(no subject)
I had a big long post of emo typed up and then I deleted it because I figure, it's the holidays, and I don't want to be that person who whines and complains and vents about stupid things. I love my family, I love my friends, I'm doing well in school, I have a good life. Those are things worth focusing on.
Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, so of course Twilight is a Very Big Deal here in Utah, or at least out here in my neck of the woods. They sell the books at the Mormon bookstores, which I find amusing and ironic. I picked up Twilight in the summer of 2007, right as the third book was about to be released. I read it on a plane ride to and from Philadelphia and pretty much devoured it. I will admit that I enjoyed it without irony. I thought it was a fun, entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. I picked up New Moon and Eclipse after that, expecting more of the same.
Well, I got roughly 180 pages into New Moon and I had to stop. I'm not a big fan of love triangles to begin with, but unnecessary love triangles drive me insane. I will admit that I'm that person, the one who never goes for the unconventional pairing or the underdog. Like, when I watched Roswell, I always wanted Max and Liz to end up together. I want Meredith and Derek to have a happy ending. Ross and Rachel are lobsters! When Buffy is done baking, I want her to be with Angel (of course, if Spike and Angel and Buffy all want to date each other simultaneously, I'm ok with that, too). The point is, I go for the obvious couple, the OTP couple, the one the writers want me to cheer for. So naturally, I wanted Edward and Bella to be together. The idea of a Jacob/Bella/Edward triangle so irrationally irritated me that I stopped reading altogether.
Well. When I saw Twilight the movie (more on that later), it renewed my interest in the universe enough for me to pick up the books and try again. And sure enough, I finished Breaking Dawn into the wee hours of Sunday night/Monday morning.
So New Moon wasn't nearly as bad as I'd made it out to be in my mind. It weirdly felt like two separate books, and admittedly I prefer it when the Cullen family is around, even though I like a lot of the characters in Jacob's world. I found myself liking Jacob, like he was sweet and funny and charming and kind of doofy and fun and I liked him as a friend for Bella. I didn't like him so much after he turned into a werewolf and I liked him even less in Eclipse when he became a total douchebag ("Bella! If you don't love me I'll kill myself!" "Bella! Let me forcibly kiss you even though you're trying to push me away and then laugh about it with your dad!"). He redeemed himself for me in Breaking Dawn, THANK GOD, I WISH HE HAD IMPRINTED ON A BABY TWO AND A HALF BOOKS EARLIER. Hearing all the "Bella's pain!" "Jacob's pain!" whining was so tiresome.
But ok, it goes back to what I said about unnecessary love triangles. Never, at any point, ever, does Stephenie Meyer make us as readers believe that Bella would choose Jacob over Edward. Throughout the entire second book Bella is grieving Edward's departure, acknowledging that she'll never love anyone like she loves him, that he's the only one for her even if he's gone. In the third book, even when she realizes she loves Jacob too, she realizes it in the same moment that she realizes it's not enough, and not nearly as much as she loves Edward. So it's like... why? What was the point of her ridiculous, over-reactive, hypocritical whining for two books over Jacob's feelings and "I love Edward more than my own life but I can't cause Jacob PAIN! What do I DO? I love Edward! But I can't bear to hurt Jacob! WOE!" and wanting to have them both just the way SHE wanted them and blah blah BLAH. I actually, in some ways, disliked the third book more than the second because the whole thing is just so unnecessary. If I believed that Bella was truly torn between the two, then yes, I could understand. But her heart is always with Edward. SO WHY? UGH, WHY?
