Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I think I know what's bothering me...., July 23, 2008
First, let me start by saying that I truly enjoyed reading this saga; I pre-ordered the fourth volume and am eager to get my hands on it. Meyer has created a wonderful piece of storytelling, an entertaining diversion from daily life. I felt the pull of the characters, I even found myself swooning...and I am a working married mother of two who is rapidly approaching middle age, so that is no small feat.
BUT.
I wondered if something was wrong with me, as I sat feeling dissatisfied, even ill at ease after finishing. With the critics raving and half the blogosphere dedicated to this story, I worried that something cynical had crept into my being. After some serious deliberation, however, I have come to the opposite conclusion. So here's my problem.
Other reviewers have already noted Bella's helplessness, her shortsightedness, and her lack of appeal once the reader sees her subtly belittle her human community in favor of the beautiful, tortured, enigmatic Edward. What has struck me most since finishing is this: Meyer has stated--a few times, I think--that one of her models for this saga was Romeo and Juliet. I see that in the story very much: lovers kept apart (to a degree) by (almost) insurmountable obstacles, pining for one another, completely obsessed with one another, whose burning passion can only end in tragedy. Romeo and Juliet are such marvelous literary figures because of the power of this type of romance--readers are swept into their pathos, feeling their pain and their love. And who WOULDN'T want an Edward? Not only is he beautiful beyond description (a fact which is highlighted with a little too much frequency for my comfort), but he will be so forever; in addition, he is completely available to Bella in a way we mortals can't experience: without the genuine need to eat, sleep, study or relieve himself, he can be at her side 24 hours a day. He can watch her lovingly while she sleeps. He adores every aspect of her, everything she does. And he can induce breathlessness in almost every encounter. What female--or gay male--does NOT want such a relationship?
Alas, this is the stuff of fiction. But good fiction (good fantasy) in my opinion highlights truths about the human experience. J. K. Rowling created an entire world, full of details, but the ultimate message of her saga was fundamentally human and available to us all: connection, compassion and courage are more important than magic. Her saga ended with that message, and as a result, I consider it to be fine work of literature. Meyer's vampires, however, are basically superior to the humans around them, and Bella's obsession with them, or with Edward in particular, is difficult to argue against when you consider the bland nature of the human characters. "True love" is supposedly the theme of the saga, and innumerable adolescent girls are waiting for their own Edward. To them I say this: Dear readers, I was there once--young and hormonal, swept off my feet by romance and chemistry. It was a necessary developmental stage, but not the end of romantic maturity. Nor should it be the end of Bella's journey. For "true love" does not inspire detachment from the world, but connection to it. The passion fades--people get fat and bald and tired--and seeing a life tell its story on another person's face is a great blessing.
Thus this saga is a snapsot of adolescence, but not a desideratum of love. Those adolescents out there torturing themselves with dreams of an ideal love will survive, and God willing, grow into a deeper capacity for relationship. I would respect Meyer greatly if she had the courage to end the story with Edward and Bella apart, and give Bella the opportunity to grow in wisdom and strength. That would make this story a truly human one.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read for fans of the vampire genre!, December 9, 2007
I own the individual books in Stephenie Meyer's best-selling vampire series, yet I am going to purchase this collector's set as it is just so beautifully packaged [I saw it at a local bookstore] and Amazon offers a great discount.
What is not to like in this wonderful series? All three books tell a compelling tale of love, friendship, and challenges that the main characters have to deal with. At heart, this is a love story between a mortal, Bella Swan, and a vampire, Edward Cullen. The first book in the series, Twilight focuses on the budding relationship between Bella and Edward and how Edward's immortality and specifically vampire nature poses obstacles to their love for each other. New Moon develops the story further as Bella finds herself lost and depressed after Edward decides to leave in order that Bella will have a 'normal' life. This brings lots of turmoil into Bella's life, and also causes her friendship with Jacob Black, the young American Indian who is also a werewolf to develop and strengthen. In Eclipse, Bella and Edward, once again reunited find their relationship tested by Bella's friendship with Jacob, and also a potent threat in the form of an adversary, a female vampire with vengeance on her mind.
All in all, this is a highly readable series, not merely entertaining, but well-written, and thoughtfully developed. The characters really grow on you, and as a reader, you really begin to care about them. I truly look forward to the next offering by Ms Meyers, and would recommend this gorgeous collector's set for fans of the genre, and as great holiday gifts for young and not-so-young readers!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Twilight through Eclipse and beyond, November 24, 2007
Told through the perspective of the main character Bella, this story describes the struggle of loving a vampire. Not like other vampire stories, Stephenie Meyer writes Bella and Edwards' story like they were just two high school sweet-"hearts", only this is true love with a twist.
This book is filled with twists and turns and includes many unexpected elements, so if you ever are in need of a best-seller read, no matter what you like to read, pick up Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipes {and The Host, another fabulous book by Stephenie Meyer}, you won't be disappointed, I wasn't!
The Twilight Collection (Twilight)
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