Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Not Alone In My Twilight Zone

Defending Twilight

Recently, I posted a blog stressing my love for Twilight, the romantic, yet adventurous story of forbidden lovers, a male vampire and a human girl.

Clark Collis, a critic for Entertainment Weekly states “This adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novel (for girls!) is exactly the lamest episode of 90210 ever made combining forces with the second-lamest episode of 90210 ever made.” Personally I disagree because this novel captured my attention. I constantly found myself lost in reality because I was so into the book. It creates a story in your mind and your able to see everything as it happens.
Collis also makes fun of Stephenie for publishing a book about two teenagers getting all “cow eyed” at one another. This immediately caught me off guard and made me feel enraged. This book isn’t just another story about two teenagers finding love and living happily ever after, it’s much more. It grabs the attention of adults as well as teens and pulls them into a world they have yet to experience.
In my blog, I wanted to capture the reader’s attention and I wanted them to visualize the image I got from reading this book. I mentioned that “by taking the average disturbed girl out of the traditional setting and landing her into a new world that she would have never imagined to exist.”
Collis says the same thing but in a more negative way. I chose Collis because he really put down Twilight and I feel that he was wrong and I wanted to defend what I love most. With that being said, I really don’t think I could change Collis’ mind but I do feel that he could be a bit more open-minded about Twilight.

On the other hand, Owen Gleiberman (another critic for Entertainment Weekly) would likely disagree with Collis: “In Stephenie Meyer’s 2005 novel, Edward is Romeo, Heathcliff, James Dean, and Brad Pitt all rolled into one: a scruffy-gorgeous bloodsucker pinup who is really an angelic protector.” He also states that “the intense, ego-stroking appeal of Meyer’s novel was the way that Bella becomes this undead Byronic stud’s soul mate without quite knowing why she’s worthy,” which makes it all more worth while to read the story and capture the events that takes place.
I strongly agree with Gleiberman. He explains the story line with much detail and goes into depth about the relationship between Bella and Edward and how they struggle to be together.

Collis’ review was more harsh and bitter, in regards to the story line. But the fact that it was for “girls” just makes it another sappy love story. I disagree. The mysteriousness and the “keeping you on your toes” makes the book so popular. It’s what captures your attention and keeps you into it.
Gleiberman’s review was great, and catchy in regards to the story line. He keeps your attention as he explains with excruciating detail, the pros of the novel. I like the review and it made me feel like I’m not alone in the Twilight world.



Works Cited

Gleiberman, Owen. "Twilight ." 19 11 2008, 24 Feb 2009 .

Collis, Clark. "Twilight Mania." 20 12 2008 24 Feb 2009 .

Sunday, February 1, 2009

My Twilight Zone


Reading is a passion of mine that I have always enjoyed. My discovery of a book called Twilight deepened my love of reading by engaging my interests in the forbidden love between a male vampire and a human girl and his undeniable urge to taste the blood of the girl he loves. Being that he has never experienced the taste of human blood, makes his struggle of his love for Bella more bittersweet. His fight to keep others from harming her has turned into his most difficult task as well as challenging himself to not have to choose between first blood or first love. Keeping such a huge secret in a small town has its disadvantages. Such as attending school on dreary day, playing baseball in the rain and feeding on animal’s blood in the woods on sunny days. While the upside of having a girlfriend, is that he has someone to confide his “powers” in. Bella knows that something within her is not quite right and she fights with the idea of becoming immortal to be just like Edward. She seems to find comfort in the thought of becoming immortal. But Edward knows the cruel fate of this decision so he tried to persuade himself against the idea of Bella living forever, even when he is faced with the deadly decision of saving her life by immortalizing her. He faces his biggest challenge when he loses himself in trying to save her life by taking too much of her life. Part of the attraction for Edward was that Bella is a bit of a recluse and deep down, he felt that he could trust her with his secret; Even though he never told her his secret. Bella’s intuitive nature led her to seek out Edwards’s secret when he saved her from being crushed. This book gives a fresh look at a stereotypical story line involving vampires and humans. It takes the “boy meets girl” scenario to a whole new level by taking the average disturbed girl out of the traditional setting and landing her into a new world that she would have never imagined to exist.