I'm a little bit confused... I'm trying to understand the obsession with "those vampire books", and the more I see women swooning, the less I understand. I've read most of the books, yes, they were entertaining, but how does "annoying high school girl who changes into a different person when she's around the vampire and loses all sense of self and has no spine and keeps pushing the "cold, hard, marble" vampire to have sex"= the greatest love of all time?
I am baffled that grown women and teenagers alike are swooning over this "love story" like there has never been another to compare. Give me Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Give me Mr. Rochester and Jane. Give me Gilbert and Anne. Now those are some love stories I can sink my teeth into.
If you love those vampire books, explain this to me. If you don't... add to my list of TRUE love stories. :)
26 comments:
Amen. I read them too (although I nearly didn't make it through the last one--way too weird for me).
As a person who doesn't like fantasy or science fiction, I'm amazed that I was entertained enough to keep reading, but reading them once was enough for me.
I have never picked one up...watched the movie though, and totally didn't understand how people got all into this. Something I will never understand...at all. :)
i was in it for the entertainment, light, easy reading, but i do agree with f, i had a hard time getting into the last one. although i do have a huge crush on mr. warewolf... tell me he isn't sooo hot!!!
I completely disagree with the books and the message they send. It drives me crazy that they are seen as completely acceptable because the author is LDS and they don't actually have sex...so somehow they are a fabulous example of chastity? I believe they send the message loud and clear that young people should be obsessed with sex, can do whatever they want with one another except have intercourse, can lie to their parents, can sacrifice themselves for their "love," and can ignore the warning signals they get of danger and all will turn out okay in the end.
They will not be being read in my home.
What about Jo and Mr. Bahr in Little Women and ditto on all of yours mentioned!
I think that the series was a lot of girls (and womens) first experience with a novel...and yes if you don't have Jane Austen to compare them to they would be good books. And frankly I think everyone should read more... :)
I did like the books, but more for a fun entertaining read. I've read them all twice, but usually when I'm bored, not because it's a gripping story.
Now Scarlett and Rhett...that's a love story for the ages...sigh...
I loved reading them. She wrote another book called the Host that was really good that I think you might like better.
I couldn't have said it better, Mindy.
A recent find that I think you and Aubrey both would enjoy is the BBC miniseries called Cranford. I absolutely LOVED it!
Oh I LOVE this! I read the vampire books, enjoyed them but I too am baffled at the obsession. I've heard people say that it brings them back to their "first love" and the feelings that came with it. WHAT?! No THANK You!!
**I still want to name a son after Gilbert or Mr. Darcy!!
I am going to add Sergei & Ekaterina to your list. As well as Wesley & Buttercup!
I agree. I'm trying to figure out how to name one of my future boys Fitzwilliam or Darcy without humiliating him. The Twilight books were entertaining, but the more I've thought about them the less I like them.
I loved the first book, the second was okay, by the third I just wanted to know whether or not she becomes a vampire, and my SIL spilled the beans and saved me from having to read the last book.
I'm with you on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Heck, I'd even take Harry and Ginny over the vampires any day.
Tracy, yes! Jo and Mr. Bahr. Sigh. Good one! Melanie, YES! Scarlett & Rhett... such passion, such fire! Felicia H., I just want to know why everyone thinks it's the best love story ever. The books are entertaining enough to kill some time, but I don't get the obsession so many women have. (It's okay if you love them though, of course!) :) Shannon, I'm going to have to look for that... is it on DVD? Leslie... GREAT love stories! How could I forget Wesley and Princess Buttercup? :) Kate, I say go for it... the boys might tease him, but the girls will love him. ;) Charlotte, I agree... even Harry & Ginny feel more of a "real" love story to me than Edward and Bella! :)
I have never read any of them or seen the movies. I guess I just wasn't that interested in vampires. I don't even really know what they are about. It just seems weird to me that people are so engulfed in them and the movies. Let me say this though--I agree with Haley. The warewolf guy that I have seen in the previews is hot.
i plead the 5th.
because i'm going to travel 3 hours to go see the second movie...
and am afraid that i will be eaten alive with the women who hate them.
sorry!
