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quote:To no one’s surprise, Charlie had no problem at all with me going to La Push for a bonfire. Jacob crowed with undisguised exultation when I called to give him the news, and he seemed eager enough to embrace Edward’s safety measures. He promised to meet us at the line between territories at six. Bella just immediately crashes her bike into a tree and begins yelling "THIS IS WHY YOU NEED TO MAKE ME INVULNERABLE EDWARD!" quote:I followed him back to his house, to the garage where I’d left the bike. It wasn’t until I pulled the truck in and got out that I realized the consternation might not be entirely about my safety this time.  Stephenie Meyer provided a reference image of a Ducati 848 for the motorcycle, which released shortly after the publication of the book but didn't exist at the time the book takes place. The actual bike Edward would have had would be the 749.  The film used a Harley-Davidson V-ROD, the first Harley to have a modern Porsche-designed engine with overhead cams and liquid cooling. It was a radical change from the traditional motorcycle that made it faster and more agile, but with mediocre mileage, a need for premium fuel, and poor controls and gauges that are difficult to use unless you're a vampire. quote:Edward’s expression was casual; he seemed determined to blow it off. “Well, I didn’t know if you were going to forgive your friend, or he you, and I wondered if you would still want to ride your bike anyway. It sounded like it was something that you enjoyed. I thought I could go with you, if you wished.” He shrugged. I can never get over how Bella's desire to become a vampire, for all her claims that she needs to be able to protect herself or Charlie, is just rooted deeply in her own insecurities. It's a cheat code for her to get over them without the need for any introspection or personal improvement. Why bother when you can just badger your boyfriend and his family into making you an immortal superhuman? quote:“I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you,” I whispered. Edward just tackles Bella clean off her bike when she rolls through a stop sign. quote:Then he smiled. It looked effortless, except for the tiny defensive tightening of his eyes. You could just, you know, not speed for once Edward. quote:“Don’t worry about it,” Edward said, and then he laughed lightly. “I saw Jasper admiring it. Perhaps it’s time he discovered a new way to travel. After all, Alice has her Porsche now.” Are you loving kidding me? At this point I don't even think it's clumsiness. Bella just wants to hurt herself. quote:“No, you’ll look smart. Smart enough not to get yourself hurt.” He threw the black thing, whatever it was, over his arm and then took my face in his hands. “There are things between my hands right now that I can’t live without. You could take care of them.” "Less hideous than if you left half of your flesh on the pavement outside the general store." quote:He took another step back and pursed his lips. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKxsOlzuH0k quote:As Edward drove me toward La Push a little while later, I realized that this unprecedented situation felt oddly familiar. It took me a moment of thought to pinpoint the source of the déjà vu. And one of the partners was way, way better than the other. quote:About halfway to La Push, we rounded the corner and found Jacob leaning against the side of the red Volkswagen he’d built for himself out of scraps. Jacob’s carefully neutral expression dissolved into a smile when I waved from the front seat. What? Is he using his super strength to compress all of her luggage? quote:Jacob watched, making no move to approach, his smile gone and his dark eyes indecipherable. I tucked the helmet under my arm and threw the jacket across the seat. The most aggravating thing about this is that I can't tell. We've already discussed Meyer's propensity for the Dead Herring, so this could very well be yet another of those "This is foreshadowing but I'm having my characters say it definitely can't be foreshadowing to fool you" things, but we've also had Bella spend a lot of page time on useless bullshit because of misinterpreting situations (like when she thought Jacob was making calls to check if she was still human, when it made absolutely no sense for her to think that and only served to drag out the reveal about Victoria returning). I legitimately have no way of knowing whether this will be significant in any sense. quote:I could feel his eyes on my back as I pushed my bike toward the invisible vampire-werewolf treaty line to meet Jacob. Hugging is banned in Forks. quote:He laughed again, louder than before—he found what I’d said very funny indeed. I tried to see the joke as he walked around the Rabbit to hold my door open for me.
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Jan 3, 2020 16:24
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That last line was actually funny! I'm not sure how often I've felt what Meyer intended the reader to feel, but it can't be very often if moments like now amaze me.
