NOTES/THOUGHTS/REACTIONS:
So we get this big production of Bella listening to a CD that she describes as "noise". Wow. A teenager calling rock music "noise". You know everytime Bella starts to sound like an old lady instead of the seventeen year old she's supposed to be, I'm going to assume that this is Meyer accidently forcing her personality on Bella again. Other instances include when Bella knows how to make homeade mexican food, sounds like she's a walking theasaurus, and just doesn't act like a teenager. That excuse about her being an "old soul" does not fly either Meyer, just so you know. Because were she actually an old soul, she wouldn't act as immaturely as she does later on.
Anyways, she falls asleep (how you can fall asleep with "noise" music I don't know, but whatever) and of course, has a dream. She also immediately knows she's dreaming. Show of hands, how many of you know when you're dreaming? Also, how many of those dreams are as vivid as Bella describes? You neither? I'm thinking we have ourselves another Mary Sue instance.
But, back to the dream, which is of course ANOTHER big foreshadow. Meyer is abusing the use of foreshadow at this point. Foreshadow is supposed to be SUBTLE like in Harry Potter when we got a brief mention of Sirius in book one and he shows up later in book three. This is called BAD foreshadow, it also does nothing to add to the book which ultimately makes it pointless. Like eighty percent of this book. Basically, Bella dreams of Edward, he's all dark and dangerous, Jacob and Mike call to her, and Jacob is replaced with a wolf (here be foreshadow), and she of course ignores them and goes up to the dangerous Edward where he almost bites her. Have I mentioned that this girl is stupid?
Anyways, before he bites her, she wakes up. We then get the "thrilling" exploits of her taking a shower, eating, and going on the internet to do "research". The reason I put quotes around research is because going onto the internet and using google is not research. It's a first step in the process yes. But as any college professor and any person who has done proper research can tell you, you cannot rely on the internet alone. You especially cannot trust .com websites which I'm betting the website Bella is using is. You can use it as a starting point. But you need books to back up the info you're getting because there is a big chance that the info you're getting is wrong. But considering Meyer has done little to no research on this series, I am not surprised Bella is doing little research here. This brings me to reason seven about disliking Twilight.
REASON SEVEN FOR DISLIKING TWILIGHT: Lack of research.
Meyer has said on occasion that she did very little research for this series beyond intertnet searching. You know what? It shows. Now a popular response among Twihards is that "but it's FANTASY, you can't research fantasy". In actual truth you can. JKR did tons of research for Harry Potter on mythical creatures and whatnot, likewise Tolkein and C.S.Lewis. All decent writers research something and they go beyond the internet to do it. Meyer should have done much more research then look up where the rainiest parts of the US were. She could have talked to teenagers and asked what they learned at school, or looked up curriculum. She could have actually GONE to a small town and observed the atmosphere and talked to the people about what small town life is like. Even better, she could have gone to Forks itself and observed what it was like.
Then there is the so-called science she used to explain her creatures (I refuse to call these vamps, they are not vampires). She should have researched that up the wazoo. If she hadn't, she could have said, it's magic and then I would have bought it. But she insisted on saying that she is using science for the existance of the Cullens and so it's just absurd. If she had done actual research, her novel wouldn't be half the joke it is.
Another thing that bugs me is when Bella uses the internet. She uses dial up.
Um...I'm sorry, Charlie is the cheif of police. I'm pretty sure he can afford high speed internet. Hell FARMERS have high speed internet nowadays. If farmers have it, then I'm sure Forks has it. They aren't out in the boonies for crying out loud. Another example of Meyer's ignorance that she could have changed with research or you know, using logic. Also, there's this little thing called pop-up blocker? Most computers have them nowadays. What is Bella using a computer from the eighties or something?
So anyway, Bella discovers a vampire website and basically assumes everything on this one site is true. Again, I point out that this is bad research. Students if you have a paper, don't follow Bella's example here. I also have to snort at this:
And another problem, one that I'd remembered from the small number of scary
movies that I'd seen and was backed up by today's reading-vampires couldn't come
out in the daytime, the sun would burn them to a cinder.
From Twilight, page 135
First, this is a run-on sentence, pleast edit Meyer. Second, you're taking HOLLYWOOD'S word for it and the word of ONE website you've visited? God, for a smart girl, Bella really is dumb. Later, Bella gets embarressed with herself for looking up vampires:
What was wrong with me? I decided that most of the blame belonged on the
doorstep of the town of Forks-and the entire Olympic Peninsula, for that
matter.
