With a good chunk of the book behind us, and that I'm actually starting to get followers at the blogspot site I thought it would be a good time to do an overview of what we've covered so far. Any new readers that have just stumbled here or have only been paying attention for a couple of weeks this would be a good post to read.
So far this journey through a book that is adored by many, scorned also by many, but due to its prevalence in pop-culture cannot be ignored has been interesting only in that it has forced me to tear it apart. Even though that was not the original goal of the blog. The point of the whole matter was to give it a chance.
The whole thing started as I was watching and reading some of the coverage from the San Diego comic con about a year ago. What I saw were a couple of people carrying signs like this:
I thought these signs were odd. Did Twilight ruin comic con? No, for that to be the case Comic Con would have to have been not ruined prior to 2009 which it clearly was when studios decided that every summer movie remotely related to the interests that comic book fans have needed a giant press junket and panel discussions. Isn't a comic book convention supposed to be about comic books? What exactly does James Cameron or Tim Burton (when the latter isn't talking about his Batman movies) have to do with comics? The fact that large studios have encroached into the Comic Con was inevitable and Twilight is only a particular example of it. One might want to believe that director's like Uwe Boll have had more to do with ruining the comic scene than Twilight. Of course I feel that it's not even bad comic movies that have done it, it's the rise of niche marketing appealing to fanboys that will sell out an opening weekend no matter how shitty a movie will actually be. It's all marketing, how much comic news is actually coming out of San Diego this year?
Then I had some friends of mine, some former students, and former co-workers all talking about the book series. Most of them were talking about it in the negative. That piqued my curiosity. The real nail in the coffin was when I found out that all of this is the responsibility of a first time novelist, an amateur that cranked out the book after having a dream about it (at least according to her, and we have no good reason to doubt her).
After dealing with a insipid and completely incorrect book that tried to catalog the worst books ever written, which actually turned out to be the incoherent rantings of a religious fundamentalist neo-conservative, I thought the walkthrough treatment would be suited for something that was honestly calling itself fiction. So I began.
The method for me has not changed, despite the repeated admonitions of people who swear that once I started the book I wouldn't be able to put it down. Nothing could be further from the truth, that's not to say that there have been no times when I really wanted to read ahead but it didn't grab me like people told me it would. Here's how I make the posts which appear every Monday.
I take the book, a pen, and a small pocket notebook (which actually is the size of a Motorola Android) to begin reading. I read one entire chapter and put the book down mulling over the various events. Then I let a day or two pass. On that day I start over taking notes, this time with a theme in mind for the post or lacking that I just jot down whatever I find interesting. Things of interest usually include either really bad/good writing (it does happen), ridiculous statements, proof of ridiculous characters, or more evidence to some of the long running questions that exist in the book. My average is between five to fifteen pages in the book which amounts to two pages in my notebook (remember it's a small notebook). On Monday I re-read last week's post and then I sit down to write the entry this process usually takes between 1-3 hours. Almost everything that you might read in this series is an edited first draft...so I guess that makes it a second draft really. I re-read that, then hit the publish button (I use scribefire for firefox) and the whole thing begins again. I was asked by a friend of mine if I was going to do the movies as well, I figure that once I'm done with the book I'll do the movie and then move on to the next book.
That's the process. So far, we've learned a couple of things:
1) That author Stephanie Meyer, isn't as bad a writer as people think. Those people have never graded college essays, I'm just sayin'. Her talent lies in description and setting a tone. In this she's quite capable, the problem is that sometimes it's really obvious that this is her first novel but that's really her editor's fault.
2) Her biggest flaw is in creating likable characters. The main protagonists of the story are abhorrent. Bella, who is supposed to come off as a shy, intelligent, introvert instead comes off as a pretentious elitist. While Edward who is supposed to be a dapper Vampire gentleman sounds more like a sociopathic abusive boyfriend. Neither of these two characters seem to be able or willing to engage in actual relationships with the world. Bella, especially, as she treats almost everyone of the people that she meets as tool to further her own goals.
3) The book raises some questions that are persistent which normally is a good thing, but not here. The question of why the vampires interact in society is a good one. They claim to try and blend in, but with their stunning good looks, designer clothes, and sports cars one might question if they know the definition of the word "subtle." Secondly, Bella's clumsiness is a mystery because it seems to come and go. She constantly reminds us, and other characters of how bad it is, but we've never seen it. Even when she was running from her assailants she didn't fall, it's chekov's gun and someone better pull the trigger on it.
4) Finally, aside from the general relationship plot we don't have a story. It's just two people we don't like hooking up. There's nothing going on aside from that, but we do know that something is coming since the prologue established that. Now it seems as if we are grinding out some details until we get to the real story. In Tolkien terms, we're still living in the Shire.
Next week we are back with the conclusion of the date, and utter lameness that is "soul mates."
