This is a really interesting article on why Twilight works
http://vampirefilmfestival.com/Rober...g_Balance.html
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This is a really interesting article on why Twilight works
http://vampirefilmfestival.com/Rober...g_Balance.html
That is interesting. It really bothers me that they spelt the author's name wrong though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joreads
The vampires in Twilight aren't scary.
They are not meant to be scary. The vampire in this sense is a metaphor for dangerous sexual atttraction. Edward could kill Bella at any time should his inner beast take over that is what the article meant. Whether we admit it or not we all like a little bit of danger every now and again. Edward is in fact so handsome that Bella cannot resist him even though she knows he may in fact ine day kill her.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelby_lake
agreed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joreads
This discussion is amusing. Most of the people arguing can be categorized into these groups;
Group A. Vehemently opposed to the Twilight series. Members of this group frequently make incredibly condescending remarks, either implied, or directly, to the members of group C. Likely none, or few, members of this distinguished bunch have actually read the series. After all, they have more important things to read.
Group B. Takes offense at group A's condescending manner. However members of this group are also quick to point out that "they don't really like Twilight,", thereby being equally condescending (implying that they are too intelligent for that sort of fluff).
Group C. Twilight loving teenage girl(s).
Did I miss anyone? Oh don't even mention me. I know I'm a condescending hypocrite and don't need any of you to point that out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wat??
Group C applies to me I am a girl but hardly a teenager.
I felt a bit voyeuristic reading it. Edward was wet and martyrish. I do like some aspects of the books, but they are often tedious and unintentionally hilarious. I like books with 'dangerous love' but Twilight series was too fetishy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joreads
I can see where you are coming from. There were parts of the series that I really disliked but not enough to hate it.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelby_lake
Read the novella Bear by Marian Engel, or Elle by Douglas Glover - those are fetishy - and hilarious, albeit, extremely political texts - this one is merely conventional.Quote:
Originally Posted by kelby_lake
That being said, it is characteristically part of a tradition, there is no denying that - I think Anne Rice is more Fetishistic, since she at least embraces, to an extent, the original myth of vampire (to a slim extent), which is based on strong erotic symbols, whereas Myer, whilst acknowledging them to an extent, seems to have reformed the allegory into one that can fit a rather silly political agenda - the whole myth is turned upside down, and in its place, the vampire of passionate, young sexual intercourse has become the loving husband/protector/master figure, whose libido is only to be satisfied after marriage, when the woman can successfully change from curious adolescent into a good (in the religious sense) mother.
Meyer is not Angela Carter - at least Carter had the brains to show the stories, and to invert them by granting a female presence open to sexuality, thereby destroying the victim/predator binary - Meyer, in contrast, works to reinforce the binary, but to, instead of giving the female sexual control over her own destiny, and thereby turning her into both predator and victim, merely condones the actions under the sanctions of religious marriage - there is no problem with the female being the weaker, less experienced, victim in the relationship, as longs as they love each other, and are married - the sexual awakening of the heroine it can be argued, only serves as a sign that she is ready to be handed over to the conventions of marriage, and motherhood, as apposed to being ready to pursue a sexual discovery which would lead her to an understanding of herself, and those around her, and how her body ultimately reacts - such an adventure is best suited for tales where liberal discourse is discussed, as apposed to strong patriarchy-enforcing statements are masked through highly romanticized bouts on artificial love, and unrealistic adventure.
Gee I never picked up on that.Quote:
Originally Posted by *Classic*Charm*
Thanks to charm we have a link to the new moon trailer. Like her or not this is going to be a blockbuster. I for one hope they do a better job with this than they did with Twilight. Does anyone know if SM was involved in this one:?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ9afRgToxE
~SPOILERS~
~LENGTHINESS WILL FOLLOW~ (:lol:)
~SO WILL PERSONAL OPINIONS~
Now, onto the real stuff.
I wrote a review some time ago about Twilight (it's still there, over with the book reviews). It wasn't exactly... nice. But as for Stephenie Meyer...
Stephenie Meyer is brave. My biggest dream is to write a book. Between classes and work I could certainly find time, I'm sure, but every time I sit down at the computer and brace myself to go, I get...skittish. And I play Tetris instead. Stephenie Meyer sat down and wrote. She had kids crawling all over her, probably, and a husband who was probably constantly asking silly questions like "DO WE HAVE ANY JELLY?" (If you get the reference, 10 pts. for you) and "WHAT ARE YOU WRITING? A ROMANCE NOVEL? WILL IT MAKE MONEY?" 60% of the time. She was not wealthy. This is admirable, to me.
