The Twilight phenomena
The book by Stephenie Meyer has suddenly turned extremely famous. Everybody seems to be totally nuts about it even people who have claimed - before reading the book - that they do not like it either. I admit, I am mystified. What is it about this book? Some kind of spell under which people are put?
Fact is that everybody who starts reading the novel seems to develop a strange kind of addiction. I was puzzled concerning the effects and decided: no, I am stronger than the book and I will still be able to resist it, if it is not after my fancy.
Now it is kind of tough to rail about a book you have not read yet, even for me. You might have clever arguments, even an ace up your sleeves (where ever you might have picked that one up because - remember? - you haven not read it yet) but as soon as it comes to the "have you actually READ the book?" you have to confess sheepishly "nope" and suddenly your points are not that clever and witty any more and worse than that, maybe are even deflating. Same goes for the film.
A decision
Well, what to do? I was on the horns of a dilemma and decided to give the book a go. That is the least I could do after all and afterwards I could still continue my slandering, this time professionally.
My only problem was that nobody I knew - at least nobody living close enough - was able to call this book her/his own and lend it to me. There you go, I took it as a token. No book, no read, it is as simple as that. Was I relieved, even happy? I think so, yes. At least till I was hit by this glorious brainwave of mine. I looked Meyer's book up at the uni library and guess what? They have it in their repertoire. I was a bit shocked. They seriously have books like this at an institution like that? I was also clearly embarrassed of myself especially when I had to pick the book up and face the librarian for that purpose. Two days later I am already on page 220. But hold on, do not make a hasty judgement! Do not even think into that direction but wait for my explanation first. I might not be addicted after all.
Reading and watching "Twilight"
Last Thursday - the same day I borrowed the book from the library - I also met up with my sister in law for a girls-only fun evening which included DVDs and yummy food. One of the DVDs was (you might have already guessed it) "Twilight". I had already started the book when I saw the film and now I am in the lucky position to know both: film and (ok, only half of it yet) book.
The film
I do not understand the fuss about it?! There we go, I have not even started my little review but I am already complaining. Sorry, but I cannot help it.
After two hours of this film I clearly had enough and I only survived the film because we kept on talking through the course of it. I have never seen such a boring film in all my life. Well, okay not exactly true: Karin, do you remember this awful French film? The one who started in the middle of a play and during which most of the audience left the cinema?!No, so maybe not THE most boring film but certainly VERY boring. The thing about the film I did not like was that NOTHING happened. Nothing. Except for 5 min. at the end but 5 min. are definitely too short.
Geisha girl or vampire boy?
Edward (Robert Pattinson) was also rather disappointing and a real bore.
He for sure was not handsome enough to tempt me and seriously, he was totally different to the Edward I had in mind after reading the first 30 pages of the book while waiting for my sister in law in town and her promised lift.Yes, you might have guessed it, I would have imagined a Jan - dropdeadgorgeous - Ammann kind of person, too beautiful to be real (hey, I am only a girl and he is my only weakness - matter of fact he would also be my perfect Dorian Gray).
Maybe it did not help either that I have heard about an interview of Robert Pattinson a few months ago where he stated that he usually does not use styling gel but simply refuses to wash his hair to achieve the wet-look on his head. Now how disgusting is that?! Iiiiicky. Yes, I know, actor and fictional character are never the same person but sometimes it is pretty tough to keep that in mind and draw the line. I am still shuddering at the mere thought, fighting the urge to collect some money for R. Pattinson and buy the poor boy some shampoo (the actor, not the fictional character, silly!). Hence I am also not at all surprised that I was not smitten by his Edward performance. And an Edward with too much of very obvious white powder on his face and lipstick clearly irritates me. Is he a geisha girl or a vampire boy? Maybe I should start collecting money for a proper make-up artist as well?
Bella (Kirsten Stewart) was okay
even though she always looked the same (always a bit on the sulky side) and never changed her facial expression. A bit like Matthew MacFadyen in the new but awful "Pride and Prejudice" adaption?! Okay, I am going to stop here and not into another discussion why there is only one P&P version (BBC 1997 - Colin Firth, yes!).
even though she always looked the same (always a bit on the sulky side) and never changed her facial expression. A bit like Matthew MacFadyen in the new but awful "Pride and Prejudice" adaption?! Okay, I am going to stop here and not into another discussion why there is only one P&P version (BBC 1997 - Colin Firth, yes!).
Been there, done that!
Apart from the "I'm too old for that kind of teen film" point which might explain why I am just not into the film and the fact that it IS a really boring film, I have also another theory for my lack of enthusiasm: been there, done that.
I have already had my fair share of vampire films and maybe you can only experience such enthusiasm once?! When I was 14, 15 or was it 16 (?) I watched "Interview with a Vampire" and was smitten.
