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Post by Claire on Jul 1, 2008 16:31:44 GMT -5
Just curious, I really dislike the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and it seems that every girl I meet is in love with it and hates me for not liking them, so I just want to find some people who dislike it just as much as I do. :]
And if you do dislike it, why do you hate it?
And if you like it, I'm curious as to why you love the series so much.
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Post by Ellethwen on Jul 1, 2008 16:37:16 GMT -5
Why do you dislike it, hinorei?
I've only read Twilight, but I found the book very engaging. It offered a different view of vampires that I haven't seen before that I found very interesting. The interactions between Bella and Edward made me laugh. I find Stephenie Meyer to be a very good writer, and I'm impatiently awaiting the time I'll be able to read New Moon and Eclipse.
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Post by Carla on Jul 1, 2008 16:45:05 GMT -5
I've read the whole series (exept of Breaking Dawn, of course) well, I'm not imparcial but I can say I really like the interaction Bella-Edward, the fact that he can actually kill her easily and how crazyly in-love she is
I also like Twilight because it's a romantic book, a supernatural one and so on... I really can't wait for Breaking Dawn!!
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Post by Sailor Cybertron on Jul 1, 2008 18:06:54 GMT -5
I personally don't dislike it, but I know a lot of people who do. I'm not crazy obsessed like most teenagers are because there are actually things about the book and characters I don't like. For example, I think Bella has the personality of a piece of wet cardboard. There's really nothing special about her except being Edward's love interest. I also think Edward and Bella have a sort of... unhealthy relationship at times. I wouldn't be all "OMG ~*ROMANTIC*~" over Edward sneaking into my room and watching me sleep at night like Bella was. And when he rigged her truck? Not cool. They have a good relationship and I like a lot of the interactions between them, but I find Edward to be manipulative at times and Bella to be boring most of the time.
I still enjoy the books nonetheless, but I can see why some people wouldn't like them. I mean, lol sparkly vampires. I still can't get over that.
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Post by Claire on Jul 1, 2008 20:49:29 GMT -5
I think the writing was very poor, and the characters definitely extremely static and underdeveloped, and one dimensional. Bella and Edward are obvious "Mary Sues", and their relationship strikes me as extremely fake and shallow. Bella constantly gushes over how pretty Edward is for half the book, and it takes about 300 pages to reach an actual plot that is poorly thought out. There's an actual catlog online that counts how many times Bella talks about his pretty hair/eyes/face/smile/etc. and it gets extremely annoying after about 50 pages. The first time I tried to read it, I got bored and put it down. In fact, it seems to me that's the only reason she "loves" him. And letting him stalk her is kind of creepy, not cute, despite what my friends might seem to think. I think the books are plotless and badly written, basically. It reminds me strongly of Fanfiction. I just really dislike the characters and the constant gushing about Edward, and the Mary-Sueness of Bella.
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Post by sakura fubuki on Jul 1, 2008 21:22:48 GMT -5
To be honest with you, I picked up the book myself without even knowing it was so popular. I just looked at the cover and it looked interesting. I read it in 3 days and LOVED it. I cannot describe it in words.
Now....I HATE IT, yet I continue reading the series only because of Jacob.
Seriously, I FREAKIN HATE IT!!!!! It's everywhere. Stupid characters (except Jacob), stupid fangirls, stupid STORY (sparkle in the sun? WTF? get a better imagination......vegetarian vampires who eat bears? yeah really vegetarian)......Edward is so controlling, Bella is so stupid and mean and ANNOYING (how many times a page does she describe Edward and his stupid crooked smile?) WE GET IT! You like him, but you don't have to freakin describe him every sentence. And what relationship do they have? Really, why does she like him? Looks? Very shallow. Why does he like HER? UGH!!!!!!!! Don't even get me started.
And, apparently Bella's breath never stinks because last time I checked vampires have enhanced smell....yet he kisses her when she wakes up in the morning. And he can read minds, except hers.....why? Because everyone else is stupid and absent minded and Bella's the only one with the complex mind? RIGHT!!! He likes her because she smells delicious? OOOO-KAY! That's a new one.
And don't even get me started on the conversations between Edward and Bella...who even talks like that? No teenager on the face of this Earth talks like that.
And Bella is not supposed to be very good looking yet every guy she meets falls in love with her and her name is BELLA (means beautiful)? It's always about her, someone ALWAYS has to save her. Just let her DIE! GOSH!!! Why in every book are we introduced with a new plot about someone/something that's after Bella?
And throughout all the books all she says is that her and Edward are one. Is that even healthy? She was gonna commit suicide because he left her in the second book? It's not called "love" when you've lost yourself in someone else. *pukes*
I hate Edward, I HATE HATE HATE Bella. I HATE ITTTTT!!!!
