Twilight and Beyond

I know what you're thinking--I've gone blogger mad what with postings two days in a row and all.  Truth is, I'm on day two of being sick with a virus at home and avoiding the real work in my graduate class that I should be doing.  I recently posted the following as a comment on Diana's blog, but I put enough words into it that I thought it worthy of it's own posting:

 

Okay, I'm gonna speak from my experience as an English teacher here--even as I use slang to do so :). I’ve been meaning to hash this out for some time. Let me say first, however, that if you read the books expecting some life-changing epiphany worthy of all the attention these books are getting, then you will be sadly disappointed. They are escape reading—almost purely for pleasure. The dangerous romance and teenage angst inherent in the story make for a compelling read. When you do allow yourself to get lost in the story, it is amazing how quickly you make it through the books.

While there are some deeper themes and symbolism involving the sacrifices required to create an eternal love and the intrinsic spiritual and emotional danger in such relationships, etc., for the most part it is just a fantasy that teenagers can relate to in their own lives. Bella, a seemingly ordinary girl with problems many identify with, is able to find something truly extraordinary. It is disheartening for many teenagers to realize that they are, in reality, basically just like everyone else. They’re really not that different—they are mortal and the rules that govern everyone else really do apply to them. These books allow them to indulge in the fantasy that that is not the case a little longer.

The understanding that just because they are basically just like everyone else doesn’t mean they aren’t magnificent creations usually doesn’t come until much later in life, and only if they are able to see themselves through the eternal perspective of the gospel. I could go on, but as this missive is approaching short-story length already, I’ll forbear.

The librarians and English and reading teachers with whom I’ve discussed the books are generally in agreement with my point of view—these books are not classic pieces of literature, but teenagers are reading!!! Really long books!!! And talking about them!!! And then talking about other books!!!

Well, if you’ve made it to the end of my long-drawn-out commentary, you apparently like reading, too. So, if you haven’t read the books yet, I think you should. Just appreciate them for what they are.

 

PS--I did go see the movie.  While it had definite faults, I enjoyed it anyway.  Maybe it's because, like MaryAnn, it's the first movie I've seen in the theater in a very long time.