Literary Analysis ~ The Twilight Saga, Installment I: Plot Potholes, Part I: Book One

Note: this is going to be an on going thing that might take some time to write.

I am going to put on my serious face. My serious, I-am-transcending-into-my-editor-side-of-me mode and take a look at Stephanie Meyer's infatuating and eking with plot potholes, flat characters, anti-climatic and cliche conflict and overall this is a tale for lovesick teenagers who have no "significant" one in their life so instead they hull up on sunny days inside and read these novels for some sense of self-satisfaction.

Word from the wise, if you are a dear fan of Stephanie Meyer's work then I suggest you stop reading now because I'm not going to be dissing it. I'm going to be telling you the truth about it. Forget the sappy love story that is, not to mention, not dynamic at all, although Meyers desperately tries to... we're going to look at this from its literary point of view.

Of course, I have read all of the books. So I can't say that I'm a jump-on-the-band-wagon disliker.

I talked about writer's recently and the hierarchy there and I wouldn't really consist Stephanie Meyer's a true-to-heart writer. Because, okay, yes she has a degree in Literature, but heck, that's not enough to write a good book. And besides, she got the ideas for the Twilight Saga from a dream. I have people who try to tell me their dreams all the time and they never end up making sense to me. So, do you honestly think we'd get it too?

This first installment is about the plot, not of the first book, of all of the books -- the entire saga. Also, okay, let's get this straight. A saga is not just four books. I don't know exactly why Meyer's chose "saga" but it practically means a long story that takes up several generations of family or has heroic exploits, which, in my opinion there is techinically no hero in the Twilight Saga. All of them are just characters. I can't think of any define type of characters they are except for the fact that they have pretty good adjectives to describe them. But nothing literary that I know of.

Although, a good example of a saga is the Star Wars saga. It's about... eh, two generations. The parents and the offspring and Luke Skywalker is definitely a hero. No doubt. He has many traits that show it. Anyway.

Let's take a look at what the Saga is in a nutshell. A infatuating love story between a human and a vampire, which leads to stalkerish behavior, rabid vampires, and a rivarly with werewolf as one gets into the mix.

That's pretty much all it is in a one sentence summary, which is what every writer should aim for in their story. Get the general idea of what's going on. I've been able to do that. Some people think it's impossible. But an easy way to figure that out is to take a step back and ask yourself, "What the general idea?" Mine: A veteran to a 32-year old war recalls her life story to the tombstone to a deceased squadmate in attempts to find out what she can do to save the only person she's called a father. Pretty much, that's it in a nutshell.

Back on topic.

But what about all of the contents, I will focus mainly on the first and second book because truly those are the books that either sell your book and make you have an audience - or that's what you aim for.

The first book to any series, the first page, the first parapraph, the first sentence, the very first word is what sells your book. The second book just sets it in stone if your readers like your work. Trust me guys, if you're going to get a book published, then you better pay close attention to the beginning.

The beginning of Twilight is pretty typical, I must say. At that point, it could be any type of girl. Bella, a overly confused, not-so-confident, timid and pessmistic character, is eighteen years old and is going to spend her last year at school at her dad's in a lonely town of Forks, Washington. To me, as a writer, is a pathetic character in my opinion for a main character. And by the end of the series, there really isn't much improvment, only the fact that she's got wicked vampire powers and a "life" that she can spend in her own little piece of eternity with her beloved, Edward.

But I'm going into characters in a different post.

The entire book is practically about Edward and Bella having a love at first sight type of relationship and instantly fall in love with each other. Of course, it's suppose to be a span of several months, which I found hard to believe since the time passed by so fast. It only seemed like a week or two. I didn't feel like there was progression of this love relationship, just instant infatuation. Nothing more. Of course, I'm not a big fan of this type of romance but I think the instant love was actually very, very... eh, stalkerish. Edward would watch her sleep. Honestly, that's when you get Charlie's shotgun and blow him to oblivion. Seriously?! What boyfriend climbs into his girlfriends house to watch her sleep? For a fact, it is boring to watch someone sleep. Or... of course, I'm assuming this. I find Edward's behavior very, very creepy. But Bella seems to be attracted to this, which is weird considering her character.

Bella finds out that Edward is a vampire as she freakishly searches google as if there's this... weird chance that this could actually be happening and she loves this.

Okay... *facepalm* I think Meyer's is trying to be orginial with this vampire and human love type of things and I can sense that she really tried but ended up failing... why in the friggin' world under the... oddest circumstances would you ever think that making a vampire sparkle? Honestly. What - is he a fairy or something? He prances around a forest and sparkles? Tinkerbell? But of course, I can see she's reaching but ends up coming up short or... at least, grabs something else. To me, these vampires - maybe not the Cullens, but all of them, it seems to make them seem a lot less... vicious. Instead of making it epic like this: "Beth stepped out from the protectional shade of the archway and onto the descending stone steps and as the sun bathes her, her skin begins to sting but she banishes pain and continues on." No... "Edward steppe out from the archway and friggin' sparkled." -_- To me, it kills their character, all of them.

Then, as the story progresses the conflict or the antagonist is introduced, James and he and his posse, Laurent and Victoria are on the hunt for humans and Bella's been hearing stuff from Charlie that dead bodies are being found. James goes on this mad hunt for Bella because apparently, her blood is irresistable and he desperately wants her. Honestly, if I were Victoria, his mate, I would have been deeply offended. So, James goes to Bella's mom back in Phenoix and gathers intel about Bella and tricks her into thinking that her mother is in trouble in a ballet studio, which ends up being false as she exoduses to a safer location while Edward deals with James. Bella, being clueless, goes to the ballet studio, gets ambushed by James and they have this huge fight and Bella gets bitten and she's convulsing and Carlisle is saying that Edward needs to suck out the venom but he's going on about how he doesn't think he'll be able to stop himself, when in the end he does.

The story ends as Bella, being shallow, goes to a dance with Edward, although she doesn't want to and they have a wonderful time and Victoria is watching them creepily from a nearby building. And the end.

How eventful. Now, I wished that Meyer's had made the series a bit more serious and sexier and scarier because it would have made it a lot more interesting. But of course, that's my opinion and would make a much... erm, better movie and book series. It just lacked creepiness and realism. That's all.

All right folks, now, I do NOT want walloping comments about how you think I'm wrong and that I'm not respecting her enough. If you read this post again, I did not say anything about hating Meyers, I'm merely saying that her story has critical flaws and it could have been much better.

Okay, until next time, Part 2: Book Two and Three.

Talley-ho,

Chels