Warning, spoilers ahead!
So this past week I was helping out at preschool like I do every Tuesday and the teacher said something about the "Twilight" series and I said that I hadn't read it yet and I found myself going home with all 4 books.
I had been sent off with a parent telling me it would help my marriage and another telling me how I wouldn't be able to put it down.
I was confused and skeptical after all this.
These ladies had been gushing as they talked about the series. They had been telling me about how they would have to edit the 3rd book before they could let their VERY young teenagers read the book.
I later had a conversation with my husband about the whole thing. He said that the guys at work all said the series had made their wives horny (excuse my language). Apparently this was the marriage help that everyone was talking about?
So I began reading later that day. After dinner. I had been told to put something for dinner in the crockpot because I seriously shouldn't start the series without doing at least that. I wouldn't be able to PUT IT DOWN!
I read most of the first book that night. I stayed up until 1am. Not because I couldn't put it down necessarily. I think more because I felt like it was expected of me. That and I was in front of a nice fire in our woodstove and was SO comfortable.
I finished the book the next morning. After reading it I was let down. First of all I would never let a teenager read these books. Especially a girl.
The main characters, Bella and Edward 's relationship really bugged me. Bella was so extremely obsessed with Edward that it bothered me. Seriously, why would you want your teenage girl to think that this was normal?
I also didn't like how Edward spent a few nights sleeping with Bella. Yes, he was in full control of himself, and they hadn't even kissed. But what message is this sending? That its ok to lie to your parents? Its ok to let someone sneak into your bedroom at night and sleep with you? Ugh.
I finished the 2nd book the next day. I won't lie, it was well written. I just wasn't getting what people had let me to expect.
After this one, here is what I was left thinking. And I think this is where I was just over the books.
Girls already get hit with the 'someday your prince will come' stuff from a young age. Why would you then subject them to these books where you learn that after your prince comes he will then leave you and send you into a horrible life altering depression. I wouldn't want a girl to think that was necessary. Or even an option.
Oh and here's the best part. After he leaves and she tries to kill herself with extreme sports, he falsely learns that she had died and begins to take measures to kill himself. The only reason he doesn't is that she is able to find him and make him aware that she is still alive.
UGH
So as I started the 3rd book I realized that I was over the series and at this point was just skimming in order to finish the books so that I could get on with all my Christmas crafts and other things I wanted to do.
I would find myself seriously skimming and not paying attention. At that point I would put down the book and come back to it when I was in the mood to read some more.
Not nearly the 'can't put it down' that I was promised.
And may I say that my very moral father would have called these books from the beginning 'porn', or as that one lady would say in "The Music Man', smutty books!
The 3rd book has an uncomfortable to read bedroom scene in it. Oh and the whole 3rd book Bella is trying to sleep with Edward. The first of the 4th book they finally get married. The honeymoon isn't a play by play, but has enough info in it to make it feel wrong to read it.
I FINALLY finished the last book.
Here is what I got from the book. The inability to sleep without the hall light on for a few days due to all the vampire action.
Needless to say, I won't be seeing the movie and will not be recommending the books.
I will also say that the very staid church ladies who recommended the series to me have me looking at them differently.
I can't believe they didn't chuck the series out the window at the end of the 2nd book.
Those who are allowing their 14 year old girls to read this stuff and encouraging their young teenage boys to read it have me shaking my head.
In summary, don't waste your time on the 'Twilight" series.
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6 comments:
THANK YOU! To be clear, I have not read the books. My sister has told me all about them, and I have since been Anti-Twilight. My biggest problem with them (especially since I'm over the beehives in my ward) is that they're supposedly such great "tween" books. My beehives are obsessed with them, and from what I understand, they're not something they should be reading! So you've read them and I have a question. Do you have any idea why so many good LDS women think so highly of them? I can't figure it out, but again, I have nothing to go on. But these women, who know better and should have teenage girl's best interests at heart, love them! My sister-in-law for one, who's 12 year old daughter reads them, and our YW president. I hear from some that they are "clean" wholesome books. What is the deal???
Okay. I haven't read the books, but I saw the movie a couple days ago. But to answer the question about why so many lds ladies read these and think they're fabulous, I think there's a couple of reasons.
First, they're written by an LDS woman. So they must be okay. (!) And second, it's every woman's dream to have a big strong man who's larger than life always there to protect and rescue her. Right? So there you have it.
