'Tis Now Midnight

 Approximately ten years ago, the manuscript for Midnight Sun (you know, Twilight from Edward's perspective) was leaked online, so Stephenie Meyer chose to put it up for free on her website so that fans wouldn't get tempted to go look up the leaked copy. She always said that someday she would finish and publish it, someday when everyone had forgotten about it. And that time ended up being in 2020. Ten years ago, I would not have pictured putting on my mask before going into the store to get my copy of the book. But there you have it; you never know what the future holds--unless you're Alice, that is.

The first half of this book is of course quite familiar since it's material we've seen before. What does it feel like, then, to revisit something from your own past? Are we all still interested in what once held our attention. I can speak only for myself and I suppose the answer is mainly yes. Twilight was enjoyable because it portrayed the feeling of falling in love for the first time and Midnight Sun (particularly the first half) is the same way. All those little daily life flourishes and moments.

The thing is, though, back in 2008 in my senior year of high school when I first read these books I had never been in love. Reading about first love when it's something to look forward to versus when it is something in your past, something accompanied by first heartbreak, is something entirely different and much more painful. I found I could only handle small doses of reading. You could say that I wasn't as much into the fairy tale (which is not at all to say that I don't believe in love--but I do agree that fiction tends to overemphasize first love as the love).

I admit that I had forgotten that the leaked/originally-released manuscript was incomplete. At first I thought I was just reading scenes that had been extended since then (which I think was the case, too, right?), but then I of course eventually realized I was reading completely new sections of the book. While much of this book is fascinating to read because it does give you insight into what Edward was experiencing or why he acted a certain way at particular moments or how such and such unfolded that Bella didn't even know about, some of the material in here was superfluous. I really didn't need the extended dialogue of Edward asking Bella about her favorite movies and music and all that--yes, that's something you want to do when you're falling for someone in real life, but isn't something that added to the reading of their story. 

By the time you're in the last third of this book, though, it shifts. This is the part of the story where Edward and Bella spend a lot of time apart, so you are seeing entirely different things than what you see in Twilight. Alice in action is great and their car stealing and freeway speeding was entertaining. And we finally got an explanation for why James only noticed Bella at the baseball game when the breeze went by; that always seemed like a plot inconsistency what with all the explanations about a vampire's sense of smell. And the last third was also great because I didn't have to sit through all the falling in love stuff anymore.

The Twilight series is well-arranged as far as the different stages of Bella (innocence, initiation, chaos, and resolution played out in four books). Edward's story plays out a little differently, though, especially because he has Alice showing him all of these possible versions of the story. That's why the first half or so of this book is his falling in love story. But after that, he's in a different headspace than Bella is. He's already planning to leave her life someday. So that's why Midnight Sun feels like two books or maybe one and a half books in one. His pacing is different from hers. 

But that doesn't really matter, does it? This book is still nice to finally have. It was entertaining to run down memory lane and to get some new angles and scenes. 

Have you read Midnight Sun yet? What did you think?

The Chemist

Just a couple of months before the announcement of this new novel, I was talking to someone about authors never finishing a series, like how The Host was supposed to be the first installment in a trilogy and eight years later doesn't even have one sequel. And then came the sudden announcement that Stephenie Meyer would be releasing the first in a new series--an adult thriller this time, The Chemist. Didn't we all kind of wonder what we were even supposed to think of that?

I guess I read a variety of types of books--I always think that I don't, but then I look at my shelves and I compare them to other people's and I realize that I do. But there are a couple of genres that I hardly touch. Mystery, romance, and thriller. I just don't read those genres. And the only book I can think of that I've read that was probably a thriller, Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker, held my attention while I read it but failed to keep any good opinion of mine once I'd finished it. That's how suspense usually is for me: temporary. It doesn't hold more meaning for me, and I usually prefer my books to have at least some element of lingering meaning.

So I wasn't exactly excited that Stephenie Meyer was releasing a thriller. But she's one of the authors I've said I'll read anything she publishes (until I get disappointed by a book and change my mind, that is). I wasn't able to read the book right when it came out because I was reading other things first, which meant that I read it during Christmastime.

And that did rather bother me at first. During this time of year, I didn't want to be spending my time reading about being on the run, people shooting at each other, and various methods of torture. Add to that that I found the first thirty or so pages exceedingly boring: they're all about spy traps and gadgets and such. I worried that all 500-some pages would be like those first pages. Then I got to the torture stuff and I wondered why I was even reading this because it just really didn't seem like my type of book.

But somewhere at about that point, I started reading Stephenie Meyer again. A couple of characters reminded me of Ian and Kyle from The Host. And I saw in the elements of hiding and preparation pieces from both The Host and Twilight. Then the book started moving in toward the human element that is prevalent in all of Stephenie Meyer's work.

In the midst of all of the "action stuff" (which is the easiest way of putting it without writing out the plot), the characters became people. People with personal struggles and doubts and choices and individuality. That's what allowed the plot to move forward with some interest for me, and that's what kept it from being too much of a generic action story.