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Jan 4, 2020 08:53
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Chapter 11: Legendsquote:“Are you gonna eat that hot dog?" Paul asked Jacob, his eyes locked on the last remnant of the huge meal the werewolves had consumed. Oh Jesus Christ, Paul. quote:“Sheesh.” Jacob laughed. “Kidding, Paul. Here.” You've already got one! quote:“Thanks, man,” Paul said, already over his brief fit of temper. Would Paul respond to my appearance by immediately trying to murder me again? quote:But when Jacob had towed me out of the forest to the clifftop meeting place—where the fire already roared brighter than the cloud-obscured sun—it had all been very casual and light.  Quil Ateara III was originally supposed to appear in the early draft of New Moon. This version didn't have Jacob return to Bella's house to apologize for telling her they can't hang out anymore, and Bella instead tries to visit Quil but gets uncomfortably rebuffed by his grandfather. He was played by a currently unknown background actor in the film adaptation. quote:I wondered how horrible it was for Leah to sit across the circle from Sam and Emily. Her lovely face betrayed no emotion, but she never looked away from the flames. Looking at the perfection of Leah’s features, I couldn’t help but compare them to Emily’s ruined face. What did Leah think of Emily’s scars, now that she knew the truth behind them? Did it seem like justice in her eyes? Ooooooof. quote:Little Seth Clearwater wasn’t so little anymore. With his huge, happy grin and his long, gangly build, he reminded me very much of a younger Jacob. The resemblance made me smile, and then sigh. Was Seth doomed to have his life change as drastically as the rest of these boys? Was that future why he and his family were allowed to be here?  Kim was played in the Breaking Dawn Part 1 by an uncredited Caitlin Mooney-Fu, a local Canadian actress of Peruvian descent. She seems to have done extremely little professional work apart from commercials and attended Quest University in Squamish on a liberal arts degree. quote:That was my first impression. But after a few hours of watching Jared watch Kim, I could no longer find anything plain about the girl. Her...skin darkened? Is she a chameleon? Is this how Stephenie Meyer thinks indigenous people blush? quote:Watching them, I felt like I better understood what Jacob had told me about imprinting before—it’s hard to resist that level of commitment and adoration. Especially if you get groomed from childhood! quote:Kim was nodding off now against Jared’s chest, his arms around her. I imagined she would be very warm there. What if he just said yes? quote:Jacob chuckled his low, throaty laugh. “No. That’s the finale. We didn’t meet just to eat through a week’s worth of food. This is technically a council meeting. It’s Quil’s first time, and he hasn’t heard the stories yet. Well, he’s heard them, but this will be the first time he knows they’re true. That tends to make a guy pay closer attention. Kim and Seth and Leah are all first-timers, too.” Emily is the only one who's prepared! Bella already completely forgot most of what she was told by Jacob once in the first book, so maybe she should consider taking after her for the rest of the series. quote:Leah Clearwater, her face still a beautiful and emotionless mask, closed her eyes—not like she was tired, but as if to help her concentration. Her brother leaned in toward the elders eagerly. I know it's supposed to be delivered in the timbre of an experienced native storyteller, but I can't help but laugh at the awkwardness of the "We became werewolves in the next part." quote:“In the beginning, the tribe settled in this harbor and became skilled ship builders and fishermen. But the tribe was small, and the harbor was rich in fish. There were others who coveted our land, and we were too small to hold it. A larger tribe moved against us, and we took to our ships to escape them. This story is something that has garnered a lot of offense from the surviving Quileute in real life. In actual Quileute mythology, Qwati (sometimes referred to as "The Transformer") was the heroic figure who created the Quileute by transforming them from wolves to men, teaching them culture and language, and destroying the monsters of their land to protect them. The story of Kaheleha is a complete fiction that Meyer invented to turn the Quileute from a real, dying tribe into magic werewolf warriors for her cheap young adult romance novels. Imagine if an Indian author had written a story in which Calvinists have magic powers and they completely rewrite the Book of Genesis to establish it. That's the level of absurdity this scene is operating at, and combined with the near destruction of the Quileute tribe by the ancestors of Stephenie Meyer it's extraordinarily tone-deaf and dehumanizing to the real people.  Another perfect example of Meyer's criminal mishandling of the Quileute comes from the films: the Wolf Pack tattoo. In the films, all of the werewolves have these tattoos. The design is not an actual Quileute one, being designed by Lesza Snowdon using inspiration from real Quileute oral history, but the popularity of the franchise has indelibly linked the design to the real Quileute. It's appeared on countless Hot Topic accessories and T-shirts and some people have actually gotten the real tattoo. By appropriating the legends of a historically oppressed people, the folks behind the Twilight series have profited off their tokenization. quote:“Utlapa was one of Chief Taha Aki’s strongest spirit warriors—a powerful man, but a grasping man, too. He thought the people should use their magic to expand their lands, to enslave the Hohs and the Makahs and build an empire. You are going to be really annoyed with how long this is. quote:“Taha Aki followed his body down the mountain. He screamed at Utlapa, but Utlapa ignored him as if he were mere wind. Once again, the Quileute association with wolves is because of the legend that they were wolves, elevated to humanity. This is a change on par with saying that the real reason Jews can't eat pork because God is actually a pig and that's where they get the magic to create golems to defend their kibbutzes. quote:“As one, the man and the wolf returned to the village on the harbor. The people ran in fear, shouting for the warriors to come. The warriors ran to meet the wolf with their spears. Utlapa, of course, stayed safely hidden. You're letting your Mormon show, Quil. quote:I was so involved in the story, it was a shock to come back to the present, to the circle around the dying fire. With another shock, I realized that the circle was made up of Taha Aki’s great—to however many degrees—grandsons. Is this the book where Meyer tries to write comedy? There's way more one-liners than the last one. quote:Billy ignored their jibes. “Some of the sons became warriors with Taha Aki, and they no longer aged. Others, who did not like the transformation, refused to join the pack of wolf-men. These began to age again, and the tribe discovered that the wolf-men could grow old like anyone else if they gave up their spirit wolves. Taha Aki had lived the span of three old men’s lives. He had married a third wife after the deaths of the first two, and found in her his true spirit wife. Though he had loved the others, this was something else. He decided to give up his spirit wolf so that he would die when she did. That looks a lot like Meyer's Mormon background infecting the Quileute, with their belief that you choose your true love in the spirit realm before birth. After