter series?

2) The books are written for young adults, but appeal to many adults as well. Are any men/boys reading these books? If so, what would they take away as messages of ideal manhood and whether they could ever hope to measure up?

3) For us adults in adult relationships, what does the series say to you about your relationship/partner. Do you see them in a different light now? Which character do they remind you of most?

Can't wait to read Book 4!

[cabo]

I love the books. Took me about 4 days to finish all 4 of them. Now I'm waiting for the movie, which doesn't come out until january over here.

And I have to say, I love Breaking Dawn. Bellas character development ist just awesome, she finally matured, from damsel in distress to a strong powerful woman. The cover fits well, from simple pawn to mighty queen. Her gift totally rocks too. I also really liked the humor of some of the scenes (feathers anyone?, Jacob and Leah, Rosalie and Jacobs bickering...).

The only thing that I hate about the Twilight series is the whole imprinting on children thing. Creepy and disturbing IMO, it just doesn't feel right. What do you guys thing about that?

So, to start a friendly debate/discussion:
1) Does the Twilight series have more or less chance of becoming classics than the Harry Potter series?

I think Twilight has YA/Teens as main audience, mostly females, whereas Harry Potter has as much broader fanbase, young, old, both genders. It also feels that JKRs writing is much more complex, connects so many diverse storylines, touches many more philosophical issues, maybe the right word for HP is epic. I don't feel Twilight has that, although I love love love the books.

2) The books are written for young adults, but appeal to many adults as well. Are any men/boys reading these books? If so, what would they take away as messages of ideal manhood and whether they could ever hope to measure up?

I don't really know of course, being female, but I would hope that they would take away the idea of treating women gentlemanly, of pursuing arts (playing piano, classical music and such), being emphatic (Jasper) and caring or compassionate (Carlisle).
I often listen to some guys on a Twilight podcast called Imprint and also read the blog from the Twilight guy website. It's interesting to hear their perspectives 'cause the emphasize different aspects of the story. The Twilight guy actually bought a ring which looks like Bellas and proposed to his girlfriend who is a big fan of the series. So cute.

3) For us adults in adult relationships, what does the series say to you about your relationship/partner. Do you see them in a different light now? Which character do they remind you of most?

No different light, I never thought of comparing my relationship to Bellas and Edwards. I really love the Esme/Carlisle and Alice/Jasper relationship though. In New Moon when Alice comes home to Forks, there is that scene where A/J simply hold hands and look into each others eyes. I really like that. No overly public displays of effection but pure love and understanding. I hope I have something close to that in my relationship as well.

[rockportmama]

Trying to figure out how to do the covered spioler thing.

______________________
Like this? Did it work?
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I haven't figured out how to do the black thing. Can y'all read this?

[Leilamus]

hmm, i used to be able to do it, you just have to have a black text and then highlight it in black. Then people can't read it unless they highlight it in thread. Where oh where is the black highlight button though?

****New Moon "Spoiler"*****
Do the similarities to Aro of the Volturri and Armand from Interview with the Vampire bother anyone else?! read that Meyers said she didn't read any of Anne Rice's books before writing the series but I'm having my doubts. She said she was flattered by the comparisons but I don't think they were necessarily compliments, I think they were people pointing out the copying.

That said, I'm still reading New Moon (hope to finish tonight) and I plan to buy Eclipse this weekend so I'm still very much enjoying the series, but I really just found the last few chapters I was reading about Aro, Jane, Alec etc really, REALLY familiar and it annoyed me.

Anyone else?

[AlmostAPpropriate]

Hi, please forgive me since Im probably going over whats already been discussed tons of times... And please put me out of my misery because Im driving myself crazy.

Im 1/2 done with the first book, twilight. I need to know if Bella is part vampire, if that had something to do with why her mom left town...

I am the type of person who reads the last page first, one a theory/question grips my mind I cant enjoy the book because Im speeding thru looking for an answer... Its a good book, I want to enjoy it... so please TELL MEEEEEEE

[rockportmama]

Finished Book 4!! So, I don't get why y'all didn't like it. Can you explain? I think I have to agree with Cabo that Bella is finally coming into her own.

Cabo-- 1)I agree that Harry Potter is more likely to be a classic. Anyone else find it interesting that the actor playing Edward is the same guy who played Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter movies?
2) Interested to hear there are Twilight guy sites and podcasts. Hmmm.
3)Well, my DH is protective and gentle, so in that way he reminds me of Edward. But he's 6'6" and olive-skinned. For a while I'd talked him into long hair. So physically he reminds me of Jacob. Potential spoiler in white -- highlight to read: So whenever Bella was anywhere near getting physical with Jacob I was cheering her on!

About the imprinting on children thing. The idea is creepy, but I think Meyer went out of her way to show that it was a "love" imprint and not a "sex" imprint.

Leilamus-- I've never read an Anne Rice book, though I've meant to. I was logging on to ask if the Twilight books were anything like hers. So if I liked the Twilight books will I like the Anne Rice books?

AlmostAPpropriate-- Bella is not part vampire. I wondered the same thing through Twilight.