There isn't much else for me to say. I guess I did overall enjoy this book, although I didn't overly enjoy it, either. It still isn't really my genre, so I'm sure people who read more of this sort of thing will like it more than I did. It also says something, though, that I could enjoy a book that wasn't a type of genre I usually enjoy. So despite my lukewarm and brief comments, I do find that a success. (I also don't know how to talk about individual aspects of this book without simply giving away the whole plot, which is also why my comments are brief.)

Life and Death

That sounds like a philosophical title, like I'm just about to go into an exploration of the human condition, the meaning of life and the inevitability of death and all that. But no, it isn't that at all. I'm sure most of you (to whom such a thing would be of any interest) already heard last fall about the tenth anniversary edition of Twilight that Stephenie Meyer released on us all without any forewarning. Instead of just writing a foreword, she explains, she decided to gender swap a couple of chapters of the book and ended up doing the whole thing . . . which is now titled Life and Death and is included together with Twilight (you flip the book over to begin Life and Death at the "back").

If you have been uncertain on whether or not to read this superfluous, silly little thing that I think none of us were sure what to make of when it came out, let me suggest that you do read it (if, that is, you have any curiosity--and if you don't you're probably not still reading, anyway). If nothing else, it is . . . interesting. Now I will go into more details--which you may or may not want to read if you haven't read Life and Death yet.

As the book begins, it's hard to keep track of the characters. I was constantly rearranging them in my head, trying to remember that this character is supposed to be that character and that when it says "he" here it really means "she" in Twilight. Actually quite a mess to keep track of because instead of just reading the story like new, I was trying to fit it in to the images I already had of the characters and the story. I got more used to it as it went along, though. (Every character is gender swapped except for Charlie and Renee and the Volturi--even the cab driver towards the end of the book is a woman instead of a man.)

Most of the lines and content are the same. A few of the phrases are changed, some words here and there. Sometimes I recognized better wording and sometimes I kind of missed the carefree style and tone of Twilight (the writing style, that is: Bella herself isn't, of course, always carefree throughout). Where things are most different are where there are (subtle or greater) changes in the plot--except for the ending (which I'll get to later), these pretty much all have to do with the change in gender.

Bella is switched out for Beau and once you get used to the idea that your narrator is a he instead of a she, the transition is pretty seamless, more so than I'd expected. It's a very fluid change--for the most part. The small changes are sometimes funny, like when Beau finishes all the leftover lasagna so that there isn't any more for Charlie when he gets home (there was with Bella). The saddest change is the whole Port Angeles ordeal: for such a danger to happen to a teenage boy, guns and a bit of a backstory have to be involved. But for Bella, just being a teenage girl on a dark street was enough to put her in danger. Sad but true (pretty much--Beau's threat could've just been people beating him up for his wallet, but it had to be more dire in order to quite match Bella's situation and therefore stir up the same rage in Edythe as it did for Edward).

The fact that Carine (Carlisle) had to work as a nurse instead of a doctor for many years is also a little inevitably disappointing--because of course it has to be that way. I don't get, though, why there is no mention of the Civil War with Jessamine (Jasper): she could have been one of the women who pretended to be a man and enlisted in the army--I'm kind of disappointed that that wasn't in there because I think war was always such a big part of Jasper's life even before he became a vampire. But it's a pretty small thing.

Edward translates pretty easily into Edythe, too. This really helps emphasize, as Stephenie had hoped, the fact that Bella is the human in the face of the supernatural world versus the girl who needs to be helped by a guy. Edythe is stronger than Beau in exactly the same way . . . and gender has nothing to do with it. The only thing is that Edythe and Beau relate to each other just a little bit differently, even when the conversations are the same. Beau takes the lead in certain ways just a little bit more--and not just him feeling like he has to open the door for her. I suppose this could be a remnant of the fact that Edythe is from an era when women were trained to be more subservient to men, so she naturally lets him take the more dominant role (where appropriate--because, of course, she still yells at him and tells him what to do in certain other situations).

But Beau is less, hmm, submissive than Bella. Bella can have quite a stubborn temper, so submissive seems like the wrong word. But I think you know what I mean. Stephenie says that Beau doesn't have the "chip on her shoulder" that Bella has. I kind of wonder why. It makes Bella's quieter, more unsure of herself, hesitant personality seem more of a negative portrayal of a girl because that personality trait doesn't carry over into Beau. There are quiet, unsure boys, too (though, of course, the stereotype is for girls to be this way more than boys). But I think there is another reason. This book ends differently from Twilight. This book sees the end of Beau and Edythe's story, sees it come to resolution the way that Bella and Edward only did at the end of Breaking Dawn. Bella needed the time of four books to learn about herself. Beau, with only one book, has less time to work through his issues. So he kind of has to start off with less issues than Bella had. (Although I still don't know why a boy has to be OCD in order to care about organizing the kitchen, making dinner, and doing laundry--can't he just be neat and responsible like Bella was when she did these same things?)

