*Please Note: The dates on this blog are strange because of the way Blogger is set up - forcing dates is the only way to make posts "static" up here. This blog post is dated to fit into this slot on the blog, but the original date for it is 4/17/12. Sorry for any confusion...
This is my most recent post about this 'What's Wrong with Twilight Chapter One: First Sight' - on a different blog with no intro. It's far more detail of chapter one, but only chapter one. It might be enough for some people, however.
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So, here I go... WHY haven't I read this series up until now? I tried, the same way I tried to go watch Breaking Dawn in the theater while it was still out. The thought made me cringe; but I've done alot of venting and I've done ALOT more reading about this subject since then. I doubt I am in any danger of becoming overly-addicted at this point (which is the original reason why I didn't read the books in the first place - I was worried about that. The LAST thing I wanted was to become obsessed with another silly VAMPIRE series, ha!)
After I bought the series and discovered how dysfunctional it was; I left the books sitting out on the table for MONTHS (until my mom came to visit and I had to put them away) because I kept thinking that I was really going to have to read them before Breaking Dawn came out if I was ever going to be able to watch the movie. (I was assuming that Stephenie actually made the books readable since there are so many of you out there who love this story so damn much.) But, I hadn't gotten to the point where I was willing/ready to accept it, yet - I don't know WHY! It's MADDENING to me, too!
I really could "just feel" like something was wrong with Twilight... Call it women's intuition or whatever, I could NOT put my finger on what the hell my problem was.
I've mentioned in here that I've already read "Midnight Sun"; the 1st five chapters of the original Twilight; and alot more through all 4 books, especially things surrounding Jacob and the birth of the vamp baby and Bella's transformation, etc. It's not the same as reading the whole thing, I know.
I'm reading this now, but it won't change my opinions about this subject - I don't think this kind of irresponsible writing should have been targeted at our young adults. I will still believe that these companies published this series in a professionally-negligent way.
This is probably moreso for my Twilight sisters, who... Believe it or not, DESPITE the fact that I am VERY ANGRY with you at the moment; I DO love most of you (probably) and respect (probably most of) your opinions. I believe your head is probably wired in a similar way that mine is, and MAYBE there IS some sort of SLIVER that is written within this text that I can decode and it will MAGICALLY REDEEM ITSELF!
Here's Hoping...
I know, I'm not starting out with a very good attitude (sorry, I'm not usually known for having one of those) and I'm not having a very good start so far...
Yesterday, I started reading the first book on my new Kindle Fire (which, I love for reading, now btw - I read through "The Hunger Games" in a couple of days, and OMG, that woman KNOWS how to write both action AND a love triangle! I totally did NOT see it coming, and my first thought when I was done reading the book was, "DAMN, isn't there some way she can just have them BOTH, ha! (PLEASE don't tell me what happens next, I'm taking THIS series a little more cautiously for obvious reasons - LoL!)
Reading Twilight... The first time I read through these first few chapters, I remember it being a really smooth read. I remember thinking how I didn't hardly notice time passing. I remember thinking that this was going to be an easy read - and I needed it to be or I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did the first time, much less have ever finished it.
It is obvious that I'm pretty tainted on the subject now, however... I got through the first two chapters, and I'm finding myself really irritated at just "how much" Bella hates Forks and the situation she is in (the language she uses is pretty harsh for not ever actually having lived or spent much time in Forks); and how much she seems to despise everyone around her for no good reason - they really do all seem to be pawing desperately at her for her attention. And, I've yet to come across a reason why... Other than I can certainly see how teenagers can identify with this part of the storyline - the Bella I've come to know & love in the movies doesn't seem to be quite this bitter, though.
She seems a little too estranged from her Father, also... Like alot of us, I came from a broken home and did the whole "designated custody time with Dad" thing. I mean, she doesn't go into any mistreatment by either of her parents other than they are divorced. But, she talks about her Father as if he has been an absentee Dad - I've never gotten that impression from the movies.
Maybe he hasn't been around, but HE isn't the one who left - Bella was taken away by her Mother. Charlie has always seemed to love Bella, and despite the fact that he isn't anymore expressive regarding his emotions as she is - they would STILL have bonded - EVEN during fishing! So WHY doesn't Charlie deserve to be called "Dad"? This isn't something that ever bothered me before. I had always assumed that Bella had a reason for feeling so estranged from her Dad. But Charlie doesn't seem like the "send you $5 on your birthday" and never call you kind of Dad. Her attitude towards him feels off to me.
Also... She's only ever visited Forks for probably a few weeks at a time - and probably in the Summer. She's never lived here long enough to develop such disdain for the place - although I can believe her Mother has probably voiced HER opinions of the place lots of times to her. I live in Seattle, which is a few hours away from the real Forks, WA - and in the Summertime there is alot more Sun than in the Winter. Bella & Jacob didn't have fun making mud pies as kids in the rain! It's NOT that unpleasant up here, really! :)
The read seems very dry this time around... no doubt because of where my head is and how much I know about the story, now. That and, I read another quote somewhere once from Stephenie Meyer regarding why she wrote Twilight like this - something like, "I'm not anti-Female, I'm anti-Human".
THAT point, if it is true, is becoming obvious... And I TOTALLY get that "anti-human" thing (I'd say I'm feeling that "anti-human" thing pretty strongly right now, ha!). This book seems to have been written by a very jaded, and even somewhat bitter woman... I REALLY WONDER if THIS isn't one of the reasons WHY so many people don't like the character of Bella. Stephenie doesn't exactly start out with a very good impression of Bella for her readers. I think most of us Twilight MOVIE Bella/Kristen fans see Bella in a much better light.
However, I KNOW I'm not being fair... I'm going to keep reading and I'm going to really try to "get into" the story and forget about my judgements regarding it. I want to see what you all see.
I'll keep adding to this as I have more to say. - Catherine
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TWILIGHT BOOK REVIEW
- Just my thoughts on what I've read so far...
Chapter 1 - First Sight
Chapter 2 - Open Book
Chapter 3 - Phenomenon
VAMPIRE PRELUDE - Before I Begin Ch 4
Chapter 4 - Invitations - Things are starting to get better...
Let's Talk About "Midnight Sun" first, now...
Chapter 5 - Blood Type
Beginning of Twilight ReVAMPED & ReWOLFED: Chapter 1 - First Sight REWRITE
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