While I am all about discovering works from off the beaten track…I have to admit I am also a sucker for mainstream. Ipso facto…I am reading the #1 New York Times bestseller, Twilight. So far…I am absolutely loving it and finding it hard to put down.
The book is written in first person and told by Bella who, from what I know from all the hype, falls in love with Edward…who happens to be a vampire. Not just any Joe-six pack vampire but a rich and out of this world gorgeous vampire. Edward and the rest of his vampire family keep to themselves but Bella can’t help being drawn into the mysteriousness of them all. And then when Edward takes notice of Bella it is on like Donkey Kong!
First off, Bella. I like her. I can relate to her. She is mesmerized by this boy she hardly knows and wakes up thrilled to go to school just so she might get a look at him. Yet at the same time she hates that she is so affected by this person who starts off pretty much ignoring her…and who is so evasive it is maddening. I find it interesting that the more he ignores her the more she is drawn to him. I have been there, but after awhile you reason the guy is a loser and you could do better. But Bella is determined to figure him out. What I like though is that she doesn’t come off as scheming or trying to “get” Edward…it all happens quite naturally.
Her plight brings me back to when I was in school and pretty much all that mattered was your friends and being able to see your crush. But not just any crush…I am talking about the unattainable guy that all us girls have lusted after at one time or another. The guy who you would watch from across the lunch room and scan for in the halls in hopes that at just the right moment he would take notice of you for the first time. And that by some miracle or planetary alignment…out of all the girls in the school he would pick you. I haven’t had that feeling in what seems like ages.
Five chapters in…the main focus seems to be the description of Edward (trust me when I say I am in no way complaining). Besides being pale, not able to dance, fainting at the sight of blood and being obsessed with Edward there is not much more that stands out about Bella at this point so I am anxious to see how her character develops.
Edward. All I can say is I can’t think of another book that I have read that makes me want to orgasm based solely on a character’s dialogue. He is the smoothest son of a gun I have ever experienced and it doesn’t surprise me that he is completely fictional. He is undoubtedly good looking and mysterious, but what does it for me is what he says and how it says it. One description is…“His voice was like melting honey”. I don’t know how I will be able to feel the same way about honey ever again.
I can’t speak for everyone but he says all the things I would die to have said to me…and I only just finished chapter five!
Edward is sitting alone at lunch and motions for Bella to come over to him. When she does he says, “Why don’t you sit with me today?” Bella sits down and is not sure what to make of this turn of events but Edward goes on to say, “I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly.” When I read this I got Goosebumps. This sets the tone for something forbidden and what usually lurks behind forbidden is passion and tragedy. Plus…I can’t help but being somewhat envious of anyone embracing hell and going all out. It must be so freeing.
Edward has this commanding coolness about him that I can’t even quite describe because it is more than just having confidence. When Edward blocks Bella’s car and Tyler comes up to the window to ask her to the spring dance…Bella asks Edward if he did it just to annoy her and he replies, “That was for Tyler’s sake, not mine. I had to give him his chance”. I could not be anything but intrigued if a guy said that to me. It is like he already knows what is going to happen between the two of them.
The writing. It is so good that I find myself re-reading sentences and paragraphs just so I can experience them again. You have to give props to anyone who can continually describe a character in such assorted ways that you never tire of hearing how perfect they are. I can’t help but want more of Edward. Every little nugget of information you learn about him directly or by Bella’s assessment of him is like a precious sip of water after days abandoned out in the desert sun.
Stephenie Meyer…you had me at the first Bruce Wayne reference.
everyone has been telling me to read this too, i'll have to pick it up!
ReplyDeletei can totally relate to the unattainable high school crush (every girl can, and if they say they can't- they're lying!). after months of gazing at my crush from a distance, i once timed the walk to gym class perfectly so that he opened the door for me. . . i walked right into the door frame.