It's interesting to see how the end of this book plays out with the "what if" of Joss (James) halfway wins and Beau turns into a vampire now instead of later. Strangely, it feels so wrong--not just because it's different from the ending of Twilight. It's wrong because he didn't have time to say goodbye to his other life, time to realize why he wanted a new life, time even to simply fall in love with Edythe in more detail (honestly, they only had a few days to get to know each other). So it's an imperfect ending, and yet that's what's interesting about it. It kind of takes you full circle and makes you realize, after you've been watching these other characters, what it was that worked so well about Twilight. The four books really allowed for the four stages in Bella's personal journey in a way that only one book can't quite cover.

So Life and Death was interesting. It's an interesting look at gender (although the claim is that gender makes no difference, what's interesting are the moments, however small, that have to change because of gender). It's a strange way to revisit a familiar story. And there's no pressure involved: it isn't really a real book, after all. The fact that it's included in the back of Twilight shows that it's just a novelty, just something fun to take a look at. And the "new" ending means that we need have no fear of sequels, either.

New Moon Graphic Novel Vol. 1

It's only my fourth graphic novel, right? (Not counting The Invention of Hugo Cabret.) The others were the two volumes for Twilight and Jane Eyre. What Young Kim did with Stephenie Meyer's text in the those first two volumes pleased me; simply put, Volume 1 of New Moon does the same.

I read the first few pages casually, then set the book down for a day or two, not feeling much need to hurry back to it. But when I did, I found myself sitting with it until I'd finished. It's of course quick to flip through, being a graphic novel. But it wasn't the book's speed that made me finish: it was a repeat of that feeling I'd had before. It was a refresher of what made me like this story to begin with. While dialogue is shortened, there are still enough of my favorite quotes and scenes to re-immerse myself in this world, while also introducing a new format.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe there was less color in this book; I can't double check because I don't have the others with me at the moment. Yet there were still a couple of scenes that stood out, artistry-wise: Bella's dreams and the scene with Laurent. I'll be getting Volume 2 when it comes out.

The Lovely, Lonely Host

Click here to read my initial thoughts on The Host.

My blog background seems to have disappeared, leaving behind the forest image that was beneath it--the weird thing is that the link to the website where I got the background is still up there in the corner. Will it come back on its own, then? I can't seem to figure out what went wrong, or how to put up a new background. I feel at such a loss.

Anyway, guess what movie I went to see again yesterday? The Host, that's right. (And I'm probably going to see it again in the next week or two whenever another friend or two that I'm taking to see it can make it.) Because of my weird movie-watching habits, I'm used to sometimes seeing a movie in a fairly empty theatre. But this time, I was watching with less than ten other people and in (I think) this particular theatre's second largest space. So that did make me feel rather isolated.

But when you watch a movie without a surrounding audience, you can tell what it is you like or don't or what makes you laugh and such like. The responses are all yours, not responses based on the general audience reaction.

I have a couple of follow-up comments on this movie. The costumes and overall style of the souls really did start to bother me this time. It made it feel less like the souls try to imitate humans. The attitude of the Seekers comes up most often, and so it seemed to most define the souls--but the Seekers are only a select group of souls. So the souls, in the movie, feel like a threatening institution rather than the friendly, honest, and truly-believing-their-way-is-right group that they are. The movie makes it seem like it's specifically Wanda who is this way.

I also stared at the landscape some more. Okay, New Mexico was never going to look exactly like Arizona to an Arizonan. But still. And I know that I don't spend much time south of Phoenix (where Picacho Peak is), but when I look at pictures of the area, there's one thing in particular that I see: saguaros! And other vegetation, including gorgeous wildflowers if the season's right. But the movie portrayed this area as rather lifeless--and sandy, as I mentioned before. Considering that saguaros don't grow everywhere, I missed them. But, I say with a sigh, this isn't actually a big deal.

Why, though, does Jamie not have an accent if his sister does? Melanie has an accent to distinguish her from Wanderer, but the accent seemed to bypass Jamie.

The first part of the movie, you can say, starts slow. But I think what interests me less about it isn't the pace: it's that the "soul style" I talked about above is a primary part of these opening scenes. And while the book, because it is a book, is able to introduce Melanie's and Wanderer's characters early on as separate identities and then to form the bond between them in the desert, these developments of character happen differently in the movie.

But both times, as this movie has come forward towards its close, I have found myself in the most buoyant mood. The development happens softly, almost imperceptibly, naturally. That shot of Wanderer's face at the end, when she is saying goodbye to Melanie, that is what this story is all about. So to see Wanderer finding peace and then to see her reawaken and for her community to also find peace is powerful. It's the lingering power of success, emotion, and resolution. Wanderer has literally found herself and where she belongs.

That's why I'm loving this little, low budget movie that critics mostly criticize. That's why I'll even sit in an empty theatre to see if if I have to: because it's what I like, and like Wanderer, I don't need confirmation from someone else to choose where I give my attention.

