In the aftermath of all those brilliant Twilight posts...

[dolorous_ett]

Do you think I should read Twilight? Would I have fun? Or would I live to regret it?

Comments

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I think it depends on how much time it would take you and how much you value your free time. ;) I read all four (each one took me roughly 3 hours) and enjoyed them reasonably well during the reading -- despite my inner editor mentally lifting massive chunks of purple prose and discarding it -- with the exception of Breaking Dawn, which was so filled with WTF that I kept on reading with horrified, morbid curiosity.

I found them badly written but inexplicably addictive. I'll leave it at that. :)

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

I felt more or less the same. I could see the appeal of the first three (especially the second, although I did keep getting caught up on such details as "Do you not need insurance to ride a motorbike on an Indian reservation?), but BD was simply bizarre with a capital OMGWTFBBQ. Also, Reneesmee??????

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

I know!! I honestly thought -- and hoped -- she was joking about the name, but apparently we were meant to take it seriously. That poor, poor child.

::snerk:: I believe you need insurance to ride a motorbike, period. Obviously SM has never ridden one.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I heard about Reneesmee - that's quite out of proportion - far too many Es!

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Interesting... I know the kind of experience you mean - where it was actually really good fun, but you'd hide the book if someone you knew came in the room...

[lareinenoire.livejournal.com]

::snerk:: Yes, something like that. But add to it the fact that the more I think about the books, the worse I realise they are, particularly in terms of how SM deals with a female protagonist and the whole concept of romantic relationships in her world.

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

You would have fun. You should not, however, pay to read it.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

In that case, I will try to read it for free. Where no-one will catch me at it...

[lavieverbale.livejournal.com]

I can provide links if you like... I also refused to pay to read this book.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I may live to regret this... but why not? Go on, then!

[nineveh-uk.livejournal.com]

You might check your email...

[the-reda.livejournal.com]

I have enough anger issues just reading the official reviews. So I would say stay away, unless you feel like ranting about misogyny and stalking and mary sues and not the least sparkling vampires.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I must admit I'm mildly curious to read about a sparkling vampire, but on the whole I'm less sure about the misogyny and stalking, sparkles or no...

Am now warned. Thank you!

[pandorasblog]

I found it reasonably entertaining and less annoying than most people seem to find it, but then I've been desensitised by reading a lot of Laurell K. Hamilton stuff. I say, try the first book if you can find it at the library...

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

This is probably really ignorant of me, but what does Hamilton write that would desensitise you to sparkly vampires? I've never read anything by her, so it's hard to know if that's a backhanded compliment to the Twilight series, or the very opposite!

[pandorasblog]

It's not the twee sparkly aspects specifically; more the feeling that you want to enjoy a vampire book but have to keep stopping because your inner editor is grumbling. They're very different kinds of books, but I guess I link them because they're both part of this trend for vampire stuff...

[st-aurafina.livejournal.com]

Oh, heck. I wouldn't have picked it up if my sister hadn't shown a sudden and fannish interest in it.

Do you have an interest in young adult fiction or the vampire genre? If you're looking to read it with an analytical eye, as part of the phenomenon, or to have an idea about the fandom, then yes. Read it. If you're looking for a light and fun vampire read, I'd point you towards other vampire novels, like Tanya Huff, Elizabeth Knox, Barbara Hambly, Elizabeth Kostova or even Laurel K Hamilton (for the lol-raunch).

Having said that, now that I have read it, I'm interested enough in some of the characters that I'm going to read the rest of the series. But Bella is a great sucking emo black hole of deadness for me - she's the most insipid, immobile protagonist I've ever encountered.

Also I'm writing some fic. But I'm too scared to post it.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I like a lot of YA fiction, though vampires are not a particular speciality, and I found Elizabeth Kostova's vampire book remarkably boring considering the subject matter, so I suppose the Twilight books may not be for me... Certainly if her protagonist is vivid in comparison to the Kostova book, Twilight may well not be for me!

All the more reason to post good fic on the subject, though... *enables*

[lavieverbale.livejournal.com]

It depends on your ability to laugh at bad fiction, really. If terrible fiction is just terrible for you and not funny, then don't, but there's a lot of WTFLOL to be had.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

It's a difficult one. I've revelled in really awful films from time to time - and the same with books - but sometimes I just get outraged and horrified instead. Still, if the things are available for free...

[straussmonster.livejournal.com]

It's not shockingly horrible in the "Why did I ever subject myself to this?" way, like something like DANNY is; it's a combination of laughable and dull. I'm halfway through the first one and just bored because there is no plot--it's truly fanfic-y.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I like the sound of laughable. Dull, perhaps, not so much...

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Considering the subject matter, being that dull is quite an achievement. Just not in a good way.

*is forewarned and forearmed. Thanks*

[katyhasclogs.livejournal.com]

I can only say that I enjoyed the books in a similar way to how I enjoyed The DaVinci Code - that I recognised that the writing was fairly bad and the plot implausible and at times downright silly, but was hooked by the suspense and the page-turning nature of them.

So yeah, a trashy, fun read that I enjoyed but wouldn't read more than once.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

Something you'd enjoy if you don't have to pay for it? Sounds about right... (nice icon, by the way!)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I put the first book on my library hold list. Unfortunately I'm number 73 on the list.

[dolorous-ett.livejournal.com]

I believe there are downloadable sources. I can let you know if I find something, perhaps?

(by the way, I've just noticed that you've friended me. I don't check my user info much, so I hope you won't take it as a slight that I've waited until now to friend you back!)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Heh, and me, I don't check at all, since I never lock anything so I don't worry about "back-friending"! :D No problem at all.