I finally got with the times last week by reading the publishing sensation that dethroned J.K. Rowling & Harry Potter: Stephenie Meyer's Twilight. Since I wanted to see the movie, I had to read the book first to develop my own picture of everything, so it was the perfect time to finally start this series. I'm not sure what took me so long to do this. For some reason I tend to stay away from things that get really hyped up. But if I do decide to "partake," I'm usually not disappointed, and this was no exception. I really liked the book. I stayed up late reading it for a couple of nights in a row, rendering me useless with headaches and total overtiredness the next day. But I could hardly help it. I was fascinated by Bella and Edward's newfound, strange but beautiful mortal-immortal love.
One of the good things about waiting to read these books is I don't have to wait a year for the next book to come out. They're all out and available now, so I get to have instant gratification instead of spreading it out over a few years. (I've heard something about a fifth book that the author stopped writing because the manuscript was leaked on the Internet. Is that true?)
I admire the author, Stephenie Meyer. I like that she randomly had a dream one night about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire, and then sat down and wrote the book in three months flat in the free time she found while being a stay-at-home mom of her young sons. She was 29 when she wrote Twilight, only a year older than me. Apparently she had little trouble finding a publisher. And now look what it's turned into! Having worked in the publishing industry in New York City, I know that this is very unusual. It's extremely difficult to get published by one of the big houses when you're a first-time writer with no connections. She is one lucky, talented woman, that's for sure. And of course I like it that she's a fellow Mormon.
So I saw the movie yesterday afternoon. And I liked it! Although I must say, having just finished reading it the night before, the book was a lot better (which is usually the case with books and their movies), and I had a few little complaints. Like the hilarity of Jasper looking perpetually constipated for almost the whole movie, and some unsmooth dialogue and transitions that made things at times too abrupt. I can see why some movie critics didn't like it very much--they'd have to have read the book to fully understand and appreciate the deeper story behind it all.
Anyway, despite those things, it was overall a very good movie. I thought that Bella was perfectly cast. And even though he wasn't exactly what I'd envisioned for Edward, Robert Pattinson will forever be immortalized as the dashing Edward Cullen in the minds of many girls and women throughout the world, mine probably included. He looked pretty hot in his suit at the end too. I was happy!
FREAKIN' HOT!!
Within a few weeks I'll start reading the second book, New Moon. I'm sure I'll be up late at night with that one too. Unfortunately now I have to wait like everyone else to see the rest of the movies. It's okay. I can take it. And for those of you who are making fun of me as you read this (ahem, Alyson?!), you might want to be careful, or one of those non-vegetarian vampires might come and sink his teeth into your neck for your mockery!