The Host of the Southwest

Do you hear that sound? That's me jumping up and down at how happy The Host made me.

A very brief glance at reviews from critics and non-critics would show that not everyone agrees with me. But I say, all the more reason to quickly put down my thoughts on what I liked about this movie. The top section should be spoiler-free, but I'll go into a couple more details after the jump.

While the trailer emphasized the sci-fi action side of the movie and while that is one side of it, as a whole this isn't an action movie. (If you want action, go watch The Avengers again, enjoy yourself, and don't bash The Host: The Avengers practically put me to sleep.) It also isn't a romance, despite a few kisses. It's sci-fi, but it also takes place largely in a desert. You see what's emerging here? All the careful balances that I see in the book translated into the movie.

It's very much a psychological movie (not in the Black Swan way), asking questions about humanity and identity and human relationships. While perhaps not all of those relationships get developed in great detail during the movie, I think what matters is that they're there: this particular story is about how Wanderer and Melanie interact. Other characters are only in addition to their story.

Visually, I adored the desert of New Mexico standing in for Arizona. I just felt so at home; maybe that's why I enjoyed the movie so much. I was smiling broadly at all the landscape shots (except the sandy one: was that too sandy?).

Audio isn't always something I notice or focus on in a movie, but I noticed it here, perhaps because it had so many components. Melanie's voiceovers worked well; it was genuinely disturbing when she first spoke, and then later became rather natural. The score was great: I appreciated the choice in the type of instruments and the more organic, less pop approach. Just having the song by Imagine Dragons for the credits is enough. Sound editing also helped move emotion through the scenes in conjunction with the actors' performances--which were also good. Saoirse Ronan, I initially didn't think you looked quite right for the part, but you really did it.

If anyone is worried about just getting something more like Twilight, don't be. Just as the books are separate and different, so are the movies. They have certain traits within them that might make them appeal to the same people, but it's also entirely possible to not like one but like the other. So if that association happens to be holding you back, don't let it.

Expectations for The Host

Now that my posts have made a smooth transition from Charlotte Brontë to Stephenie Meyer, let's let that transition culminate in the newest venture, the movie version of The Host.

In case I haven't mentioned it enough, I adore the fact that The Host takes place in Arizona. Arizona's getting a bit of a cultural movement of its own lately, and The Host is one story that brings Arizona to a mainstream audience. I like that. So even though they filmed the movie in New Mexico (which is a fantastic place, yes, but a different one), I still want it to feel like Arizona. In this chance for visuals to be stunning, I want visuals to be stunning.

I've heard a little about how they decided to handle the distinction between Melanie and Wanderer. However their plans play out, there needs to be as much distinction between them as there is in the book: the questions it asks about identity are central and important. This may in fact be the biggest topic the story brings up. The movie has to get it right.

Along those lines, I also don't want to watch this movie and just feel like it's a love story. Yes, that's a large part of the story, but I don't think it's the biggest part. Probably there won't be any issue with this, though.

I also don't want forced effects, action, or visuals--things that scream out cool sci-fi, that is. This is a sci-fi story, but it also has a great deal of nature and human identity/relationships (I suppose, after all, most good sci-fi does have the latter). Again, I think everyone realizes that it would be a mistake to trample on everything the book offers, so I'm not expecting to be disappointed in this regard.

That's about it. I'm not making a big list of the scenes that I want to see in the movie or how the characters need to deliver their dialogue. I just want the important things to be there and to feel the same way watching the movie as reading the book. I don't want to be picky, but I also don't want the film to disappoint me.

Until Friday morning, then.

Belle, Jane, and Bella

I did intend this post to simply be about Jane Eyre and Twilight, but somehow Beauty and the Beast is coming in, as well. And, no, you're not allowed to criticize me for this post: I'm still feeling cool about how well my thesis on Charlotte Brontë went on Friday, so I consider myself plenty knowledgeable on the subject.

Jane Eyre is, in many ways, a Beauty and the Beast story--considering the skeleton of each story, that is. The heroine goes to a dark, large house in some type of subservient way. The grumpy master of the house seems intimidating on the exterior, but the heroine is able to see beyond that and beyond his past (which she eventually discovers in more detail) and the two fall in love and he is restored to a previous state of goodness. I'm not as surprised to see how similar, in a kind of Gothic way, the two stories are considering that Jane Eyre was published in 1847 and Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's version of the fairy tale came out (in French) in 1740--that's a hundred years in between, but they're still in a similar time period (as opposed to the difference between 1847 and 1547 or 1647, for instance).

Now we bring in Twilight. What has sometimes bothered me about how people talk about this book (when they say that it's childish and portrays a creepy or abusive or whatever relationship that sets a bad example) is that people seem to forget what that silly group of books considered "the classics" is like. Twilight is very much like Jane Eyre. Stephenie Meyer has of course said she modeled it somewhat around Pride and Prejudice (as New Moon is to Romeo and Juliet and Eclipse is to Wuthering Heights). But his name is, after all, Edward Cullen--like Edward Rochester. And although I know Stephenie Meyer had already liked this name on its own merit, Bella sounds suspiciously like Belle.