I was actually very pleased when Jacob referred to Bella as a martyr in the fourth book, because, yes. That's exactly what she does. I went back to enjoying the series for the cracktastic reading material that it is in book four, because BYE, BYE TEDIOUS WHINING LOVE TRIANGLE BULLSHIT. I was SO vindicated when Jacob essentially told Bella the only reason he ever loved her was because he subconsciously knew she'd be the mother of his future one true love. Instead of whine whine pain, we get hilarious sex and Bella being a vampire (FINALLY) and Seth being awesome and Jacob redeeming himself from the third book and lots of interesting new vampire characters. I was expecting myself to be annoyed that there was so much build up to the fight with the Volturi and then they didn't actually fight, but I actually surprisingly enjoyed how it was all wrapped up. Like here's this big sort of dictator-like force of power, and the Cullens and their friends standing up for what they think is right, and the Volturi are shaken by it and people realizing the Volturi ISN'T all good, and Bella learning to use her shield and all that stuff. I don't know, it worked for me. Plus a happy ending, tied up in a nice, neat bow, just the way I like it, because like I said, I'm THAT person.
So you know, overall, I enjoyed the books in different ways. I'm glad I read the series. It's definitely fun and entertaining and cracktastic in places, but I don't ask much from my literary fluff, and the Twilight series delivers in just the right way. If Stephenie Meyer ever continues to write in the Twilight universe, I'd read it. Like, say, if she wanted to get over her hissy fit re: Twilight from Edward's point of view? That would be cool.
So, the movie. Right. I've seen a lot of people say they liked it, some say they didn't. I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Dude, in a sort-of-ironic-but-mostly-not-ironic at all way, I loved this movie. It took all the good elements from the first book, improved them, and left out all the stuff that wasn't as great. I feel like everyone was pretty much perfectly cast, especially Robert Pattinson as Edward. The baseball scene and the fight with James at the end were really fun to watch. I think maybe I enjoyed the movie so much because I didn't have any expectations when I went to see it, and ended up thoroughly enjoying myself. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T ASK MUCH.
So uh. How about you guys?
ETA: Other things! I really liked the endings of both New Moon and Eclipse -- the scenes with the Volturi in Italy, and Edward RIPPING OFF VICTORIA'S FOOL HEAD AND HIGH FIVING WITH SETH (if I believed in Twilight slash...) and also Edward calling Jacob "son" (that one is for the el-oh-els, not the genuine YAY!) and also everything about Alice Cullen ever. "And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche."
ps: I'm really enjoying Folie A Deux, in a different way than I enjoyed Infinity On High, I think.
Stephenie Meyer is a Mormon, so of course Twilight is a Very Big Deal here in Utah, or at least out here in my neck of the woods. They sell the books at the Mormon bookstores, which I find amusing and ironic. I picked up Twilight in the summer of 2007, right as the third book was about to be released. I read it on a plane ride to and from Philadelphia and pretty much devoured it. I will admit that I enjoyed it without irony. I thought it was a fun, entertaining read that kept me turning the pages. I picked up New Moon and Eclipse after that, expecting more of the same.
Well, I got roughly 180 pages into New Moon and I had to stop. I'm not a big fan of love triangles to begin with, but unnecessary love triangles drive me insane. I will admit that I'm that person, the one who never goes for the unconventional pairing or the underdog. Like, when I watched Roswell, I always wanted Max and Liz to end up together. I want Meredith and Derek to have a happy ending. Ross and Rachel are lobsters! When Buffy is done baking, I want her to be with Angel (of course, if Spike and Angel and Buffy all want to date each other simultaneously, I'm ok with that, too). The point is, I go for the obvious couple, the OTP couple, the one the writers want me to cheer for. So naturally, I wanted Edward and Bella to be together. The idea of a Jacob/Bella/Edward triangle so irrationally irritated me that I stopped reading altogether.
Well. When I saw Twilight the movie (more on that later), it renewed my interest in the universe enough for me to pick up the books and try again. And sure enough, I finished Breaking Dawn into the wee hours of Sunday night/Monday morning.
So New Moon wasn't nearly as bad as I'd made it out to be in my mind. It weirdly felt like two separate books, and admittedly I prefer it when the Cullen family is around, even though I like a lot of the characters in Jacob's world. I found myself liking Jacob, like he was sweet and funny and charming and kind of doofy and fun and I liked him as a friend for Bella. I didn't like him so much after he turned into a werewolf and I liked him even less in Eclipse when he became a total douchebag ("Bella! If you don't love me I'll kill myself!" "Bella! Let me forcibly kiss you even though you're trying to push me away and then laugh about it with your dad!"). He redeemed himself for me in Breaking Dawn, THANK GOD, I WISH HE HAD IMPRINTED ON A BABY TWO AND A HALF BOOKS EARLIER. Hearing all the "Bella's pain!" "Jacob's pain!" whining was so tiresome.
