Lovers of Paranormal discussion

Greetings Lovers of Paranormal!

First a book, and then later a movie, and who can forget the fanfiction, the sexy spinoff series, and the elevation of Paranormal as a book genre the literary snobs finally began to notice?

This month we'll dissect Twilight by Stephenie Meyer as our group cult read. More than just a book discussion, we'll look at the novel with the benefit of 20:20 vision: what the book became, how it was later interpreted in movies, in fanfiction, and its place in popular culture, including the various controversies. I also hope we'll discuss WHY this book captured so many young women's imagination, and how you feel about it now during the re-read?



Isabella Swan's move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.Deeply romantic and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.

ARE YOU RE-READING TWILIGHT ALONG WITH THE GROUP? Shout it out in the discussion thread below, find some Book Buddies, and add your two sense about why you still love or hate this book today? This will be a spoiler-filled, no holds barred re-read of a cult favorite.

Be epic!

Anna Erishkigal
LoP

what team are you on? After re watching movies and reading book again here , I'm still team Jacob. I just love wolves!.

I have never been able to pick Edward or Jacob but lean toward Jacob he's warmer :-)

Would y'all believe I've never read the books, but have seen the movies? I've got the entire series sitting on my bookshelf since my now-adult daughter, and currently my teenage daughter, are addicted to this series.

So I'm in! From the movies I'm team-Jacob, but let's see if reading the book changes that opinion?

So I read the first chapter, and was immediately struck by two things:

1. Bella never gives us any idea why she is so eager to escape her mother and sunny Arizona to move someplace she detests;

2. The illogic of Edward's insta-hatred.

I also noted how compelling Bella's description of the dreariness of Forks was and her father's continuing flame of her hare-brained mother.

Critics describe Bella as an empty vessel, bland beyond belief, but I think her internal dullness describes that feeling many of us might not remember, of being BORED by being a kid with a desire to DO SOMETHING, but not having the power, or authority, or knowledge of what to do. Book-Bella is much less bland than Kristen Stewart-Bella.

Off to chapter two!

Anna wrote: "So I read the first chapter, and was immediately struck by two things:

1. Bella never gives us any idea why she is so eager to escape her mother and sunny Arizona to move someplace she detests;

2..."

I agree with you the book Bella (my opinion) is more dimensional
than Kristen S. I was a little disappointed because of that with the movies. I always(my opinion)thought that Mom was kind of an old hippy still living the life with different men.

So I read the second chapter, and this one seemed a lot more tedious than the first with the day-by-day rundown of integrating into the new school.

Vicki wrote: "...I always(my opinion)thought that Mom was kind of an old hippy still living the life with different men...

That was my impression of the mother as well. In Chapter 2, we get a bit of backstory about why Bella felt compelled to leave her mother and move to her father's house (she was slowing down her mother's hippie lifestyle). What strikes me about BOTH parents is the fact NEITHER parent seems to be particularly capable of taking care of themselves, much less Bella. Bella seems to caretake BOTH her parents, though in different ways. With her mother, she is responsible for emotional support and making sure the bills are paid. With her father, she ends up cooking because he's incapable of keeping nutritious food in the house. Bella is, essentially, your stereotypical 'orphan' even though both of her parents are still alive.

In the case of Chapter 2, I think the movie got it better because it sped up the bland day-to-day to highlight only the conflict tidbits. So maybe it wasn't Kristen Stewart's totally bland acting, but the source material?

Off to Chapter 3!

I'm running behind, still on chapter 1 but I have to say that Edward is so much more like able in the books but I'm still for Jacob

Anna wrote: "So I read the second chapter, and this one seemed a lot more tedious than the first with the day-by-day rundown of integrating into the new school.

Vicki wrote: "...I always(my opinion)thought tha..."

I think that may be some of the reason she falls so hard for Edward she needs to be loved and taken care of.

I am new to this group and looking forward to taking part. I have read Twilight, after seeing the film, and so here I delve into it again. I am just starting so hope to catch up.

So, off to Folks, Washington I go.

☔️

Welcome Jenn and Angela to the discussion! I've never read the book, only seen the movies and listened to all the critics talk about the books, so this is interesting to me. :-)

I've read the twilight series twice already, and I'm not up for a third time.

What I like about SMs writing was that she was not afraid to take her characters where the narrative logic said they should go, right up until the end.

(view spoiler)[What I didn't like was the ending. I would have much preferred a titanic battle full of storm and blood with a massive death count across all sides.

I.e. Alice's plan would fail, leading to the final climax for the highest stakes.

Jacob and Edward would fight side by side against the best that the vampires had to offer to defend Bella and Renesmee.

It would have been a lot more meaningful for Jacob to cough out his last breaths surrounded by the heaped bodies of slain vampires while declaring to Edward, 'We are just brothers in love with the same woman.'

Edward would shed tears, and whisper, 'Fare thee well brave soul.'

And everyone would cry. (hide spoiler)]

Yes - the books are definently better than the movies.

Although the movies are very pretty...

