Thursday, January 8, 2009

On Twilight, Vampires, and Romantic Love

As you might notice from some of my other blog entries and my website, I'm interested in superheroes, particularly what their stories reveal about psychological phenomena. "Superheroes" can be defined somewhat loosely, including supernatural heroes, such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Joss Whedon's Buffy is a strong female character: physically strong, plucky, tenacious, direct, and with a dry sense of humor. (To see Joss Whedon talk about his inspiration for Buffy, click here).

Whedon inspired others to create strong female super(natural) heros. So it's clear that Buffy is the mother, or grandmother, of a whole genre of supernatural female supes. One example is Sookie Stackhouse—the protagonist and selfless hero in Charlaine Harris' book series (and also protagonist of HBO's series, True Blood; I've read the Harris books, but not seen the TV show).

I thought that the female protagonist in Twilight, Bella (book by Stephenie Meyer), would be another daughter or granddaughter of Buffy. The film—and the fan hoopla—was getting a lot of coverage in the news, so I thought I'd see what the fuss was about and read the book. (Full disclosure: I haven't seen the movie.)

Boy was I wrong.

In fact, the character Bella—a teenage girl recently come to live with her father in rural Washington—is far from being a hero, super, supernatural, or "regular." Although clearly a bright and capable teenager, Bella seems to have little motivation or passion about much of anything except for [spoiler alert] the vampire who becomes her boyfriend.

A little background for those of you who don't know the story; bear with me. Bella transfers to the small local high school where she meets five very pale high school students who don't eat. No surprise to the reader—they're vampires. Girl meets vampire, vampire meets girl. Cue the violins. As the story unfolds, the only thing she's interested in is her vampire boyfriend. (In fact, though, she doesn't really "know" her boyfriend all that well, nor does she know all that much about vampires.) Despite these gaps in her knowledge, by the end of the book she wants to become a vampire—for all eternity—so that she can live with her boyfriend, both of them forever physically looking young. Bella feels so little interest in "regular" life—potential careers, relationships with others, the possibility of children—that she doesn't think twice about relinquishing her life to have a perpetual adolescence with her vamp boyfriend.

As an aside, the five vampires in this story who are high school students are chronologically older than teens; some of them are hundreds of years old. But they became vampires as teenagers, so that's how old they look; one assumes that they must go to high school forever or get in trouble with the authorities for truancy. Can you image having to go to high school forever? Moving towns and enrolling in a new high school every four years? Endless years of biology, English, and math? Does that sound appealing? [end of spoiler alert]

Back to Bella. Okay, so I was wrong about her being Buffy granddaughter. She's more like Buffy's antithesis. She can't get herself out of jams, doesn't act heroically, and is generally ineffectual.

What really got to me about this book is its themes of disaffected youth and nihilism. And the public's positive response to the film, which I assume is at least somewhat true to the book, leads me to feel even more anguish. This book endorses a concept of romantic love (for girls and young women for sure, and maybe for boys and young men) that goes beyond the "I love you so much that you are my life" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love. It endorses "love" nihilism—that beyond the relationship, life doesn't really matter. It's the "I love you so much that I will give up life to become undead with you" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love. But once that love peters out, the consequences are still there.

It seems to me this love nihilism is a vamp variant of the disempowering notions of romantic love that I had hoped were behind us for good:
  • "I love you so much, I don't want to think about the consequences of my actions—nothing matters but this moment."
  • "I love you so much, I'll do things that I know are against my self-interest."
  • "I love you so much, I'll have sex with you even though I don't really want to because I'm afraid of losing you,"
  • "I love you so much, I'll have sex with you even though you don't want to wear a condom."

What happened to role models of female teens who were able to see love without blinders—to have the good sense to realize that life shouldn't be put on hold because one is in love? That being in love doesn't mean giving up oneself?

Buffy was strong, practical and pragmatic, and selfless for others.
Bella is weak, impractical and not pragmatic, and selfish.

Can we have Buffy back—please?



