I'm finally giving in - Page 2

SaraD · 11-24-2010, 05:44 PM

Good luck to you! I think you will need it. My neice really liked the series so my sister-in-law read it to see what her daughter was reading and quite liked it as well so they recommended it to me. Science fiction and fantasy are my preferred genres so I had an open mind and no preconceptions (this was just as the 4th book was published and before the movies were announced. I read the first book, half the second, skimmed parts of the third, and read the ending of the fourth. Just not my thing. I think they were written for teens (about 15 years old IMO) and I just couldn't do the mind-set needed to enjoy the story. I don't want to be critical because lots of people did really like the books who would really dislike ones that I think are great. The Harry Potter books, however, I very much enjoyed. The first ones were written for (I think) 9 & 10 year olds with the rest of the books progressing in sophistication as the reader would at a book a year for 7 years (give or take) if they started at 10 years old. With that in mind I could do the first few and wait for the later ones to build. Personally I think this is part of why the books became progressively longer as a person's attention span would grow.

Lemurion · 11-24-2010, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mish

In your eyes maybe, but not mine... I enjoyed it. To each his own.

Enjoyable writing is dependent on the reader, and it's not necessarily the same thing as technically skillful writing. On a purely technical level, Stephenie Meyer's prose is not very good.

However, an awful lot of people find her books extremely enjoyable, so she's obviously doing something else a lot better than most other writers; or at least she's doing something that resonates with a lot of readers.

Jcas · 11-24-2010, 06:13 PM

my daughter who is not an avid reader actually read the whole series and raved about it so much i thought i just had to give it a go to see what i was missing.

I purchased the first book, and tried as i really wanted to read it, but i just found it intolerable .

For those of you that have enjoyed it as my daughter did, i am really pleased for you all, but it's just not for me.

fjtorres · 11-24-2010, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foghat

^Not gonna try convince you, but Harry Potter really finds its legs starting in the 3rd book. The first 2 are okay, but very 'childish'.

To each their own: I loved the Potter books from the first paragraph. The lady can write very witty and immersive prose.

On the 'childish" part, though: it is *by design*.

The Potter books are designed to be readable by kids of Harry's age. So the first two are intended for an audience of 9-12 year olds. This age-appropriate writing scheme is why there is an entire generation of kids that have grown up with Harry Potter books and movies. And why Rowling has been careful with the authorized merchandizing. Harry Potter was created for kids' enjoyment, not to milk it for the last penny available.
Rowling just happens to be good enough that the books are also readable by adults.

As for TWILIGHT, I read the first novel and its not really bad once you realize Bella is, in fact, a clinically-depressed teenager in serious need of psych counseling.
That, or somebody to dump a bucket of ice water on her head.

I only got through half the second book; at that point her whining was grating on me and I discovered David Drake's RCN series. Adele Mundy is more to my taste when it comes to female protagonists.

TallMomof2 · 11-24-2010, 06:56 PM

I read all the Twilight books. The first two were okay, the third slooow, the fourth just awful. The writing is meh. To me it was like a train wreck, you know what's going to happen but you can't look away.

My daughter loathed the first book and couldn't get past the first chapter.

What was good about Twilight is that it got a lot of teenage girls (and maybe a few boys) reading books.

Harry Potter was far better written, IMO and I didn't think it was the greatest writing either.

Luke King · 11-24-2010, 07:53 PM

I read Twilight after my sister (who never reads) became obsessed with the story. Honestly, I found it a little boring -- and any writer who uses the tag "she opined" seriously needs some writing lessons or a better editor.

Ravensknight · 11-24-2010, 08:04 PM

I read the first one, actually enjoyed it, but couldn't get past 1/3 of the way through the second. Brrrrr...

leebase · 11-24-2010, 08:12 PM

My three tween/teen daughters -- who could not finish one Harry Potter book -- all devoured the Twilight books. It's like catnip for young girls -- and my wife liked them too.

I couldn't bring myself to read them, though I have enjoyed the movies.

Lee

kindlekitten · 11-24-2010, 08:17 PM

ugh. I forced myself to read the first one thinking it might be another Harry Potter phenom. it's not. and I DO like good vampire tales a-la Anne Rice

queentess · 11-24-2010, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by durkinrobinson

So I'm finally giving in and reading the series. I'm going to try anyway, and in the end I'll either continue to make fun of "them" or start making fun of "me and them."