[candipooh]

Originally Posted by Leilamus

hmm, i used to be able to do it, you just have to have a black text and then highlight it in black. Then people can't read it unless they highlight it in thread. Where oh where is the black highlight button though?

****New Moon "Spoiler"*****
Do the similarities to Aro of the Volturri and Armand from Interview with the Vampire bother anyone else?! :

Anyone else?

No, didn't bother me. I didn't even think about it actually. But it has been YEARS since I have picked up Anne Rice.

I really enjoy different peoples take on vampires. Back in my high school days what Anne Rice said was law,lol. But now I like how different people set the rules for vampires. From Anne Rice to Blade to Underworld. Love 'em all.

[Leilamus]

Originally Posted by rockportmama

Leilamus-- I've never read an Anne Rice book, though I've meant to. I was logging on to ask if the Twilight books were anything like hers. So if I liked the Twilight books will I like the Anne Rice books?

They are VERY different from Meyers' books. I wouldn't put them in the same category at all except that they both are centered around vampires. Rice is much, much darker, more detailed and IMO more passionate. I really love reading about Bella & Edward and I'm pulling for them, but it doesn't grip me anyway near the way Rice's novels do. I think it's simply because they are different writers. Also, no offense to Meyers, I'm just stating this as fact, her books are YA and geared for that audience, Rice's are not so there is just a difference there. That's not to say that YA books can't be gripping and amazingly poignant and valid - take the HP series for example - but IMO (again) Meyers' skill level is no where near that of Rowling's. Maybe someday, I truly hope she keeps writing and putting out new stuff I know I'll pick it up.

My "issue" with Meyers and Rice comparisons is that Meyers claims not have read any of "Interview....Vampire Lestat etc" books before writing the Twilight series. That seems very unbelieveable to me (ME I'm just stating what I think) when in there are such parallels.

***************SPOILERS*****************







In New Moon:
* They go to the "old city"
* Aro is the head of the Volturi - the royalty of the vampire world - estimated to be over 3,000 years old
* There is a young vampire child (girl) who has extreme powers superior to any of the Cullens'
* They lure a group of tourists into the heart of their underground "lair" to feast on
* Edward refuses to join them twice - And Aro lets him go

I haven't read Interview in about 5 years so some of this is a little foggy but the similarities are very close.
In Rice's Books (also readily obvious in the movie of Interview...):
* There is an old city the main characters travel to (I believe it's Paris)
* Armand is the head of the tribe of vampires there, said to be over 3,000 years old
* There is a child vampire, Claudia - she appears much earlier in the story and isn't part of the same tribe as Armand's but sill plays a big role in the story.
* They do a theater show where they lure in humans and then kill one onstage with the audience believing it's part of the show.
* They trap Louis (The main character ie: Edward) and then Armand lets him go.

AGAIN - I'm not bashing Meyers here, I just had a really strong Deja Vu feeling when reading those chapters in New Moon today and I wondered if anyone else did and what their reaction was?

[cabo]

Originally Posted by Leilamus

AGAIN - I'm not bashing Meyers here, I just had a really strong Deja Vu feeling when reading those chapters in New Moon today and I wondered if anyone else did and what their reaction was?

No sorry, I didn't think about any similarities until you pointed it out here. I read and love the old Anne Rice books but they never crossed my mind while reading Twilight. I guess it just makes sense that any kind of vampire royalty would be european.
The vampire child - did you mean Renesmee? How is her power superior to any of the Cullens?

[Leilamus]

Originally Posted by cabo

No sorry, I didn't think about any similarities until you pointed it out here. I read and love the old Anne Rice books but they never crossed my mind while reading Twilight. I guess it just makes sense that any kind of vampire royalty would be european.
The vampire child - did you mean Renesmee? How is her power superior to any of the Cullens?

No, I was talking about Jane. I don't think I've met Renesmee yet, I just finished New Moon last night. Jane and Alec are both children/youngish and Jane has the ability to physically cripple someone just by looking at them and concentrating her energy on that person. She did it to Edward and he was writhing on the floor.

Thanks for your feedback. Maybe it is just me. I mean really, there aren't that many vampire books out there but lots of legend so it's easy to see how authors start from the same base points and may end up with similarities.

[carriebft]

Originally Posted by Leilamus

No, I was talking about Jane. I don't think I've met Renesmee yet, I just finished New Moon last night. Jane and Alec are both children/youngish and Jane has the ability to physically cripple someone just by looking at them and concentrating her energy on that person. She did it to Edward and he was writhing on the floor.

Thanks for your feedback. Maybe it is just me. I mean really, there aren't that many vampire books out there but lots of legend so it's easy to see how authors start from the same base points and may end up with similarities.

You find out more about these abilities in later books and then you see it is really different from Rice's.

Warning :: Spoiler Ahead! Highlight to read message!

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So Jane's ability turns out it is just a mental ruse; she is not really creating pain but just the illusion of it. They go into it more in book 4

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[malibusunny]

Originally Posted by Susana

I'm up to "Scary Stories" in the first book. I'm really into the story...I knew I would be.

