Twilight Novel From a Male Perspective

Published by Jeff Leins on: May 27th, 2008

Coming to theaters in December is a movie called Twilight, a relatively unknown film until recently in my movie geek world of reality and I’d venture to say for most adult Americans.

However, the fan base that have read the Stephenie Meyer novel and ultimately the other two books in the saga, exemplify the definition of fanaticism. Mostly made up of teenage girls and their mothers (no offense), the written trilogy (which expands to four in August) has gathered a rabid following much like a coven portrayed in the pages.

At the beginning of May, I recapped in detail more about the extreme following, so if you’re interested in that or the teaser trailer, check it out here.

The rest of this post is dedicated to a review of the book. Let me preface this by saying I’m aware this is a movie news and reviews website, so my foray into uncharted journalism should be acknowledged. I also wanted to point out that I’m a single, mid-twenties male, so I don’t exactly fit in the demographic the publisher is shooting for. As a dedicated journalist I felt it was important to do my research just like I read Lovely Bones, Kite Runner, and any script I can get my hands on.

That being said, I’m still a wuss. I made my female roommate go with me to the book store and purchase the novel while I stood at a safe distance to avoid the possibility that it might be intended for me. Then I made her carry it the majority of the time while I flexed menacingly at strangers and pointed out beautiful women loudly. But she felt like torturing me and wickedly handed me the fresh copy in front of the cute coffee girl in order to provoke a reaction out of both of us. She gleefully praised it while I blushed sheepishly from behind my black, novel-sized shield.

I returned home to endure the endless chastising of my other roommate (male) who attempted to read the book after me before hurling it across the room.

But I can say that my excuses of “it’s only research” is flimsy at best considering I not only read the first novel, but have already gone through the other two published books in the span of about two weeks. I’m ashamed at my masculinity, or lack thereof…

Stephenie Meyer knows how to tell a decent story, though. She has created a believable world where high school students live unknowingly amongst a coven of vampires and, as the series progresses, other creatures.

Bella, the new kid in the Washington state town of Forks, moves to live with her father. It constantly rains in the area, making it an ideal place for a family of vampires to settle down.

But the Cullen family isn’t like the usual vampires of century-old mythology or the creatures battling the sword-wielding Blade. The sun doesn’t disintegrate them, it shines off them like a mirror, making them glimmer, which might give away their presence even more than a sudden pile of dust. They also possess super-human abilities, exceptional strength and agility (among others), which might give the male audience something to get behind. Superman without the tights might be cool. Plus what man hasn’t attacked and killed a mountain lion? I know I have.

Oh, and the main difference of the Cullens in particular: They don’t feed on humans. Intentionally they’ve sworn off their primal instincts in order to live amongst ordinary humans during their immortal lives.

Edward Cullen captures the eye of Bella at school, and their romance slowly builds to almost obsessive levels. I admit from a guy’s perspective, the countless pages of dialogue between the two professing their love for one another can be tedious. But then again, I must have written down twenty or thirty solid notes on a legal pad for my own future relationships. He convinced the hot new girl in town to fall in love with him even though he could randomly decide to drain her blood. Edward’s got game.

One scene in particular has Edward swooping in to stop a swerving van from crushing Bella… with his bare hands. It’s hinted at briefly in the teaser, but it might be an intense action sequence in the film. Plus a vampire showdown climax might be worth a look, even if it doesn’t include the inevitable fight for a gun or a lightsaber duel.

In conclusion, the book(s) weren’t half bad and might translate to an enjoyable experience for more than just the female audience in December. But I will admit that I’m drinking a beer while writing this in order to preserve whatever masculinity I might have left.

Do I recommend other men go out and pick this up? Eh, not really. But don’t refuse outright to see the movie when a date tries to drag you to the theater at the end of the year. My advice? Try bargaining knowing now you might not completely hate it. It has to be better than Fool’s Gold.