65 comments:

  1. First, I will say I miss Buffy too. For awhile, I avoided Twilight for various reasons, but I gave in. To me, and in New Moon, it's mentioned, but Bella and Edward are most like Juliet and her Romeo.
    Buffy, was able to leave Angel and be ok, but their relationship had similar feel to Bella and Edward's. Also Buffy was a superhero, Bella is not. Bella is a klutzy, average girl, who is observant and takes care of her parents. However, if Buffy had not been a slayer trained to kill vampires and she had met Angel, maybe her and Bella would have more in common. Though Buffy prior to being a slayer was kind of the opposite of Bella already.
    Anyway, they are two different characters in two totally different universes. Again, Bella is more like Juliet and Buffy is not.

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    1. Every one has there opinions , and I think every one likes twilight because of the movie, the amazing work of the actores, the actores and the scenes, So since you didnt see the work of Kristen Stewart ( bella ) you wouldent call her weak, impractical and not pragmatic, and selfish.
      Bella isnt none of that , she proves love ," I dont care what you are i still love you", and edward ask to marry him , not too have sex with him.
      But as I said , buffy sucks as bella " sucks " but i think buffy sucks more and thank god she didnt come back

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    2. Aaaand, Kristen Stewart is a reason Twilight sucks even more. Well, that and Robert Pattinson's high-on-drugs act of a vamp. Other than that, the story had promise, but the plot was weakly-built and the actors weren't the best you could get. Oh well, while I don't have time to waste trying to take off your blinders, as Rosenberg said, I might as well finish this by stating that (Awful Twilight-stupid plot)+undying love-obsessed fans=A weak and selfish Bella, with no attachments to real life, but very famous despite her flaws. So I got that out, now, you, yes you, the Twilight troll, cuss at my words how much you want, I can't change your likes and dislikes, but we both know that a vampire/werewolf/whatever the fck you want, won't land at your window and love you forever after.
      Other than that, Buffy roflstompes Bella, so... I miss her too.

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    3. yeah. that's true. they are different.

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  2. This is the sincere love, the love that lasts forever. This kind of love comes when you have found the person you are destined to be with. Nothing can destroy unconditional love. It is like when you have an argument or disagree about something with that person and you realize that it doesn’t bother you because the love you have for him/her overcomes everything.

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  3. i guess i agree to a point. bella is a weird girl, no, make that weird human. the insitct of self preservation is a myth with her, she hears about from a vampire mind you. but that is what makes her an interesting character coz she's so strange a person. she's frustrating and at some point i wanna kill her myself. she's not like any other characters we've heard of before. and i have to say, bella only gets away with stuff that edward an jake let her get away with, which is sadly everything.

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  4. I really like the fact you are analyzing the character of Bella. The twilight series had a greate acceptance and so it is good having someone questoning about the reasons for these. The acceptance of these books comes from the fact that they includes the picture of the romantic love as seen now a days, some of the currents concerns of young teenagers and a greate deal of credibility (as the story parts from a logical point of view and keeps a sort of logic behind all the fantastic elements).


    I agree that the story reflects the importance teenagers give to living the moment without thinking of the consecuences. But I desagree with you in other aspects,I observed that in the twilight series it is never presented trough the characters the feeling of acting against their self interest out of fear of loosing their loved ones. But what do are presented are the psicological structure of teen characters who consider their current loved one as "the one" (what must of us teenagers do) and so take into consideration their loved one for every descition that is needed to take in their pensonal life.


    I also observed that trough the twilight series it is reinhersed the idea of woman as victims of love and the idea of true love as a concept contrary to reason, as seen in clasic novels such as romeo and juliet. I woud really like to know what do you think about these last point.

    I really liked you blog ! =D

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  5. well i really agree that bella is a kind of wierd girl but if that is so then every teenage girl without a boyfriend behaves the same way. the story doesnt counts her as a hero or superwoman but its a story of relationship between a vamp and human. if u r questioning why the story is a big success then please do tell that why romeo and juliet became famous? they both are not heroes. so i think its wrong to analyze the story or characters on the basis of heroism or weirdness.

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    1. I totally agree with you and not the writer of above ( saying bella is weak, impractical and not pragmatic,and selfish).Ass..

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    2. i do agree with u perfectly..how can one question twilight's success when one has not seen the movie and the work of the actors

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  6. i think you are very right about bella and buffy...to tell the truth i really didnt like or hate the book...it was good...i loved the vampires,thats all. but for bella you are right but it doesnt matter if she is a super hero or not.she is stupid,but wat to do...she is in love.nothing matters in front of love(i guess).
    but buffy is a super hero.she is supposed to be like that.she is great.
    anyways i think love makes people do crazy things.also may be you should read the book "The Host" by the same author stephenie meyer...its really good.i doesnt exactly have a super hero in it but you find a totally different hero.you will love it.i did.

