a short word on stephanie meyer (no spoilers, I swear)

[perevision]

I tried reading Twilight but I just couldn't get into it. I've probably read Anne Rice and watched Angel and devoured vampiric literature (Underworld, Dragon Waiting, Lord of the Dead, even a Batman alternative storyline!) far too often to really appreciate Meyer's work. Also, how judgmental am I? I couldn't read her work without thinking of the article where she admits that being a Mormon informs "every aspect of my writing". Shallow of me.

I did, however, read the last chapter of Breaking Dawn two days ago, JUST BECAUSE the bookstore where I work got it earlier than its release date. I had to do it. It was such a delicious feeling to read something before it was allowed to be read, regardless of how I felt about the work itself. I wanted to gloat about it on the day, too, but I was too tired to post until now!

Comments

[z107m.livejournal.com]

Well, the Mormon part isn't shallow so much as it simply colors your perception of the work. The same goes for Orson Scott Card, and some of his books are really heavy handed with the religion thing.
Besides, Twilight is really more of a teeny-bopper take on the whole vampire romance thing, so definitely no guilt there in not being able to get into it.

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

Well, I love Narnia (even the super-WTF final volume), but it probably had a lot to do with me reading it at a formative early-teen stage. Judging from the girls who've bought it from me at the bookstore, this definitely seems to be what's happening.

[petronia.livejournal.com]

My standard response is that I was too old for Fushigi Yuugi even when I was into Fushigi Yuugi. XD

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

So true!!! XDDD

[angelthorn.livejournal.com]

I remember someone on my f-list raving about it then put it in the back of my mind until I heard about the movie version. I had this feeling I wouldn't go for it, it sounded like Mary Sue meets Vampire to me. Then I also asked Lyra if she'd read this series and she said she hated it. >D I also have another friend who likes vampire novels and she said she couldn't get into it either. So as far as I'm concerned, not worth trying. I don't know if you have to be a certain age (the LJ friend is in her mid-20s) or mindset to appreciate it.

An author's religious background (didn't know she was Mormon) doesn't affect my perception of a novel. It would inform my reading of it if I were in lit crit mode. But as far as I'm concerned, if the writing's crap, it's crap and there's no excuse for it. >D

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

That's true. At least you know crap when you read it. I totally don't! XDDD I read/watch a lot of crap and still like it...it's definitely a *buttons pushed* thing for me.

Lestat (and Armand *pant*gasp*) hit my buttons; Edward Cullen didn't.

[angelthorn.livejournal.com]

Oh, even though he's 17? *lol*

(I met up with Lyra — finally — and she told me the basic plot kasi)

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's more of a turn off these days :P

He *sparkles*. It's a twinkly vampire? I...what...? Also, Meyer loves to describe what he looks like with his shirt open, which is very nice, but...for some reason I found it a bit teen-fanficcy.

[angelthorn.livejournal.com]

Oh, I had to add this negative but hilarious review. It says enough about all the books for me to know that it's definitely not a series worth reading. >D I mean...egad. It's like Mary Sue meets Poppy Z. Brite.

I think I much prefer the "guilty pleasure" books of my teen years.

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

Oh, ick. Just.....ick. That pretty much comes up to the level of the skin-crawling Lestat period scene in Memnoch the Devil, which as an entire volume just put me completely off Anne Rice.

But yeah, Bella is pretty much yelling "MARY SUE ALERT" from the very first page of Twilight. And Meyer seems really heavy-handed in her efforts to manipulate the readers' feelings towards one character or another, and if there's anything I hate while reading, it's being TOLD what to feel by a book.

[tirwen.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm... so you like vampire stories? See what you think of this -

http://tirwen.deviantart.com/art/Requiem-Prelude-30211791
http://tirwen.deviantart.com/art/Requiem-Beginning-30137418
http://tirwen.deviantart.com/art/Requiem-Awareness-30212046
http://tirwen.deviantart.com/art/Requiem-Acceptance-30212258

It's just a portion, and it's kind of old, but...

[kurozukin-a.livejournal.com]

Heh heh. If it was something like Harry Potter that I was actually into, I'd never want to spoil myself. But if it was something like Twilight, I'd do just as you did.

[pere-chan.livejournal.com]

It kind of wasn't worth it content-wise, but that's probably why it felt so satisfying. Also there was the element of "HA HA TAKE THAT CULLEN FANGIRLS"...