Having never read the books, I can't really give a qualified opinion. But I can say that from my understanding there's limited or no swearing and no sex scenes? I think? If that's true then at least they're above the standard bodice-ripper novel.
i have an lds friend who recently got engaged and announced that she found her Edward Cullen in real life. After watching the movie, I don't know why you'd want to find a man like Edward. Seriously. An awkward, messed up guy who's going to be a teenager forever. What's the attraction?
If you'd like to know about the movie, I'll give my opinion. It's definitely a girly movie. All about falling in love. Uncomfortably. You couldn't drag a man to this movie.
I didn't get the chemistry between Edward and Bella. I think he was supposed to be good looking, but I just thought the guy looked like he needed a sandwich. I'm not sure why Bella was so obsessed with him or determined to trust him, despite the fact that he's a vampire and wants to eat her.
I don't know if any of that was helpful. But that's about all i have to say.
I am so glad to hear that I'm not alone.
I'm still a little worried about what to tell these ladies when they ask me how I liked it.
It's not like I can tell them exactly what I am thinking - " I can't believe you are recommending this book" and "I can't believe you are letting your very impressionable teenagers read this.
But my husband quite blatantly told me to grow a pair (sorry about the slang) and that I should just tell them what I think.
I'll probably go for an in between version.
As to why so many good LDS women are reading and recommending this series, Its beyond me. I have no idea.
Truthfully, if I had come upon a book with this much action in it, I would NOT be telling all my friends to read it. And I would have put it down after then 2nd book.
The only reason I can think of for these women to let their kids read them is that maybe they read the first book in the series, got roped in and let their kids read the book. At that point, they felt that they almost had to let the kids read the rest of the series. But seriously. At some point you have to realize it isn't stuff for teenage eyes.
And I totally agree that the Beehive girls should NOT be reading these books.
And I thought that if Bella should marry/love anyone, it should have been the werewolf. At least then she wouldn't be a blood sucker.
So there.
Okay, don't judge me too harshly. :) I have now read them. I wasn't going to stoop that low, but I have been arguing with my YW and the leaders about these, and they kept shooting back "But you haven't even read them!" So, BAD excuse, but I did it. I read them (I read very fast). And I am sickened and disgusted. I have also heard people who've read them tell me that there are no sex scenes... what the?!?! I have no idea what makes them feel justified in saying that, because YES there are. There's a lot of "how far can we go before losing control" before they're married, then way too much description after they are. Sick. There's quite a bit of swearing too, and many many MANY other not-so-subtle messages. Anyway, my assessment? Sick sick sick sick sick. So I guess I will continue to go on my Anti-Twilight crusade. :)
So at the last general conference a general authority made a very vague comment about TV shows about police work and something about how they were pushing the boundaries or something like that.
The reason I remember hearing that was because I like those shows, but have also found some of the Law and orders to disturbing to watch. I no longer watch SVU or Criminal Intent (I think that is the name).
I'm just wondering when they are going to say something about this series, or books in general.
Of course, its been said before that we need to be careful of the media that we allow in our home. So do they really need to say much more?
Mary, I'm sorry you had to read the books, but I totally know why you did.
I'm glad that you may have the power to change at least a few minds and opinions.
The dilemma is now, how to not offend anyone while at the same time sharing your thoughts on the series and why 12 & 13 year olds shouldn't be reading about sex.
Yes, maybe they weren't having sex, just sleeping next to each other, but what are you telling your kids by letting them read this?
You could be telling them that it's ok to do this. Of course how many boys do you know who at 17 should be engaging in this type of behavior, or could be controlled enough?
Here is another thing to think about -If the kids get into this genre, what's to stop them from innocently being lured into dirtier more awful novels (vampire or other genre). Especially if the parent approved the novel knowing fully about the scenes.
Satan doesn't get us with one punch. He works up to it in such a way that we sometimes don't even realize that we've lowered our standards.
Sorry, stepping off my soapbox now.
Hey, at least I'm not on that soapbox by myself. =) I have been cutting certain shows out of my life too. I finally got it in my head that it is MY choice and I'd be held accountable if I didn't. We know right and wrong, but unfortunately we've been so desensitized that we often let it slide. Anyway, thanks for this post. There will be something on the same subject on my blog soon. There are many members of my family that I feel would benefit from reading that there actually is an opposing view.
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