Twilight: A Modern Classic?

I finally broke down and read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. While the story was entertaining and gripping, the more I think about the story, the characters, and the writing, the less I feel like reading the books was a productive way to spend my time.

Looking at the storytelling aspect alone is enough to drive me mad. Meyer, for the most part, tells a good story. She seems to know the lay of the land near Forks, WA fairly well. However, there are sections in the books where a moment takes more than ten pages to explain properly. And while I wanted to know all she wrote about that moment, I was bored to death while doing so. I don't understand why some of these passages weren't shortened or shown through character action or dialog more than exposition. These passages seem a little self-indulgent on the author's part. It's as if she had this blindingly clear view of a particular scene and absolutely had to make sure that every reader could picture it in exactly the same way, not leaving a piece of grass out of place. Once these passages are finished, the reader is shoved back into the storyline and moved along. It makes for a bit of disjointed storytelling, where the story moves quickly and is halted abruptly - only to be abruptly moving without explanation again.

If that isn't enough, there's the matter of characterization in relation to word choice. Most of the vampires in the story are supposed to be much older than the average human. Having been around much longer than most, I would expect them to use some more antiquated language more often than they do. I understand that they weren't living in a bubble for the entire time they have existed. However, I don't think that they would sound as modern as they do.

One thing Meyer got right with Edward, though, is his desire to protect his (and Bella's) virtue until marriage. However, once the desire was established, I don't see any reason she couldn't have moved the story into the more modern and realistic realm that includes sex before marriage. My hypothesis is that since the books were directly marketed at teen (and tween) girls, Meyer wanted them to be appealing to most parents as well as the kids. In order to do that, she had her characters refrain from sex until after they were married.

Another way I think Meyer tried to keep the books on the parent-approved list was by having Bella insist on carrying her half-human half-vampire baby to term instead of aborting it as would only make sense. If this scenario were anywhere near possible (and it's NOT) the only reasonable response would be to abort the ... creation. Any other option would indicate insanity and the need for institutionalization. While I understand Meyer's reasoning in keeping the story parent-approved, I don't agree with it. Any story worth telling is a story worth being true to.

In addition to these issues, there is the fact that the main female character, Bella, is completely unable to take care of herself until she gives up her human life to embrace a new vampire life. This is meant to parallel any girl's coming of age: the self-esteem issues, the transformation and blossoming from girl to woman, and the realization of self-reliance. In other words, it's easy for girls to identify with Bella. And that's part of the problem. Whether they realize it or not, most girls are completely able to take care of themselves and find their way to a happy adult existence without giving up everything in their past. Most girls don't need a knight in shining armor, a prince charming, or a guardian vampire - and many would be revolted by the appearance of one. Good thing, too. The number of men who fit these categories are very few and far between ... and most men wouldn't try if you asked them to. Likewise, many a prince charming can be revealed underneath an exterior that might not appear to be anything close to that, as long as a girl gives him a chance. But as long as stories like Twilight are told, girls will continue to be deluded that they need to appear to be helpless and broken and they will follow this delusion to the expectation that a prince charming will arrive on a white horse and sweep the girl (who's wearing a flowing white gown in the middle of a field of flowers) off her feet (literally) and onto the back of his horse, only to ride off into the happily ever after.

From the beginning of the first book to the end of the last book, Meyer refers to classic love stories like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, and Pride and Prejudice. While this shows a great respect to these stories, I feel it also indicates a desire to be recognized, like these others, as a classic love story. I hope that never happens because, like the fixation on princesses that Disney has created, Twilight ultimately puts girls into their traditional role, as the weaker gender needing protection. While the story was fun to read, I wouldn't recommend anybody take it seriously unless it undergoes further revision and becomes a love story based more in reality (despite the presence of vampires) than fantasy.