As a craftsman of the written word, it's only natural that I have a personal vendetta against the "Twilight" phenomenon.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As a craftsman of the written word, it's only natural that I have a personal vendetta against the "Twilight" phenomenon. The great Stephen King summed up what the rest of the literary world thinks about "Twilight" when he said, "[Stephenie] Meyer can't write worth a darn."
I agree, and I'm going to tell you why.
This series, which plays on the most accessible human emotion (love), is a joke in terms of literature -- if you even want to call this garbage "literature." James Joyce wrote literature. Mark Twain wrote literature. Jane Austen wrote literature. Stephenie Meyer created an easily digestible product written on a fourth grade reading level so that any monkey with eyesight can clearly read it. Her "Twilight" is a product to be sold, not art to be savored.
If you really, really read into the series (which those who read it rarely do), it becomes obscenely clear that Bella Swan creates a sexist image against women. She's a modern age damsel-in-distress, helpless and overshadowed by the supernatural powers of Edward Cullen. She's totally hopeless in any situation she's thrown into, something today's women shouldn't see themselves as in the least bit. Bella is by far the most pathetic protagonist I've ever seen in my existence.
Her vampiric counterpart is no less devoid of merit. Thomas Foster, a literature professor at University of Michigan-Flint, claims that a true vampire story must contain a corrupt, parasitic figure leeching from the life forces of an innocent benefactor. Thus, Edward Cullen is not a true vampire. Not only is he not leeching from Bella, he's in love with her!
Meyer also skimps on other traditional aspects of vampires. For instance, her vampires aren't incinerated by the sun; instead, they just sparkle. And rather than using the more accepted view of a vampire as one living at another's expense, she uses Edward's imposed evil to contrast with Bella's innocence, harping on the sappy and overdone theme of amor omnia vicit -- love conquering all.
Another aspect of the "Twilight" series that bothers me is the joining of love and sex. There is a major difference between the two, but Meyer is writing to a whole new generation of girls and opening up their hopes and dreams of finding love via sex. Good luck with that. (That's sarcasm, by the way.)
Literature, to me as a realist fiction writer, is the same as visual art. It is art. It is something to be appreciated, not consumed and tossed aside.
Meyer does not put out art; she puts out a product. The difference? It takes a sharp and educated mind to appreciate art. It takes nothing more than a set of half-functioning eyeballs and the romantic hopes of a 13-year-old girl to fall in love with "Twilight."
When we talk about "Twilight," we're not talking about crafting artful reading. We're talking about the creation, marketing and purchasing of a product. This novel doesn't belong on bookshelves; it belongs next to the 5-Hour Energy Drink, lottery tickets and other instant gratification items found at your local gas station.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- As a craftsman of the written word, it's only natural that I have a personal vendetta against the "Twilight" phenomenon. The great Stephen King summed up what the rest of the literary world thinks about "Twilight" when he said, "[Stephenie] Meyer can't write worth a darn."
I agree, and I'm going to tell you why.
This series, which plays on the most accessible human emotion (love), is a joke in terms of literature -- if you even want to call this garbage "literature." James Joyce wrote literature. Mark Twain wrote literature. Jane Austen wrote literature. Stephenie Meyer created an easily digestible product written on a fourth grade reading level so that any monkey with eyesight can clearly read it. Her "Twilight" is a product to be sold, not art to be savored.
If you really, really read into the series (which those who read it rarely do), it becomes obscenely clear that Bella Swan creates a sexist image against women. She's a modern age damsel-in-distress, helpless and overshadowed by the supernatural powers of Edward Cullen. She's totally hopeless in any situation she's thrown into, something today's women shouldn't see themselves as in the least bit. Bella is by far the most pathetic protagonist I've ever seen in my existence.
Her vampiric counterpart is no less devoid of merit. Thomas Foster, a literature professor at University of Michigan-Flint, claims that a true vampire story must contain a corrupt, parasitic figure leeching from the life forces of an innocent benefactor. Thus, Edward Cullen is not a true vampire. Not only is he not leeching from Bella, he's in love with her!
Meyer also skimps on other traditional aspects of vampires. For instance, her vampires aren't incinerated by the sun; instead, they just sparkle. And rather than using the more accepted view of a vampire as one living at another's expense, she uses Edward's imposed evil to contrast with Bella's innocence, harping on the sappy and overdone theme of amor omnia vicit -- love conquering all.
Another aspect of the "Twilight" series that bothers me is the joining of love and sex. There is a major difference between the two, but Meyer is writing to a whole new generation of girls and opening up their hopes and dreams of finding love via sex. Good luck with that. (That's sarcasm, by the way.)
Literature, to me as a realist fiction writer, is the same as visual art. It is art. It is something to be appreciated, not consumed and tossed aside.
Meyer does not put out art; she puts out a product. The difference? It takes a sharp and educated mind to appreciate art. It takes nothing more than a set of half-functioning eyeballs and the romantic hopes of a 13-year-old girl to fall in love with "Twilight."
When we talk about "Twilight," we're not talking about crafting artful reading. We're talking about the creation, marketing and purchasing of a product. This novel doesn't belong on bookshelves; it belongs next to the 5-Hour Energy Drink, lottery tickets and other instant gratification items found at your local gas station.
Post a comment