I caved. I read the third Twilight saga book. No, I didn’t read the first two. This isn’t a book to read for the literary quality, you read it to find out what happens. The words don’t seem to get into your head fast enough as you wonder whether Bella ultimately choose Jacob or Edward; and, every once in a while you wonder why these uber-studs are fighting over her at all.
Stephanie Meyer has something here. Her fame is not undeserved. Every generation needs its love story, its tween hearthrobs, and a sense that true, romantic love is out there. The Notebook did that a while ago. Remember that one? Twilight is just like that. It’s an important cultural phenomenon, the love story. This isn’t an intellectual read, it’s an emotional one that has the whole nation talking. Even men, whether they want to admit it or not, have an opinion (Team Jacob or Team Edward?).
This discussion is not about looks, oddly enough. The discussion is about values, beliefs, responsibility. It’s not gossip, it’s a way to relate to one another.
So that’s what I’m reading. After a long day at work, I don’t feel like continuing with a brain-stretching read about how humans evolve, why particles come in and out of existance if you look at them, or a novel that has me looking up words at the end of the chapters. I just want to know what happens next.
I’ve got the fourth book on hold at the library waiting for me and I’m not apologizing for it.
A wonderful observation for those of us “artists” that tend to get caught up in erudite distinctions between “real art” and “popular art.” There are so many things that we don’t say, but wish we could. So many things we don’t do, but wish we could. Art brings us into those places that the heart longs for, allowing us to have discussion that wouldn’t be possible without the introduction to certain fictional characters. And what do we long for more than love? Of course, it would also be nice if the art challenged us to go a bit further, and just in case reading the “Twilight” saga inspires you to write something in this genre, I would challenge you to ignite our emotions, but also to challenge us and make us push our love further than ever before. If anyone can do it, I know you can.