Got that outta my system....and STILL have more to get out, just don't feel like typing. Thanks for this thread, really, it made me feel MUCH better.
P.S. All the hype about the book and the movie made me hate it even MORE!!!!!!!!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
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Post by Ellethwen on Jul 1, 2008 23:43:38 GMT -5
Am I the only one who thought the sparkling in the sun was cool? ^.^;
But I would like to take this moment to say that I am NOT, by any means, a fangirl of this series. Like I've said; I've only read the first book, so my knowledge is very limited. I liked the books but I'm not obsessive about them.
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Post by sailordude on Jul 2, 2008 1:16:20 GMT -5
My friend Crystal has scarred me for life of the book. She forced unwanted information in my ear. No means no. She raped my ear. X.X
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Post by Jael on Jul 2, 2008 1:57:53 GMT -5
While all of you make good points, and are entitled to your own opinions, and have been able to stress them. Now it's my turn. I agree with some of the points that have been made: Overzealous fangirls, repetitive use of corny phrases on Bella's part, Bella's too-perfect speech pattern, lack of character development... blah blah blah. I respect these all! My favorite part has to be the crazy fangirls. I've been in the fanlistings world for a few years now, and it's amazing how the fandom has exploded there. If fanlistings weren't an online thing, I'd bet you my entire savings that we'd see girls sporking each other over the chance to own a popular character's fanlisting. But as far as character development, you have to admit that Rosalie has changed so much over the past three books. We've seen her change from a b*tchy, ice-woman to a somewhat likeable character. I find her history/story very touching. I think it's horrible, the circumstances in which she became immortal.
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Post by Claire on Jul 2, 2008 7:39:55 GMT -5
I think the first book was the worst, however. I mean, I could give a three sentence summary. 1. Edward is pretty and Bella likes pretty people. 2. Bella, being a Mary Sue, is being tracked down by evil vampires. 3. Good vampires save the day.
Of course it took over 300 pages to write that!
I do believe the series improved slightly as it went on, I would agree with the Rosalie thing except we didn't know anything about her until Eclipse; she was just another vampire, and sadly that makes up most of the characters in this book. We really don't know anything about Jessica or Mike or Charlie or Billy or Alice - they're just plot ploys tossed in there with no real character traits.
I did like the Jacob-Bella thing briefly, because that love felt more real to me than Edward and Bella's ever did.
And, like spiralflare said, it's like, they fell in love because Bella thought he was pretty and Edward because she smelled delicious. That didn't make any sense to me and all of a sudden they were pledging undying love and Edward uses corny metaphors that just sound ridiculous.
Bella's name should be changed to Mary Sue. I hate that she's somehow soooo special and doesn't have to be made to endure that pain from that crazy Volturi vampire and Edward can't read her mind, and yet when the vampire powers are good powers, like Alice's ability to see her future, oh that's okay! If she can't be affected by the bad stuff, then to keep consistent and to keep things fair in the story, then those helpful things shouldn't be able to affect her either! And the fact that everyone goes out to die for her while she really can't do anything just furthers the Mary Sueness further.
The crazy fangirls don't make anything better. Every girl I seem to meet is in love with the series, and they drive me crazy. They want an Edward Cullen in real life (even though he doesn't exist, and he's kind of manipulative - stalking is not endearing), they gush over the series, and they scream at me when I say otherwise.
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Post by v-chan on Jul 2, 2008 10:02:05 GMT -5
I think that this is a little harsh. I agree with Ellethwen, I thought the sparkly vampires were cool...
As for Bella being static...well, when she goes through the depression once Edward leaves her in New Moon, isn't that an emotional character change?
And you say that the relationships seem unhealthy. If you choose to look at it that way, I suppose it could be seen like that. But being in a serious relationship myself, I too would probably fall into a deep depression if my boyfriend were to leave me in such a manner.
Also all the description of how handsome Edward is, and plain Bella is... ...Bella is a normal teenage girl; that is, she probably has self esteem issues. Most girls dislike something about themselves, even if they're perfectly lovely. For example, I hate my eyes; they're large, wide, and one is a different shape than the other. BUT everyone always tells me that I look fine. This is probably the case with Bella; it's likely she's an average-looking (if not slightly better than average) girl who can't see her own beauty. As a result of said self esteem, she probably gushes about Edward so much because she finds it hard to believe that someone so good looking and intelligent, not to mention special (as in vampires are special) has fallen in love with her. As far as Bella being a "Mary Sue", I think that she is unique in several ways that have yet to be mentioned in this thread, and her qualities that have lead to the "Mary Sue" stereotyping are the ones probably most linked to her poor self esteem, which, as I said before, makes her a more realistic and believeable character as a normal girl. Bella is meant to represent the "normal" girl that most of us could describe ourselves as, and show how amazing things can happen to everyone.