what we got with imprinting, it seems like a lot of Meyer's remaking of the tribe comes from her infusing Mormonism into Native Americans. quote:He looked at Old Quil Ateara, who shifted in his chair, straightening his frail shoulders. Billy took a drink from a bottle of water and wiped his forehead. Emily’s pen never hesitated as she scribbled furiously on the paper. Oh God, there's another one of these to sit through? quote:“Many years after Taha Aki gave up his spirit wolf, when he was an old man, trouble began in the north, with the Makahs. Several young women of their tribe had disappeared, and they blamed it on the neighboring wolves, who they feared and mistrusted. The wolf-men could still read each other’s thoughts while in their wolf forms, just like their ancestors had while in their spirit forms. They knew that none of their number was to blame. Taha Aki tried to pacify the Makah chief, but there was too much fear. Taha Aki did not want to have a war on his hands. He was no longer a warrior to lead his people. He charged his oldest wolf-son, Taha Wi, with finding the true culprit before hostilities began. Vampires literally smell too good. quote:“They did not know what creature would leave such a scent, but they followed it,” Old Quil continued. His quavering voice did not have the majesty of Billy’s, but it had a strange, fierce edge of urgency about it. My pulse jumped as his words came faster. The constant shifts to new paragraphs with only an opening quotation mark look really bad. quote:“A year later, two Makah maidens disappeared from their homes on the same night. The Makahs called on the Quileute wolves at once, who found the same sweet stink all through the Makah village. The wolves went on the hunt again. The pieces of a vampire remaining alive after dismemberment is not something that occurs in the movies, where many vampires are killed through simple decapitation. While we're probably not going to read the book about Bree Tanner, it does establish that losing an arm is only a temporary setback and the arm can be quickly reattached. It's unclear if the head remains conscious after decapitation or if it could be reattached. quote:Old Quil paused and looked at Billy. Billy pulled out a leather thong from around his neck. Hanging from the end was a small bag, blackened with age. A few people gasped. I might have been one of them. This is getting uncomfortably colonial. quote:“There were twenty witnesses to the Cold Woman’s approach. Two survived, only because she grew distracted by the blood, and paused to sate her thirst. They ran to Taha Aki, who sat in counsel with the other elders, his sons, and his third wife. It sounded suspiciously like "Are you willing to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into your life?" quote:“It was a close fight. She was not the warrior her mate had been. But Yaha Uta was alone—there was no one to distract her fury from him. What was the knowledge they learned from her sacrifice? Carry a vial of blood and just throw it at the vampire first? quote:“Time passed, and the descendants of Taha Aki no longer became wolves when they reached manhood. Only in a great while, if a cold one was near, would the wolves return. The cold ones always came in ones and twos, and the pack stayed small. "Hey everyone, tell Bella again how much our special powers and near-immortality beat being a human! She keeps laughing hysterically with really wide eyes when we do it, so she must love it!" quote:Billy chuckled, low and long, and the magic seemed to fade into the glowing embers. Suddenly, it was just a circle of friends again. Jared flicked a small stone at Quil, and everyone laughed when it made him jump. Low conversations murmured around us, teasing and casual. Chapter break, so we can all contemplate the deeply uncomfortable implications of these stories.
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Jan 7, 2020 17:55
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chitoryu12 posted:Chapter 11: Legends Hideo Kojima got your back
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Jan 7, 2020 23:12
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Why the gently caress didn't she just invent a fictional people to be her goddamn werewolves? It'd still be lovely but better than this.
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Jan 8, 2020 05:16
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quote:Neither Jacob nor I spoke. He was so still beside me, his breath so deep and even, that I thought he might be close to sleep. This is supposed to be extremely obvious, sloppy foreshadowing. I would charitably call Bella being the key to saving everyone a "stretch." quote:Something shook my arm.  quote:“You called Edward for me?” Because he's in charge of her, right? And he can take away her privileges at any time? quote:“Thanks, Jake,” I said, touched. “Really, thank you. And thanks for inviting me tonight. That was…” Words failed me. “Wow. That was something else.” Edward just spent the entire night scowling and leaping dramatically around the forest right on the border. quote:“Sleep tight, Bells. Don’t worry about anything—I’ll be watching out for you tonight.” Yes. They are literally Magic Indians. quote:“You’ll have to tell me about it. After you’ve slept.” I'm sorry, I just can't see the vampires' movement as anything but comical. It's like an entire family of Wally Wests zipping around and sailing in and out of windows. quote:“Is Jacob out there?” I asked, shivering as Edward pulled me into the circle of his arm. "Pathetic." quote:It was cold in my dream that night, too, maybe because I slept in Edward’s arms. But I dreamt I was outside in the storm, the wind whipping my hair in my face and blinding my eyes. I stood on the rocky crescent of First Beach, trying to understand the quickly moving shapes I could only dimly see in the darkness at the shore’s edge. At first, there was nothing but a flash of white and black, darting toward each other and dancing away. And then, as if the moon had suddenly broken from the clouds, I could see everything. I think this might be the first dream in the books that isn't outright prophetic! quote:I cringed away from the knife, and my eyes snapped open to the quiet darkness of my bedroom. The first thing I realized was that I was not alone, and I turned to bury my face in Edward’s chest, knowing the sweet scent of his skin would chase the nightmare away more effectively than anything else. Uhhhhhhhh quote:“Mmm,” I sighed. Why does this book keep seeming like it was originally written as a story about escaping an abusive relationship? In case you don't know Heathcliff, he's essentially a deconstruction of the Byronic Hero archetype. He starts out as a typical hot brooding loner, but gradually loses his sympathetic qualities and devolves more and more into bitterness and obsession with vengeance. He's an abuser who sadistically hurts people, even if they've done nothing to rouse his ire, and is discovered to be little more than a sociopath. Your sympathy for him is meant to be limited to understanding why he is who he is but also not finding any of it acceptable because of it. quote:Three words on the open page caught my eye, and I bent my head to read the paragraph more closely. It was Heathcliff speaking, and I knew the passage well. That's...almost a direct threat against Jacob. quote:Yes, surely I must have dreamt that Edward said anything positive about Heathcliff. And this page was probably not the page he’d been reading. The book could have fallen open to any page. This poo poo is getting disturbing.
