Twilight by
Stephanie Meyer has all the hallmarks of a really awful vampire novel, a genre that has made some exceptional
contributions to literature over the years but is weighed down by an endless tide of books that should have ended up in the slop bucket. Twilight should be in that pile, everything about the book shrieks “wrong” to anyone who isn't nocturnal with a predisposition towards the colour black. It's set in a high-school in good old USA and is essentially a novel of teenage romance,
coming of age and sexual tension written entirely in the first person with minimal dialog and minimal action. So brace yourself, if you haven't read Twilight already: Twilight by
Stephanie Meyer is an exceptionally good read, whether you are a vampire fanatic or not.
I couldn't put Twilight down and what is all the more infuriating is I have no idea what it is that makes this book so good. It's a very flawed novel, for a start while I don't need blood, explosions and bumps in the night for a novel to be compelling for me, I do generally need something to happen. When I say there isn't much action in Twilight I mean a substantial portion of the book examines in detail the growing relationship between the two protagonists, the intelligent, insecure, self-sacrificing Bella Swan and the sophisticated,noble, protective and equally self-sacrificing Edward Cullen. He's a vampire by the way... When the action does arrive, it is with such contrast to the novel's earlier pace that it appears over in a flash and, while the build up in tension is sound, the pay off doesn't quite do the novel justice. In addition to this, there is a very real sense that this novel is slightly under 500 pages of teenage angst, a statement holding appeal for most of the teenage girls in the world but I'm neither teenage nor a girl.
I guess the real strength of Twilight is that the story doesn't end there. Bella is not a stereotypical teenage girl, obsessed with boys, bra-size and whether Daddy will buy her that must have item. We see Bella taking responsibility for most of the household chores, sacrificing a home in sunny Phoenix to give her newlywed Mother and Step-Father the lifestyle they long for and generally being repelled by all of the “normal” teenage highlights like prom and sports and clothes shopping. Edward's strength of character is really in his imperfections, to which Bella herself is of course oblivious. Despite his age, he is caught between following his heart and staying with Bella as opposed to doing what is arguably safest for her and staying clear of her. The ancillary characters are no less complex or compelling and what could easily be an extremely dull monologue instead grabs readers by the throats (so to speak) and keeps them glued to the page.
Twilight is not perfect, let us be clear. It shows great promise and is irritatingly addictive but I think anyone trying to argue that this is one of the best novels ever written even within the genre are going to get some raised eyebrows. The best thing about reading Twilight, is that there are three further installments, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, in which Stephanie Meyer takes each of my criticisms and systematically blows them away. This is the first novel in a saga, and that saga is one of precious few that get better with each successive volume, making it a feast that sits with the true greats of this genre and to my mind literature as a whole. I have just finished reading the third in the saga and the pacing is better, the writing more clever and inventive and the characters sing off the page. Twilight is an amazing read, and it's flaws are but necessary evils on the path to truly outstanding genre fiction. Give it a go.