There isn't a good comparison for Thornfield, but Bella does go to the isolated location of Forks like Jane goes to the isolated location of Thornfield. First-impression-wise, Edward is a grumpy character--like the modeled-after-the-Byronic-hero Rochester. But he and Bella watch each other like Jane and Rochester watch each other. Both couples sort of bond over frank speech that involves criticizing each other; when they talk, they form their own brands of conversation.

Plot-wise, both do have some issues of power struggle. Jane and Rochester (in my interpretation of the book) resolve this issue through the rebirth that each one experiences during their time apart (after Jane discovers Bertha's existence). Time apart? Well, well, that sounds just like New Moon, doesn't it? Bella and Edward also have to spend some time apart (although it does mean something a little different for their relationship) and some time evaluating their own identities before they can fully enter a relationship as equals.

Beauty and the Beast comes back in with that idea of looking past the exterior of a person. This is something Belle, Jane, and Bella all are able to do. The theme isn't about allowing yourself to be caught in a possessive relationship or going after someone who isn't like you. It's about realizing that people are who they choose to be, not a pre-determined someone they were meant to be.

So that's why I think it's perfectly natural that I, English Lit. major that I am, should like Twilight. It's written on the wings of the historical books that I love.

Breaking Into the Dawn

My over a week's delay in posting my thoughts about Breaking Dawn Part 2 has not, in fact, been because I was unhappy over the movie and needed time to get my thoughts straight. I quite liked the movie and already watched it a second time the Tuesday after it came out. I would have wanted to post that night, but it was a long day. Then Wednesday was pumpkin pie baking day, Thursday was Thanksgiving, Friday was Christmas decorating, and the weekend has been catching up on school work (which I am still not done with--oh, this terribly busy semester). So if I am brief, it is because I have other things that need doing. (In fact, briefness may be just as well: I really shouldn't let these posts get too long, should I?) The advantage is that I shouldn't be spoiling anyone on the movie by now; but just in case, you must click to read on.

The Host Movie Poster Reaction

I just bought my movie ticket this morning to see Breaking Dawn Friday morning, but I think I'm actually more excited to see the trailer for The Host before the movie starts (note: I plan on doing a quick pre-Breaking Dawn post later this week). As a little teaser for that, the movie poster for The Host has been released--you can view it at the Twilight Lexicon.

Whew. Now I find myself fangirling over The Host. I'm just insanely curious how this movie will turn out, and the poster is a taste of the final product. Here are the things I noticed, hopefully in the order I noticed them in. While the cast is a bit younger than the novel pictures, they at least do have a bit of age ambiguity--they don't give out "high school drama," at least. There is a very sci-fi tone to the angles the three characters stand at, the colors (the contrast of the neon blue with the earthy, brown tones), and exoticness of the rocks in the background.

Which brings me to another point. Those rocks. They're not going to be the movie's version of Picachu Peak, are they? Because this is where my concern (well, part of it) about this movie is. New Mexico (where some of it was filmed) looks similar to Arizona, but very different to an Arizona native. And when you're dealing with a specific landmark like Picachu Peak, how do you deal with filming in a different state? Did they choose a different peak in New Mexico, or will they be superimposing Picachu Peak onto the New Mexico landscape?

But one of the exciting things about the poster is how remarkably Saoirse Ronan looks like Melanie/Wanderer. When she was cast, my reaction was, "she doesn't fit Melanie's physical description at all." But that's Melanie standing right there in the middle of the poster.

The Immortal Cullen & Tuck Families

It was back in sixth grade that my class read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt--we also watched the movie version and talked in typical fashion about the changes. Now, back in sixth grade, I couldn't quite fawn over the ending to this story. (Now shall commence a plot summary.) The character, Winnie Foster, meets the Tuck family, who are all immortal from drinking water from a certain spring. Naturally, she and the younger son, Jesse, fall for each other; when the Tucks leave, Jesse gives her some of the water so that, if she chooses, she can drink it in three years when she is his age and come find them. But she doesn't: the Tuck parents come by years later and find her gravestone, which says that she lived a long and happy life and got married and had children. "Good girl" is, I believe, what the father says about her, though with sadness because they'll have to tell Jesse.

The idea is that Winnie chose to live a natural life, right? That's difficult for a romantic to come to terms with; my sixth grade self couldn't.

But are you reminded of another story that ends in the opposite way? Twilight is very similar--in certain ways. Bella meets the immortal Cullen family, falls in mutual love with the youngest son, and eventually has the opportunity to share in that immortality. Is this spitting on Tuck Everlasting's message (not directly, I mean)?

Maybe. But you know I can never see things that simply, so here is what I see instead.

