9/22/2020

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I cannot even tell you how long I was sneaking around this book before I finally was able to borrow it from my library some years ago. The entire world back then was crazy about this novel and no matter where I was, teenagers were talking with excitement and fascination about Bella and Edward and the world the author had created. Soon I found out, that this is the start of a series that polarizes its readers. You either love it or don´t love it at all. Find out what party I belong to…

Twilight

by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight Series #1

Publisher Little Brown Books on October 5, 2005

Genre Vampire

Pages 544

Format Hardcover

Source Library 

Goodreads

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Isabella Swan´s move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella´s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.  

Story

Isabella Swan, called Bella, moves to live with her father in Forks, so that her mother can spend more time with her second husband, an athlete, while he is looking for work. Her life in Forks already seems to be clearly in front of her: dreary, boring, quite rainy and cloudy until it is no longer possible. But it turns out differently. Completely different. With her first day at the new school, Bella´s life changes fundamentally. She meets Edward. A boy of breathtaking unearthly beauty and maddeningly angry with her. Still, he saves her life. Bella is fascinated and confused at the same time. Why is he so mad? Why does he still save her life? In her own way, Bella slowly and gradually gets to the bottom of Edward´s secret. But Edward doesn´t fit like that at all. He tries hard to make her realize how dangerous he is for her, but Bella is not deterred. A decision that brings Bella to death´s door. 

Style

Stephenie Meyer describes the plot with interesting contrasts and uses a powerful visual language that presents the reader with one unbelievable scene after another and still leaves plenty of room for their own imagination. Although the story does not have a fast pace, it is moving quickly and the author knows how to skillfully depict tension, love, and the worries and needs of teenagers without falling into clichés. Even if Stephenie Meyer repeatedly emphasizes how cold Edward feels (cold fingers, cold lips, cold cheek, etc.), these stresses do not bother, because she always combines them with a total contrast. The author has also skillfully described some fight scenes that end very bloody but turn out to be exciting and captivating while reading and only become more or less bloody through the reader's imagination. I especially liked the scene when Bella fights a vampire who feeds on human blood and shows astonishing strength and stamina, even though she is literally thrown through the room like a lifeless doll, crashes into huge mirrors, and has nothing to oppose this inhuman power except its human will.

Characters

Edward is undoubtedly a vampire. But what one! Not only does he look like a divine being, he also exists according to completely different principles than other vampires. He does not feed on human blood but prefers to hunt animals. He can move around freely outside in cloudy weather and even sunlight does not harm him. Only because his skin then glitters like a sea of diamonds does he prefer not to go out with people on such days. He lives with his family in a bright, spacious house in the middle of the forest, far from Forks, and loves to drive a car or hunt through the forest at murderous speed. Edward can hear people's thoughts, only it does not work with Bella. Her scent drives him crazy from the first moment. Nevertheless, he is not able to let go of her. On the contrary, he even challenges fate when he reveals some of his secrets to her, and Bella experiences for the first-time what powers are actually in him.

With the character of Bella, Stephenie Meyer has created a protagonist in which pretty much every normal girl should recognize herself somewhere. She is neither beautiful nor ugly, hates crowd attention, cannot dance, but is a gifted cook and loves books. The fact that her father is a taciturn man suits her very well, so she doesn't have to talk to him much. And the few words that they exchange is more meaningful than long dialogues could ever have. Nevertheless, a loving connection can be felt between the two and Bella is not a girl who lives without manners and rules.

Conclusion

A fascinating varied book with a dreamlike love story that makes you addicted to more. Just as great to read for adults as it is for teenagers aged 14 and over.

Happy reading

Stephenie Meyer

Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English Literature. In 2008 USA Today declared her “Author of the Year” because she had swept the top four slots in that year – which no one else ever had in the 15 years of the USA Today bestselling book list. Her internationally bestselling Twilight Series has sold 155 million copies worldwide and all together her books have spent over 303 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List. She lives with her husband and three sons in Arizona.

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