Twilight

[botias]

"My friends told me I had to read it," my mom said, making a face as she handed it over. "I couldn't get through the first chapter." Nevertheless, it was claimed within two minutes of being listed on Paperbackswap.

I crack the book before it goes flying out the door en route to some lucky recipient and begin reading on page 262, para 3:

I lifted his hand, turning it this way and that as I watched the sun glitter on his palm. I held it closer to my face, trying to see the hidden facets in his skin.

"Tell me what you're thinking," he whispered.

Eeee!! Glittering vampires! As I read this bit of dialog aloud, my husband laughs, loud and spontaneous. It's a long, long running joke between us that women wish men wanted to know what they were thinking. I asked him once, what he was thinking, very early in our relationship, both of us still in high school. We were sitting side by side on the sand gazing across the waves at the last glowing wisps of the sunset.

After a moment he replied, "There's got to be a lot of big fish out there."

By chance or because that is the entirety of this book, I have struck a vein of pure girl!porn at first glance. And what is our heroine thinking?

"I was wishing that I could believe that you were real. And I was wishing that I wasn't afraid."

"I don't want you to be afraid." His voice was just a soft murmur. I heard what he couldn't truthfully say, that I didn't need to be afraid, that there was nothing to fear.

I'll admit it, the first bit made me feel quite superior, undeservedly as always, but this last bit, I cannot laugh at: the wish to have a partner who cares more about one's comfort zone than their own gratification. It was this quality in A that made him a keeper, 'big fish' notwithstanding. I've read that Stephanie Meyers probably means it differently. That Edward is protecting Bella from the 'evil' of pre-marital sexuality. Either way, I can't mock the appeal this holds for so many.

Comments

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

Sure is easy to mock Twilight for giggles.

But this:It's a long, long running joke between us that women wish men wanted to know what they were thinking.

Pure cosmic truth and comic gold....

[botias.livejournal.com]

Yes, Twilight is definitely low hanging fruit. :)

It's right up there with men admitting they are wrong, and wanting to talk about the relationship.

[cleoius.livejournal.com]

I've never read Twilight, but I have read CleoLinda's hilarious Twilight summarys/plot break down. Full of laughs and snark and OMGWTF? for the final book. It's highly recommend reading....unlike the actual books. XD

[botias.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check it out! :D

[zanthinegirl.livejournal.com]

I read Twilight-- my coworkers have been all crazy over it. I can totally see why it appeals to it's target audience-- clearly, 14 year old girls. I'd have loved it at that age! These days Bella made me want to shake her the last few chapters...

[botias.livejournal.com]

I gobbled up bodice-ripper romance novels at that age, so I probably would have been right there with you, and my fave vampire boyfriend was even worse than Edward. Let's just say he was not a vegetarian. But at the end of the book he got his soul heart back and it was all good!

[ladypeyton.livejournal.com]

I read all 4 because my daughter, at 7, has already expressed a desire to read it and...no. Just no.

At least when Spike was a bad obyfriend he was *presented* as a bad boyfriend. Edward is presented as ZOMGTWUWUV!!! when he's really a creepy, creepy, abusive, controlling, creepy little freak.

I dated someone just like him (sans glitter) in college and I'd really prefer my daughter not to think his kind of relationship is healthy.

[elynne.livejournal.com]

he's really a creepy, creepy, abusive, controlling, creepy little freak.

*heeheheheheheee* Yes, this.

[botias.livejournal.com]

Yes, very creepy. But, I've always liked fictional bad boys--and been very picky in real life. With any luck, Edward will harmlessly fulfill this strange attraction to jerks for millions of girls, freeing them to date (am I dating myself by using the 'D' word?) guys that don't act like glittery chimpanzees, right down the the dominance display by smashing tree branches and jumping about in a display of physical prowess.