欧宝娱乐

** spoiler alert ** I'll preface by saying that I did enjoy this book - I love the story overall, and the characters, and the premise and all of that. I don't have a problem with Bella, and it was funny seeing her through Jacob's biased eyes - on the contrary, I like Bella. I wouldn't be able to read these books if I didn't. What really bothers me most about this series are the obsessive fans.

This is one of those series where the obsessive fans take the story away from the author, writing their own versions, coming up with their own theories and all the rest of it. I don't begrudge them that, but what really annoys me is when they say that Meyer has it all wrong, that that's not what vampires are like, and on and on. I came across a few discussions over what would happen in this book, which I tried to avoid, but people were coming up with all sorts of things: about babies, about what Bella's special gift would be, about the wedding and so on.

I would have thought that this book would have completely satisfied people, but from the glimpses I've caught (much to my annoyance), a lot of fans seem almost scornful of how things panned out. Maybe it's because there was too much of a build-up, like with the last Harry Potter book, and it creates an anti-climax. I'd like to pat myself on the back for avoiding that feeling, by steering clear of all the online discussions - though it's hard on 欧宝娱乐, because people's comments pop up on your updates page. Grrr.

The pregnancy took me by surprise, but I loved it. It was plausible, it was scary, and by switching Point-of-View to Jacob in the middle there (an ingenious device), we not only get a more fleshed-out perspective of that period, a wise move, but it makes Bella's life more fragile, precarious, uncertain. For a while there I was extremely worried that she wouldn't survive. Edward's pain was so very real, and really got to me.

The baby device is quite common in fantasy - the baby that will save the world or the baby that will unite people and so on. Here it was much more personal though, and I appreciated that. Renesmee was a little too perfect, but her bizarre nature balanced it enough that she wasn't too sickly sweet. I wasn't surprised at Jacob imprinting with her - and it was certainly an effective way of handling that pesky problem! I wonder, though, was Bella less interesting when she no longer had to worry herself over two men?

As for the other characters, apart from Bella and Jacob, they're very much in the background, which was rather disappointing. Playing their typical support roles, it felt a little rushed at times, almost like Meyer's heart wasn't really in it - as I understand it she wrote this book because her publisher wanted her to, like with the previous two; Twilight was meant to be a stand-alone novel in the beginning. [I've since learnt from a friend who saw her interviewed that she had this planned out from the beginning and had to convince her publishers to let her do it in four books. But it still felt a bit rushed and half-hearted in places.]

Is it just me or is Jacob Meyer's favourite? He gets an awful lot of airtime here, which gives us a chance to feel really comfortable with him, and he has a nice irreverent tone, but it still leaves many of the other characters thinly sketched. Even Edward, I never really feel like we break through his mystery and outward charisma to the person beneath. Bella sees him as a kind of idol, and as such, he's almost inhuman (ha ha). His emotions come across, but not so much his reasoning, or motivations. I'm not sure, maybe that's not it exactly, but I always want more Edward and want I'm given just doesn't satisfy me.

Now, it was always going to be tricky, writing Bella as a vampire. All her main quirks as a human are gone - the clumsiness, the blushing, the sweetness - which Meyer always used to define her character, so I was really pleased at how she managed to make Bella a convincing vampire while still retaining enough to make her familiar. Her voice doesn't really change, but her actions have. She's much less vulnerable, and that's bound to change anyone. But her body language has been altered, and her confidence too. It worked well. Edward, too, no longer treated her like a fragile human but effortlessly shifted his perspective and treated her as more of a partner, less as an eccentric pet.

The climax was less climactic than the other books, but the fact that it didn't end on violence like the previous book gave the end of the series the right kind of ending, a peaceful one. Bella's special ability made sense, and while it's not visibly impressive, it's certainly very useful and fits her character: always trying to protect others.

Is it just me or do all the books start with Bella in a car? I can't remember how the others started and I didn't get a chance to have a look, but it seemed like they do. If they do, it's an interesting comfort zone.

I love Meyer's version of the vampiric species - it's original and very well fleshed out, and differs at important points from the more generic, Anne Rice version, making them much more attractive, less vulnerable creatures.

This is an addictive series, with as many detractors as fans, and with as much hoo-ha as Harry Potter. They're not as well written as the Harry Potter books, but they're nothing to cringe over either - you don't read them for the prose, but for the story, which is emotionally intense and very, very addictive. It's a classic love story, it's just that the circumstances are a little different.

So, I guess the long and the short of it is, I loved the book, yet it wasn't wholly satisfying, like there was something missing, some part of character development maybe, or maybe I'm just wishing Edward was more fleshed out, now that Bella's like him and he's no longer an alien species. I can't quite put my finger on it. But there were lots of surprises, and the plot was well-structured in three parts, three distinct stages, with all the emotional gut-punching I've come to expect from Meyer. Truly, she puts me through the wringer like Diana Gabaldon - and for this alone I will always love these books (yes, I like the feeling of being put through the proverbial emotional wringer!). It's also a great romance, though too much time was spent telling us of the bond between Bella and Edward, and not enough time showing us. Perhaps that was what bugged me?