Lestat and Louis, now THAT'S what I call vampires - the little girl was fab too - and even though I am neither a Tom Cruise nor a Brad Pitt fan (but I adored Christian Slater) I just loved the film. Brilliantly done and I was fascinated by Pitt's character Lestat, a very melancholic vampire.
Which was the reason I fell in love with Roman Polanski's great musical "Dance of the Vampires" in 1997 and I am still a fan of it.See, now we are talking vampires, real and proper vampires, not so called vampires who sparkle in the sun and walk around during day time. No, melancholic and depressed vampires. Hey, I would also be depressed if I would know that I would have to live forever. Sigh. A boring and depressing thought.
But I am in a generous mood. I had "Interview with a Vampire" (and was almost too scared to return to my room after I had watched the film because unfortunately it finished about 1 am in the morning and the house suddenly seemed really big and really dark) and "Dance of the Vampires",
let the new generation of teens have a go at "Twilight"...
The book
I am currently at page 220 (2nd day, remember?) but not because I am that smitten, simply because I read it at work and work can get very boring even though it might be extremely busy at the same time. Thank god I am the master of multi-tasking which enables me to talk and read at the same time. I have been to work yesterday and today, hence that explains why I have already reached page 220 which is a good thing because I have to return the novel to the library in less than 12 days.
To be fair I have to add that I much more prefer the book to the film!The book is quite nice matter of fact, with only a few - but huge - weak points.
It furthermore might not be the most challenging kind of literature but it is neither trash. I can imagine that teens of 2009 might get sucked into it. Even I think that a few parts of the book are gripping but what really annoys me about the book (we have reached the topic of the weak points) is the character of Bella. I think Edward is a great fictional character, I go as far as to admit that I like him!!! As much as I dislike him in the film - I love his character in the book (except the sparkling part when he meets the sunshine, that is soooo girly!) but I cannot stand Bella. She is such an annoying person: little Miss Perfect, an overachiever.
Bella is brilliant at everything she does! Come on, get real.
Examples: Bella is perfect in school, she has no problems to follow anything (except PE), she loves reading and is above all a book-worm. Meyer even included a scene where Bella chooses a book of Jane Austen, nice attempt - it seems that some writers have the urge to mention Austen, Bronte, Shakespeare and the likes just to upgrade their own work, or why otherwise is Bella writing essays on Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" as well as reading Jane Austen? Of course, all goody-two-shoes characters love books and have a weak spot for Miss Austen... Quite obvious.
What else? Bella is above all her perfectness also the perfect daughter of Charlie (could it be otherwise and why does it not come as a surprise?!) and LOVES nothing more than to cook for her Dad. Hello? You okay?! Which 17 year old loves cooking for her parents, does all of the housework, loves books, school, etc. has the whole of the school as a friend and is admired by all the boysl? The book does also not get tired to mention that Bella looks only average, but why do all the boys fall for her, when she is "only" average?!
The problem of the book
Stephenie Meyer obviously wanted to paint a very typical version of a nice character, someone you can identify with easily and to whom you take instantly. She threw in cleverness, brightness an awful lot of goodness and clumsiness, gave it a good stir and et voilà: Bella was the result. But I am afraid S. Meyer overdid it. It is really hard to read the book because of Bella. She always stays a well planned fictional character and you can always guess why Bella is like she is, behaves like she does. No surprises. I think that is a pity, it spoils the whole fun of the book. Bella is ways too transparent and seems very unreal thanks to her perfectness, opposite to Edward who has his rough edges and whom I clearly prefer - as well as all of the other characters. You may argue that Bella is not perfect because she is extremely clumsy and cannot even walk straight for once without stumbling but then again: how realistic is that? A person with her amount of clumsiness would not be able to survive a week. It does not make the character more likeable, quite the contrary. You figure out instantly why Bella is the way she is. A bit less clumsiness would have helped to actually make her likeable.Here we are, we have reached the main problem of the novel: the character of Bella has no faults, she is a personality with no rough edges to her. In short: Bella is too perfect to be real or let alone likeable. Okay the writer does not stop telling us that Bella is also a real scatterbrain and the reader gets the impression that she cannot survive a day without Edward (I am actually still wondering how she was able to survive her first 17 years without him?) because she constantly stumbles and falls over EVERYTHING but that certainly is a bit too much. No person is that clumsy, not even I!
Read me
I am not finished reading the novel yet but I am curious what the end will bring and if Bella stays the annoying character she has been during the first 220 pages (I am afraid, yes). At least nobody can say that I have not tried it and have not read the book.And, am I under the spell of "Twilight"? As you might have guessed by now from my previous statements: only partly. Bella prevented my "Twilight" addiction. Phew.
PS: interested in a really good book? Try "The City of Dreaming Books" by Walter Moers - one of my all time favourites or why not have a go at "Pride and Prejudice" - the best book of all times? But maybe you love Jane Austen and are in the mood for chick lit? Then you should read "Me and Mr. Darcy" by Alexandra Potter.