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Jan 8, 2020 22:13
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“Getting”
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Jan 9, 2020 02:38
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These novels are honestly great, and it's sort of a shame I don't think I have the fortitude to make it through the films.
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Jan 9, 2020 02:42
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Up Circle posted:These novels are honestly great, and it's sort of a shame I don't think I have the fortitude to make it through the films. I hate the original films, but the RiffTrax versions are among my favorite comedies.
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Jan 9, 2020 02:52
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Midjack posted:“Getting” It seems to be worse in Eclipse than ever before. Edward's creepy poo poo and temper tantrums were more in the background or implied. Now he's acting so blatantly horrible and the book is making overtures at it so strongly that any resolution except Bella realizing she's trapped with an abusive vampire would be astounding. Of course, it doesn't. drat near everyone knows how it ends.
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Jan 9, 2020 04:39
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Chapter 12: Timequote:"I have foreseen...," Alice began in an ominous tone. I heard her in Jenny Nicholson's voice. quote:We were walking to the car after school, and I was completely clueless as to what she was talking about. This is incredibly rude and insulting, but also Bella did actually throw multiple crying tantrums in the last two books over really minor stuff like "Going to prom" or "Having a birthday party" so I can't feel bad about it. quote:“Now I’m scared.” "Your life isn't your own! We can do whatever we want to you!" quote:“Okay, Alice. I’ll be there. And I’ll hate every minute of it. Promise.” I wish we could keep all of these legitimately funny or witty lines while throwing out the rest of the book. quote:“Amazing,” Edward muttered. “How can someone so tiny be so annoying?” I've occasionally forgotten what day of the week it was, but I've never forgotten what month I was in. How the hell is this supposed Dartmouth-accepted genius living her life? quote:Neither one answered. Alice just shook her head sadly, feigning disappointment, and Edward’s eyebrows lifted. If only you hadn't spent all of your time being the biggest bitch possible to your dad instead of learning how to say goodbye. quote:In a vague way, I was aware of Edward holding the car door for me, of Alice chattering from the backseat, of the rain hammering against the windshield. Edward seemed to realize I was only there in body; he didn’t try to pull me out of my abstraction. Or maybe he did, and I was past noticing. There's nothing "cowardly" about refusing to give up your life, abandoning your family and friends and making your boyfriend think that he's ripped his soul from your body, just so your relationship can be longer! quote:“Your lips are white. Talk, Bella.” The only thing worse than experiencing the heat death of the universe due to your immortality: parties. quote:The rain was louder as he read my face. Just like how everyone thinks their high school romance is going to be the one forever. quote:“You aren’t going through with this because a sword is hanging over your head. We will take care of the problems, and I will take care of you,” he vowed. “When we’re through it, and there is nothing forcing your hand, then you can decide to join me, if you still want to. But not because you’re afraid. You won’t be forced into this.” I don't. quote:He was still watching my face, waiting for me to relax. Knowing what we do now about Meyer's music tastes and what the CD was in the first book, I can't help but picture Edward and Alice at a Linkin Park concert. quote:“It’s a great idea. Thank you.” But...we know why. The last book had a whole thing about Edward believing that being turned into a vampire destroys your soul and confines you to oblivion in death. Carlisle just straight up told Bella. This isn't a mystery. quote:He hesitated for a minute. “If I answer your question, will you then explain your question?” Yes. We've gone over this. Why are we repeating it? quote:I sat very still, absorbing this. "But also the part where I think I'm destroying your soul and turning you into a monster is a lot more important than that. I just want to make that abundantly clear." quote:“I don’t think you realize how much easier it will be for me, Bella,” he said, the echo of his humor still there in his voice, “when I don’t have to concentrate all the time on not killing you. Certainly, there are things I’ll miss. This for one…” Am I the only one finding that thing about her heart extra creepy? The heartbeat is his prey signifier. quote:I sighed and let my eyes close in contentment, resting there in his hands. Or just be absolutely befuddled. You're putting marriage above permanent immortal existence. quote:His eyes flashed up to mine, shocked. “Laugh? I cannot imagine that.” This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever goddamn heard from this girl. quote:Edward’s face was impossible to read as he thought through my answer. Her reason for not wanting to get married is because she's going to be permanently 18, and she's afraid that she's going to have to spend the rest of her immortal life looking like that dumbass girl who gets pregnant and married right out of high school for eternity. quote:“It’s nice to understand, though. And I do understand your perspective, Bella, truly I do. But I’d like it very much if you’d try to consider mine.” This is so loving Mormon it's about to ring my doorbell. quote:He smiled his crooked smile at me. But aren't you also following the transitory customs of your own local culture because you were conditioned to view yourself as a man and marry before you were in your 20s? quote:I pursed my lips. “When in Rome?” Oh gently caress off.