The Tuck family could have been almost like a dream in terms of their effect on Winnie; she lived with them and learned from them and loved them, but they were apart from the rest of her life. Once she had grown through her time with them (a little Alice in Wonderland-like, maybe?), it was time for her to throw out that immortal water, smile, and live her life. For Bella, on the other hand, the Cullens do represent what her life is becoming. She is at that point in her life where change must come: as the teenage years transition from living with parents to living independently in one's self, few things stay the same. So Bella's adoption into that family is her adoption into the new stage of her life, the one she had always been meant for. All the Renesmee/motherhood stuff is the proof that she, unlike Winnie would have if she had gone with Jesse, was living a full life.

For Twilight to actually be the polar opposite of Tuck Everlasting, it would have to be a fantasy. But does it really have a fantasy ending? Take away the labels (vampire, immortal, etc.) and it's just a love story: girl and guy from different backgrounds meet, fall in love, have complications in their relationship, get married, start a family. Though we don't hear that story, isn't that exactly what happened to Winnie?

Winnie did die, though, unlike Bella, who likely won't. But Winnie would have been immortal by an abnormality--the spring's water isn't presented positively. Contrarily, the vampires of Twilight are just a part of nature, another way for "people" to exist.

Oh, and one more thing: don't take this post too seriously. I fear I may have either complicated the matter too much or completely ignored the message of Tuck Everlasting. But it's an interesting comparison, right?

Twilight the Graphic Novel: Volume 2

Last year, I commented on the first volume of the graphic novel version of Twilight, saying that the format was rather intriguing, even if I would only turn to it for something like this that I already like. I'm not out to read other graphic novels, but I did pick up volume two when it came out this month (okay, so I pre-ordered it on Amazon, but with a list price of $19.99, you didn't expect me to buy it in-store, did you?). Once I had the book, the best part may have been finally being able to do this with the two volumes:

Because the graphic novel format wasn't so new to me this time, I wasn't quite as impressed by the workings and artistry of it. However, it was still a nice way to spend a couple of afternoons. Some of my favorite visual renderings were the Bella's lullaby scene, a wonderful and hilarious shot (to go along with Edward's line about fabricating evidence for Bella's "fall" in Phoenix) of Alice leaping through a window, and the final prom bits. Carlisle's background was also creatively portrayed, and I loved seeing an image of the Cullen house much to closer to how the book describes it than how the movie shows it.

On the negatives, I was a little disappointed by the "Angel" scene. A page or two before, I suddenly realizing that one of my favorite chapters (from the book, that is--the graphic novel doesn't have chapters) was coming up, and I used that brief bit of time to build up some high expectations. It just wasn't the same. The part after they discover the bite was fine, but before that, I wanted more of that dreamy, woozy, other-worldy feeling of pain and contentment (which sounds very odd, I realize). And still, there are pieces of dialogue mixed up or placed in different scenes, so the graphic novels by no means replace the books. But they're interesting and done well, therefore being worth picking up if you either like graphic novels or can't get enough Twilight material.

Eclipse Rundown

Time to give my opinion on all things Eclipse.

First is Stephenie Meyer's new The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella. One word best describes it: perspective. From the perspective of a minor (very, very minor) character in Eclipse and only lasting a couple hundred pages, this novella offers an entirely new look at things we've seen before. (It also gives us some things we don't previously know -- that's why it's its own book, after all). The second to last line, in particular, is amazing. It's a line from Eclipse, but the emotion it holds is so different because it is Bree, not Bella, hearing it. Poor Bree: I really do feel sorry for her now. The book was available to read online for a month, but now you'll have to buy it if you want to read it. Short as it is, it's completely worth it.

Now the soundtrack for Eclipse. When I listened to it before the movie, it was a surprising take: I had expected the songs to evoke more of the chaotic sense I get reading the book, but these were slower-type songs. Even after the movie, I wasn't convinced this one beat out the New Moon soundtrack. So many songs on there made the scenes they were in. "Hearing Damage," "Possibility," "Rosyln," "Done All Wrong," "Monsters," "Shooting the Moon," "Slow Life." I didn't initially get that sense this time.

However. Once I start the list, the evidence is against my assumption. "My Love" is perfect for the proposal scene, "Chop and Change" makes an interesting/not-what-anyone-was-expecting start to the movie, "Rolling In On a Burning Tire" is great for Victoria and Riley, "Life on Earth" made the right soft atmosphere, "Ours" and "Neutron Star Collision" are subtle but tact additions, and I love "Eclipse (All Yours)" starting off the credits. What's that? There are seven songs in each list? Well, maybe I do like the Eclipse soundtrack, after all. It just may be working up to my favorite to listen to apart from the movie, as well.

Now the movie companion. I said before that I thought the companion for New Moon was more informative than that of Twilight. The Eclipse one seems the best yet. It got very technical (though not in a way I couldn't understand) at times, really explaining what work went into the movie. As I've said, I really like behind-the-scenes of movies, so when something like this tells me things I don't know already, it makes me happy. Interesting was the way the actor quotes were worked in. Instead of threading them into the regular text, each actor had his own page with his thoughts on the movie. It's much simpler, in a way, and allows you to go quickly to your favorites. This book wasn't shy on the pictures, either, offering both stills and behind-the-scenes.