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    1. to be honest ... i read the host... i found the first half of it dead boring... to me it had the same feeling as twilight i.e loving against age... against species(i.e vampire and human... alien and human) ... for lack of a better word... but on the whole it was an okay book...it got interesting only when i was about half way through it.. i didn't hate or love it ....

      i think twilight as a book is good... but as a movie it made the shallow qualities of the characters more "out there"... bella does have an element of character in the book... it shows she has a strong mind and is caring and loving and doesnt let go of that love easily.. it shows shes also human and that distance can separate a person from feeling as strongly about someone as you used to ..of falling for someone else and being in love with two people at the same time and the confusion that comes with it... in that sense i feel that stephanie got these feelings head on... Bellas not meant to be a hero shes meant to be your everyday average girl... as for the movie... well kirsten stewart or whoever she is... was just not good enough for the part according to me... shes just not that great an actress.

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  7. well..... i guess.. bella is just a superb young good lookin teenager as sketched by stephenie meyer....and speking about the success of the movie as well as the story, every teenaged girl would surely have dreamt about a guy like edward so caring, so romantic as well as handsome with extraordinary talents......thats the reason we find only teenagers in the theatres of twilight and new moon..... since most of the teenagers posses a character similar to that of bella, they find themselves in her place.....

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    1. Not really. I know a lot of teenagers who dislike Twilight.

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    2. Not really. I know a lot of teenagers who dislike Twilight.

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    3. you sure about that?

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  8. susie said...well bella and edward good pair they were very natural,i loved the veg vampires seen the movie many many times ,bella and edward have touched my heart,beautiful movie

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  9. It is amazing how I thought EXACTLY like you just after i watched the first twilight movie. i was outraged that they had portrayed the female lead.. to be such a weak needy person. it shocked me to think that there are little girls out there.. wanting to be a Bella and looking for their very own Edward..after which the world would seize to exist for them..

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  10. i think,i love both bella and edward..they are perfectly made for each other.the girl can do anything for man like edward.he was so caring.People like it.It is rare to get love like this in real life.all we can do is just read story and feel the moment..so there is no need for reasoning.so i also think its wrong to analyze the story or characters on the basis of heroism or weirdness.

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  11. lol i agree with you i want Buffy back

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  12. I love , well loved Twilight like 2 or 3 years ago when I first read the books. Now I totally agree with you.

    ''This book endorses a concept of romantic love (for girls and young women for sure, and maybe for boys and young men) that goes beyond the "I love you so much that you are my life" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love. It endorses "love" nihilism—that beyond the relationship, life doesn't really matter. It's the "I love you so much that I will give up life to become undead with you" type of all-consuming but inevitably flawed and unsustainable type of love.'' is probably my favourite part of this.

    - Still, even though I'm not obsessed with Twilight I hope I'll find someone to love me like Edward loved Bella .

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  13. i agree but the whole point of the edward and bella love is that it IS sustainable. Duh.
    And each time i read the book i see more and more clearly the emotions behind their actions and how deep stephanie must have been to write it.
    Bella is kind of weak but all humans are weak whether we accept it or not, we are weaker than almost every other animal of the same size in the planet. hell, even something microscopically small like a virus can kill us so there's a reason she wasn't portrayed in the superheroe light like buffy.and if you think about it, she's stronger than we're assuming. i mean she almost dies how many times, gets hunted down by a freaky redhead vampire, gets targeted by the FBI/ Swat team/ royal army of vampires, gets pregnant with a half vampire baby, almost dies AGAIN...come on people, how many of us wouldn't have lost our minds a long time ago if we were in her position?

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  14. I JUST LOVED WHATEVER IT IS HAPPENED BETWEEN BELLA AND EDWARD,IN ALL THREE EPISODES.I AM IMPATIENCE AND THRILLED TO KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.DON'T MAKE US WAIT TOO LONG.CREDITS TO STEPHNIE.WONDERFUL CRAFT FILLED WITH PLENTY OF LOVE.I NEVER FELT LOVE IS SUCH A NICE THING,TO FEEL AND LIVE.I THINK BELLA ,EDWARD AND STEPHNIE HAVE LIVED THE LOVE OF THEIR LIFE THROUGH OUT THE MOVIE.