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Jan 9, 2020 17:47
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Jan 12, 2020 22:00
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quote:Time continued to move too fast. I can't tell if "thrill of fear" is Meyer's odd word choice or if this is solidifying Bella's danger fetish as canon. quote:SEATTLE TERRORIZED BY SLAYINGS This sounds less like an actual front page news report and more like an editorial, or a tabloid. On the other hand, this book would be infinitely more interesting if they shifted gears to a horror-detective story. I can assure you that this does not happen! The info here about Ridgway is pretty shoddy. Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, was actually convicted of 49 kills and confessed to 71 in total. They confirmed that his killings were committed between 1982 and 1996, but he's suspected of being active as late as 2001 (a total of 19 years, not 21) when he was arrested leaving work at a Kenworth truck factory. It's also technically true that it's "less than a decade" since his conviction but that's a rather odd way to put it, as in the book timeline it's only been 3 years. quote:It took me three tries to read the last sentence, and I realized the problem was my shaking hands. Time for another "Bella does nothing but dramatically gasp and cry at everyone else doing the cool and important stuff where we can't see them!" quote:“What does Alice say?” ...what? How is that how this works? quote:I shuddered. “No.” It would be really great if we could see any of this, but all of them were relatively flat in the first book and Jasper was gone for all but a few pages of New Moon. The previous books have simply given the implication that he struggles with "vegetarianism" harder than the rest and his awkwardness around Bella is for her safety, not because he's uncommitted and not really a big part of the family. It's becoming more and more obvious how little planning Meyer did with this series. quote:At any rate, I’d never seen Edward feel dependent on Jasper. I wondered again what he’d meant about Jasper’s expertise. I really didn’t know much about Jasper’s history, just that he had come from somewhere in the south before Alice found him. For some reason, Edward had always shied away from any questions about his newest brother. And I’d always been too intimidated by the tall, blond vampire who looked like a brooding movie star to ask him outright. Because the others....don't look like brooding movie stars? quote:When we got to the house, we found Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper watching the news intently, though the sound was so low that it was unintelligible to me. Alice was perched on the bottom step of the grand staircase, her face in her hands and her expression discouraged. As we walked in, Emmett ambled through the kitchen door, seeming perfectly at ease. Nothing ever bothered Emmett. Except bears. quote:“Hey, Edward. Ditching, Bella?” He grinned at me. Is that what you do when you become a vampire? You just start hissing? quote:“She’s such a pessimist,” Emmett muttered to himself. This must be so godawful to live with. Not only will Edward be reading your mind all the time, he'll just blurt out your thoughts to everyone if he feels like it. quote:I hadn’t seen her get up, but Alice was there beside me. “What is he rambling about?” she asked Jasper. “What are you thinking?” "Except for her utter lack of all of our powers and supernatural beauty, which makes her decidedly inferior to us in every way." quote:His words took me by surprise. As little as I’d had to do with Jasper, especially since my last birthday when he’d tried to kill me, I hadn’t realize that he thought of me that way. Same. quote:“Not much,” I admitted. Just talk like normal people! quote:Jasper nodded thoughtfully, and then started to roll up the arm of his ivory sweater.
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Jan 13, 2020 15:59
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That's actually kind of effective imagery. Poor Jasper.
