Author: Stephenie Meyer
Hardcover, 498 pages
Published October 5th 2005 by Little, Brown and Company (first published September 2005)
This is a very, very special book for me, as evidenced by my rating -- SIX stars!! I realize that book rating systems do not go beyond five stars, but this is my way of showing my loving appreciation of this book and its author, Stephenie Meyer. Although I have read many vampire romances, both for adults and young adults, no other book -- except for the other volumes in The Twilight Saga -- has affected me as deeply as this one. The poignant, bittersweet tone of the writing, the wonderfully depicted characters, indeed, the story itself, have truly captured my heart. Paradoxically, I had long been putting off writing reviews of these books I treasure, telling myself that I could not possibly add anything new to the countless amount already written by fans of this series.
At last, I decided to sit down at my laptop and just let the words flow. This blog is, after all, directly inspired by The Twilight Saga. It was about time I started reviewing these books!
The first book in the series, Twilight, is a classic in a long line of classics dealing with impossible love. It's a beautiful, shining dream that entices the reader to yearn for such love, even as Bella and Edward reach for it themselves, against all odds.
Isabella Swan, usually known as Bella, leaves her beloved, sunny Phoenix for what she feels will be the depressing, rain-drenched atmosphere of Forks, a town in the state of Washington. She's doing this so that her newly-remarried mother, Renee, can spend more time traveling with her husband, Phil, a minor league baseball player. So Bella reluctantly "says her goodbyes to the sun", and sets off for Forks, taking her winter clothes with her. She will be staying with her father, Charlie, who happens to be the town's police chief.
It is in this constantly overcast, dreary setting that Bella meets Edward, whose initial reaction to her is one of hostility. This puzzles her. She is, after all, the new student at Forks High, and, as she herself says, Edward doesn't know her from Eve. Little does she realize how she has really affected this boy she is already mysteriously drawn to....
Later in the story, we meet Jacob, a young Native American, who lives on the nearby Quileute reservation. During a conversation with Bella at a beach outing with her classmates, he hints that Edward and his family might be the original "Cold Ones" with whom Jacob's grandfather established a treaty, many years in the past. One of the provisions of this treaty is that the Cullens are not allowed on Quileute land. This so intrigues Bella that, once back home, she begins an obsessive Internet search to find out whether Edward is, indeed, a vampire.
Once she discovers the truth, she also discovers that she is madly in love with Edward, and that he is just as fiercely attracted to her. Throughout the book, they strive to deal with their unusual romance, she attempting to convince him that he is not the monster he firmly believes himself to be, he attempting to control the raging bloodlust that is set off by his attraction to Bella, as well as to convince her that his company is very dangerous to her.
One of the most endearing aspects of the novel is the Cullen family. Edward lost his real parents to influenza, back in 1918, and was dying himself, when the attending physician, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, decided to save him by turning the young man into a vampire. Dr. Cullen himself has been a vampire since the sixteenth century. Thus Edward joins Dr. Cullen's family, which would eventually include Esme, his adoptive mother, and adoptive siblings Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie.
I especially love Carlisle and Alice, although Emmett is definitely a blast! Jasper remains very enigmatic and mysterious, while Rosalie actively dislikes Bella, thus making me dislike her. Esme is very sweet and nurturing, but she doesn't play a very big role in this particular book although the author makes it very clear that she immediately starts to love Bella like a daughter.
Carlisle, as the family founder, is the one responsible for the ethical code they follow. They refuse to feed from humans, preferring to hunt animals instead. There is to be no shedding of human blood. Edward jokingly refers to his family as 'vegetarians', but this is a very serious life choice they have made, one that sets them apart from other vampires.
Alice is the sort of kooky, irrepressibly funny, yet very supportive sister I wish I could have had, even if her total insistence on 'helping' Bella become more fashion-conscious would probably have driven me crazy. She can also see the future, although her visions are changeable, entirely dependent on the choices made by the person whose actions she sees.
Edward, too, has a psychic talent -- he can read minds, all except Bella's, incredibly enough. This raises an interesting, yet frustrating, obstacle for him, but it does lend his beloved an air of mystery he finds challenging.
We also meet James, Victoria, and Laurent, nomadic vampires whose fateful encounter with the Cullens sets off the novel's drama, and highlights even more the strong love between Bella and Edward. One of these nomads, James, is what Edward calls a 'tracker'. He will pursue his chosen prey until he captures him or her (becase of course these nomads are typical vampires). Unfortunately, he wants Bella, once he has noticed that she is human, in spite of being accepted by the Cullens. Edward immediately reacts to protect Bella, and the thrust of the story becomes the race to prevent James from killing her. The action quickly picks up once this meeting has taken place, never letting up until the final, pulse-pounding, horrific battle ensues, in which Edward turns out to be the key to Bella's survival.
Toward the middle and end of the book, Bella repeatedly asks Edward to turn her into a vampire, so she can stay with him forever. He refuses, claiming that this will put her soul in jeopardy. It is very touching to see how each is concerned about the other's welfare, although of course it is Edward who bears the major responsibility for keeping Bella safe.
I simply cannot say enough about this beaufiful, exquisitely romantic novel. It has immortalized the love between "the lion and the lamb", in such memorable scenes as the one in the meadow, where Edward first confesses his love to Bella. This book is much, much more than just 'an entertaining read'. It is a lyrical tribute to the purity and steadfastness of true love. It has alternately made me laugh, cry, and sigh, as well as wish for the lush, green woods surrounding Forks.
Call me a sentimentalist, a hopeless romantic. Guilty as charged! I have always craved the ideal of a romance not of this world. This wonderful book delivers. I have already read it three times, and know that I shall read it yet again, and again... for a long time to come!
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