I finally read Twilight!

[cahn]

As more of a sociological experiment than anything else - the first time I gave up after chapter 3 or so, but I was kind of curious as to why all the buzz (I mean, it's pretty easy to see why teenage girls would like it, but also a large proportion of the married-women-with-children I know love this book).

I think I see the appeal to middle-aged women-with-families. It really does take you back to that time when you fell headstrong and dazzingly in love with the person who is now your husband-- It's not like you would trade the love you have now, where sometimes he takes out the trash even though that's something you normally do and it makes you all happy, but it's very different from those first halcyon days where you thought and yearned about him all the time and got butterflies in your stomach every time you looked at him, or looked forward to seeing him after being separated for a whole couple of hours! And it kind of takes you back to that stage.

It also makes me extremely nervous. I really dislike the fallacy of the first lover in general, so you can see that I would have a strong visceral "No, no, no!!" reaction to Bella's sixteen-year-old (or however old she is) "unconditionally and irrevocably in love" status, after as far as I can tell they have spent the equivalent of two dates together. UGH. Plus which, I don't know that it's actually at all healthy to be unconditionally or irrevocably in love with anyone. Also? Edward is, like, a hundred years old. EW. Nasty old man!

Comments

[countrycousin.livejournal.com]

The possibility of immense age seems to have an attraction. I think that is at least part of the attraction of vampires.

Non-vampire examples: Zelazny has a bunch, Poul Anderson, Van Vogt, Heinlein, others I probably don't recall.

So I don't think that the "nasty old man", valid though it may be, flies. ;-)

I haven't read any of the books. But my daughter's family decided to see it Thanksgiving night, and I went along. DW didn't. I suppose she's a bit beyond middle age, but she doesn't seem to have developed a yen for Twilight, although I spent some time on a description on our trip home. I enjoyed it. Our library has a bunch of the books. All currently unavailable ;-}.

We watched the 3rd TNT Librarian recently. It has more traditional vampires. It was OK, but Twilight was better.

Re: "fallacy of first lover". Yeah. Romantic. I think romance is responsible for a lot of divorces. I suppose I'm an old Scrooge. But it makes an enjoyable story. Fantasy is fine as long as one remembers that it is fantasy.

[charlie-ego.livejournal.com]

The possibility of immense age seems to have an attraction.

Yeah. I mean, I'm not discounting that (especially since I married someone somewhat older than I am). But it rather offends my nascent feminist tendencies (well, maybe not so much with Heinlein, who mostly just amuses me-- you start being offended with Heinlein and you'll never stop). I'll add Diana Wynne Jones to that list.

So I don't think that the "nasty old man", valid though it may be, flies. ;-)

Hee -- I actually meant that as Edward being the nasty old man, going after an adolescent girl. But your interpretation works too...

[countrycousin.livejournal.com]

Oh, I understand you meant Edward. ;-)

I see Bujold stuff in your memberships - she has a few May-November (or October) relationships, too, although Paladin of Souls has a refreshing mild reversal.

[charlie-ego.livejournal.com]

Yup-- Dag/Fawn makes me very squicked (though less so than Bella/Edward, given the smaller age difference), and I'm not best pleased with the Falling Free romance, either. I've become okay with Curse of Chalion only because I think Betriz is basically totally awesome (and could smack down Fawn any day of the week). Cordelia/Aral is okay (at least they're both professional adults). But yeah, Paladin was a really nice change.