Case (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
case) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomsecrets2008-04-23 05:27 pm
case) wrote in fandomsecrets2008-04-23 05:27 pm
[ SECRET POST #474 ]
⌈ Secret Post #474 ⌋
Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.
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Notes:
Secrets Left to Post: 06 pages, 128 secrets from Secret Submission Post #068.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.
no subject
24 OP
(Anonymous) 2008-04-24 01:13 am (UTC)(link)To me, Twilight is "crap" for many, many reasons. I kind of understand why it's popular, and I kind of understand why it got published, but there are so many things out there that are so many times less cliche, and the fact that fandom wets itself for stuff like this makes me want to weep.
I'll start with something simple, like characters:
Bella is nothing more to me than a Mary Sue. She's flat and two dimensional with no human flaws, making her completely and totally unrealistic on a personal level. I found it so difficult to see her as a real person, whether she was quiet or had family problems, or whether she was angsting about not being with the person she loves. It's just that she really is the kind of character that every single book-reading tween out there identifies with and wants to be. Look, our lovely Bella is sweet, kind, pretty, a little shy, non-athletic, has a horde of guys chasing after her, and is in love with a very, very beautiful vamp who happens to reciprocate her feelings. (I don't understand what chemistry they have, either, other than his thinking "oh, your blood seems rather tasty, you're my type, oops, i'll just pass this off as falling in love with you. Now i can't drink your blood! *angstangst*") The reason fans love her is because she doesn't really have that much of a personality. She's just bland. You can put whatever face you want on her, and it wouldn't matter. Read into it your own flaws, your own problems. She's the girl who will bust her way out of it with plot armour and loving vampire boyfriends. srsly.
Edward. Edward Cullen. One can't help but like him, at first. I know I did. He has this quality that makes you fall in love with him. Meyer continuously describes him as "gorgeous" or "beautiful" with "eyes that you could fall into" or some such rubbish, and she says it so much that your mind conjures up this godly image of the most perfect guy that you can possibly think of, and OH MY GOD he's pretty and mysterious with that slight touch of danger and in love with this perfectly normal girl that is perfect, and OH OOHHH GODS, I COULD BE HER. *headdesk* He acts completely selfishly, and in a completely contradictory way. Sure Bella doesn't mind, and we don't mind, and Meyer passes it off with her plot armour, but if it really comes down to it is he really that appealing a character? He's just as bland as Bella is. I can't see him as someone anybody could really fall in love with other than just projecting their fantasies into him.
.. tbc. (because this was too long Dx)
24 OP Cont'd
(Anonymous) 2008-04-24 01:14 am (UTC)(link)Plot-wise, it's nothing special. It's riddled with little holes that are hidden with lots and lots of sparkles. The whole world of vampires and werewolves existing in such a way is unrealistic. I can't see how this sort of thing can be kept under wraps, even with legends flying around. The development of Bella and Edward's relationship is grating, and as I touched on before the two of them are just bland characters for people to project things on. I don't think they're even intentionally written that way, because Meyer keeps saying things like they're "her children" and such. Some of the characters that I read in Darren Shan seem to have more personality at times. The only real beef I have to pick with Darren Shan is the plot and writing style. What kept me reading were the characters.
Which brings me to how the writing style in Twilight isn't exactly good either. While it's miles better than Darren Shan and doesn't grate as much, it doesn't exactly have any polish to it. There's overuse of dramatic extended metaphor (oh, I'm a planet off course in a solar system drifting with stars etc. etc.) and a lot of description of feelings that don't have any basis. Overuse of ellipsis and hyphens, and stupidly dramatic lines. (honestly, characters, please Dx )...
It's nearly 2 in the morning and i think I've ranted enough... ;; This is only my opinion of course... Feel free to argue with me. :'D
Sorry for staying anon. Dx;; I'd reveal who I am, but I don't think my friend would appreciate it because her identity might be obvious when I do...
and also i'm so sorry for the LENGTH.. but yes. um. this is why.
Re: 24 OP Cont'd
I read Twilight and enjoyed it. (I don't know that you could call me a Twilight fangirl or anything, but it was an entertaining read.) And I absolutely agree that it's not the best thing ever written. But the way that people just go around saying that it sucks without giving any actual justification for it has been starting to annoy me. You made some valid points here, and I really appreciate it. It's nice to hear an articulate argument that goes beyond the blanket "it's all purple prose and Mary Sues!" statement.
Anyway, thanks again for the thoughtful reply, and I hope your friend has good luck with her story. If she gets published and would like another reader, leave me an anon comment on my journal anytime with the book title. I tend to walk the beaten path with my book choices, but I love to support new writers when I can. :)
Re: 24 OP Cont'd
I don't think Twilight is perfet either, not at all (especially after Eclipse, which messed soooo many things up). It's very annoying, even for me when 'Twihards' say it's better than everything, so I can imagine how someone, who doesn't even like it can be annoyed by that. But I got really attached to this book. :)
I agree with you about how Bella is someone anyone could easily relate to - I lived through everything in the book just like her thanks to this, I guess. But I can't really agree about her being a Mary Sue. Truth be told, I had many doubts when I started the books, and I started to like it when I realized how real Bella is. I think she is a very honest character, true to herself and her problems. And oh yes, she has many flaws, but all those feel natural. Yes, that was the first thing that came to my mind. Bella may be an ordinary girl, but she is natural, and I think this is quite rare.
As for Edward - he is idolized by both the fans and Bella, but what makes him interesting for is how, after 108 years, he still has things he couldn't grow out of and has yet to learn.
The beginning of their relationship is quite troublesome, too, I agree. At first, I was really-really surprised and annoyed, "why the hell is Edward all over Bella?" But I think her personality played a big role in him falling in love with her (and If you think she doesn't have a personality I can see that you couldn't see where it came from).
I just love how all the... characters are kinda true, honest and I think they are interesting. As for plot, there really isn't any, it's based on emotional development, which in New Moon is especially beautiful in my opinion. I agree about the "grammar", too, though it mostly didn't annoy me, just sometimes.
I don't think Twilight is a masterpiece or anything like that, but I do believe it's an outstanding piece, a quite honest and raw love story. I love it because it has moved me, emotionally, several times.
But I respect your opinion, and I'm really grateful you explained it! I grow so attached to these books I can't really look at it as an outsider anymore.
Don't worry about staying anonymous, that's completely fine :)