A Letter To Twilight Haters | Teen Ink

A Letter To Twilight Haters

November 14, 2009
By ninja_warrior SILVER, Thorold, Other
ninja_warrior SILVER, Thorold, Other
6 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Favorite Quote:
Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential.


Dear Twilight Haters,

The Twilight saga has been a bestseller since 2005. However, the series was not officially popular in till first movie release in late 2008, when sales sky rocketed selling 17 million copies. Currently the film adaptation of New Moon, the second storey in the saga, will be in theaters on November 20. The movie has been highly expected by primarily teenaged fans. Many teenagers are memorized by the concept of vampires, love, and lust. I think that the success of the novel is overrated. Stephanie Meyer has an eloquent voice as a writer, the plot and characters fail to meet the standards of a romance novel in my eyes. I also think that the films have cause the saga to become more like a franchise then novels (I notice more girls are infatuated with Edwards Cullen, and think that he is a reflection of Robert Pattinson.)

Not to be stereotypical, but romance novels target a female audience. Therefore the female protagonist must be dynamic and show growth through out the novel. Many examples of this are Scarlet O'Hara (Gone with the Wind) and Elizabeth Bennett (Pride and Prejudice). Notice I did not mention Bella Swan. The book begins with Bella moving to Forks Washington, she is quiet and typical. Then when she meets Edward Cullen she learns the meaning of love. However after she learns the secret of the Cullen family she still thinks that the world would stop spinning if she could not have her precious Edward. She really doesn't grow as a protagonist which is a vital part of a novel. The characters also fall flat. In all novels there are round characters (main characters that can be described well.) and flat characters (minor characters that have a vague description.) In the book the Cullen Family is descried to be dazzling, and Edward is said to be beautiful. However intelligent word choice was used, Edward's description is superficial and vague.

The novel is also very anticlimactic. Most plots follow a simple structure where there are rising actions. An example in the novel would be when Bella moves to Forks, or when Bella and Edwards sit beside each other in class. Eventually these events rise to a point of suspense, also know as the climax. There, really is not a suspenseful climax nor is it poignant. (Bella doesn't really come to face with any danger after she learns the Cullen's secret because she is protected by Edward.) The premise of the plot is extremely generic. People are awed by creativity of a vampire love storey. However vampires were first created by Bram Stoker in 1897. Romance novels were around before even that. The combination of vampires and romance were first formed by L.J. Smith, writer of The Vampire Diaries. In the Vampire Diaries a high school girl is torn amoung the romance of two vampire brothers. Therefore the concept of vampires in love really is not that original and the plot is anti-climatic.

I cannot comprehend why Twilight gets the amount of praise that it does. The characters lack either roundness or diversity. The plot is shallow, and the concept is common. Therefore is all the success because it is a brilliantly orchestrated work, or because it has been a franchise .
Yours Truly, Blank


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This article has 49 comments.


Wolfen said...
on Aug. 11 2010 at 2:11 am
Wolfen, Prineville, Oregon
0 articles 0 photos 19 comments
I don't like twilight because Edward and Jacob are morons fighting for 1! I  repeat 1 girl! That is the reason Jacob or Edward will never date another girl! It might be a big thing now but it will not be a big thing in ten years! I'm sorry but I had to get that off my chest since the love of my life won't talk to me because of Edward! Plus making us werwewolves look stupid! That is why I hate twilight!

on Apr. 29 2010 at 7:46 pm
I really don't ike twilight. I read two of the books and I really did not see a plot. My mom said it was junk. I think that everyone on this site shoud read Harry Potter. It has a bit of romance adn ,for the record is the fast selling books ever!!!

MOGLEY BRONZE said...
on Apr. 14 2010 at 4:48 pm
MOGLEY BRONZE, Lubbock, Texas
4 articles 0 photos 8 comments
I personally liked the books but i agree with you on the whole movie ruined it thing i mean in the book Stephanie Myers blew me away! But the movie is nothing like the book i was so disapionted...I think the only reason im still hooked on waiting for the rest of the movies is because i think its funny the big fude over Bella choosing Edward instead of Jacob. I agree Jacobs hot but all this needs to stop. Its getting out of control!!

on Mar. 25 2010 at 9:50 pm
Ashleigh909 GOLD, Buford, Georgia
14 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The night is the darkest just before the dawn."

i absolutley agree. The whole "vampire/human" thinkg is getting far too out of control and its frankly getting old. I wish it'd just stop. i dont want my kid asking me "Mommy, why are ther so many VAMPIRES?!" and its really getting way too much. There's a such thing as WAY too much of the same plot

