It's past time for me to offer my opinion on the "Twilight" series. You know - the teen vampire heart throb series that was written by a sweet BYU graduating, Relief Society going, stay at home mom that has pushed "Harry Potter" off the best seller list. It's been an endless source of fascination for the press that covers such things as best selling books that the author, Stephenie Meyer, is a practicing Mormon. It's been a big debate in LDS circles about whether her series is "wholesome and uplifting" or "Satan's ruination of our daughters". If Deseret Book caries the books, doesn't that mean that Sheri Dew, past General LDS Relief Society President, approves? All debate and irony aside, I'm giving it a thumbs up. This is for teens, maybe the "tween" (11, 12yr.) not for the grade school bunch. What's the fuss about?
Bella Swan, new girl in school, falls in love with dreamy classmate, Edward Cullen. Bella finds a "best friend" in Jacob. Jacob loves Bella. Oh, Edward is a vampire and Jacob is a Native American werewolf. Double oh! The werewolves came into existence to protect the mortal population from the vampires and the family group of vampires Edward is part of have vowed to not feed only on animals, not people, so they are "good" vampires.
There are many vampire romance novels; most in paperback, and even many vampire love stories for teens. That this one captured the best seller lists is a bit unusual. You can't be a best seller with just teens, you need adults also. One reason this series is so popular may be that Stephenie Meyer's writing style puts the story first, much like the straight-forward style of Stephen King. The story flows quickly and once you start, you'll be in danger of staying up all night reading instead of getting the beauty sleep you need to work or study.
Originally marketed as a trilogy, the end of book three, "Eclipse", left me unhappy and fed up with Bella. Bella is engaged to Edward but still feeling connected to Jacob
. (There's a lot of action and intrigue I've left out; let's say I'm not going to produce any spoilers.) I felt Bella had started the series emotionaly detached from her family and any mortal friend and by the end of book three "Eclipe" she hasn't grown or changed in any way. Edward, and his "family" of vampires all became vampires because of tragic circumstances and had no choice in the transformation. Bella's desire to give up mortal life and become a vampire seems to me to be a choice only an immature teen would make.I even thought up my own ending: Edward, assisted by Jacob, would be destroyed (by the wicked Italian vampires) while heroically saving Bella. Jacob would step in to comfort Bella and in time Bella would recover from her grief and come to love Jacob, who has selflessly been just what Bella needs because he is "imprinted" (you'll have to read the series) on her. Bella grows, connects with the living, she and the ever patient Jacob marry, children appear and the natural order of life goes on.
The first weekend in August I was at the bookstore to pick up the first copies of the final volume, "Breaking Dawn". Stephenie's resolution of Bella, Edward and Jacob's tale let Bella grow, Edward survive, Jacob fulfilled and let me put the finished book down satisfied.
One last comment: If I had only one literary work for my child or myself to read this wouldn't be it! But to take to the lake, or hunker down on a snow day; it's great escape fantasy.
