I have not outgrown faerie tales.

     

I know I am so passed the prime of writing about the Twilight series, but I must opinionize. 

Stephanie Meyer sucked me in from the beginning; she pushed and twisted the plot so that I could not put down my book.  I had to keep reading.  And I have to say, it is quite an accomplishment to make vampires and werewolves not just palatable, but desirable.  I wanted to be a part of this crazy, supernatural world. 

However, when I put the books down and forced myself back to the real world, there was nothing for me here that compared.  There is no Edward.  I don’t get to change myself into a goddess on earth.  The Twilight world offers escape, but no substantive commentary on my world.

Stephanie Meyer’s immortal characters prove insipid and weak–though they are virtually unable to be harmed.  Particularly Edward.  He is strong and protects and provides for Bella.  He unceasingly and increasingly loves her.  She becomes his goddess, since he has no soul and answers to no other god.  The thing he loves most about Bella is her love for him.  She is his reason for being; and without her, he could not go on.   

Where is his flaw?  What does he have to overcome to get her?  Nothing!  She selfishly “gives up” her humanity in exchange for eternal existence as a vampire.  There is not conflict outside of her humanity. 

Ok.  I’m this normal girl who somehow the universe has ordered this amazing, unattainable guy to be attracted to me (or the smell of my blood, whatever).  All I have to do to get him is become a vampire?  …I’ve made a note.

So if I come to terms with the too-perfect man loving the selfish girl (If you think that’s harsh, review all the choices Bella makes.), I still was unsatisfied with the ending.  I need justice.  The Volturi deserve desolation.  They kill Irina for no good reason.  And they are obviously power mongers who manipulate and use vampires.  I’m proud of Carlisle trying to win with words, but the Volturi do not concede and turn from their ways.  At the end of 2 or 300 pages of build up to this terrible battle, and the reader is preparing for the dear vampires to be burned, for terror and desolation to ruin the century, for Nessie to be left without a mother and to be raised by wolves…

The Volturi walk away. 

And the Cullens know that they will have to deal with the Volturi some other day.  This is not over.  There is still danger.  The Cullens and all of those witnesses are left to die another day. 

I realize that I just went on about what these books lack, but they are entertaining.  They might verge on supersoap operatic, but I sure did read all four.  They were fun.