Book Review: Twilight Saga

I wanted to post this review I wrote about the Twilight Saga. I've been having lots of conversations about the books since the movie came out and I think these comments boil down why I think this series is amazing and why so many women of all ages love it.

*Spoiler Alert* If you have not read these books, especially Breaking Dawn, you might not want to read this review.

1. True love - Edward (the hero of the series) loves Bella (the heroine) despite the fact that she is pretty ordinary on the outside. He is able to see her character (how she loves and protects people and how strong and determined she is) in a way that no one has seen or appreciated before. This appeals to most girls concerning what it means to truly be loved.
2. Sex - Though he finds her beautiful and desirable, they have a decidedly chaste relationship. He is unwilling to tarnish either of their virtues and refuses to sleep with her until they are married. What is so appealing about this aspect of the novels is that Stephenie Meyer does not portray them are prudish, but rather that their physical relationship is more valuable because of how Edward protects it.
3. Family - These books are stronger than than the usual young adult fiction because Bella not only loves Edward, but his entire family. His "family" (the Cullens, seven vampires who have committed to each other and the disciplines in #4 below) have a deep love for each other and they welcome Bella into their circle with open arms. When she chooses Edward she is also choosing a family and a whole way of life.
4. Discipline - The Cullen family is special because unlike the usual evil vampires, they choose to forgo eating humans and instead satisfy their need by hunting animals (though the vampire nature to hunt humans still resides within them). They live lives of carefully cultured discipline which allows them to be civilized and bound by love rather than by animal instinct (sinful nature?). They stand in stark contrast to other vampires who are described as hunters of humans and animals, and even as animalistic.

I believe the deeper reason why these books have caught on so quickly is a spiritual one. Stories like the Lord of the Rings, The Matrix and Superman Returns are engaging because they are great stories, but on a deeper level, they tell us about who God is and how he relates to us. The descriptions of Edward use similar language to the language John uses to describe Jesus in Revelation. There is also this sense that Edward gives Bella so much more than she could ever return. This is a huge conflict within her and quite a beautiful moment when she realizes that he still loves her unconditionally, though she can never repay him and all she can really do is accept that love and enjoy being with him.

I think that Carlisle, Edward's adopted father, is also a picture of God. He creates four of the members of his family because he wants to have relationship. He is a doctor and spends his time healing people. All the family members he has changed are given the choice - to live in peace with him as a family, or to go off and become animal-like hunters of humans. Edward describes how he feels he has started to look like his father - "My features had not changed, but it seemed to me like some of his wisdom had marked my expression, that a little of his compassion could be traced in the shape of my mouth, and hints of his patience were evident on my brow." I love that picture! Though he is an adopted son, he has made it is mission to become like his father and has seen the transformation take place on his face. It is Carlisle's love for people that keeps his family together - he is the glue. As the Cullen family grows, it is a picture of community, of the church. All these people live together, first because of Carlisle and the vision of family he has created, but also because they all deeply love each other.

Stephenie Meyer also creates an interesting picture of heaven. All the preparation and suffering that Bella goes through in her human life prepares her for her immortal life. She adapts quicker than most people after her transformation because she was so focused and prepared (I think this reflects the idea that somehow our lives in heaven will be affected by our actions on earth). There is also a fear in her that she will not feel like herself once she is transformed but she is willing to go through that to be with Edward. To her surprise, she finds she was made for this second life. Everything is more real, more beautiful and she is able to be more herself. When she tries to think back to her old life, her memories are happy, but they are blurry in comparison to how much more real her new life feels.

The fact that these books are causing such a strong response in girls is actually a positive one I think because they relate to our deepest desires - to be unconditionally loved by God, to know God and to be in heaven with him. The question for me is - do the women who read this realize that is what they truly desire or are they going to go off and try find an Edward Cullen to marry? That is why these books are so great - they offer a opportunity to talk about these longings.