It's the morning of the big date for Bella and Edward. Bella, having just woken up after purposely abusing over the counter medicine is getting dressed and is full of anxiety. All of which is understandable for a normal first date, and is completely understandable when you factor in that Edward Cullen is more like Ted Bundy than Frank Sinatra. However that isn't Bella's concern.
I wish that I had some Twilight fans reading this blog so that someone, anyone, could tell me what is so appealing in his character. It makes absolutely no sense to me, then again I'm in my thirties and a male so it could be an age/gender thing but I'm really hard pressed to find the appeal. With men like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, or Roger Federer I get it. I don't share in the attraction, being straight, but I do understand why women find those men attractive. With Edward I'm completely aloof to Bella's infatuation.
Edward shows up at the door, "Yesterday's fears, seemed very foolish with him here." I don't understand why anything is different. This brings me to another problem in the book, and I don't know if it is bad writing or really good writing for a character that Meyer herself doesn't like. Bella's internal monologue runs on and on about her nervousness and fears with Edward. Yet, she never once tells us why she is afraid or why she is nervous. If she were written as something other than an intelligent bookworm* that would be one thing. From teaching I came across a lot of women that were the cheerleader types that could never explain why they felt anything, but that they, 'just did.' Bella can't hide behind that having already read Austen, Shakespeare, and Chaucer; she should have some idea of how to explain her own feelings, especially in her diary (which is what we are reading the story through).
So Edward is standing outside the Swan's house. As an aside, what I want to know is whether Edward can enter the house. This, is another one of those things that Twilight haters harp upon and that I, for once, am in complete agreement. There doesn't seem to be any drawback to being a Vampire in Meyer's universe. Sunlight doesn't kill them, they can eat, they don't have to sleep in coffins or dirt, they are pale but not enough to draw suspicion, and given that Edward was present in an Italian restaurant without any problems we can assume garlic has no effect on them. An important drawback to being a vampire is the inability to enter a house without permission. Charlaine Harris makes this a sticking point in her books (as well as the show based on it), it's not directly stated in Stoker, and Anne Rice's stories don't have it but she has numerous other detriments that make up for this lack.
The problem is that Bella, being the narcissist that she is, doesn't invite Edward in anyway. Yet, based on the fact that the Cullens were able to retrieve her truck for her by getting her keys from inside the house we have to assume that they are able to. Part of the appeal of the vampire literature is wondering what it would be like to be one and living with the issues. All Meyer does is make us want to be one without imagination because there is no reason not to be, other than living forever which has drawback you really have to think about to sympathize with.
So it's the perfect of two worlds: you get to live amongst the people but also be stronger, faster, smarter (in most cases but not here), and have telepathy. Plus you get to be absolutely dreamy as well.
Which brings me back to the first problem I stated in the beginning of this post: why is she attracted to him? Edward makes a joke because they inadvertently dressed the same, Bella laments, "why did he have to look like a runway model when I couldn't."
Almost all of this week's section is filled with comments on how good he looks, "He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature was meant for me."
"Each time, his beauty pierced me through with sadness."
Bella reminds me of a friend of mine in college. This person was obsessed with have sex with a girl of Asian descent. Not Indian or Russian (which are both Asian countries) but of the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese variety. At one point during our college days he started hanging around with a girl whom I'll call "Greta." "Greta" was about as far from a nice person that I have ever met, she was demanding, whiny, and in general a spoiled girl that was infuriating to be around. I would always leave her vicinity because it was very difficult for me to be even civil toward her and a lot of people that we knew couldn't understand why they were hanging out. They shared a major, so that explained it a little, but I knew. He was so obsessed with this idea that he was willing to put up with a good deal more from her than he was with his actual girlfriend at the time. It only took a month before they stopped hanging out, and it wasn't him (they never slept together). I assumed that she found a bigger sucker to latch on.