Last year, I made a list of "New Moon Musts." This year, I decided to make a less specific, more informal list. Three things I find in Eclipse the book: chaos, choice, and backstories. The choice was definitely in the movie, particularly with Jessica/Anna Kendrick's wonderful graduation speech (I don't mind that screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg chose Jessica instead of Eric to give the speech . . . I really prefer it this way). The backstories were there. They're some of my favorite parts in the book, so I was pleased that the same went for the movie. Nikki Reed really showed us Rosalie this time around (I could never decide before whether I liked her approach or not; now I do). Jasper/Jackson was great. This was almost the first time we saw Jasper, and I loved it. The Quileute bit was a refreshing change of scene, amazingly detailed.

But the chaos? I didn't expect a problem with this, but walking out of the first viewing, I didn't feel I'd felt it enough. Everyone is at each other's throats in the book, including Edward and Bella at certain points. It's not the same in the movie, yet I think the audience still gets the clue. We already saw Edward and Jacob almost fight at the end of New Moon . . . we know there is tension. So it isn't a major deal.

Things I liked: Jodelle Ferland was perfect as Bree, though I wish the "Don't watch" line hadn't been ommitted and all of Edward's lines concerning her given to Esme. The fight-training scene was another of my favorites (did I forget to mention its song?), loved almost everything about it. The Florida bit with Renee was slightly tweaked, yet I found it a very sweet moment. Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria, Xavier Samuel as Riley, Charlie Bewley's hilarious expressions and stances as Demetri, Maria. Howard Shore's score was probably the strongest yet, though most of the pivotal moments he didn't get to write for since soundtrack covers those.

Lastly: the "big three." I really, really liked what Kristen Stewart did for New Moon -- this time, I felt like the script didn't give her much to work with. The focus wasn't on Bella as much. It was on the newborns, the backstories, and even Jacob. The "you'd be better off dead" scene felt slightly off to me until I realized that it's more Jacob's perspective than Bella's. Now, Jacob. It may just be me (I'm not Team Jacob, after all), but I feel like Taylor's interpretation of the character is a little different from the book Jacob. Any minor problems I have with movie Jacob aren't with Taylor's acting, just some of the choices he or the director made. Then Edward. I've liked the way Robert Pattinson has handled the character before, and Eclipse only added to that. My favorite line he delivered was the "I might actually like you" one. It included every nuance of the Edward/Jacob relationship. That scene, as well, was perfectly handled in general.

My final thougth: I saw the movie first in a regular theatre, then in a Harkins Cine Capri, then in IMAX. The sound of IMAX is superior and the bigger screen helped with the vampire-speed effect, but my conclusion is that the Cine Capri was best. It's big without being exaggerated.

So I'd Thought

I wonder -- why is the spring semester the colder of the two when its name evokes warmth, and the fall semester the warmer when its name sounds cold? Classes are already over, and the weather hasn't even reached 100 yet. (Though, I'll admit, it has seemed to be cooler this year.) But when next semester starts, there will be two three months before I even think about donning a sweater again. So why will that be the "fall" semester? Curious.

During my last couple weeks of this semester, I was busy writing. And writing. And procrastinating. Something good did come out of my procrastination, though. I've always loved "I Love Lucy," and I've been a fan of "Get Smart" for several years; I feel more loyal to older TV shows than new ones. Now I have discovered "I Dream of Jeannie." Not that I had never heard of the 1960's show: I just never watched more than one episode. But I found Seasons 2 and 3 on Hulu, and now I'm a fan. And then I realized it was high-time I opened up a Netflix account, which would allow me to go back to Season 1 and eventually 4 and 5. Now I'm hooked on Netflix.

I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete First Season

It is a strange thing, yes, that so soon after classes end (and my consequent rejoicing over not having to read for them anymore), I should move into my own reading, but that is the way of it, after all. I started with Twilight: The Graphic Novel since that's half pictures, anyway. I've never read a graphic novel; I don't like any comics or cartoons much. The idea of a whole book in this format has always seemed, well, wasteful and perhaps (I mean no offense) immature. But I had never so much as picked one up, had I?

It was my enduring support of Stephenie Meyer that led me to get this book, but I came out with some appreciation for the graphic novel format. I was amazed at how artistic it was. The colors, the positioning, the way that movement is implied. Everything on the page is formatted so as to render the tone visually. The blood-typing scene was one of my favorites: I was tempted to get woozy right along with Bella. My complaint, still, is that the dialogue has to be chopped up for length's sake; at certain points, it feels like vital things are left out. But I suppose this won't be a problem if, like me, the vast majority reading this book already have the original practically memorized.

Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 (The Twilight Saga)

Today I finished my second summer read: Such a Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess. I read her Leftovers a few months ago, and praised its language and uniqueness, while not wholly enjoying the content (though the first two were enough, to me, to overpower this). Such a Pretty Girl I may have liked even more. Still a fresh read -- stylistically. Also some great themes: we see the mind of another teenager, Meredith this time, who is struggling to find her own power among people who have no care for her as an individual. Still a rather depressing read, but there is such empowerment in it that I think did add to myself.

