Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga

[AndrewH]

I get a kick out of Twilight's placement on Goodreads lists: "The Worst Books of All Time" and "Best Books Ever".

I haven't read the series, but I've heard many times it's a 'teenagey' knock-off of Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries (aka Sookie Stackhouse series, aka True Blood series).

[ChipnDale]

I've read the first book and never wanted to go from there, I don't like the series but I think it's one of those books that if you are curious you may as well try it out.

I read it to see what the hype was all about...I don't like angst, dumb as rocks heroines that the author says are smart, too much diviation from the "classic vampire" with Twilight if you removed the fangs the Cullens could have been pixies or faeries, Tinkerbelle-types mind you with all the sparkling.

[gmw]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The journey and not only the destination. They're still both very important for my reading enjoyment.

A fair correction ... although, for the main part, I am interested in the destination of a novel mainly insofar as it is part of the journey - if you get my distinction. Oh, I do prefer books that give me something to take away afterward as well, but I am still happy enough to say that I enjoyed a book even if it turns out to be eminently forgettable after it's finished (thinking here of the westerns I used to read, but the most genres have a large proportion of this class of story). I don't expect every book to leave a mark.

ETA: Just reminded myself of the ship computer, Holly, in Red Dwarf, asking Lister to erase all the Agatha Christie books from his memory so he could read them and enjoy them all over again.

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

[...]I really should at least give the first book a try. Books about nothing can be good; especially since it would be almost impossible to truly write about nothing. On the other hand there is a movie isn't there? Can Twilight be read in under four hours?

I actually saw the first movie before I read the first book - and from watching the movie I would never have gone near the book ... and yet once I read the book I actually enjoyed the movie the next time I saw it. In other words: if you want to give it a fair chance then I recommend trying the book.

Originally Posted by ChipnDale

I've read the first book and never wanted to go from there, I don't like the series but I think it's one of those books that if you are curious you may as well try it out.

I think this is good advice. It's an easy read so there's not much to lose by trying the first one.

Originally Posted by ChipnDale

I read it to see what the hype was all about...I don't like angst, dumb as rocks heroines that the author says are smart, too much diviation from the "classic vampire" with Twilight if you removed the fangs the Cullens could have been pixies or faeries, Tinkerbelle-types mind you with all the sparkling.

Personally I liked the fact that they weren't classic vampires. I liked Anne Rice's vampires but had no particular desire for more of the same. But yes, there are lots of things, looking back over the story once you are done, to pick at ... but, that's true of lots of this sort of stuff.

[Exer]

Bought them for my lady, and read them myself after she raved about them for months on end. Didn't really enjoy them all at. I found the relationships to be dysfunctional, many of the plot "twists" were predictable, and part way though the final book I already suspected everything that would happen the rest of the way through, and I ended up being just about completely right.

I read an interesting piece describing how the female lead, Bella, was written pretty much as a blank slate with very little physical description. Which let female readers "insert" themselves in her place, and more easily get lost in the story. Whereas the lead male, Edward, was described in exacting details, so the female readers would know exactly who "they" were falling in love with.

Might explain why so few guys end up enjoying the series.

On the other hand I really enjoyed her book The Host, although ironically my lady didn't like that one at all and never mentioned it again once she was finished.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by wyndslash

should i read it? I've been reading reviews on it on goodreads, and even before that I've already decided I didn't like it, but my sister liked it, and I figured that I might be more credible in my own opinion if I read it through and see what was all the hype about.

That said, I wouldn't necessarily be going into it looking for mistakes. I like romance (well enough, i guess) even cheesy plots.

But what do you think? Is it worth the time? My university library has it, apparently.

Nothing wrong with satisfying curiosity, at least in this case. I wouldn't, but I'm not that curious. I am a bit curious regarding your opinion of it though, so don't hesitate to keep us posted.

[mscott9985]

They'd be great summer reads because they're easy to breeze through. I didn't care for the third one at all, but the fourth was very good. Meyer's writing has been criticized a lot, but IMHO, she's got a terrific way with a plot.

BTW...anyone here read her other books?