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  15. anybody can say anything but i like all 3 part of twilight

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  16. I think why the twilight series has been very popular is because a lot of girls or women can relate to the story and the characters. Not all of us are that beautiful, confident all the time and the book shows that its okay to be as simple, boring or even "weak" as you said, like Bella. Alot of people can relate to that because not all of us are perfect, strong or hero-like.

    The Twilight Saga shows a love story just like any other love story all that's different is that there are a bunch of vampires and wolves involved. :)

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  17. nice blog! I agree with you, the way you see bella to buffy..well bella is a strange,weird human that does love the opposites (supernatural)... :)

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  18. I'm surprised that a lot of people claim they love the story even if they can't even relate to it. Even cartoons are more down to earth than Twilight's plot. I for once, would never surrender my life to some guy who I don't know much about. If only Bella had more personality, then maybe she wouldn't have so many haters. Twilight sounds more of like a fanfiction filled with Mary Sues anyway. Most of the characters are "perfect, flawless, and beautiful", which sounds very childish and superficial.

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  19. come on people you never felt in love with someone so hard that you can't think for your one.how meny girls are like buffy and how many are like bella?

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  20. I love Bella..She's normal girl who's in love with Edward. No matter what you say Twilight is the best.. because I can relate to her..She's not perfect like us humans.

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  21. How in the world can anyone like Bella Swan!!That girl is total nuts!I have nothing but just sympathy for her.Those who like her really need to visit a shrink.I do agree that the book is awesome but individually as a character i do not like her.

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  22. Well, i think that the way Bella is it's okay. The superhero stories show types of strong characters, nobody of them is weak, they always do the right thing, they always save someone in the right time, they always make the right desicions. On the opposite, Bella seems really natural in everything, you don't expect her to be powerful, or make the right decisions in the right time. She tries to make things alright, but even if she doesn't that ok. Nobody is gonna blame her and even if they do, that's not bad! But she does try to fix it, learn from her mistakes. That's why people like her, because it's a character that is similar to a simple everyday person. And being that simple, she shows us that we can be stronger and stronger, we can change things even though we are simple. Because we can find the hero inside of us and we can make it come outside. That's why people are attracted to this film. It feels more real than a typical superhero hero story, which is good, but you can expect what is going to happen... (sorry about my english, i tried my best :D)

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    1. Don't be sorry for your English!You're quite right! Your opinion corresponds exactly to my own feelings and thoughts about the film!

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  23. Not all the people can relate for this kind of teenage love- girl meets vampire and vampire meets girl as said. But what was it that makes the world go round? its not always money right?! its the so called L-O-V-E. Can you go running around saving people's love all the time while being lonely for the rest of your life? this might be selfishness but the bella-edward team up can make you realize that love is perfect enough to be the hero of your life. <3

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  24. The reason why readers are so interested is because the whole book is based on the concept of "Forbidden Love" . This book shows readers that love is unconditional. Sure Bella likes to take risks but only because it shows that her personality revolves around love. What more can readers aks for when they see action, romance, and tragedy all in one book? Of coyrse readers love it because teenagers and adults nowadays want to see love in action and that love is real. People like the books because they wish for love like this one not necessarily vampires but love that makes people foolishly romantic and unconditional.

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  25. Buffy and Bella are two different characters. Why do we need to compare them? Can't we just say that both Bella and Buffy are strong female role models? Buffy is a slayer so it's natural for her to be strong but strength doesn't just mean how good you are with a weapon or how you get yourself out of sticky situations. Bella possesses a strength that lets her love irrevocably and unconditionally. She could have chosen to give up on her love for Edward and avoid the consequences that comes with it. But she didn't. I don't think Bella's weak. The fact that she loves Edward more than life itself shows how strong she really is. That even though their love is forbidden, complicated and has dire consequences, she chose to be with him despite all that.

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    1. I think I could marry your comment. I completely agree.