From Twilight, page 135
For God sakes girl, stop blaming the TOWN for your own problems. The TOWN is not making you look up vampires. The TOWN is not making you insist on obsessing over Edward. This is all YOU. You are just making excuses for yourself. Also, what is so embarressing about looking up vampires? I've looked up far more embarressing things for school. Ah health class, how much I DON'T miss you.
So Bella has a hissy fit and goes off into the woods to think. In woods that she doesn't know. I don't need to comment on how stupid this is, do I? I don't care if there's a trail, you can still get lost on trails. Anyway, she thinks about the Cullens and her situation and reviews her options.
Well, she can't just stay away like Edward soundly advised her too, The mere thought of that causes her agony. Excuse me while I roll my eyes at this.
She also decides that no, she's not afraid of Edward like it was said in her dream. She is actually afraid FOR Edward. Yeah. I'm thinking this is justification on Meyer's part, how about you guys? Besides which, Bella is apparently already in too deep to turn away now. God, words cannot describe how melodramatic this novel has become. It was at this point I put the book away in disgust the first time I read it and didn't look at it again until the craze hit. I'm sorry, she's had less then ten conversations with this guy. How is that in to deep?
Later Bella goes to school the next day and runs into Mike and we get this lovely:
"What are you writing yours on?"
"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is
misogynastic."
From Twilight, page 143
Okay, first of all that should be "whether Shakespeare's treatment of HIS female characters is misogynastic". Second, WHAT?! The girl who cooks and cleans after her father, lets boys yank her around, lets Edward tell her what to do and so on, is suddenly saying she's a feminist? I think this was Meyer trying to make Bella seem deep and say look, my character is a strong female. What it comes across as though is that Bella (aka Meyer) is a hypocrite. Also I must point out that in Shakespeare's time, the way the women were treated was typical in his time period. Doesn't make it right, but that is what happened. However, there is no such excuse for Meyer and the way she portrays women. Also, there are women in Shakespeare's plays who are ten times stronger then Bella. Catherine from Taming of the Shrew for instance? Well, up until the end, anyway.
Moving on, Mike asks Bella out. AGAIN. I thought he was going to the dance with Jessica? That's kind of low of him to ask the girls friend out if he's going to a dance with said girl. But instead of pointing this out severely to Mike as a true friend would have done, Bella just chastizes him gently and points him to Jessica. Not that I'm surprised because as established, she doesn't care about her friends feelings, she only cares about her. Having Mike realize Jessica likes him helps her out because now he won't bug her. She can go back to obsessing over Edward in peace. Personally I like Mike and hope he and Jessica work out. I also hope that they end up ditching Bella and all her whining.
During school time, we get this:
Of course I was happy about the sunlight. But that wasn't completely
responsible for the euphoric mood I was in, not even close.
From Twilight, page 145
Wait, she was HAPPY? I didn't get that at all until she told me. This is massive author fail on Meyer's part because were she a competant writer, we wouldn't need to be told she was happy. I also would believe it more if I was told. Of course, since it turns out that the Cullens aren't there, Bella is miserable again. I don't know why she's surprised. She now knows or has a pretty good idea that they are vampires right? Since it's sunny outside, what does that tell you, Bella? Oh wait, I was using logic. My bad.
Bella goes into a state of depression and goes home where she marinates a fish (Mary Sue alert), and reads Jane Austen. Finally something that isn't masochistic. I also kind of had a laugh at her frustration at the names even as I rolled my eyes at her childish tantrum. Charlie comes home and she ;gasp; spends time with him! She also even asks him for permission for something. Yeah, shocked me too. Boring chapter ends with her going dress shopping.
THINGS A TEENAGER WOULD NEVER SAY/WORDS THAT DON'T BELONG: dint, sodden, shambled, exponentially, euphoric
WHINE LIST: Can't Jane Austin find any other names to use?!
Charlie were female, I wouldn't have to explain why I'm going dress shopping when I don't need a dress.
MARY SUE/GARY STUISM: I know when I'm dreaming, even though many people don't.
I marinate fish even though I'm seventeen
BOOKS THAT ARE BETTER: The Alchemyst series by Michael Scott
WHY IT'S BETTER: THIS is a fantasy series that is well researched and brilliant in it's idea. It's got great characters, great action, and an intense plot going on.
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