Bella is just like my friend. There is no reason that she should want to hang out with him, much less date him, aside from a raw sexual urge that she is denying. Ok, he's incredibly good looking but other than that he treats her terribly. He only shows concern for her when he's the one putting her in danger. Can looks matter that much to this girl? More importantly, do looks matter this much to the intended audience of these books? I have to doubt it, but since millions of fans can't be wrong I guess this is what matters most to these people. By all accounts Ted Bundy seems like a better date: not only was he considered good looking but he was also quite charming and intelligent. Edward lacking both of the latter qualities does exhibit the serial killer persona as he lures her deeper and deeper into the woods.
Ladies: if you meet a guy and he repeatedly reminds you that he's only one loss of control away from murdering you, then asks you on a date into the deep woods, and you decide to go with him. Really only half of what happens to you is his fault. Being an idiot is something that goes way too unpunished in this country.
The whole reason for this trip into the woods is so that Edward can explain to Bella what happens to him in the sunlight away from witnesses. After a couple of miles of hiking, which mysteriously Bella never trips or stumbles despite the repeated assurances that she can't walk without falling down, they arrive in a clearing. The clearing is nice because it reminds us that Meyer is a capable writer when she wants to be. She describes the flora of the setting wonderfully, even before that describing how the olive drab light of the forest turned jade when the sun came out really evokes her ability for description.
Most importantly this is done without anything happening so it's preserved as being excellent. Just like the tidal pools waaaaay back in the beginning of the book, I'm quite amazed at the contradiction of Meyer's ability to describe things while not being able to describe likable personalities. I willingly give the end of this chapter my stamp of approval. Especially as she creates tension not based on murder threats or false danger. Bella notices that she is skirted into the field past Edward who is hesitant at walking into the sunlight. This is understandable as he is about to show us actual proof, for the first time, that he is other than human: "Edward seemed to take a deep breath, and then he stepped out into the bright glow of the midday sun."
The chapter ends there, it makes me want to keep reading. Something that hasn't happened yet in my experience reading the book. Perhaps next week's post will be free of any criticism if it continues in this vein.
_____________________________
*Which she never comes across as being, but we are told that she is one.
I wish that I had some Twilight fans reading this blog so that someone, anyone, could tell me what is so appealing in his character. It makes absolutely no sense to me, then again I'm in my thirties and a male so it could be an age/gender thing but I'm really hard pressed to find the appeal. With men like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, or Roger Federer I get it. I don't share in the attraction, being straight, but I do understand why women find those men attractive. With Edward I'm completely aloof to Bella's infatuation.
Edward shows up at the door, "Yesterday's fears, seemed very foolish with him here." I don't understand why anything is different. This brings me to another problem in the book, and I don't know if it is bad writing or really good writing for a character that Meyer herself doesn't like. Bella's internal monologue runs on and on about her nervousness and fears with Edward. Yet, she never once tells us why she is afraid or why she is nervous. If she were written as something other than an intelligent bookworm* that would be one thing. From teaching I came across a lot of women that were the cheerleader types that could never explain why they felt anything, but that they, 'just did.' Bella can't hide behind that having already read Austen, Shakespeare, and Chaucer; she should have some idea of how to explain her own feelings, especially in her diary (which is what we are reading the story through).
So Edward is standing outside the Swan's house. As an aside, what I want to know is whether Edward can enter the house. This, is another one of those things that Twilight haters harp upon and that I, for once, am in complete agreement. There doesn't seem to be any drawback to being a Vampire in Meyer's universe. Sunlight doesn't kill them, they can eat, they don't have to sleep in coffins or dirt, they are pale but not enough to draw suspicion, and given that Edward was present in an Italian restaurant without any problems we can assume garlic has no effect on them. An important drawback to being a vampire is the inability to enter a house without permission. Charlaine Harris makes this a sticking point in her books (as well as the show based on it), it's not directly stated in Stoker, and Anne Rice's stories don't have it but she has numerous other detriments that make up for this lack.