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  26. BELLA IS NOT A SUPERHERO!!!!SHE DOESN'T NEED TO BE!SHE IS JUST A NORMAL TEENAGE GIRL who lovs her boyfriend!!jeez for god sake!why are you expecting so much from her???HAVE YOU READ BREAKING DAWN????HAVE YOU READ WHAT SHE DOES TO PROTECT HER CHILD???SHE ALMOST "DIED" GIVING BIRTH TO HER HALF HUMAN HALF VAMPIRE CHILD AND STILL "DIN'T CHOOSE" ABORTION..I SAY "THAT MAKES HER THE BRAVEST GIRL ALIVE" AND "BUFFY"WOULD NEVER DARE TO DO THAT!

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    1. You said everything I always think.

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    2. Bingo!! completly agree with you

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  27. I have to agree with you.

    What gets to me is that the target audience of twilight is teenagers - and Bella is no role model.
    She's selfish, weak and shallow.

    This is the reason I do not like Stephanie Meyer. Considering that teens will be reading her books, she should have made Bella a stronger female character- someone for them to look up to. And when I say stronger, I don't mean super powers or whatever. What I mean is she should have been a girl who could make her own decisions by herself, thought about how her actions affect other people, not put her life on hold for a guy, etc.

    Bella was practically comatose when Edward left!

    I would hate to be like that and I have no respect for girls who behave that way.

    Sadly, as I can see from all the replies you got, most girls now thinks this is how relationships are and this is how girls must behave when "in love". All thanks to Twilight.

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  28. I think it is not about Bella as she is, because she is not a well-described or profound character, but Bella and her Edward and Jacob. I guess it is true that she loves so much that... (no matter what), so without a love object she becomes totally uninteresting.

    The reasons for the Twilight being that overwhelmingly popular are simple I guess: it is all about young girls' hidden desires and dream-driven expectations from a boyfriend (man), but not the relationship.

    Just take a look what a glamorous life she has: She does nothing (does not create anything, she does not even say anything) but she gets:

    a) two loving guys (who are, yes, supernatural - that means OUT OF ORDINARY), who do care for her, want her, but never even speak of sex or insist any way
    b) everlasting competition between the two, which means both are jealous and want her even more
    c) Edward is out-of-another-age with knight-like courteousy, like meeting the father, asking for permission for everything, proposing etc.
    d) she keeps hearing how important she is, that somebody is ready to defend her
    e) Edward almost faints when she just enters the room
    etc. And that is the start.
    f) Edward is enormously rich

    Guess all this stuff is a 'print screen' from teen's dreams of a Mr. Charming. I guess people love watching it - because it is a dream come true, isn't it, ladies?

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    1. That - is - EXACTLY - what I think.

      I think people love Twilight because they can "relate" to Bella's character in that way: being so simple and ordinary, doing nothing special, and yet still getting extraordinary relationships without trying to attract those boys. Perhaps more girls out there want to be attractive without much efforts. They don't want to think careers, social or science project, volunteering activity, academic achievement, helping people, and so on. They just want to dream about love. Thanks to Twilight.

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  29. i guess bella would appeal to those groups of girls who don't need to prove to the world again and again that they are strong and capable in every sphere of life. who don't have to be strong and want to be always taken seriously.. bella is ordinary just like any other girl who has fallen in true love for the first time and she wants to make it work. she might be fooloish enough not to realize da boundaries between her and edward but what the heck she loves him and thats what matters. its a very old fashioned concept of love and personally i don't think i'll ever do what bella did but its heart warming to see such love still exists even though only in stories. afterall no matter how strong we appear to be, every girl still waits for her prince charming n bella has found hers in edward..<3

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  30. i guess bella would appeal to those groups of girls who don't need to prove to the world again and again that they are strong and capable in every sphere of life. who don't have to be strong and want to be always taken seriously.. bella is ordinary just like any other girl who has fallen in true love for the first time and she wants to make it work. she might be fooloish enough not to realize da boundaries between her and edward but what the heck she loves him and thats what matters. its a very old fashioned concept of love and personally i don't think i'll ever do what bella did but its heart warming to see such love still exists even though only in stories. afterall no matter how strong we appear to be, every girl still waits for her prince charming n bella has found hers in edward..<3

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  31. carlie rocswerth
    I love all of the books but they left much to desire i wish S.M had portrayed Bella as more strong girl .for eg when Edward left Bella in nm shegot all mopey and dep...
    if it were you would you've taken the same attitude?
    WHERE IS HER GIRL POWER??????????????????????????????????????