My dd-age15-has all of the books and LOVES them. She asked me to read them so we could talk about them together.

can't resist an invitation like that, can I? :

That's basically how I started reading them, only instead of it being my kid who invited me, it was a student of mine. She's a book ahead of me, though, and says I won't like the next one. I've only read the first two.

[malibusunny]

Originally Posted by rockportmama

So, to start a friendly debate/discussion:
1) Does the Twilight series have more or less chance of becoming classics than the Harry Potter series?

Less. The draw here is much smaller, and they are not nearly as well written as the potter series. basically, twilight is a standard average young adult series flash in the pan.

2) The books are written for young adults, but appeal to many adults as well. Are any men/boys reading these books? If so, what would they take away as messages of ideal manhood and whether they could ever hope to measure up?

I didn't know these were supposed to be YA books until I started reading them. I imagine that men/boys could be reading them but I'm guessing that the appeal is low. lots will see the movie, though, I'm sure. I think the messages of ideal manhood here are beauty, strength, will, and love. pretty typical.

3) For us adults in adult relationships, what does the series say to you about your relationship/partner. Do you see them in a different light now? Which character do they remind you of most?

I remember loving like Bella. I remember thinking it was romantic to be drawn to impossibility. Now I think differently, I suppose. The way the books are written have me seeing Bella ideally with Edward, but if I were Bella, with my life experience, I would choose Jacob. I chose Edward and I lost my Jacob and I think I made a mistake in that.

[malibusunny]

re: Ann Rice, I really loved her books, and I see the comparisons (yes, I felt the same way when they went to the volturri) but I do think it comes from common legends. I think that even if you never read a single Ann Rice novel, the Ann Rice concept of vampires is pretty strong in our generation. I felt like that was the weakest part of the book, though; it wasn't hers. The rest of the book was Meyer's, and that part was... an attempt at being what a "vampire book" should be. Twilight isn't even remotely a vampire book, any more than time travel romances are history books.

[JTA Mom]

Ok, I just finished Twilight. It was ok, not sure what everyone is so in love with. To me it seems like a normal vampire YA novel. It was a fast read, so it was nice in that way. I just don't think it's particularly exceptional, ya know?

Anyways, I'll keep reading the series, since I like supernatural stories, and well, it's a nice vampire series.

There is ONE major thing I didn't like about the story. One BIG thing that made me uncomfortable from the middle onward. It was Edward's constant exclamation of "mind over matter"-- aka how he wouldn't hurt Bella willingly. Umm, abusive relationship much? I understand he's a vampire. I just don't like the whole tortured, might turn violent at any moment boyfriend line. And the way Bella is all 'I don't care if I DIE, I'll stay with you anyways'. I just don't think that's a healthy relationship to be in, ya know? And then to have it modeled to the target audience of young girls. I don't know, it just really makes me uncomfortable because I've seen WAY too many women fall into the trap of staying with abusive men "because they love one another" and he "wouldn't really hurt her" and 'it's out of his control (aka I did xyz to set him off)'. Am I the only one?

Ami

[Leilamus]

Originally Posted by JTA Mom

There is ONE major thing I didn't like about the story. One BIG thing that made me uncomfortable from the middle onward. It was Edward's constant exclamation of "mind over matter"-- aka how he wouldn't hurt Bella willingly. Umm, abusive relationship much? I understand he's a vampire. I just don't like the whole tortured, might turn violent at any moment boyfriend line. And the way Bella is all 'I don't care if I DIE, I'll stay with you anyways'. I just don't think that's a healthy relationship to be in, ya know? And then to have it modeled to the target audience of young girls. I don't know, it just really makes me uncomfortable because I've seen WAY too many women fall into the trap of staying with abusive men "because they love one another" and he "wouldn't really hurt her" and 'it's out of his control (aka I did xyz to set him off)'. Am I the only one?

Ami

I don't think you're alone in that at all, I've heard it quite a lot. I can agree with that but what I can't stand (and this is really me from my personal experience projecting onto Bella I think) is the constant "I'm not good enough. Why does he want me?" It's SOOOO normal for a lot of girls but it gets so old. It's the constant, "Do you think I'm fat?" Boyfriends and friends hate answering that question. Outside of her clumsiness Bella seems like a good catch so where is this constant questioning coming from? I get that Edward is a magnificent creature in her eyes but he has told her and shown her multiple times how he feels for her. Her whining just gets to me.

SPOILER QUESTION!!!






* Why does Bella say no when Edward proposes at the end of New Moon? I'm thoroughly freaking befuddled at this! She wants to spend eternity with him, keeps begging him to change her over, complains about he's her world and then he asks to marry her and she says no. Is she thinking there will be a better deal in a few centuries or something? Did I miss a major piece of this? I was reading it at 1am last night so maybe it didn't process correctly.

[cjanelles]

I read all four of the books in about a two-week period.

The story is interesting...but I have a really hard time remembering that these books are written for the young adult audience. I do not like her writing style, at all, but am definitely interested in the story line.

I tell you what, though...I also read her book "The Host"--just finished it last night--after reading the "Twilight" books.

I was much, much more impressed with "The Host" than the others, as a whole...The story was more original and the writing was more engaging, while clearly still written for a teen audience.