When I walked into school on the first day of the session way back in July 2010, the first thing I heard was the word “Twilight”. Homing in on the source of this word, I stumbled across a group of four, who were praising it. Later that week, I found “Twilight” in our library, amidst many other dust covered tomes. (Paradise for a bookworm like me). This is my honest opinion of Stephanie Meyer’s first book in the saga.
A little footnote. I did not like the book all that much, so I did not finish the saga. I don’t know if I have missed something by doing that, but “Twilight” was an unusual read.
The story opens well enough with the protagonist Bella (short for Isabella) arriving in Forks to live with her father. She joins school, but all about there is a sense that all isn't well. I liked the way Meyer described the town of Forks. I could almost see it in my mind’s eye, as if I were walking in Bella’s shoes.
In school Bella meets Edward who at first seems friendly, but has unusual eyes. Gold I think they were. Pardon the lack of memory, but I read said novel a long time back. Edward, at first is quite likeable. He behaves like a regular teen and has this air of overdone self confidence about him. But the one subject that sort of sends him into a trance is his family. He doesn't talk much about them. In fact he doesn't talk about them AT ALL, though they are studying in the same school! (Cliché number one).
Then somehow, Bella finds out that Edward isn't human. He is a vampire. A killing machine who pretty much has humans with cups of Earl Grey tea in the morning and fine vintage port near a warm fire at night. Is she scared? Does she try to defend herself against this? Maybe make a run for it? No. She tells herself that she’s in love with a vampire and goes peacefully off to Dreamland. (Cliché number two).
As the story progresses, we get to meet the Cullen family and my favourite character in the book, Carlisle Cullen. I liked the back story that Meyer gave on him, and in my opinion he is the most deeply researched character in the book. We also have Alice, Eddie’s sister who can tell the future, Jasper, who can control feelings and Emmet who is a giant, with a very soft core. (Kind of loveable really). Another thing is Edward’s music collection which I found odd for a guy who is rumoured to be at least two centuries old.
Edward and Bella get closer, despite Carlisle warning them that their liaison is not one without it’s perils. (Yeah I mean, your boyfriend likes to eat your species!). Thankfully (or not), nothing like that happens and they are by far the perfect couple. We then discover that instead of burning up in the Sun, Edward is immune to it and sparkles. (At this point in the tale, I had to fight the urge to throw some thing at the wall).
Then, though the exact reason for it is unclear, the reader is told that a vampire pack is in town, cutting through the Cullen family’s backyard. And the punch line is that the Cullens and Bella just stand there while these guys march in cool as a few cucumbers and threaten to kill Bella. (Edward of course does nothing. None of them do anything. Why? We will never know. Cliché number three!).
Oh and in between this vampire human love story, there’s the werewolf pack who live on the outskirts of Forks. Jacob Black and his family loathe the Cullens, but they have some sort of treaty worked out. Hence there is peace. Jacob takes this as a license to check out Bella whenever he can, and ask her out too. Bella is cool with this. (Edward once again has no comment on the matter. DUDE. Your girlfriend is getting hit on by another guy. DO something!!!!! Cliché number four.)
I could go on like this forever, but it would not really be fair on my readers, or to fans of the saga if I kept badmouthing the books.
Suffice to say, that as a supernatural love story, “Twilight” is an epic disaster of mammoth proportions. As a love story, it hits most of the right notes. A little passion, a little pain and a lot of problems. It is written well, though the execution of the core idea is very bad. The characters could have done with a little research. In the end it leaves you a little wanting. “Could be loads better” a friend said to me. I agree.
To wrap up, in all honesty, I am not impressed with the book. It strikes me as one of those ancient B’wood rom-coms. You know the ones I mean. The old Anil Kapoor, or Salman Khan starrers. You like to watch them, but you don’t really wanna keep them……
Well, that’s it then. Until next time people.
The Bilge Master
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