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  32. I agree with you. I was a teenager when Buffy started and I honestly think a strong female character like her is a much better role model for young girls. I don’t mean just her abilities. She was strong and independent, not dependent on any man. And the whole concept of “I can’t live if he leaves me” feels very strange to me.

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  33. why being so hard on her I'll bet twilight will break your slayer

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  34. That's the point of the story, Bella is like you said "weak, impractical and not pragmatic, and selfish" this book is about that search of every person to be what makes you happy, in third book she realizes that beyond the love to Edward, in his world she feels strong, she feels in her perfect world, so that when she becomes a vampire (4th book), ironically she saves everybody, she checks what she had thought, in this world she is strong an she becomes in the most important, that's the point, you have to fight for your dreams, you have to be what yo want.

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  35. I'm not gonna give you a deep or shallow analysis of the character, or pretend I have something new to bring to the table, so I'll just say, I know what you're talking about: Bella IS weak and impractical. And her all-consuming love is also SLIGHTLY creepy. But, she has redeeming features, to use her own words. And, if you read a book from her point of view, don't you think it'd be self-deprecating? Try reading Midnight Sun, the fifth book that's from Edward's viewpoint . . . and then try to reanalyze Bella. Don't change your views totally based on what someone has to say; that's fickle. but don't be entirely pessimistic. And, at the end of the day, THIS IS FICTION. STEPHENIE WROTE IT SO THAT WE'D HAVE A GOOD BOOK TO READ WHILE OUR PRINCIPAL IS DRONING ON ABOUT SAFETY MEASURES IN THE ASSEMBLY. BELLA DOESN'T EXIST AND NEITHER DO VAMPIRES. NOBODY EXISTED, EXISTS OR WILL EXIST WHO IS ENTIRELY LIKE BELLA SWAN CULLEN.

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  36. all these characters in twilight makes the movies alive .
    and it is truly dramatic and for sure romantic
    Bella , Edward and Jacob totally success in playing their own role in this twilight movie
    i watched the movie over and over again
    because when i get into the story
    it feels wonderful and like it truly happen in reality life .

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  37. Isn't it obvious that the book and its characters depend on the plot? The Twilight series state Bella was born to become a vamp, so no wonder she lacks interest in the human world.
    The book doesn't romanticise a weak and impractical person, it romanticises the idea of pursuing your dream against all odds. Is Bella not a typical american heroine than?

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  38. If you have read Midnight Sun (Edward's version of Twilight), he describe Bella as brave, unselfish and totally very shy person... #irisvanessalopezsoriano

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    1. Yes, Bella is DESCRIBED like that - but she is never SHOWN to have these characteristics. She acts like a little girl that wants to be cared for to the point nothing else matters. It is said she took care of her parents, but she was willing to abandon them and die to the world to become a vampire.

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    2. She didn't abandon them coz even when she's already with the cullens, she still always make sure that they are okay.. #iris

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  39. And PS: according to him, she's RESPONSIBLE too. . . #irisvanessalopezsoriano

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  40. I agree with MOST of what you've said. I detest Bella's character so much that I wish I could enter the story and kill her myself.

    Teenage girls say that they can relate to Bella. SERIOUSLY??? Bella, I assure you, was in no way an ORDINARY girl like me or any other (sane) girl in the world. I've read both Buffy's and Bella's character so dare to correct me.

    Bella is described as plain (even though she had boys falling for her left and right), smart (even though she was shown to be reading or taking interest in any books except romantic novels), caring (even though she discarded her family and friends without a second thought as she planned to run away with her boyfriend), selfless (strange, I remember her begging Edward to stay with her during the fight in Eclipse merely because she wanted him alive even if everyone else he loved had to die in the fight for her silly wish) etc.

    Is THIS normal love? This book shows girls as weak, emotionally unstable and selfish! How dare Stephanie Meyer put such an ugly stain on her own sex!?

    Another thing, I really hate is how completely dependent Bella is on men!!! She throws away any dignity she has by clinging on to Edward like a pathetic leech and after Edward leaves her, she's leaning on to Jacob?! Did she have utterly NO self respect at ALL?!

    I'm terribly ASHAMED that if by some miracle, some capable girl out there actually feels like that pathetic Bella. You are SO much BETTER than that disgrace to all the females in the world!