So far this journey through a book that is adored by many, scorned also by many, but due to its prevalence in pop-culture cannot be ignored has been interesting only in that it has forced me to tear it apart. Even though that was not the original goal of the blog. The point of the whole matter was to give it a chance.
The whole thing started as I was watching and reading some of the coverage from the San Diego comic con about a year ago. What I saw were a couple of people carrying signs like this:
I thought these signs were odd. Did Twilight ruin comic con? No, for that to be the case Comic Con would have to have been not ruined prior to 2009 which it clearly was when studios decided that every summer movie remotely related to the interests that comic book fans have needed a giant press junket and panel discussions. Isn't a comic book convention supposed to be about comic books? What exactly does James Cameron or Tim Burton (when the latter isn't talking about his Batman movies) have to do with comics? The fact that large studios have encroached into the Comic Con was inevitable and Twilight is only a particular example of it. One might want to believe that director's like Uwe Boll have had more to do with ruining the comic scene than Twilight. Of course I feel that it's not even bad comic movies that have done it, it's the rise of niche marketing appealing to fanboys that will sell out an opening weekend no matter how shitty a movie will actually be. It's all marketing, how much comic news is actually coming out of San Diego this year?
Then I had some friends of mine, some former students, and former co-workers all talking about the book series. Most of them were talking about it in the negative. That piqued my curiosity. The real nail in the coffin was when I found out that all of this is the responsibility of a first time novelist, an amateur that cranked out the book after having a dream about it (at least according to her, and we have no good reason to doubt her).
After dealing with a insipid and completely incorrect book that tried to catalog the worst books ever written, which actually turned out to be the incoherent rantings of a religious fundamentalist neo-conservative, I thought the walkthrough treatment would be suited for something that was honestly calling itself fiction. So I began.
The method for me has not changed, despite the repeated admonitions of people who swear that once I started the book I wouldn't be able to put it down. Nothing could be further from the truth, that's not to say that there have been no times when I really wanted to read ahead but it didn't grab me like people told me it would. Here's how I make the posts which appear every Monday.
I take the book, a pen, and a small pocket notebook (which actually is the size of a Motorola Android) to begin reading. I read one entire chapter and put the book down mulling over the various events. Then I let a day or two pass. On that day I start over taking notes, this time with a theme in mind for the post or lacking that I just jot down whatever I find interesting. Things of interest usually include either really bad/good writing (it does happen), ridiculous statements, proof of ridiculous characters, or more evidence to some of the long running questions that exist in the book. My average is between five to fifteen pages in the book which amounts to two pages in my notebook (remember it's a small notebook). On Monday I re-read last week's post and then I sit down to write the entry this process usually takes between 1-3 hours. Almost everything that you might read in this series is an edited first draft...so I guess that makes it a second draft really. I re-read that, then hit the publish button (I use scribefire for firefox) and the whole thing begins again. I was asked by a friend of mine if I was going to do the movies as well, I figure that once I'm done with the book I'll do the movie and then move on to the next book.
That's the process. So far, we've learned a couple of things:
1) That author Stephanie Meyer, isn't as bad a writer as people think. Those people have never graded college essays, I'm just sayin'. Her talent lies in description and setting a tone. In this she's quite capable, the problem is that sometimes it's really obvious that this is her first novel but that's really her editor's fault.
2) Her biggest flaw is in creating likable characters. The main protagonists of the story are abhorrent. Bella, who is supposed to come off as a shy, intelligent, introvert instead comes off as a pretentious elitist. While Edward who is supposed to be a dapper Vampire gentleman sounds more like a sociopathic abusive boyfriend. Neither of these two characters seem to be able or willing to engage in actual relationships with the world. Bella, especially, as she treats almost everyone of the people that she meets as tool to further her own goals.
3) The book raises some questions that are persistent which normally is a good thing, but not here. The question of why the vampires interact in society is a good one. They claim to try and blend in, but with their stunning good looks, designer clothes, and sports cars one might question if they know the definition of the word "subtle." Secondly, Bella's clumsiness is a mystery because it seems to come and go. She constantly reminds us, and other characters of how bad it is, but we've never seen it. Even when she was running from her assailants she didn't fall, it's chekov's gun and someone better pull the trigger on it.
4) Finally, aside from the general relationship plot we don't have a story. It's just two people we don't like hooking up. There's nothing going on aside from that, but we do know that something is coming since the prologue established that. Now it seems as if we are grinding out some details until we get to the real story. In Tolkien terms, we're still living in the Shire.
Next week we are back with the conclusion of the date, and utter lameness that is "soul mates."
You've really nailed the problem that I have with these books. Edward and Bella are the least sympathetic characters I've ever read. I like a lot of Meyer's dialogue, and I'm fond of a lot of the side characters, but I just can't manage to feel anything for the two protagonists.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you agree, and to some extent I agree with you as well: the side characters are more interesting.
ReplyDeleteHowever I can't agree on the dialogue, Meyer is really good at descriptions and moods but when the characters converse I cringe.