Interesting... Like so many in this thread, I was hoping for another break-out Harry Potter series (which I really enjoyed, after being dragged to the first movie by a 6-year-old sister of the guy I was dating). I started the first Twilight book, didn't like it, then skimmed it a bit to see if it would get better. The dialog was just dreadful, so I returned it to the library and moved on.

Dan Brown is a terrible writer, but at least I made it through his book because the pacing was incredible. This was just plain dull.

CPhill505 · 11-24-2010, 08:38 PM

"Twilight" appeals to young girls (and many older women) because the heroine in the book is an average, not all that attractive or confident girl, that wins the drop-dead gorgeous guy. He is not only gorgeous but also the ultimate "bad boy", who is a caring, sensitive, gentleman. This fantasy man has been has been sought after by women of all ages for centuries. He's kind of like Big foot..no proof that he exists has ever been found, but stories of his sightings are consumed by hungry readers.

Figlilly · 11-25-2010, 01:59 AM

I bought the Twilight books and the Sookie Stackhouse books (I get them confused still) on the recommendation of a friend. I went all out and bought boxed sets of both series. What an idiot. At the time I hadn't heard of them so I am guessing it was before they became really popular. I found the writing in both to be poor and I couldn't bring myself to read them. My future daughter-in-law liked them so at least someone got to read them. I figured I was too old, grumpy and cynical for them to appeal so the fault was probably more with me than the books themselves.

I did like Harry Potter. It took me a while to get through one of them - I think it was the fourth book - but I enjoyed them nevertheless. I thought it was rather clever of the author to 'grow' the books up along with Harry as he ages.

astra · 11-25-2010, 04:53 AM

Good luck.

I loved the first film (have not see others).
So, I decided to read the series.
The first book was OK. Almost good.
However, the book 2&3.....arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

only the fourth book was a bit better.

I read The Host immediately after that and I know that she is not my type of a writer. A bit too tedious to read teenage girl's though about how to sleep with A and stay friends with B or...sleep with B and stay friends with A ...or...nevermind.

copyrite · 11-25-2010, 05:22 AM

I made myself get to the end of the first Twilight book and said that was enough. Now Harry Potter as a previous poster said, I loved from the start.

My daughter OTOH still hasn't finished Harry Potter and loved Twilight. To each his own!

AlbertaCowboy · 11-25-2010, 02:35 PM

[QUOTE=TallMomof2;1234671]

What was good about Twilight is that it got a lot of teenage girls (and maybe a few boys) reading books.QUOTE]

I agree wholeheartedly. Even if it's not for me personally, if a book can compete and find success against the Playstations, Xbox's, DVD's, Real Housewifes & reality TV's of the world, then it has earned respect from me.

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11-24-2010, 05:44 PM	#16
SaraD Groupie Posts: 161 Karma: 2670 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Mead, WA, USA Device: Sony 650, Basic Kindle 7th generation	Good luck to you! I think you will need it. My neice really liked the series so my sister-in-law read it to see what her daughter was reading and quite liked it as well so they recommended it to me. Science fiction and fantasy are my preferred genres so I had an open mind and no preconceptions (this was just as the 4th book was published and before the movies were announced. I read the first book, half the second, skimmed parts of the third, and read the ending of the fourth. Just not my thing. I think they were written for teens (about 15 years old IMO) and I just couldn't do the mind-set needed to enjoy the story. I don't want to be critical because lots of people did really like the books who would really dislike ones that I think are great. The Harry Potter books, however, I very much enjoyed. The first ones were written for (I think) 9 & 10 year olds with the rest of the books progressing in sophistication as the reader would at a book a year for 7 years (give or take) if they started at 10 years old. With that in mind I could do the first few and wait for the later ones to build. Personally I think this is part of why the books became progressively longer as a person's attention span would grow.

11-24-2010, 06:13 PM	#18
Jcas Zealot Posts: 143 Karma: 9668 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Kellevie, Tas. Device: Kindle PW2,Kindle DXG,iPhone 4	my daughter who is not an avid reader actually read the whole series and raved about it so much i thought i just had to give it a go to see what i was missing. I purchased the first book, and tried as i really wanted to read it, but i just found it intolerable . For those of you that have enjoyed it as my daughter did, i am really pleased for you all, but it's just not for me.

