My thoughts on Breaking Dawn
Aug. 12th, 2008 01:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greenconversesMy pre-ordered birthday present of Breaking Dawn never came in the mail so I actually had to go out and buy it on Friday because I'd waited long enough. I finished it on Saturday, not from lack of trying but because I really didn't want to suffer through Bella's POV as a super sparkly vampire until the morning hours.
Overall, I didn't like the book. The thing about Stephenie Meyer is that she can never not let her characters have a non-happy ending. That's what pissed me off when I read The Host - she had the perfect ending for Wanderer right there and then she had to go tack on another twenty pages of because OMG IT WASN'T A SHINY HAPPY ENDING YET. Someone needs to let SMeyer know that there is a happy medium between the fairy tale ending and Greek tragedy ending, and that she should find it - fast. I would've liked Breaking Dawn a lot better if everything hadn't come wrapped up in a nice, shiny bow.
Also, I freak the fuck out over seeing normal women giving birth on TV. The birth scene in Breaking Dawn really didn't do me any favors in the "I maybe wanna reproduce someday!" department. I think my legs are going to be firmly crossed for the next decade or so, thanks to SMeyer and her spine breaking demon spawn.
Anyway, we'll cut to the short list of things I did like about the book.
The thing about Stephenie Meyer's writing is that she has so many good ideas and characters that just turn into fail when she actually tries to develop them. So, even though I hated Breaking Dawn, there were still a few, minor things I actually really adored about it.
Things I Liked
1. Book II: Jacob
I think most everyone agrees that this section either made them like Jacob or made the book infinitely more bearable to them, and that's definitely the case. Jacob's such a change of pace from Bella's POV and it's interesting to see all the characters from a different perspective. Plus, the wolves are much more realistic characters than Bella and Edward. Hell, anyone who isn't in the main love story are much more interesting.
2. Jacob/Leah
I totally started shipping them after Eclipse - talk about angry, heartbroken secks peoples! - and I was so glad Leah got some development and screentime besides being "the angry bitch" the rest of the pack pisses and moans about. Of course, I tried to ignore the fact that I knew Jacob was going to imprint with the demon spawn and just delight in Jacob/Leah bonding...
3. Garrett/Kate
NEW FAVORITE TWILIGHT SHIP. They're both awesome characters, and Garrett's history would be something interesting to explore ... if, you know, SMeyer wouldn't fuck it up.
4. THE ROMANIANS
They fuckin' rocked. I know they only had like ten lines altogether, but man they were badass. It helped that they were one of the handful of vampires who weren't like, "Awww, pretty baby!" and were just in it to see the Volturi go down.
5. Jasper's scars
I loved that the scars became more prominent once Bella turned into a vampire and that they're frightening. It gives him - and his relationship with Alice - a lot more depth and it makes sense too. I'm definitely been playing with some fic ideas with this. I wish SMeyer had made all the Cullens seem less beautiful to vamp!Bella instead of OMG EVEN MORE PRETTEH than before.
6. Increased presence of the other Cullens
Even though SMeyer really destroyed Rosalie's character, I was happy that she got more screentime than her usual, "Hmph, I'm going to look down at my nose at you for you aren't as pretty as me! Also, I hate you, Bella." cameo in the earlier books. The book really picked up when other Cullens besides Edward were present. I think Edward is a fanscinating character - away from Bella and with his family instead.
Hmm. And I think that's about it. There might some other little pieces that amused me or were interesting, but I can't think of them right now.
Overall, I didn't like the book. The thing about Stephenie Meyer is that she can never not let her characters have a non-happy ending. That's what pissed me off when I read The Host - she had the perfect ending for Wanderer right there and then she had to go tack on another twenty pages of because OMG IT WASN'T A SHINY HAPPY ENDING YET. Someone needs to let SMeyer know that there is a happy medium between the fairy tale ending and Greek tragedy ending, and that she should find it - fast. I would've liked Breaking Dawn a lot better if everything hadn't come wrapped up in a nice, shiny bow.
Also, I freak the fuck out over seeing normal women giving birth on TV. The birth scene in Breaking Dawn really didn't do me any favors in the "I maybe wanna reproduce someday!" department. I think my legs are going to be firmly crossed for the next decade or so, thanks to SMeyer and her spine breaking demon spawn.
Anyway, we'll cut to the short list of things I did like about the book.
The thing about Stephenie Meyer's writing is that she has so many good ideas and characters that just turn into fail when she actually tries to develop them. So, even though I hated Breaking Dawn, there were still a few, minor things I actually really adored about it.
Things I Liked
1. Book II: Jacob
I think most everyone agrees that this section either made them like Jacob or made the book infinitely more bearable to them, and that's definitely the case. Jacob's such a change of pace from Bella's POV and it's interesting to see all the characters from a different perspective. Plus, the wolves are much more realistic characters than Bella and Edward. Hell, anyone who isn't in the main love story are much more interesting.
2. Jacob/Leah
I totally started shipping them after Eclipse - talk about angry, heartbroken secks peoples! - and I was so glad Leah got some development and screentime besides being "the angry bitch" the rest of the pack pisses and moans about. Of course, I tried to ignore the fact that I knew Jacob was going to imprint with the demon spawn and just delight in Jacob/Leah bonding...
3. Garrett/Kate
NEW FAVORITE TWILIGHT SHIP. They're both awesome characters, and Garrett's history would be something interesting to explore ... if, you know, SMeyer wouldn't fuck it up.
4. THE ROMANIANS
They fuckin' rocked. I know they only had like ten lines altogether, but man they were badass. It helped that they were one of the handful of vampires who weren't like, "Awww, pretty baby!" and were just in it to see the Volturi go down.
5. Jasper's scars
I loved that the scars became more prominent once Bella turned into a vampire and that they're frightening. It gives him - and his relationship with Alice - a lot more depth and it makes sense too. I'm definitely been playing with some fic ideas with this. I wish SMeyer had made all the Cullens seem less beautiful to vamp!Bella instead of OMG EVEN MORE PRETTEH than before.
6. Increased presence of the other Cullens
Even though SMeyer really destroyed Rosalie's character, I was happy that she got more screentime than her usual, "Hmph, I'm going to look down at my nose at you for you aren't as pretty as me! Also, I hate you, Bella." cameo in the earlier books. The book really picked up when other Cullens besides Edward were present. I think Edward is a fanscinating character - away from Bella and with his family instead.
Hmm. And I think that's about it. There might some other little pieces that amused me or were interesting, but I can't think of them right now.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-12 08:52 pm (UTC)Bwahahahahaha, these books will totally bring more people to the no kids side. I'm not alone anymore! :D
Okay, also, the birth was bad for some people, it was fucking horrifying to me. I can't stand regular birth to the point of it making me nauseous, and you think I can stand blood-gushing, spine breaking, uterus eating birth!? *shudders*
no subject
Date: 2008-08-18 06:58 am (UTC)Crappy ending. Everyone was too damn happy.
I am worshiping Jacobs POV though.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-01 10:55 pm (UTC)Someone needs to let SMeyer know that there is a happy medium between the fairy tale ending and Greek tragedy ending...
As a classics major whose focus has been on the lit side of things, not all Greek tragedies have a tragic ending. Tragedy is just... more serious. Yes, sometimes people end up having screwed their mother and being murdered by unfaithful wives, but... sometimes they all go off to Troy with a shadow over them. That shadow could have worked if she'd been willing to use it.