But ok, it goes back to what I said about unnecessary love triangles. Never, at any point, ever, does Stephenie Meyer make us as readers believe that Bella would choose Jacob over Edward. Throughout the entire second book Bella is grieving Edward's departure, acknowledging that she'll never love anyone like she loves him, that he's the only one for her even if he's gone. In the third book, even when she realizes she loves Jacob too, she realizes it in the same moment that she realizes it's not enough, and not nearly as much as she loves Edward. So it's like... why? What was the point of her ridiculous, over-reactive, hypocritical whining for two books over Jacob's feelings and "I love Edward more than my own life but I can't cause Jacob PAIN! What do I DO? I love Edward! But I can't bear to hurt Jacob! WOE!" and wanting to have them both just the way SHE wanted them and blah blah BLAH. I actually, in some ways, disliked the third book more than the second because the whole thing is just so unnecessary. If I believed that Bella was truly torn between the two, then yes, I could understand. But her heart is always with Edward. SO WHY? UGH, WHY?
I was actually very pleased when Jacob referred to Bella as a martyr in the fourth book, because, yes. That's exactly what she does. I went back to enjoying the series for the cracktastic reading material that it is in book four, because BYE, BYE TEDIOUS WHINING LOVE TRIANGLE BULLSHIT. I was SO vindicated when Jacob essentially told Bella the only reason he ever loved her was because he subconsciously knew she'd be the mother of his future one true love. Instead of whine whine pain, we get hilarious sex and Bella being a vampire (FINALLY) and Seth being awesome and Jacob redeeming himself from the third book and lots of interesting new vampire characters. I was expecting myself to be annoyed that there was so much build up to the fight with the Volturi and then they didn't actually fight, but I actually surprisingly enjoyed how it was all wrapped up. Like here's this big sort of dictator-like force of power, and the Cullens and their friends standing up for what they think is right, and the Volturi are shaken by it and people realizing the Volturi ISN'T all good, and Bella learning to use her shield and all that stuff. I don't know, it worked for me. Plus a happy ending, tied up in a nice, neat bow, just the way I like it, because like I said, I'm THAT person.
So you know, overall, I enjoyed the books in different ways. I'm glad I read the series. It's definitely fun and entertaining and cracktastic in places, but I don't ask much from my literary fluff, and the Twilight series delivers in just the right way. If Stephenie Meyer ever continues to write in the Twilight universe, I'd read it. Like, say, if she wanted to get over her hissy fit re: Twilight from Edward's point of view? That would be cool.
So, the movie. Right. I've seen a lot of people say they liked it, some say they didn't. I LOVED THIS MOVIE. Dude, in a sort-of-ironic-but-mostly-not-ironic at all way, I loved this movie. It took all the good elements from the first book, improved them, and left out all the stuff that wasn't as great. I feel like everyone was pretty much perfectly cast, especially Robert Pattinson as Edward. The baseball scene and the fight with James at the end were really fun to watch. I think maybe I enjoyed the movie so much because I didn't have any expectations when I went to see it, and ended up thoroughly enjoying myself. LIKE I SAID, I DON'T ASK MUCH.
So uh. How about you guys?
ETA: Other things! I really liked the endings of both New Moon and Eclipse -- the scenes with the Volturi in Italy, and Edward RIPPING OFF VICTORIA'S FOOL HEAD AND HIGH FIVING WITH SETH (if I believed in Twilight slash...) and also Edward calling Jacob "son" (that one is for the el-oh-els, not the genuine YAY!) and also everything about Alice Cullen ever. "And speaking of Italy and sports cars that I stole there, you still owe me a yellow Porsche."
ps: I'm really enjoying Folie A Deux, in a different way than I enjoyed Infinity On High, I think.