So if you haven't yet figured out what the heck is I'm talking about...it's the book Twilight.
So to begin, I love reading and I'll admit that I like a book with a little bit of romance. When I heard about Twilight years ago (while I was student teaching in the winter of 2007- pretty sure the book was very new at that point and not many people knew about it) I thought it sounded like the most unappealing book in the world. The teacher who was recommending it loved a book about vampires? Honestly? Not my type of book. As it became more and more popular I still kept on thinking that I was just not a vampire reading type of girl.
Then as women and my students became OBSESSED with it I couldn't help but be even more turned off. There just seems something wrong about married women wearing "Team Edward/Jacob" shirts and swooning over either one of them. Sure, I'll be the first to admit that I think that characters in books or movies are attractive and that I'll watch a certain movie because a certain George Clooney or Jake Gyllenhal (those are just some of the many attractive ones out there) will be in it or I'll listen to Michael Buble and my heart melts a little bit. But honestly...some of these women are way to obsessed and it just rubs me the wrong way.
Well, just earlier this week I just recently discovered that the library has a place where you can temporarily download an audiobook or ebook (just one that you read on the computer). Way cool. I was in hopes that they would have the second Hunger Games book because I had just finished the first and was dying to read the next (but didn't want to be #537 on the waiting list at the library). Sadly they only had the audiobook and I only listened to about a half a page and couldn't stand it any longer. The reader was terrible! So I kept on playing on the website and just wanted to see if Brad's old laptop would download an ebook. Well I went to the "Most Popular" page and of course Twilight was near the top of the list. I didn't know what the others were and so without much thought I downloaded it. After it was downloaded I decided I would read one chapter to see what I thought. I read one chapter and decided to continue.
Well I finished it just barely and I can't tell you how many times I rolled my eyes or thought that the storyline/dialogue was somewhat ridiculous. I really did try to have an open mind. Like I said before...I like my romance but this was so sappy I couldn't handle it. I was also largely disturbed by the talk of "her scent" and him sneaking in to watch her sleep at night. Last time I checked that would come up under the definition of stalking. Not romantic at all. I also kept on trying to figure out why the heck this "perfect Edward" was so in love with "boring Bella". She has to be one of the most boring main characters ever! From what I could figure out it sounded as if it as only because of her scent and he couldn't read her mind...yeah that's great but I don't think I would find that extremely flattering. More depth please.
We'll see if I read the next book. I've heard the story line gets more and more outrageous so I don't know if I can handle it. I may read it if I want to read something and I don't have another option but I'm not jumping on to the library website and putting the next one on hold at this moment. I guess now I can say I have given it a try.
Now let's talk about The Hunger Games series...that's some good reading!
***Sorry to all the Twilight fans out there who may read this and have their fists clenched the entire time with anger--- you're fine to love it all you want. It just wasn't for me I guess. ***
5 comments:
I hear you!!! I SO DID NOT LIKE THE BOOKS!!!! Hello, how many details of his pale face and her stutters do we really need?!!! The use of useless adjectives over and over again made me want to scream! It was actually painful for me to read. I kept thinking they must get better, but they DON'T! And to me the movies were even more painful to watch.
OK, I just have to say a few things. Since I'm a huge advocate for teenagers reading - I am a fan of the Twlight Series for several reasons. I think Meyer, while she isn't the best of writers; she does convey the teenage girl's voice well. She captures a lot of those teenage feelings that her readers can appreciate and relate with. Another reason I like Meyer is she has created an addicting story that has gotten teenagers, child AND adults reading. There are many authors out there who have done the same, but this is fresh and new. It kind of replaced the void a lot of teenagers needed since Facebook, iPods and texting took over their lives. I appreciate that A LOT!
Now, I absolutely love The Hunger Games. I think they are fabulous books and there are lots of teenagers out there reading them, too. But, something that Meyers, did that Collins is working on too, is hurry up to get the books into movie form. Genius idea, don’t you think? Think of all the people who saw the first Harry Potter and decided to read after. The Twilight Series films have created humongous fan bases, not because they're Oscar material, but because they have teenage hotties in it. And I think this is kind of why Twilight has even taken off more, because of those teenage hottie incarnate in the films. Teenagers think of Robert Patinson when they're reading the books now, and it's even that much more real.
Don't be too snobby now, Laura! You should be grateful your students are reading anything!! And they’re using their imaginations, too. Backstreet Boys and NSync weren't that long ago for us...
I'm with you on Twilight ... I thought it was almost funny how bad it was. But then again I couldn't stop reading, so of course I read the whole series. Meyers sucked me in! It was trickery.
The Hunger Games is SOOOOO GOOD! I can't wait for the 3rd book to come out next week. Enjoy book 2 :)d
Just for the record.....I really did not like the 1st book in the series. I thought it was really lame.....but I did like the books that followed. I am curious to see if you continue on....... :)
Haha...To Nichole: Hey I absolutely remember the teenage days of being obsessed with the boy bands and I think it is perfectly normal for teenage girls to become obsessed with one thing or another. If teenage girls want to be obsessed with Twilight- by all means let them. It's the older women (those who are way past their teenage years) that are obsessed that I have a harder time understanding. I know of moms at my school that are just as crazy about them as their daughters and will leave their families to go to the midnight premieres to swoon over these boys. That's strange and kind-of immature. Not that they can't enjoy them as well- it's the degree to how much they get into them that bugs.
And of course I like it when any books that get the kids/teenagers into reading....
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