The problem is that Bella, being the narcissist that she is, doesn't invite Edward in anyway. Yet, based on the fact that the Cullens were able to retrieve her truck for her by getting her keys from inside the house we have to assume that they are able to. Part of the appeal of the vampire literature is wondering what it would be like to be one and living with the issues. All Meyer does is make us want to be one without imagination because there is no reason not to be, other than living forever which has drawback you really have to think about to sympathize with.
So it's the perfect of two worlds: you get to live amongst the people but also be stronger, faster, smarter (in most cases but not here), and have telepathy. Plus you get to be absolutely dreamy as well.
Which brings me back to the first problem I stated in the beginning of this post: why is she attracted to him? Edward makes a joke because they inadvertently dressed the same, Bella laments, "why did he have to look like a runway model when I couldn't."
Almost all of this week's section is filled with comments on how good he looks, "He was too perfect, I realized with a piercing stab of despair. There was no way this godlike creature was meant for me."
"Each time, his beauty pierced me through with sadness."
Bella reminds me of a friend of mine in college. This person was obsessed with have sex with a girl of Asian descent. Not Indian or Russian (which are both Asian countries) but of the Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese variety. At one point during our college days he started hanging around with a girl whom I'll call "Greta." "Greta" was about as far from a nice person that I have ever met, she was demanding, whiny, and in general a spoiled girl that was infuriating to be around. I would always leave her vicinity because it was very difficult for me to be even civil toward her and a lot of people that we knew couldn't understand why they were hanging out. They shared a major, so that explained it a little, but I knew. He was so obsessed with this idea that he was willing to put up with a good deal more from her than he was with his actual girlfriend at the time. It only took a month before they stopped hanging out, and it wasn't him (they never slept together). I assumed that she found a bigger sucker to latch on.
Bella is just like my friend. There is no reason that she should want to hang out with him, much less date him, aside from a raw sexual urge that she is denying. Ok, he's incredibly good looking but other than that he treats her terribly. He only shows concern for her when he's the one putting her in danger. Can looks matter that much to this girl? More importantly, do looks matter this much to the intended audience of these books? I have to doubt it, but since millions of fans can't be wrong I guess this is what matters most to these people. By all accounts Ted Bundy seems like a better date: not only was he considered good looking but he was also quite charming and intelligent. Edward lacking both of the latter qualities does exhibit the serial killer persona as he lures her deeper and deeper into the woods.
Ladies: if you meet a guy and he repeatedly reminds you that he's only one loss of control away from murdering you, then asks you on a date into the deep woods, and you decide to go with him. Really only half of what happens to you is his fault. Being an idiot is something that goes way too unpunished in this country.
The whole reason for this trip into the woods is so that Edward can explain to Bella what happens to him in the sunlight away from witnesses. After a couple of miles of hiking, which mysteriously Bella never trips or stumbles despite the repeated assurances that she can't walk without falling down, they arrive in a clearing. The clearing is nice because it reminds us that Meyer is a capable writer when she wants to be. She describes the flora of the setting wonderfully, even before that describing how the olive drab light of the forest turned jade when the sun came out really evokes her ability for description.
Most importantly this is done without anything happening so it's preserved as being excellent. Just like the tidal pools waaaaay back in the beginning of the book, I'm quite amazed at the contradiction of Meyer's ability to describe things while not being able to describe likable personalities. I willingly give the end of this chapter my stamp of approval. Especially as she creates tension not based on murder threats or false danger. Bella notices that she is skirted into the field past Edward who is hesitant at walking into the sunlight. This is understandable as he is about to show us actual proof, for the first time, that he is other than human: "Edward seemed to take a deep breath, and then he stepped out into the bright glow of the midday sun."
The chapter ends there, it makes me want to keep reading. Something that hasn't happened yet in my experience reading the book. Perhaps next week's post will be free of any criticism if it continues in this vein.
_____________________________
*Which she never comes across as being, but we are told that she is one.
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