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Post by Bella Swan on Nov 21, 2008 20:23:13 GMT -5
So I've been reading around the Twilight Saga and looking at the reviews of Breaking Dawn, author and publisher comments and all that. Apparently there are certain elements of the content that readers find to be controversial and even offensive. I really don't understand it - I loved Breaking Dawn, I thought that Stephenie Meyer handled the conclusion to the saga in a way that even some writers of adult fiction would have shied away from, yet this is why some people classify it as 'bad writing'.
Just wondered what you guys thought of it?
Oh, and I particularly liked reading Meyer's opinion of feminism as a woman's freedom to make the choice, rather than being forced to make certain decisions in order to perpetrate the ideal of the strong, feminine role model.
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Rosalie Hale
Dazzled
Vegetarian Vampire, PsychoBlonde
Over my pile of ashes.
Posts: 233
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Post by Rosalie Hale on Nov 21, 2008 21:28:51 GMT -5
I'm a relative newcomer to the fandom so I'm not as well read on reviews and comments about any of the books on the series. What particular issues do they address and are debating over?
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Post by Bella Swan on Nov 21, 2008 21:42:21 GMT -5
Me too, but I eat this stuff up for breakfast and get to call it studying and career climbing (currently doing a postgraduate degree in publishing, hoping to go into childrens/young adult general trade fiction ) Basically, people say it's the worst fanfic ever written, that there's no central conflict, that Bella gets everything she wants, which makes it bad writing. They complain that she submits to getting married to Edward, that this is (somehow) against the feminine(/ist) ideal (which is what every heroine should be... apparently). They hate Renesmee - they think this a very amateurish way for the plot to progress and many are outraged that Bella gets pregnant and goes through with it 'full term' at the tender age of 18. They find all the characters out of character... Oh, and the whole imprinting thing... I could go on and on - pick a part of it, there'll be a barrage of people that disagree with the competence of it, or the message that it sends out to the readers. When I picked up Breaking Dawn and finished it within the space of 24 hours, I was left reeling by how amazing it was, so came online to find fellow enthusiasts, then found all that instead! Meyer herself says that the fans need time to get used to it in the same way that they needed time to get used to the idea of Rob Pattinson playing Edward instead of Henry Cavill! Wait... am I sounding too obsessed now? Darn.
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Rosalie Hale
Dazzled
Vegetarian Vampire, PsychoBlonde
Over my pile of ashes.
Posts: 233
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Post by Rosalie Hale on Nov 22, 2008 2:40:13 GMT -5
Oh, honey, we're all obsessed! Why do you think we're here in the first place? Haha After finishing Breaking Dawn the first time, I was just so into the story telling that I was pretty happy with what was done. I tend to reread books at least once more because I know I start getting into the story that I sometimes overlook things that may or may not be important. It was after my second read that I started thinking about the things that you mentioned above. I thought the vampire pregnancy was kind of gimmicky, the imprinting was awkward and at times I felt like things were just kind of being thrown together. When I really thought about it, I reminded myself that Meyer was taking her own twist in vampire canon, as well as shape-shifter canon as well and that within its own context (which is the only kind that matters to her anyway), it worked well. While vampire babies and shape-shifters finding their soulmates in children may sound awkward, it's only that way because preconceived concepts like pedophilia plague the concepts she invents and because no one has really written about vampire/human offspring for a mass publication. It makes sense when she says that people will eventually get used to it. Bella getting pregnant and getting married wasn't as difficult to picture. But it's clear she would have only done so for Edward and not some random human were she to lead a normal life. But she's not leading a normal life, she's completely immersed herself in this mythical world which strips her of her usual reaction. I can see where the difficulties lie in the reviews and such, but I'm not much of a writer or as well read as other people so I can more easily accept things like plot problems and such. So for the finer comments that pertain to that... I can't contribute much.
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Katie Florence
Dazzled
Human
Got a problem with my mismatched socks? Take it up with my foot.
Posts: 140
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Post by Katie Florence on Dec 3, 2008 18:14:21 GMT -5
The only thing that bugged me about BD was the anti-climatic end. I was prepared for this huge, awesome vampire battle only to get.... talking, and some more talking, and a little bit of mind games.
Everything seemed to go just peachy in BD too, nothing went wrong... I was a little disappointed no one died aside from Irina (but who really cares about her?)
I could also care less about Renesmee. The birthing scene was pretty wickedly done, but after that... eh. She held no interest for me.
Although this is the book where (FINALLY) Jacob isn't as annoying.
Other than that, I thought it was good. I don't have a problem with the imprinting as its not sexual until the partner matures and its not like they can control it. I was happy though that Edward and Bella finally hopped on the good foot and did the bad thing. 'Bout time!
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Post by Alex Hartwood on Apr 14, 2009 12:08:02 GMT -5
I have to agree with the statement above. I was all ready for this big fight scene, I was preparing myself the whole time for some of the main characters to die. Ha I mentally prepared myself for this huge ending and then all i got was mind games. BUT After i digested this it made me feel good that no one died lol. I loved Renesmee, and I knew, KNEW that Jacob was going imprint on her. I mean the whole pack was imprinting basically and then one of them (Quil I think i cant really remember) imprinted on a child. If you look back in all of the books she foreshadows everything so I just knew. But unlike most of the critics I had no problem with that. It got Jacob out of Bella and Edwards hair. I felt that Jacob got overly annoying throughout the books and I hated him.
Then i loved the wedding, although Jacob kind of ruined it. And I thought it was a great idea, it gave me peace of mind knowing that she was tied down to Edward! lol. But really I thought that it was really well done, although her writing isnt technically the best, I think that people should acknowledge the fact that it really caught peoples attention. Anything that can catch someones attention like this has should be considered a good piece of work.
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Post by Meridian Verden on May 19, 2009 2:50:14 GMT -5
You know I am finally glad to hear someone else’s opinion on Breaking Dawn. This was my favorite book out of the Twilight Saga, but it was also the one I was most upset with. The way it ended kind of bothered me. Take the climbing up the mountain example. The climb is the rising action. Now cut of the top of the mountain. That is how the ending was. It felt like everything was cut off and there was no pinnacle to the drama. It felt like she was being rushed to finish the book where she spent weeks writing the backbone to the fight and then in a day produced the “O it’s a happy ending and everything is okay” chapter. I still love the book but where is the fight that most of the readers were craving? However to go against everything I said, she seemed to set the tone for a 5th book after Breaking Dawn. Not Midnight Sun, but another book. What gave me the idea was page 743 of Breaking Dawn.
As for the imprinting with an infant… well I don’t think she overstepped a line. I was waiting for someone to do it. I just didn’t think it would be this saga. I knew Jacob was going to imprint with the baby once she set the tone for Bella to have a baby. To contradict myself again, I first thought the child was going to be a werewolf because of the gene thing. Lol. Crazy thinking.
Married and pregnant at 18- welcome to half of America. There are some children having babies at age 12. 18 is nothing. It is still somewhat looked down upon, but it is nothing. She shouldn’t have to be bashed about this and I feel bad that she has to deal with that.
Jacob still annoyed me in this book. I was a little pissed that he had a whole book to himself, but now I see the book as it giving me more insight on the Cullen’s.
Overall I loved the book, but it had its moments of pissing me off.
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