So my friend, Alyssa, tells me I just HAVE TO READ TWILIGHT. Well, I’m game so I tell her to lend me the book. Trouble is, she doesn’t have the book. She watched the movie then read the three sequels. Alright. So I obtain the audiobook and put it on my ipod to listen to it. It’s about a 14 hour book so it’s going to take a while as I don’t have much time for just sitting and listening. I think the story is ok but the author repeats herself far too much. I swear if I had to hear much more about the color of Edward’s eyes or how frequently his mood changed or his granite like skin, I would have had to quit the book in frustration. And by the way, why does this 100 year old vampire think and act like an adolescent? Ridiculous. The book really picked up some when the second group of vampires showed up and I devoted most of Sunday afternoon to just listening so I could finish the book.
After I finished listening, I decided to watch the movie. Big mistake! The movie made the book seem like a masterpiece work of art. I will put aside the fact that the story was very different because of how truncated it was (I mean rewrites, not just an abridgement). But this little town of 3100 people in the Pacific Northwest has to be the most ethnically diverse town in the country! Every demographic was represented. There was the token this and the token that. And because the storyline was so chopped up, the pace at which things happened made no sense at all. And one more thing I’d like to pick on; Carlisle was so chalky white that any person he ever came into contact with would take one look at him and think, “This guy’s a vampire.” Really it was unnecessarily pasty. In an effort to make it obvious to the audience, it only makes me think how unrealistic it is. Sure, vampires and such may be unrealistic to begin with. But I can accept the premise that vampires exist. What I can’t accept is that in this world, people are blind idiots who don’t blink twice at a guy who’s whiter than any albino.
So I’d say the book was ok but the movie was pathetic. I hope the sequels are better.
After I finished listening, I decided to watch the movie. Big mistake! The movie made the book seem like a masterpiece work of art. I will put aside the fact that the story was very different because of how truncated it was (I mean rewrites, not just an abridgement). But this little town of 3100 people in the Pacific Northwest has to be the most ethnically diverse town in the country! Every demographic was represented. There was the token this and the token that. And because the storyline was so chopped up, the pace at which things happened made no sense at all. And one more thing I’d like to pick on; Carlisle was so chalky white that any person he ever came into contact with would take one look at him and think, “This guy’s a vampire.” Really it was unnecessarily pasty. In an effort to make it obvious to the audience, it only makes me think how unrealistic it is. Sure, vampires and such may be unrealistic to begin with. But I can accept the premise that vampires exist. What I can’t accept is that in this world, people are blind idiots who don’t blink twice at a guy who’s whiter than any albino.
So I’d say the book was ok but the movie was pathetic. I hope the sequels are better.
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Ok so I take it you didn’t much care for the book and that’s fine. However I couldn’t read your blog without making a few comments of my own. I freely admit my bias upfront as I love the whole series and read (not listened to) all four in just eleven days. First off I feel for you and the descriptions of Edwards eye’s, his skin and the like. If the author was describing Rosalie or Alice your might feel differently. Now why does a 100 year old vampire act like an adolescent. The answer is very simple. He is an adolescent, when he died he lost the ability to change. Essentially he is the same person he was when he died.
I found your comments about the diversity thing quite humoring, what you said is true and in fact if you really watch the movie closely you’ll start to see other stuff to make you laugh as well. Like think about the size of the hospital was bit over the top unless every third person in town works at the hospital. There is also one funny scene when Dr Cullen is talking to Charlie and the sign behind them points down the hall for the sleep study center. That has to be some sort of joke, 3100 people and they have a sleep study. Lol. I do have an explanation however for people not noticing how pale the good doctor was and can sum it up in one word. Glamour. It’s hard to notice anything about a person when you are over whelmed with everything about them from their sweet smell to their intrinsic beauty.
In earnest having read and listened to many books I can tell you that when you read it the book is usually better than when you listen to it. I think it’s because you hear the book in your own internal voices and the images your brain conjures up are more intense. But that’s just my opinion.
ttfn:Holly
Hey Holly,
How cool that you left a comment!
I liked the book ok. I liked the sequels better; at least so far.
Rosalie does nothing for me, I like Alice quite a lot. I have heard from someone else the idea that one is frozen emotionally at the age at which they were turned. While I don't like that idea, I can agree that if that is the author's premise, I can go with it. And even MORE of a reason to not let Bella mature any more than neccesary before turning her.
I really enjoy audiobooks. When the reader is good, it's amazing! Have you listened to the Harry Potter books? Jim Dale does such a good job. The reader for the Twilight books is ok, but she could be better.
Those were my thoughts exactly all the way through, “turn Bella now… hurry before it’s too late”. Yeah we listened to several (two I think, read the rest) of the HP books. Jim Dale is the bomb for anything set in England anyway. I just love his accent.
Rosalie does nothing for you in the book or movie (or both)? I thought she was the worst casting call they made on the picture. She was supposed to be unbelievably beautiful (and vain) not just a b#%$h. I don’t think many people would think she was an over the top beauty either. On the other hand I thought the casting/acting for Jasper was amazing. He really pulled together quite the image for having such a small part. He was much more believable depiction than I’d imagined him.
ttfn: Holly
Oh and, I'm pretty sure I heard an interview with Stephanie Meyers where she was talking about how Edward is indeed fixed and unchanging. A fact she eluded to in the books often. Partly why the Vampires were described as stone. Fixed, hard, unchanging. That also accounted for why Vampires "mate for life" er death? you know what I mean. Once they fall in love thats it they are fixed in place forever.
ttfn:Holly