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Jan 14, 2020 02:23
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Chapter 13: Newbornquote:“The same thing that happened to your hand,” Jasper answered in a quiet voice. “Repeated a thousand times.” He laughed a little ruefully and brushed at his arm. “Our venom is the only thing that leaves a scar.” I wish this book was the same way. Would you believe we're only 43% through and the next one is longer? quote:The others had heard this before. Carlisle and Emmett turned their attention to the TV again. Alice moved silently to sit at Esme’s feet. But Edward was just as absorbed as I was; I could feel his eyes on my face, reading every flicker of emotion. We should have had Jasper do all her introductions to the vampire world. quote:“Not that the covens in the South care much for what the humans notice or do not. It’s the Volturi that keep them in check. They are the only ones the southern covens fear. If not for the Volturi, the rest of us would be quickly exposed.” I only wish this were a clumsy Civil War metaphor. quote:“But what are they fighting for?” I asked. Instead, it looks like "South" means south of the border! quote:“Others had the same idea. Some came up with more effective tactics than others. "Racism, mostly." quote:“Benito had created an army of newborn vampires. He was the first one to think of it, and, in the beginning, he was unstoppable. Very young vampires are volatile, wild, and almost impossible to control. One newborn can be reasoned with, taught to restrain himself, but ten, fifteen together are a nightmare. They’ll turn on each other as easily as on the enemy you point them at. Benito had to keep making more as they fought amongst themselves, and as the covens he decimated took more than half his force down before they lost. Wait, how did historians blame a disease? Vampire bodies would be dismembered and burned to ash, which is okay for covering up records in a place like 19th century Mexico, but newborn vampires tend to just tear humans to shreds to drink their blood. It's bad enough that Seattle thinks a serial killer is on the loose. Also, "Benito" is the least intimidating name in this entire book. quote:“Anyone who was found with the newborns was executed immediately, and, since everyone was trying to protect themselves from Benito, Mexico was emptied of vampires for a time. The Volturi must be so loving tired by 2006. Having to keep taking a boat over every decade so you can make your way across a continent and kill a bunch of upstarts, then go all the way back to your Italian sewer palace, then having to go back. They must be giving Bella so long to become a vampire because they just want to relax for a little bit. quote:Jasper was staring off into space. Surprise, Jasper was a loving Johnny Reb!  quote:“My military career was short-lived, but very promising. People always… liked me, listened to what I had to say. My father said it was charisma. Of course, now I know it was probably something more. But, whatever the reason, I was promoted quickly through the ranks, over older, more experienced men. The Confederate Army was new and scrambling to organize itself, so that provided opportunities, as well. By the first battle of Galveston—well, it was more of a skirmish, really—I was the youngest major in Texas, not even acknowledging my real age. It was not a skirmish. The "First Battle of Galveston" was exclusively a naval engagement on October 4, 1862 caused by the Union attempting to blockade the harbor. Except for some shots fired at Confederate gun positions, there was no involvement of anyone on land and the Confederates were allowed to evacuate. It wouldn't be until 1863 when the Union tried again; they were unable to capture the city, but they maintained a blockade. quote:“I was placed in charge of evacuating the women and children from the city when the Union’s mortar boats reached the harbor. It took a day to prepare them, and then I left with the first column of civilians to convey them to Houston. "It began with an emphatic discussion about the validity of fighting to protect slavery." quote:“We reached the city after dark. I stayed only long enough to make sure the entire party was safely situated. As soon as that was done, I got myself a fresh horse, and I headed back to Galveston. There wasn’t time to rest. How did these constant flashback-dialogue scenes make it through editing? They're so bad. The Quileute story was annoyingly long, but it was much less clunky to read. Also vampires must have picture perfect memory, because so far we've had multiple members of the coven who are centuries old still be able to remember everything exactly as it happened and turn it into a one-man play. quote:“I’d always had a good sense of how people related to each other, and it was immediately clear that the brunette was somehow in charge of the others. If they’d been military, I would have said that she outranked them. I want to imagine that Jasper is straight up doing a performance here for Bella, using his speed to switch between everyone's places as he does their dialogue and putting on voices.    We have a trio of actresses here. Maria was played by Catalina Sandino Moreno, a Colombian actress who became the first one ever nominated for an Academy Award for her starring role in Maria Full of Grace. She recently played Luisa in A Most Violent Year and Christina Morales on American Gothic. Lucy was played by Kirsten Prout, who played "The Treasure" Abby Miller in the terrible comic book movie Elektra at the age of 13. She later played the girl next door, Amanda Bloom, on Kyle XY. She was 19 by the time this film was made. Nettie was played by our newest Canadian, Leah Gibson. She grew up as a dancer and became an honors program graduate in Psychology from the University of Victoria before becoming an actress in Vancouver, where she's made numerous minor appearances in the massive amount of TV shows and movies filmed there. quote:“My hair was standing up on the back of my neck, though I didn’t understand the meaning of anything the beautiful creatures were saying. My instincts told me that there was danger, that the angel had meant it when she spoke of killing, but my judgment overruled my instincts. I had not been taught to fear women, but to protect them. ...even the ones who are openly discussing murdering you? quote:“‘Let’s hunt,’ Nettie agreed enthusiastically, reaching for the tall girl’s hand. They wheeled—they were so graceful!—and sprinted toward the city. They seemed to almost take flight, they were so fast—their white dresses blew out behind them like wings. I blinked in amazement, and they were gone. For a soldier, Jasper has surprisingly poor self-preservation instincts. quote:“‘I truly hope you survive, Jasper,’ she said in her gentle voice. ‘I have a good feeling about you.’ Didn't you still want to discourage her from becoming a vampire, Edward? Let him give all the gory details! quote:“Their names were Maria, Nettie, and Lucy. They hadn’t been together long—Maria had rounded up the other two—all three were survivors of recently lost battles. Theirs was a partnership of convenience. Maria wanted revenge, and she wanted her territories back. The others were eager to increase their… herd lands, I suppose you could say. They were putting together an army, and going about it more carefully than was usual. It was Maria’s idea. She wanted a superior army, so she sought out specific humans who had potential. Then she gave us much more attention, more training than anyone else had bothered with. She taught us to fight, and she taught us to be invisible to the humans. When we did well, we were rewarded.