My View on the Twilight Books--With Spoilers

I have read all but Breaking Dawn-which has been spoiled so many times over for me I might as well have read it-and some of Midnight Sun.

I read Twilight-before all the hype-because I had read everything in the school library that was remotely interesting and that my parents would consider acceptable. Then I moved on to vampire books, which were fascinating. Twilight was fascinating at the time because I was lonely, feeling misunderstood, and at that time in my life where I had to read other books to get inspiration for my own. The other books came out, and I read those too. I liked them, because of the language and how I was drawn into the books.
I cannot recall when I first started disliking the books, it may have been the over-the-top fan stories I began to hear, or the fact that the 'opposing side' had good points. I read the books again, thought about it more, and realized--I disliked them. I have always been a sucker for misunderstood people or 'the little guy,' and I ended up siding with those who dislike the books.

Now, I know we all read books for enjoyment--I understand that perfectly. Everyone is allowed to like and dislike books as they please. The problem I began to notice, however, was how the over-the-top fangirls did not stop at simply liking the books, they had to want to date Edward Cullen, become a vampire, leave their windows open for him, attack those who dislike/hated the books, and view the Twilight books as Bible and Meyer as a god. That, my friends, is not good. That is unhealthy. We all have the right to like what we like and nobody should say we cannot, but when our right interferes with theirs or theirs with ours, that is where the problem lies, and so Antis were 'born.'

I personally am an anti, because while I agree that we should not tell others they cannot read something, there comes a point when it is over the top. I became an anti when:


-I realized how ridiculous it is that vampires sparkle and drink animal blood. Yes, imagination and all that is absolutely wonderful as well as a new take on things, but really if they sparkle and only drink animal blood, what else are they but glorified pixies? You cannot reduce a vampire to that--otherwise it is not a vampire. The whole idea is that vampires are very, very frightening half-dead 'people' who want to drink your blood, immortal, extremely strong, fast, and usually cannot come out in daytime otherwise they'll be nothing but a pile of ashes. A person who is strong, fast, sparkles, lives forever, only drinks animal blood? Not a vampire. This is just a pet peeve and yes a huge issue but not so much the reason why I think young teens and preteens should not read the saga/series/whatever you want to call it.

-Yes, Edward Cullen is a stalker. I am sorry that many fans cannot see this, and this is where it gets problematic. Yes, I have only met them online, but I have 'met' girls who do literally wish that Edward would stalk them and creep into their rooms at night, among other less-appropriate things. Just because a guy is hot does not mean that it is okay he is stalking you. Really, it is very disturbing. Very, very disturbing.

-He is creepy and has no personality. Yeah, he is 'hot,' but he is creepy. He only likes Bella for her smell and how pretty she is. How much more shallow can it get? And the majority of girls who read these books actually think that it's true love. So many have said that real guys could take pointers from Edward. I highly doubt it. Guys--please, I beg you, do NOT take pointers from Edward. Not only is he fictional, but he stalks, he will not let his 'love' hang out with her friends ... and so many other things.

-Bella. Oh, my. I read one comment online that had me almost crying. Bella was called a hero. No, she is not a hero. She does, basically, nothing whatsoever. Everyone does everything for her and practically bows at her feet, and we are not really told why. She considers herself to be rather plain, and yet all the guys at the school are enamored with her the moment they see her and ask her out on dates and everything besides. She always has to be saved, as well. Not to mention there really isn't any plot, so how on earth could she be a hero if there is no plot?

This post is already too long so I'll just stop here but those are some of the issues I have with the books. It just disturbs me so much that girls would be so obsessed with Edward, the fictional sparkly immortal guy (he is NOT a vampire) that they would wish he were real, think he is better than real guys, want him to come into their rooms, want him to be their boyfriend, think stalking is all right as long as the guy is hot, believe that Edward and Bella's 'relationship' is the standard for true love and a good relationship, never allow any criticism of Meyer or her books, and attack those who do not like the books. That is what crossin' the line is.

If you are a sane fan who just loves the books, kudos to you and I am glad you like them, just please do not become insane and start babbling on about how hot Edward is and how you wish he was your boyfriend and how you will kill anyone who does not like the books.