    Also that Book is impractical on SO many levels. Bella can't even be called a human as she does even consider herself one! How the heck does one relate to someone who spent more than half the series describing Edward's beautiful features. He's perfect, she's blind in love, blah, blah, blah! WE GET IT!

    You'd have to be a brainless imbecile to think of that dreadful book as anything other than light time pass and a fantasy.

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    1. Totally agree with u .... if u read the book carefully u kl c yhst though bella is intelligent good cook and al that dhe is actually no bettrr than a bimbo or a groupie ... I mean acc to yhe book bella falks in love bcoz edward is sexy and hs good handwriting.... and aftet coming to know that he s a vamp she still loved him and wants to be with him coz he Smells good amd has sparkling skin :-? ....... that aint love thats just good old infactuation crush and mayb a bit of lust...... :-p

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    2. .She forgive Edward leaving after the pain he caused her after he decide what is good for her .They say she is selflessness .She has no self respect for herself.Edward decide in their relationship.He treated like she is he is the father and she is the child .What Edward and Bella is self destruct love.She is an embarrassment for us woman

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  41. everybody just skip the part of Twilight,where lot of description about nature,the green world and its beauty!!!!!! I like that part so much and I love the book,whether it is good or not or the chracteres are criticized by other,over all i like to read the book,cause when u truly fall in love and find ur love u can do anything and everything for him/her.I just shocked to see some reply,come on its just a romantic harmless book,after all love cant do injure to u people!!!I don't care about human or superhero type things,its a book where u find yourself into different world and makes u fresh...I like Edward character(not obsessively!)he is a wonderful boy with lot of patience and deep love..so over all I love the book and enjoy it,not to think so much about how weird or stupid the plot or characters....I like to read it more and more...but not the film so much,just love to hearing the songs,u people should try.....

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  42. If you think that Bella is weak, selfish and impractical, the you're dead wrong. No weak girl would ever risk her life in the hands of a sadistic and dangerous vamp or love sum1 who was thirsty for her blood more than any1 elses. She is incredibly selfless as written in the "The Midnight Sun" (retelling of twilight from Edward Cullen's point of view). And no impractical girl would handle her parents and friends as nicely as Bella does.

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  43. I agree wiyh u i luved meyer s writing .... but thing ..Forget bella being weak and impractical , but whaForget bella being weak and impractical , co she wd practical in het own way she was brve in her way ....but what I wud really like to know is y the hell does bella love edward ????... dont get me wrong I like twilight series ..I thinl stephani w meyer wrote good .... I hv read twilight 5 times but I ve read that book coz I luv edward ... his charachter is what makes twilight a good.. Back to my earlier point I do not get y bella loves edward ... accrding to the book bella finds him insanely attractive and obviosly available bfr she knws he s a p vamp and later his smell and sparkling skin add to his appeal.... hw the hell can a girl agree to die fr a love based on just phycal attribites ??????t I wud really like to know is y the hell does bella love edward ????...
    Font get me wrong I like twilight series ..I thinl stephaniw meyer wrote good .... I hv read twilight 5 times but I ve read that book coz I luv edward ... his charachyer is what makes twilight a good read.... I m sure if edward could read bella s mind thrre wud be no twilight coz yhwn she wud be judt anoyhrt girl with exyra tasty blood :-D....
    Back to my earlier point I do not get y bwlla loves edward ... accrdinh to the book bella ginds him insanely attractive and obviosly available bfr she knws he s a vamp and later his smell and sparkling akin add to his appeal.... hw the hwll can a giel agree to die fr a love based on just phycal attribites ?????? . ........

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  44. .Her unselfishness let you see that she does not appreciate herself and if you can not love yourself how can you love someone else .What Edward and Bella has is an obsession .She cares about her parents that much that she wants desperately to be an vampire.Edward they say he is overprotective over her but he is abusive with her sometimes too .The way he talked to her when she do something wrong like he is the father and she is the child .he doesn't always listen about her opinion .He decide in her life what to do or not even after leaving her he didn't want to see in danger .Like when Edward told Bella he didn't want her in the woods he knew she had problem with her self confident he put her confident more down.Tell me when was the time he respect what Bella want .When Bella was pregnant he wanted to do abortion .Bella is a doormat .She forgive Edward leaving after the pain he caused her after he decide what is good for her .

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