And one more thing; as to her conversations with Edward... ...Edward comes from a bygone time; several of them in fact. It seems to me logical that he would speak with mannerisms that would seem unnatural to us today. And Bella....well, from the books we can see that she reads a lot of classic literature; the works of the Bronte sisters are mentioned multiple times, for example. Bella is an intelligent, literate girl; that's just her character. Her manner of speech is probably influenced by what she reads. That's all.
I've been a fan of the Twilight series since it came out; and I didn't know what a big thing it would turn into. While I do get a bit irritated with all the fangirls, is it really all that different from people who are really into Harry Potter? Or US, as Sailor Moon fanatics? Just a thought...
I personally think that Mrs. Meyers style of writing is fresh and interesting. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
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Post by Claire on Jul 2, 2008 11:27:07 GMT -5
Oh, I really don't mind the sparkly vampires; that was kind of interesting. Although it did reinforce my image of Edward as a statue in my head. (Meyer's description kind of made me think of Edward as a statue... cold... hard... sparkly... xD) It's not that Bella is plain, and her poor self esteem doesn't really lead to my opinion of Mary Sue. It's the fact that Bella's character has been made to be extremely good and innocent and flawless (clumsiness isn't a flaw, neither ), and it's the fact that the author has made it so that every single person in the Twilight world (besides the villains) loves her. ie, first day of school, everyone loves her. All the werewolves and vampires love her and go out to die for her. Furthermore, like I already said, the whole okay, if someone's trying to cause her pain or read her mind, which are unadvantageous with magical vampire powers, she's unaffected. If something's advantageous, like Alice's future seeing, that's fine, Bella can have that, because it's advantageous to her! Very static too; emotional depression doesn't change her character at all; she stays the same even after her depression - there's no substantial character personality change, because there wasn't much in her character to change in the first place, since she had no noteworthy flaw. Yay, Bella = Mary Sue. It's okay to gush about Edward, but the point to which Stephenie Meyer inserted assorted synonyms for pretty is ridiculous. There are 165 references to Edward's beauty, not including references to granite, stone, hard, etc. (http://otahyoni.livejournal.com/130432.html). I mean, half the book is just various synonyms for pretty. Meh, Edward's mannerisms can be semi-excused, but some of those metaphors sound very corny and ridiculous. Haha, maybe, we are similar, but luckily I don't bite people's ends off or call them freaks and unromantic and tactless when they insult Sailor Moon. But yeah, I respect everyone's opinions, but I don't like it when fans say that I'm ridiculous for not liking the series. Anyway, for fellow dislikers, or Twilight fans who can take a laugh at the series, here's a very hilarious (and in my opinion accurate summary) parody of Twilight: ladyequinox.livejournal.com/14970.html#cutid1And a longer one that goes chapter by chapter: shinga.livejournal.com/478415.htmlEnjoy! :]]
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ladylilith
Heart Crystal
Time paradox
Humans are so... fascinating.
Posts: 4,815
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Post by ladylilith on Jul 2, 2008 14:50:57 GMT -5
I don't love it, and I don't hate it. X) I read the first book, and I'll read the others because I'd like to read personally what most of the girls around me love deeeply. I don't find them too terrible, they're of course not literary books, they're "entertainly" books, but I don't find them horrible. One thing I really dislike is how they pictured Vampires, but because I like the classic Anne Rice's ones. XD But I get used to it, and I find them fantasy, not horror books. They're not the best, but they're not the worst either. : D=
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Post by Claire on Jul 2, 2008 15:09:22 GMT -5
Yeah, I do know a few of my friends who are Anne Rice fans who despise the series because of the way they portray vampires, hah. :]
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Post by Jael on Jul 2, 2008 21:22:07 GMT -5
I agree with ladylilith. Anne Rice is, and always will be my favorite Vampire writer. *is proud owner of the queen of the damned fanlisting* But as a reader, I can appreciate Meyer's protrayal of the Immortal. I think she's a breath of fresh air in the stale world of teen fiction. Let's remember, these books are for teen girls. The philosophical content may be far and few in between the lovey-dovey stares of Bella and Edward's perfection. @claire: You said everyone loved Bells, right? Well, what about Lauren Mallory and Leah Clearwater? Lauren hates Bella because Tyler was in love with her. Leah hates Bella with a passion. I don't really like Bella either, but you have to admit Jacob is pure love! *werewolf fan*
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