XoXo said...
on Feb. 16 2010 at 8:13 pm
WOOT XTINAA NUMBER ONE!!! :D

iOWNyU BRONZE said...
on Jan. 25 2010 at 12:22 pm
iOWNyU BRONZE, Bridgeport, Connecticut
2 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
what comes around goes around

i got to disagree with alot of what you say i think the character are not flat and it doesn't lack anything in the plot. I love the books they have such great details and a great ending to the last book. But i think that it very feminizing to a lot of woman because of the character Bella she fall head over heels for a boy. But i don't care i still love this book i am not a twilight hater im more of a lover

on Jan. 24 2010 at 10:36 pm
I'll tell you why.As a huge Twilight fan I am so shocked!!!I guess you have a right to express your self,but KEEP YOUR RUDE THOUGHTS TO YOUSELVES.Anyway,as a teenage girl I don't understand much,and I thought I hated reading.That was until I read Twilight .I was fasinated.I still am even though I have read the series a thousand times.(by da way,it was not supposed to have a meaning it is not some educational book!!!!!)Everytime I understand more and more about what
"love" can be.I know that we are all Twilight lovers or Haters.I don't even know why you make such a big deal out
of this.And who is this "Blank" anyway?
Because you could think "Blank" is a teacher with the whole rising action crap .
But then again,Blank can't even write properly.What with the talk about Mrs.Meyer not being a good writer.I was actually really inspired.I want to write,too.
P.S.The movie Twilight sucks so it DOES NOT COUNT!!!!!!!

Sassafrax said...
on Jan. 3 2010 at 7:24 pm
i totally agree, i'm a twilight hater but i have to respect that it sold a billion copies, and i believe Meyer knew what her audience (lust filled teenage girls) wanted and she just poured descriptions in her books, and that's how the money came in.

so i think that the series hit the spot, but was written BADLY. and lately, i thought rob patterson was hot, then he turned into that "MARRY ME EDDIE!!!" franchise and that kinda turned me off

on Dec. 16 2009 at 12:14 pm
dark_roses14 PLATINUM, Mazon, Illinois
20 articles 0 photos 164 comments

Favorite Quote:
play the music, turn it up loud, dance around, and drown out reality

i love this.......i have one kind of like it, except its just posted as twilight......if u want, u can read it.......its my own personal opinion

on Dec. 16 2009 at 12:13 pm
dark_roses14 PLATINUM, Mazon, Illinois
20 articles 0 photos 164 comments

Favorite Quote:
play the music, turn it up loud, dance around, and drown out reality

i believe that was the point

on Nov. 29 2009 at 5:37 pm
ajparker BRONZE, Robinson, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
If its not noon yet don't bother waking me up! ;)

if you hate twilight scroll down and read what i put

on Nov. 29 2009 at 5:17 pm
ajparker BRONZE, Robinson, Texas
2 articles 0 photos 26 comments

Favorite Quote:
If its not noon yet don't bother waking me up! ;)

you forgot the fact that he is ugly

1995_girl said...
on Nov. 23 2009 at 5:34 pm
I intentionally made the tittle misleading because I thought people would have a notion based upon the vaule of the saga. I didn't want the readers perspective to alter his/or her understand of the message I was trying to convey. Therefore I wanted the tittle to seem nutrual.

on Nov. 22 2009 at 5:22 pm
FeedTheBirds SILVER, San Diego, California
6 articles 0 photos 82 comments
I agree that Twilight is hugely (though not mysteriously) overrated.

Your title is a little misdirecting. I read your article until the last paragraph thinking you were going to set up a defense for Twilight.

xoxox said...
on Nov. 21 2009 at 2:42 pm
ahaha,,, shhh! bella doesn't know that were dating ;) and yess i have a boyfriend, but edward is really brought to life by robert pattinson (which is why i like him) and anyway christina, i know for a fact, hasnt read all the books so she cant be writing and opinion essay to something she knows nothing about. and everyone knows the installments are meant to go together and be as one continued story. and she needs to find better things to do then right essay and extra work in her spare time =) ;)

tokio123 said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 8:22 pm
If this point of the article is so unclear how come so many people can understand it?

Tashia said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 3:48 pm
This articles point does come across very well, but it isn't well written. It is, in comparison, very like the Twilight saga. No offense to the author, Blank. For the lovers of the Twilight books, this article is not meant to offend you. This is the opinion of one person, please take this in stride. Stephenie Meyer is not a great writer. Point blank. If you do like Vampire series' please direct your attention toward Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. They are beautifully written and have well rounded characters. The stories are captivating, her writing style is what Mrs. Meyer dreams her abilities could be. If your taste is more of a fantasy series, please direct your attention to either the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings series, or The Chronicles of Narnia. Rowling, Tolkien, and Lewis tell a story like no one else. Thank you for your time and I hope that you will consider my recommendations.

fedram said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 12:32 pm
i not only hated the books and movie. but i loved this article. it disgusts me that people are all over "EDWARD CULLEN" hes not THAT great! sheesh

XoxO said...
on Nov. 20 2009 at 12:30 pm
(y)(y)(y)(y) agreed (y)(y)(y)

:@ :@ ! said...
on Nov. 19 2009 at 5:22 pm
umm,, christina you dink! this is not true (N) we shall discuss this on the weekend! and i will defend my love (oh thanks for calling me a sqealing girl) : @ and i am very proud of my love of twilight saga and will defned it when we talk later! (stop writing hateful things, i take full offense!) okayy, ttyl love ya (but still mad) ;)