If You Love Twilight - Don't Read This

For the past few years, girls have been raving about the Twilight series. Both young women and men have been telling me about the deep love of Bella and Edward, so I finally broke down and borrowed a book from one of my yearbook girls.

Yes. It was a fast read. I finished it in a weekend - easy.

Yes. It had a solid plot. It had lots of action. I didn't read the book and wonder where it was taking me. I understood that there was a direction in the story with some sort of resolution.

No. I wasn't happy with the character development. I've read plenty of books that are only about character development with no plot. That's plenty annoying - but this book was all plot to me with no character development. Bella is obsessed with a man. Annoying. This is the character development.

What bothered me the most is the obsessive love. The whole IDEAL of love. How Edward is SO perfect and how he only thinks of Bella.

UNHEALTHY!

I wondered if I was the only person who felt like this. Am I the only old bitty lady looking at this book and thinking "Tsk Tsk What would Simone De Beauvoir think?"

I found myself groaning at the thought of my students reading the book and thinking that there is someone out there like that for them. I shuddered at the thought of girls everywhere dreaming of their "ideal" man.

I wondered if I was the only one who ever considered the truly creepy side of Twilight as I sat in parent conferences and moms told me that they are "so" excited that their daughters are reading Twilight. How I tried not to groan. Even in the teacher's lounge I heard "Oh Edward, he just draws you in." I nearly gagged on my food.

What gave me a bit of feminist hope though - was at a graduation party. I had the younger sister in class. I was telling the grandmother how the little dear was such a breath of fresh air. All the other girls in the class were reading Twilight or The Clique series (That's a whole different post). And here, this little red head was reading Memoirs of a Geisha.

Another sister and friend cheered across the room! "YOU don't like Twilight!? Hooray! What a bunch of dribble! Why would anyone believe in such a dumb relationship? How creepy to have a guy watching you sleep!" Creepy!"

OH joy! There are critical minds just like mine! Hooray for them!