| Category: | Books |
| Genre: | Literature & Fiction |
| Author: Rating | Stephenie Meyer 4 Stars |
"...just because we've been... dealt with a certain hand... it doesn't mean that we can't choose to rise above - to conquer the boundaries that none of us wanted."
Thus pointed by Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's heart-pounding and alluring novel that in such a short time, earned a considerable number of followers who, in turn, proved the novel's as well as the author's brilliance.
Twilight, permit me to say, is just a simple, plain yet captivating teenage love story, only spiced by the conflict that it's a kind of affair which is forbidden and naturally unacceptable in the real sense.
The way the author weaved Edward and Bella's affair is not very far from an ordinary love story scribbled by some lowly author who can be satisfied in freelance writing of cheap pocketbooks in the market. But one thing, in my view, did the trick that drew the fence separating cheap authors from this vampire story goddess. Meyer sure knows how it is to be young.
If in other novels, you would be thrilled by the unfolding of suspenseful events, Twilight, surprisingly and impressively does the complete opposite.
Twilight's popularity, in my opinion, feeds on the lines the characters throw to one another, especially those of Edward's and Bella's. Their dialogues are so passionate, so meaningful, so full of youthful energy and bravado that would keep you hanging and read in a rapid pace until you turn the succeeding pages where they would once again talk, releasing and increasing tension at the same time.
Such stance of the author to make the narratives revolve around the character's emotions expressed through impressive dialogues, I must confess, forms a large percentage of the success of book.
After I completely digested everything the book has to offer, I came to a conclusion that it's a worthy contender to the success the Harry Potter series now claims. This is my bold answer to those who outrightly compare Meyer with Rowling together with the characters they sketched. However, their approach is different. Meyer brings cliff-hangers through the lines while Rowling does the magic in the events.
I particularly liked the idea of Edward being able to read the thoughts of other people with Bella as the sole exception. I want also to give credit to Meyer's giving emphasis as to why her vampires are godlike compared to some others who portray theirs as monster-like and ghost-like.."I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in - my voice, my face, even my smell... - mentioned by Edward in Chapter 13, "Confessions." If I am a child, I would have believed in vampires and would have been convinced by their existence because of this line.
The author ended the novel in a manner which completely satisfies her readers but which urge them to crave for more - a good way to keep them tailing for the next volumes.
Nevertheless, the first thing that urged me to give the book four stars instead of a perfect five is the introduction of the Quileutes in chapter 6, "Scary Stories," which seemed to me that the author just tried to force something out of myths and legends in such an absurd manner. It's as if the preceding chapters are all part of reality while that chapter, with no warning at all, turned that reality into fantasy haphazardly. Though it's a good entrypoint to enlighten readers about the true nature of Edward, it's just not that convincing.
But if you ask me, the long history of the Cullens, recounted by Edward on Bella's visit to his family is brilliantly narrated. If it's not for this, that four, might push backward to three.
Second, some of the sarcasms which the author used are not very universal - something which not every reader could instantly understand. Meyer probably did not, at first, consider her book to reach this fame and to spread in the unexpected corners of the world. That cultural barrier, evident particularly in the dialogues of the characters, slackened my reading pace from time to time because I first have to be certain with the meaning of the character's figurative words.
Third, and I think most influential of all, I guess I just expected too much from this book because it became the talk of every mouth I know in school, at home, my friend circle, not to mention the unparalleled media hype and the rising number of online groups that worship this series. If not for these maybe, what you see in this review is not a four but a shining five star for rating.
To end this very subjective review, it's two thumbs up for Meyer for having conceived a story which has always been explored by many a writer in history but which has never been tapped to a full blow much like she did in Twilight.
Thus pointed by Edward Cullen in Stephenie Meyer's heart-pounding and alluring novel that in such a short time, earned a considerable number of followers who, in turn, proved the novel's as well as the author's brilliance.
Twilight, permit me to say, is just a simple, plain yet captivating teenage love story, only spiced by the conflict that it's a kind of affair which is forbidden and naturally unacceptable in the real sense.
The way the author weaved Edward and Bella's affair is not very far from an ordinary love story scribbled by some lowly author who can be satisfied in freelance writing of cheap pocketbooks in the market. But one thing, in my view, did the trick that drew the fence separating cheap authors from this vampire story goddess. Meyer sure knows how it is to be young.
If in other novels, you would be thrilled by the unfolding of suspenseful events, Twilight, surprisingly and impressively does the complete opposite.
Twilight's popularity, in my opinion, feeds on the lines the characters throw to one another, especially those of Edward's and Bella's. Their dialogues are so passionate, so meaningful, so full of youthful energy and bravado that would keep you hanging and read in a rapid pace until you turn the succeeding pages where they would once again talk, releasing and increasing tension at the same time.
Such stance of the author to make the narratives revolve around the character's emotions expressed through impressive dialogues, I must confess, forms a large percentage of the success of book.
After I completely digested everything the book has to offer, I came to a conclusion that it's a worthy contender to the success the Harry Potter series now claims. This is my bold answer to those who outrightly compare Meyer with Rowling together with the characters they sketched. However, their approach is different. Meyer brings cliff-hangers through the lines while Rowling does the magic in the events.
I particularly liked the idea of Edward being able to read the thoughts of other people with Bella as the sole exception. I want also to give credit to Meyer's giving emphasis as to why her vampires are godlike compared to some others who portray theirs as monster-like and ghost-like.."I'm the world's best predator, aren't I? Everything about me invites you in - my voice, my face, even my smell... - mentioned by Edward in Chapter 13, "Confessions." If I am a child, I would have believed in vampires and would have been convinced by their existence because of this line.
The author ended the novel in a manner which completely satisfies her readers but which urge them to crave for more - a good way to keep them tailing for the next volumes.
Nevertheless, the first thing that urged me to give the book four stars instead of a perfect five is the introduction of the Quileutes in chapter 6, "Scary Stories," which seemed to me that the author just tried to force something out of myths and legends in such an absurd manner. It's as if the preceding chapters are all part of reality while that chapter, with no warning at all, turned that reality into fantasy haphazardly. Though it's a good entrypoint to enlighten readers about the true nature of Edward, it's just not that convincing.
But if you ask me, the long history of the Cullens, recounted by Edward on Bella's visit to his family is brilliantly narrated. If it's not for this, that four, might push backward to three.
Second, some of the sarcasms which the author used are not very universal - something which not every reader could instantly understand. Meyer probably did not, at first, consider her book to reach this fame and to spread in the unexpected corners of the world. That cultural barrier, evident particularly in the dialogues of the characters, slackened my reading pace from time to time because I first have to be certain with the meaning of the character's figurative words.
Third, and I think most influential of all, I guess I just expected too much from this book because it became the talk of every mouth I know in school, at home, my friend circle, not to mention the unparalleled media hype and the rising number of online groups that worship this series. If not for these maybe, what you see in this review is not a four but a shining five star for rating.
To end this very subjective review, it's two thumbs up for Meyer for having conceived a story which has always been explored by many a writer in history but which has never been tapped to a full blow much like she did in Twilight.
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