And then, likely just to see what this book could do, she sent it to a publisher who probably saw big bucks in the story and decided to slide it through an editor and get it on the shelves quickly. I'm just guessing. My point here is, she didn't get a chance to let it stew - at least, I don't think. Most authors give it a chance to stew! (Unless your name is Neil Gaiman and you burp brilliance) After you keep it in the crockpot overnight it becomes rich and tasty - like another young adult series, The Dark Is Rising Sequence. Rich. and Tasty. If Twilight had been given some time to grow, who knows what the series may have been like, or if it may have made it up there. I, for one, would like to know what happened to Leah. It's one of the biggest grievances I hold towards Meyer, leaving that poor character out in the dust after all she'd been through (Why didn't she just hook her up with Jacob? Would that have been so bad?) - although I've heard rumors of a maybe-Leah-story-next?
The Twilight Series came out like Irish quadruplets- wham, bam, thank you ma'am.
To say I detest the Twilight series would be a lie. I read each book, after all. I even went to the Breaking Dawn release, although my friends and I painted lightning bolt scars on our foreheads and pretended to look confused the whole time (well, WE thought it was funny). Though the members of the Cullen family lacked depth and originality, they were a wonderfully fun creation - though I felt too little time was given to their personal stories - and if it weren't for them I doubt I could have finished even the first book, because Bella was, in my personal opinion, an absolutely terrible character. I realize entirely that these are young adult books (TwiMoms will protest, but the section doesn't lie), and must be relatively easy reads (so we can't have Ivans and Alyoshas), but even for that genre, Bella was a terrible character (cares more about being with the pretty people than college, lives only for a boy, and he's dangerous, and she hurts another boy in the process of trying to get over 1st boy, and she wants to die, and she doesn't like grass or average people, or music - except Muse and Edward's Song of Beauteous Bella - and nevermind, I said all this in my review, I think).
"Unintentionally hilarious." Yes, by the way. http://otahyoni.livejournal.com/130432.html#cutid1Quote:
Originally Posted by kelby_lake
I don't know Stephenie Meyer. I do feel as if Bella is a Mary Sue character. She is definitely Meyer's idea of a heroine, and that makes me sad, because it says so much about Meyer herself.
Her writing is not to my liking either. Maybe, if she had more time to work on the books (andathesaurus) she could've written something better. Twilight was her first go and has done very well, so I can't say she's downright terrible, but I cannot even put her up next to Susan Cooper or C.S. Lewis or Madeleine L'Engle. I get the Edward Cullen appeal - sexy/dangerous, got it. I've been reading romance novels since I was eleven, however, and I've read of bitter dukes and fallen barons that seem just as, if not more, sexy/dangerous than Edward, and so I was not impressed (my little sister was, of course). I also remember hiding in the corner of my room with a flashlight when I was fourteen, well after everyone had gone to bed, staring wide-eyed down at the pages of The Vampire Lestat - talk about being afraid of vampires, people.
But I'm gonna end this very messy post with this, because I feel like a lot of ladies (and men, perhaps) felt this way about Twilight. This is from www.cleolinda.com - Cleo's a fabulous blogger, and her thoughts of Twilight are not only hilarious, but completely understandable:
"A lot of people are really passionate about these books. Some of them love and defend them passionately; others... well. I'm not going to defend them any more than I'm going to defend Twinkies--you go and get yourself a Twinkie when you have a very specific kind of craving (SUGARRRRR!). If you want gourmet pastry, or even a homemade cake, you know where to get that. If you're eating a Twinkie, you clearly know what you want and why you're eating it, and you know that it's not good to eat very many of them, but... you know... sometimes you just want one. (And then when you're done you read it all over again). Apparently there are people who think that Twinkies count as fine dining, but... well, live and let live, I guess." -Cleolinda Jones
WOW! That's a MOUTHFULL!
so, are you neutral,Wisp?
Hiya, sugar! Yea, generally if I say something, it's bound to be long-winded. My curse, I think.
I'm neutral on Stephenie Meyer. She gets points because she writes (which I think is brave) -even if I don't think she writes well. However, I feel very negatively towards WHAT she writes- I would say I'm an anti-Twilight girl who's read the series (so I guess I'm group A, subsection 1. :D). But that's another topic altogether.
i think it was a good read for the fun of it but i'm not feeling it so much after i finished the series!
hay, have you read her other book, The Host? I think that's a real good one...better than Twilight...my opinion, i'd like other people's info, but all of them seems stuck on Twilight!