Kindle and Twilight

A few months ago, I got a Kindle as a gift. I am not much of a reader - I would rather do something (like sewing, knitting, cleaning, whatever!) than just sit and read. But, one day, I mentioned to my husband that one of my patients' family members had one and liked it very much. Miraculously, one appeared a few weeks later.

As an aside, it seems like my conversation with my husband provided him an excuse to buy one. He wanted to be the cool one, not me. I really haven't used it all that much, given the expense. It is fun and I certainly like the "whispernet" subscription and downloading books. It has been useful when traveling. I look so tech-savvy and I always have something to read.

As another aside...curiously, when I mention emptying the dishwasher to my husband, that doesn't miraculously get done.

Back to the subject, I have read two of the Twilight series books on the Kindle during my recent travels. These stories have been incredibly popular, even more so since the release of the second movie, "New Moon." I decided to find out what all of the hype was about and read the books. Also intriguing was the news stories that middle aged women were unusually attracted to these teen novels. My curiosity was piqued.

Here are my thoughts on Twilight.

The novels are entertaining. The author does a great job of capturing the emotions of being a teenager, of first love, and of longing. It's quite creative, too. For example, the cold temperature and the shimmering quality of the vampires' skin. So imaginative. I will admit, the wording and the tension that the author creates frequently gives me that butterfly-stomach feeling as I'm reading. That's pretty rare for me! Such a treat!

The main character, Bella, is supposed to be "every-teen." Mostly I like her character, but she does stupid things. Illustration #1: Dad says to stay out of the woods (in New Moon) because there have been strange sightings of giant bears, and people missing. Sounds like a good reason for Bella to go hiking by herself, don't you think? Illustration #2: Seems like a good idea to go cliff diving by herself into the Pacific ocean, in early spring, while a storm is coming in (also in New Moon). I get a bit disgusted with her need to be saved so frequently. Seriously, girl, think before you walk in a dark alley! And if you do, then defend your own dang self.

Perhaps the author is trying to capture the immature reasoning capabilities of the teen age mind. From this perspective, she has succeeded.

Another thing about Bella is that while she is immature on one level, she is unusually savvy on another level. She can cook fairly sophisticated meals. She can travel about the country and the world on a moment's notice (apparently without credit cards).

Edward and Jacob are mythical men. Teenaged boys are hardly that focused! Edward is supposedly 110 years old, more mature than your average 17 year old presumably from life experience. OK, I'll buy that. But Jacob and the other boys? In real life, they're playing goofy video games, eating too much, and skulking around like horn-dogs. What is all this brooding the characters do, too? I don't think most real teen boys are self aware enough to have such grasp on their emotions and how to express them. Jacob is abnormally sensitive to Bella's feelings. Like most teenage boys would have a clue.

As a mature reader, I can't help but consider this all simply an allegory for sexual maturation - the secret life of teens as they go through the difficult changes. While Bella keeps her association with mythical beings as her big secret, average teenage girls deal with their crushes; their own sexual urges and how to handle them; their friends who do antisocial things (drugs, sexual activity, disease, crime); and the dirty realities of life. While Jacob magically becomes a werewolf, average teenage boys deal with getting hairy, smelly, and awkward; with rage and surprisingly powerful emotions; with fitting in; with aberrant thoughts (and what to do with them); with their own crushes; with self doubt, self disgust ("I am a monster!"), self acceptance; and with their own sexual identity.

I mean, really. When Bella begs Edward to "change her" - what are we really talking about here?????

One thought that crossed my mind is what does a vampire do when his human girlfriend menstruates? And yet, a mere paper cut sends a vampire into a feeding frenzy (opening scene in New Moon - oh, save me, Edward!). Certainly I'm not the only one who has thought of this... ah, the wonderful world of fiction. In Forks, no one worries about pimples, glasses, braces, allergies, bad haircuts, unintended pregnancies, or mundane stuff like that.

My first impression of Twilight, when I first started reading, was that this was very much like a Harlequin Romance from years past, before they allowed the main characters to have sex, be unwed mothers, etc. The powerful and perfect male is beguiled by the average female, her every awkwardness enchants him more. She haplessly gets into trouble, and he appears to rescue her. He is always ready to commit long before she is. He is rich, sophisticated, handsome - never dorky, disgusting, or selfish.

I still enjoy the books, though. I am finally mature enough to enjoy the fiction without actually believing it.

Yeah, go read it! If you are a teenage boy, reading the Twilight books will give you an insight into what goes on in a female's mind. It may all seem boring and pathetic to you, but understanding this will give you a strategic advantage with girls.