11-24-2010, 06:56 PM	#20
TallMomof2 Kindlephilia Posts: 2,017 Karma: 1139255 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Snowpacolypse 2010 Device: Too many to count	I read all the Twilight books. The first two were okay, the third slooow, the fourth just awful. The writing is meh. To me it was like a train wreck, you know what's going to happen but you can't look away. My daughter loathed the first book and couldn't get past the first chapter. What was good about Twilight is that it got a lot of teenage girls (and maybe a few boys) reading books. Harry Potter was far better written, IMO and I didn't think it was the greatest writing either.

11-24-2010, 07:53 PM	#21
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	I read Twilight after my sister (who never reads) became obsessed with the story. Honestly, I found it a little boring -- and any writer who uses the tag "she opined" seriously needs some writing lessons or a better editor.

11-24-2010, 08:04 PM	#22
Ravensknight Serpent Rider Posts: 1,123 Karma: 10219804 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony 350; Nook STR; Oasis	I read the first one, actually enjoyed it, but couldn't get past 1/3 of the way through the second. Brrrrr...

11-24-2010, 08:12 PM	#23
leebase Karma Kameleon Posts: 2,960 Karma: 26738313 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: iPad Mini, iPhone X, Kindle Fire Tab HD 8, Walmart Onn	My three tween/teen daughters -- who could not finish one Harry Potter book -- all devoured the Twilight books. It's like catnip for young girls -- and my wife liked them too. I couldn't bring myself to read them, though I have enjoyed the movies. Lee

11-24-2010, 08:17 PM	#24
kindlekitten Professional Adventuress Posts: 13,368 Karma: 50260224 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!) Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle	ugh. I forced myself to read the first one thinking it might be another Harry Potter phenom. it's not. and I DO like good vampire tales a-la Anne Rice

11-24-2010, 08:38 PM	#26
CPhill505 Member Posts: 20 Karma: 12 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Dayton, OH Device: Sony prs-600	"Twilight" appeals to young girls (and many older women) because the heroine in the book is an average, not all that attractive or confident girl, that wins the drop-dead gorgeous guy. He is not only gorgeous but also the ultimate "bad boy", who is a caring, sensitive, gentleman. This fantasy man has been has been sought after by women of all ages for centuries. He's kind of like Big foot..no proof that he exists has ever been found, but stories of his sightings are consumed by hungry readers.

11-25-2010, 01:59 AM	#27
Figlilly Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 2514066 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Oasis 2&3, Paperwhites, Kindle Touch, Kobo Clara, IPad Air2	I bought the Twilight books and the Sookie Stackhouse books (I get them confused still) on the recommendation of a friend. I went all out and bought boxed sets of both series. What an idiot. At the time I hadn't heard of them so I am guessing it was before they became really popular. I found the writing in both to be poor and I couldn't bring myself to read them. My future daughter-in-law liked them so at least someone got to read them. I figured I was too old, grumpy and cynical for them to appeal so the fault was probably more with me than the books themselves. I did like Harry Potter. It took me a while to get through one of them - I think it was the fourth book - but I enjoyed them nevertheless. I thought it was rather clever of the author to 'grow' the books up along with Harry as he ages.

11-25-2010, 04:53 AM	#28
astra The Introvert Posts: 8,307 Karma: 1000077497 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: United Kingdom Device: Sony Reader PRS-650 & 505 & 500	Good luck. I loved the first film (have not see others). So, I decided to read the series. The first book was OK. Almost good. However, the book 2&3.....arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... only the fourth book was a bit better. I read The Host immediately after that and I know that she is not my type of a writer. A bit too tedious to read teenage girl's though about how to sleep with A and stay friends with B or...sleep with B and stay friends with A ...or...nevermind.

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11-25-2010, 05:22 AM	#29
copyrite Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 4985051 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Maryland Device: Kindle	I made myself get to the end of the first Twilight book and said that was enough. Now Harry Potter as a previous poster said, I loved from the start. My daughter OTOH still hasn't finished Harry Potter and loved Twilight. To each his own!

11-25-2010, 02:35 PM	#30
AlbertaCowboy Guru Posts: 819 Karma: 171672846 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada Device: PRS-350, PRS-650, iPhone 6, NVIDIA Shield K1	[QUOTE=TallMomof2;1234671] What was good about Twilight is that it got a lot of teenage girls (and maybe a few boys) reading books.QUOTE] I agree wholeheartedly. Even if it's not for me personally, if a book can compete and find success against the Playstations, Xbox's, DVD's, Real Housewifes & reality TV's of the world, then it has earned respect from me.