Such a Pretty Girl

Thus begins my summer with better results than my expectations. Next up is Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.

Waiting . . .

It seems I always have a long list of things I'm waiting for. Then once the list starts shortening, new things go up on it. I've realized now that it will never end; I just have to figure out how to learn patience. Here's the list for today:

Books:

1. Here Burns My Candle by Liz Curtis Higgs. The release date for this one has been pushed back once or twice, but it's set to come out in the spring. Liz is one of the few modern writers that I really love; she can turn out such an emotionally dense story.

2. The Twilight Saga Official Guide by Stephenie Meyer. It was originally supposed to come out December 31st, 2008 . . . last I checked, Barnes & Noble was listing the same day in '10. We'll see it that's true.

3. The New Moon Official Illustrated Movie Companion. I've already pre-ordered it, but even though I'll get it in about two weeks, I'm waiting until I see the movie to open it. Insane, I know. But I have to stay away from spoilers and pre-ordering is just too tempting.

4. I think I can now add the next Bran Hambric book by Kaleb Nation. I don't think I'll be holding my breath too much for it, yet it'll be nice to have.

Movies:

1. You guessed it, New Moon. Sixty more days. I'm tempted to go to the midnight showing, but that probably won't be happening. I'll probably see it at a dull time around 2:30, giving me time to go to class, get lunch, and be at the theatre with ample time.

2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The first two Narnia movies, well, they had their good and bad points. I still love Narnia itself enough that I'll continue watching, anyway. Plus, I think this next one is going to be different from the other two. I'm really starting to think having Michael Apted directing and David Arnold with the music, not to mention the two way-too-old oldest Pevensies mostly out of the picture, will make it better. 12/10/10.

Music:

1. Josh Groban is working on his next CD right now, which will probably come out in the spring. I'm really curious what tone he's going for. Three studio albums (minus the Christmas ones) are still beginnings. A fourth starts to show who you are as an artist overall.

2. Fireflight is also recording their next album. I've been really into them lately. They have great lyrics that make their approach to a loud, hard genre unique. No idea when the release is.

3. After years of just touring, Flyleaf is back. Even when I found them a year ago, their album was already old, so I'm really looking forward to hearing their next one. The single "Again" seems to set a good standard. October 27th.

4. It's just over a week now until the 29th, when Paramore's Brand New Eyes comes out. I wasn't overly impressed by "Ignorance" the first time I heard it, but it's grown on me. One week until I can hear the rest.

5. And let me just add in the rest of them. Hayley (Westenra), aren't you due for another album soon? Emma (Shapplin), will you ever get a third studio album? I would really like one. Oh, and Blondfire, didn't you say you wanted to release at least an EP this year? But I know it's hard for them since they're using their own label; Emma also had trouble with record companies.

Alright, I think I've hit most of them. I guess it isn't that long a list, if you really think about it.

A slight makeover for the page. I'm still not sure if I like the background. It might have too much going on, but I'm really not techie enough to design my own, so I'll try it out for a bit. And I think I may look mad in my profile picture . . .

A Few Thoughts

I didn't feel like reading Stephenie Meyer's The Host until just recently. It just didn't seem to appeal to me (though I can say the same for Twilight), but when I heard about the first anniversary of its publication a little while ago, I decided to look into it some more. I'd read the prologue on Stephenie's site, but this time, I read some of Chapter 4 (which is the other sample she gives.) I had to know more about these characters, simple as that, so I went out and bought the book that weekend.

I finished it in five days, about a week ago. One thing I just have to like about it is that it takes place, for the most part, in Arizona. It's just wonderful to see someone else who loves it here, as well. In honor of this, I photographed the book outside. I couldn't choose which picture I liked best, so here are my two favorites. The second one really makes the already-creepy cover look even creepier. . .

A quick rundown of the plot: Earth is taken over by "souls" that live like parasites in the "host" bodies of humans. There are a still some people left resisting them, including Melanie, who is captured and given as the host for Wanderer. Melanie won't give up control of her mind, though, and she makes Wanderer love the same things she does, so they go in search of the resistance.

There's something about Stephenie Meyer that's going to make me keep up with her writing, whatever the plot summaries are. She does something with a person's internal mind that's very addictive. With The Host, she considers the idea of identity. How much of what a person is like is his choice? How much is just the way he's designed? What can you change and what is inevitable?

That said, it was an interesting read. I especially liked the last bit, with Wanderer's decision. Here's another thing about Stephenie: she can show a character who makes a choice he or she believes in entirely as the right thing, but it's a choice that can be questioned. A choice that you want to disagree with, but may not be able to say whether it's right or wrong. In any case, I'm happy with the final ending and would be fine with just letting it stay that way. But if The Host ends up being a trilogy. . . well, I'd keep reading, but the book is complete enough in itself, it seems.