By this point, nearly anyone who has any desire to has devoured Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga. Though intended as a young adult series, Meyer’s tales have captivated young and mature, creating a frenzy rivaled only by Ms. Rowling.
Rather than echoing the countless reviews of those who have loved or despised the series, I ask the question: why? What is it about these supernatural tales that has captured our hearts and inspired all-night, breathless page-turning sessions?
My observations have led me to conclude a three-fold appeal:
- We all feel a little abnormal. Bella Swan’s character is insecure, fallible, and ordinary – easily relatable. But more, Bella feels that she has never quite fit in – there’s something just a little different about her. From adolescence to present I can recall feeling this same striking displacement. No matter our situation in life, we tend to think we’re just a bit unusual compared with those surrounding us. For some, this becomes a crutch, an excuse, but for most, we walk through life feeling as though we’ll never quite fit. A part of us envies Bella for finding an answer to her perceived irregularities.
- Teenage girls love falling in love. So do grown women. Though there is not enough money in the world to tempt me to return to the dating-phase of my life and I am a happily married woman, I recall with fondness the fresh, eager feel of new love – the never-want-to-sleep, doodle Mrs. So-and-So on every free surface, thrill of those first tingles of a blossoming relationship. It becomes an addiction for some and that same magnetism is captured in its truest form in the burgeoning romance of Edward and Bella (and at times Bella and Jacob). We can live vicariously through the pages, over and over if we so desire.
- We want to be loved like Edward loves Bella. Women, no matter their differences, seek a mate who will fulfill them and cherish them – a person whose world moves only for them. In our deepest heart of hearts we want this kind of all-encompassing desire. It is why we are drawn to love stories time and time again. It is why we can overlook stalker-ish behavior and paranormal ridiculousness to see the essence of Edward’s obsession for Bella for what it is: the true love we secretly crave.
Book Chick Rating: YYYYY
