Vampires, werewolves and romance are what readers can get out of the “Twilight” series. With the popularity of “Twilight” increasing, many may wonder why this book grabs the reader’s attention, while others may wonder who the heck is Edward Cullen.
Twilight has become a major phenomenon in the past months due to the last book of the series “Breaking Dawn” releasing last year and the release of the major motion picture, “Twilight.”
The series is written by Stephenie Meyer who, according to her Web site, got the idea from a dream she had. “Twilight” was published in 2005 with four books in the series. “Twilight” has become one of the most talked about novels in recent popular culture.
“Twilight” is the story of a regular, teenage girl, Isabella Swan who is known as Bella throughout the series. She falls in love with a vampire named Edward Cullen. From the first book, their love for each other develops, as well as the many encounters they have with other vampires and werewolves who come in the story around the second book. The story is set mostly in Forks, Washington.
According to the local Barnes and Noble, the “Twilight” series is mostly sold to females from ages 15 to 50.
“I enjoyed the book from the first page to the last page,” Gloria Reese, sophomore nursing major, said. “My granddaughter was the one who got me interested in the series. It can hold anyone’s interest, no matter what age,” Reese said.
Many “Twilight” fans who have been with the series from the beginning were disappointed with the outcome of the movie.
“The best part is it mixes up the fantasy world with the real romance,” Sunni Green, sophomore nursing major, said. “The movie does not do justice to the books.”
There has also been criticism directed at Meyer’s writing and comparisons to “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling. In an interview with USA Weekend author Stephen King said, “both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people… The real difference is that J.K. Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good.”
Many educators, however, are very pleased that children are reading the books without being told.
“We live in a world where kids today are not required to use their imaginations as much as they did in the pre-TV and pre-computer days,” Paula Buck, TJC freshman and sophomore English teacher, said. “If they discover fantasy books that would appeal to their imagination, than I am in favor of that.”
“Twilight” has integrated so much into the pop culture it has been translated in 33 different languages.