…” Ah, good to see Meyer establish that the innate temperamental differences between men and women are the same even after becoming a vampire! Women just can't be soldiers, men just fight each other! quote:“Maria was a good judge of character. She decided to put me in charge of the others—as if I were being promoted. It suited my nature exactly. The casualties went down dramatically, and our numbers swelled to hover around twenty. This is all infinitely better than the current story. I'd ask why Meyer didn't write about this stuff instead of just remaking Twilight with a gender swap, but I think that's implying her range is greater than it is. quote:He brushed two fingers along the faint pattern of scars on his arm. Carlisle continues to be the only vampire who is free of sin. quote:“Decades later, I developed a friendship with a newborn who’d remained useful and survived his first three years, against the odds. His name was Peter. I liked Peter; he was… civilized—I suppose that’s the right word. He didn’t enjoy the fight, though he was good at it. It's interesting for Jasper to be characterized as someone who would be a villain in any other work, but I wish we could have seen any bare hint of this before. quote:“We were about halfway through, and I could feel that it was taking a great toll on Peter. I was trying to decide whether or not I should send him away and finish up myself as I called out the next victim. To my surprise, he was suddenly angry, furious. I braced for whatever his mood might foreshadow—he was a good fighter, but he was never a match for me. "As a former Confederate officer, her being a Mexican made it much easier." quote:“Peter told me about his new life with Charlotte, told me about options I’d never dreamed I had. In five years, they’d never had a fight, though they’d met many others in the north. Others who could co-exist without the constant mayhem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuqfJMumS1s This is where Meyer's lack of solid dates can make things a bit confusing. At this point in the flashback we're in 1938. quote:“I traveled with Peter and Charlotte for a few years, getting the feel of this new, more peaceful world. But the depression didn’t fade. I didn’t understand what was wrong with me, until Peter noticed that it was always worse after I’d hunted. "Remember when I almost ate you?" quote:Jasper was lost in the story, as was I. It surprised me when his desolate expression smoothed into a peaceful smile. The thing where every single person finds their perfect soulmate for eternity is that Mormon "Choose your love in the pre-existence" poo poo again. quote:Alice grinned. “I was just relieved. I thought you were never going to show up.” Power move. quote:Alice and Jasper laughed in harmony, soprano and bass. Yeah get hosed Edward. quote:“That’s a nice story,” I said. How are you this bad at putting things together? Seattle is only a 4 hour drive away. Victoria is in the area and known to still be trying to kill Bella over James's death. How is it not obvious at this point even without clairvoyance? quote:“What can we do?” Carlisle asked. Or the teenage girl who specifically has a vampire with a vendetta against her that keeps losing when she tries to do it by herself? quote:Jasper’s eyes narrowed; Carlisle’s widened, shocked. It must be really annoying when she's near someone indecisive at a restaurant. quote:“Indecision?” Jasper asked in disbelief. This is so loving frustrating. Everything Edward is saying is wrong. This is not what's happening. I don't like having to spoil stuff, but the Volturi have absolutely nothing to do with this plot. Normally a red herring is fine in a mystery, but the Volturi have never shown any real desire to stamp out peaceful covens in thousands of years of existence. They goddamn love Carlisle because he's so polite and his no-killing policy makes them the least amount of trouble for the vampire species they could ever give. The only way any reader could be fooled by this is if they intentionally discounted all of the characterization of the Volturi as fair and justified in many of their laws and assumed they were actually comic book villains trying to take over the world the entire time. The book is getting the conclusion delayed through a red herring that's so implausible that making it the true reveal would be a greater detriment to the characterization. quote:Carlisle interrupted my waking nightmare. “They’re too committed to their mission. They would never break the rules themselves. It goes against everything they’ve worked for.” Weaponize Charlie's anger at uppity kids. quote:There was something bothering me, and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was numb, horrified, deathly afraid. And yet, under that, I could feel that I was missing something important. Something that would make some sense out of the chaos. That would explain it. Oh for crying out loud. quote:“We’re going to need help,” Jasper said. “Do you think Tanya’s family would be willing…? Another five mature vampires would make an enormous difference. And then Kate and Eleazar would be especially advantageous on our side. It would be almost easy, with their aid.” They're literally doing this when they have private conversations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVN6VRpTQ8 quote:Then something changed in Carlisle’s voice. Also because he didn't even try to observe and just went to kill her. quote:Though he’d kept up his old ties with Victoria after James’s death, he’d also formed new ties and new relationships. He’d gone to live with Tanya’s family in Alaska—Tanya the strawberry blonde—the closest friends the Cullens had in the vampire world, practically extended family. Laurent had been with them for almost a year previous to his death. For characters who get referenced a ton and keep having an impact on stuff, they sure have zero appearances in the series so far! quote:“This isn’t good,” Jasper said. “It’s too even a fight. We’d have the upper hand in skill, but not numbers. We’d win, but at what price?” His tense eyes flashed to Alice’s face and away.
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Jan 14, 2020 17:27
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It's pretty impressive to lead off with a stereotype of the South being violent hicks and then smoothly segue into a stereotype much worse.
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Jan 14, 2020 17:50
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Dawgstar posted:It's pretty impressive to lead off with a stereotype of the South being violent hicks and then smoothly segue into a stereotype much worse. Followed by a mention of how Maria can't recruit girls into her army and all the guys get super territorial because they're bropires and need to fight all the time. She's not any better today, either. She said she made the few changes she did to the genderswap book because "Girls and boys just process emotions differently! He doesn't cry!"