I remember how much I like these books. I'm on Chapter 9 "Theory"
One thing about Bella is she is withdrawn and shy and clumsy. With little attention from parents she is a very lonely girl. And she is also dealing with depression. When she is convinced Edward wishes he had not saved her. She hints maybe he had altered fate and she was meant to die that's pretty sad for a teenager. I always thinks Bella and Edward were just 2 really lonely people needing to be loved. I think Jacob was drawn to her for the same reason the only difference is Jacob is a happy and has a loving family. He's a natural protector. These are all just my opinions.

you have some pretty good opinions Vicky. This is the 3rd time I'm reading Twilight but it's been awhile so it's going to be fun this time around.

I have the movies on DVD and for the best part of the movies are the Wolves. The books are so much better than the movies. I feel alot was left out in the movies.

Anna, I'm glad we can share this book with you. I'm curious to what you think of the book.

Edward was much more likeable for me in the books. I didn't like him too much in the movies.

I like the way Bella starts putting the pieces together to solve mystery Edward. I also think the characters are more likable in the books. I didn't think the movie characters were emotional enough when they were together. I just finished the meadow scene and Bella and Edward's feelings emerging for each other made me smile and go awww

I'm on the fourth chapter and so far still thinking the book is better than the movies. I like her observations about solitude before Edward goes and saves her. This is a lovely quote:

"In a lot of ways, living with Charlie was like having my own place, and I found myself reveling in the aloneness instead of being lonely."

So here's this painfully awkward young woman who is used to having the adults in her life overlook her, as well as other people her age, and suddenly Edward just appears to save her life. Even without the supernatural implications of appearing from the opposite side of the parking lot (i.e., had he been mortal and standing next to her and simply pushed her), that's a heady drug for a young woman ... and also the young women reading the book.

Bella describes herself a lot as physically awkward: tripping, stumbling, feeling uncomfortable in her body. I can remember feeling that way at that age, when we all suddenly shot up and for a few years nothing ever worked just right. I suspect that's one of the factors that makes the novel so addictive for the target audience. And who wouldn't like to suddenly be the focus of so much male attention?

It has been years since I have read the books but I remember my friend's husband saying, "That damn Edward has caused an epic amount of divorces."
Hahahahaha...
Twilight had every girl wanting that someone special (preferably a hot vampire) to be willing to sacrifice anything for them, like Titanic. Okay, Jack didn't have fangs but he died for Rose! The biggest sacrifice of them all. See? That's all a girl wants! lol

I have to agree on that point. That's really all we want, I don't think that's too much to ask lol.

Anna wrote: "I'm on the fourth chapter and so far still thinking the book is better than the movies. I like her observations about solitude before Edward goes and saves her. This is a lovely quote:

"In a lot o..."

The book is always better than the movie. I think I will re-read this book with so we can discuss it. I have read all the books with my sister and we both have our opinions about it and we see little things in a different way. ps book Bella is better

Jenn wrote: "I have to agree on that point. That's really all we want, I don't think that's too much to ask lol."

Right? Hahahaha...

Just finished my Lord of the Rings marathon and saw this... do I want to subject myself to Twilight again? Might be fun in a group setting.

one of my favorite scenes in book is when they are doing blood types in science class and Bella gets nauseous and has to leave. I think they should have put that scene in the movie as its a crucial part of Bella and Edward bonding.

Jenn wrote: "one of my favorite scenes in book is when they are doing blood types in science class and Bella gets nauseous and has to leave. I think they should have put that scene in the movie as its a crucial..."

I agree. there are a lot of bonding scenes left out of the movie that would have shown how they fell in love

I sometimes wish scenes like led to something more regarding Bella and how she is different

I'm finally up to the chapter where Bella meets Jacob and, despite his youth and gullibility to her fake flirting, I think I adore him even more here than in the movie (which made me believe he was older).

I love the way Jacob introduced the local native lore about the 'cold ones'. The constant 'angst angst angst' of Bella over Edward was beginning to drag. Now the pace has picked up. I am intrigued.

it gets better:). re reading the book after a awhile of just seeing the movies I can see from a newer perspective of why teen girls and women love Twilight. Having not one but 2 supernatural characters fawning over a regular teenage girl and saving her life and wanting to take care of her. Man what female doesn't want that. I think that's like the perfect dream guy except I still would rather have Jacob, he's warm and just keeps growing taller!

So I'm to the part where Bella is finally beginning to figure things out. I love how, even in her dream-state, her subconscious recognizes Jacob will protect her <3 Sorry ... I was a team-Jacob fan from the movies, and now I'm doubly so!

But isn't it so like a girl to go for the bad-boy she knows is trouble?

Not going to re-read this (once was enough) I really enjoyed it when I read it, but now, kinda over the hype. Still think it was a good book though!

Team Jacob for the win :)

Yay Jacob! lol

So I jut ploughed straight through Twilight and about half-way through New Moon . . . but I don't see a lot of people chatting here. Where's everyone at?

I'm where Jacob and Bella are on beach and he's telling her about the cold ones. I read through it so fast the first time that I'm making myself read it slower this time. I'm finding tons of discrepancies with the movie that I didn't notice before other than the obvious ones

You're savouring the experience this time? ;) There's always going to be discrepancies from the movie, but I am noticing a lot more too this time round and some of them are pretty significant in my mind. It's been a while since I watched the movie though.