Alright here it is. What I think about the book Twilight.
I believe literature is a reflection of the interests of the people in the time period the book is written. It is written with skill and with a purpose. There have been many arguments on what makes good literature and what makes just a bad book. Right now there has been a lot of talk about if the book Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is considered good literature or not. Although I would not say Twilight is intellectually on the same level as other romances such as books written by Jane Austin or funny romantic plays by Oscar Wilde it is a great reflection of what our time wants to read right now.
In my senior year of high school my A.P. English teacher put on our summer reading list Twilight right between The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Catcher in the Rye. At first I was very offended by this and I could not understand why on earth she would put a vampire teen romance even on the same page as these amazing classics. But then I began to realize the importance of this book is not in the skill or intelligence; it’s in the importance it is to the people. Stephanie Meyer created a story that spoke out to everyone and became a world-wide phenomenon.
In the story a regular teenage girl (Bella) meets this amazingly good looking, wealthy, smart and witty vampire named Edward. They fall in love and have to go through some hard times to stay together. I do not think that it is only the obsession with Edward Cullen that draws people in, but the idea of an eternal love and someone to be with you and care for you forever. I believe we live in a time full of romantics and Stephanie Meyer wrote the perfect book for the time. The book is not particularly well written or very deep but it does deal with emotions and that I think is a very important part in a book. The reader in any book needs to be able to connect, at least on some level, with the main character in the book and be able to feel some of the same emotions or at least see where they are coming from. Stephanie Meyer creates this relationship between book and reader very well. The main character and narrator of the book, Bella, is a very realistic person. She is easy to understand and feel for. I do not think that I would consider Twilight as a great piece of literature and eventually considered a classic, but I do believe it has made a name for itself and will be remembered for a long time. So my hats off to you Stephanie Meyer.
Monday, April 27, 2009
What I Think About Twilight
Posted by Lindsay Duerden at 3:14 PM
Labels: What I Think
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4 comments:
Amen!
I read a lot of different books, from classical to contemporary and everything in-between. Many of my family and friends are appalled that I would "lower" myself the reading Stephenie Meyer. My answer to them is simply this:
Everyone needs brain candy.
Everyone needs a book that doesn't require a lot of work or thought - maybe even something to skim through now and then. A book that is read for pure escapism and entertainment, and for that purpose Twilight is right on the money.
Will it ever win a Pulitzer? No! Will it ever be considered one of the all-time greatest pieces of literature? Never! Will it entertain and enthrall millions of women/men of a non-reading generation? YES!
Kudos to you Linds for speaking the truth! I myself am proud to say that I love me some Stephenie Meyer...and Jane Austen too. Is that really so bad?
I love Twilight. It's a fact. So does Jake (but don't tell him I told you...) I've always thought that I was drawn to the passion Stephenie Meyer describes. One doesn't find that sort of passion in most contemporary writing, for whatever reason. And I think it's lost from a lot of other avenues of expression, as well. So it fills a place that is sort of empty in our society.
I have to admit that I haven't read the Twilight books. Being a straight guy, they really don't appeal much to me. Referring to Megan's post, "it's not my type of brain candy."
Having said that I think you hit the nail on the head in your post. I'm a believer that language only has the power that we assign it. The same could be true of literature. The success of Twilight doesn't necessarily come from it's gripping story or from how well it's written. It comes from the connection people have made to the story.
However, looking at the saga with a long term perspective, I personally doubt Twilight will stand the test of time. I wonder if 10 years from now your AP English teacher would still be assigning that book for summer reading. Or is it more likely that a new story will be out that catches the attention of the masses?
Whether it's well written or not, Twilight has reached that level of social awareness that few books can hope to achieve. Good for Stephanie Meyer. Her success gives hope to aspiring authors the world over. ;)
While Twilight certainly was not my favorite book, I still found a lot to discuss with others and definitely found characters that I liked and could relate to. Meyer has created books that have captured the mass imagination, at least for now, and for that, she certainly deserves some kudos.
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