"by" the women who hate them not "with" the women who hate them...wow is it hot in here because i'm all hot and bothered...must be all the leading up to the sex that is making me hot...
;)
ps i wont let my yw read them although all of them have...and most def not let katie read them till she's waaaaaay older.
No, V! Don't plead the 5th! Help me understand why the obsession!! :) I promise I won't eat you alive. I really love all of my vampire obsessed friends... I just don't understand it. ;)
I agree with you...I love the good ole classics!!! Cold marble...????
I haven't read any of the books and don't plan to. I DO admit to seeing the movie and will probably see the new one when it comes out. My thing is.....if you they are SO in love with each other, bite her neck, change her into a Vampire, get it over with and get over all the tension!!!
Amen, Lady. I liked the first one but totally agree they send the wrong message. There were parts that had me blushing & I'm a married woman. It did remind me of highshool, like Leslie said, but true love isn't all hot n' horney like these books. Wrong message sent, plain and simple.
p.s. love your sidebar stuff. i'll have to look up that talk, been struggling with some of those very things. :)
Forrest Gump & Jenny
mind...got totally sucked into them but the last one really just kind of pissed me off. why would that girl make that last book that she knew every young girl would read about nothing more than which couple could get it on the most? i totally agree with what you said. that said...mady has read them about 1000 times and even though she's taken honors english and ap english has never been made to read any of the classics. there's the school system for you. i take it back she had to read 'cold mountain' which also has some pretty graphic sex talk and 'a tale of two cities' ....not the best classic i've read. so that may be why the girls are obsessed...it's the only love story that they've ever read!
i have to admit when i read them i got totally sucked in because it's about vampires and it makes you feel like all of those people are real. that's what i've heard the most...that the books make people feel that it's all real. maybe that why the obsession? i don't know but isn't this the longest comment ever in the history of blogging?
i love anne and gilbert...my fave.
I agree Mindy! Besides the lust story, I think that the writing isn't even that good. The last one builds up so much anticipation.....and then the ending is bleh. Actually they were all pretty bleh all the way through.
And I totally agree that it bothers me that these were marketed using the LDS fan base as well! Really, is that the best an LDS author has to give the world? I would never let my teenage daughters, (when I have them) read them....I was even a bit disappointed in myself for reading them. I wanted to see if I could get what all the hype was about. Still don't get it!
I agree with your choices for good love stories! Especially Anne & Gil, and Lizzy & Darcy. Adding to the Jane Austen theme, I liked the love story in Persuasion too.
The books are a very titillating read for "good" girls. They stir up all kinds of emotions, and that makes it exciting. The fact that the author is LDS makes us think that it's "safe," but I don't think there's anything "of good report or praiseworthy" about them. I read them, Valerie read them. I liked the second one less than the first, and the last one even less than that. The writing is really bad. I'd like to count the number of times Bella says, "ugh!" I don't get the obsession either. I think it's a stupid story that sends a bad message to girls. I also read "the Host." It's wierd and takes a while to get into. All in all, I think Ms. Meyers should keep her day job.
Oh...definitely Wesley & Buttercup!
Mindy,
I don't think that anyone will be able to convince you of what causes the obsession with the movies. The main reason is that it is hard to explain to someone how you feel about something when they are so the other way. I know this probably doesn't make sense but I had to comment. I haven't read the books or seen the movies so what to I know.
How about Joseph and Emma!!!
Dad, I'm not looking to be convinced... just wondering what makes this vampire love story so compelling to so many women. (I don't think I'll ever be convinced. :)
Yes! Joseph and Emma! Good one!
Katie, YES... Persuasion was a wonderful love story.
Jason, Forrest Gump and Jenny... yes, even that is a love story I can believe. Nice thinking. :)
Tara, lol! Yeah... bite her already and spare us all the drama. ;)
I don't know if not as many people love them as I think, or if they're all scared to comment...
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