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Jan 14, 2020 18:32
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Once again, we learn every single member of Edward's family has a more interesting backstory than he does. And, I guess to give Meyer a little credit, both Carlisle and Jasper tell Edward his Volturi conspiracy theory is crap. Also, is it possible that Benito is a reference/homage to Benito Juarez, who wasn't a vampire, of course.
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Jan 14, 2020 18:59
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Chapter 14: Declarationquote:“You can't be serious," I said Wednesday afternoon. “You’ve completely lost your mind!” "We may as well let them see how rich we are before we disappear from Forks forever!" quote:She sighed, and tried to be serious. “There are a few things we need to get in order now, and that’s going to take a little time. As long as we’re sitting here waiting, we might as well commemorate the good stuff. You’re only going to graduate from high school—for the first time—once. You don’t get to be human again, Bella. This is a once-in-a-lifetime shot.” Does she even care, though? We've never seen Bella show any kind of interest in continuing the human experience. She's so devoid of interest in anything outside classic literature and Edward! Seriously, I can't even remember anything else she showed serious interest in experiencing, especially not anything a vampire couldn't do. Except for a few fleeting moments of self-awareness about leaving her parents behind, she's just been impatient about not getting immortality for yet another day. quote:Edward, silent through our little argument, flashed her a warning look. She stuck out her tongue at him. She was right—her soft voice would never carry over the babble of the cafeteria. And no one would understand the meaning behind her words in any case. Yeah, those darn Mexicans! Outside the unfortunate implications regarding the Southern vampires, what kind of idiot would Jasper have to be to get Maria involved? You've got a newborn army wreaking havoc, so you're thinking about going to a different newborn army for help? The one you deserted because it was just too horrible and violent? quote:“It shouldn’t be too hard to convince them to help,” he continued. “Nobody wants a visit from Italy.” Much like what's left on the ground after you wrench their heads off! quote:“When are you going?” I asked in a hollow voice. I couldn’t stand this—the idea that someone might not come back. What if it was Emmett, so brave and thoughtless that he was never the least bit cautious? Or Esme, so sweet and motherly that I couldn’t even imagine her in a fight? Or Alice, so tiny, so fragile-looking? Or… but I couldn’t even think the name, consider the possibility. Good to see that we've been at this series for well over a thousand pages now and Bella is still not being given any chances to improve herself or be given tasks that could aid in the plot. quote:Sure, I thought to myself. Trust him. He wasn’t the one who was going to have to sit behind and wonder whether or not the core of his existence was going to come home. She's absolutely right, but it also means Meyer's lack of creativity is going to keep showing. Because she can't think of any reasonable way for Bella to involve herself in the conflict outside of giving her superhuman abilities, she just does nothing. She's a wailing prop to get moved around. quote:“Oh,” Alice said, and a blank look crossed her face. Then her expression became surly. “I hate last-minute cancellations. So that puts the party attendance list down to sixty-five.…” Can she even care about that many people? quote:“Who canceled?” Edward wondered, ignoring me. As would hers! quote:The message light was flashing when I got home. My feeling of relief flared again as I listened to my mother describe Phil’s accident on the ball field—while demonstrating a slide, he’d tangled up with the catcher and broken his thigh bone; he was entirely dependent on her, and there was no way she could leave him. My mom was still apologizing when the message cut off. Okay, good moment for some character development. Renee missing the party also means Bella could be missing the last time she'd ever see her before being turned or killed. This would be a great time to have Bella start reconsideri-- quote:I just listened, and reassured her every time I could get a word in: I wasn’t disappointed, I wasn’t mad, I wasn’t hurt. She should concentrate on helping Phil get better. I passed on my “get well soon” to Phil, and promised to call her with every single detail from Forks High’s generic graduation. Finally, I had to use my desperate need to study for finals to get off the phone. Oh, no. She's just going to treat it as a chore, get out of it as fast as possible, and weep about how gorgeous her vampire boyfriend is again. Wonderful. quote:As soon as I hung up, I stretched onto my tiptoes to kiss him. He put his hands around my waist and lifted me onto the kitchen counter, so I wouldn’t have to reach as far. That worked for me. I locked my arms around his neck and melted against his cold chest. Too soon, as usual, he pulled away. Mormon third base! quote:“After school tomorrow,” he said, changing the subject, “I’m going hunting with Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie. Just for a few hours—we’ll stay close. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett should be able to keep you safe.” Make Emmett the protagonist instead. quote:And then it occurred to me that I did have one option besides babysitters. “You know… I haven’t been to La Push since the bonfire.” Jasper is second only to Edward for "Most likely to just start killing." quote:“Would that help?” I asked quietly. Bella you just tried to suggest murder. quote:He changed the subject again. “That’s why they’re so strong, of course. The newborns are full of human blood—their own blood, reacting to the change. It lingers in the tissues and strengthens them. Their bodies use it up slowly, like Jasper said, the strength starting to wane after about a year.” She does
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Jan 15, 2020 15:49
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While I know I sound like a broken record here, i will point out that every Cullen, as far as I can tell, has explained how they became a vampire, and these stories have inevitably been stories of desperation and degradation. The process itself has been described as agonizing. It's made multiple characters question their faith and their very humanity. Others responded by lashing out on rage and self destructive behavior. All of them, with the exception of Carlisle, have killed innocents. They have shown themselves to be instinctively manipulative, controlling, and violent. These are all victims of their condition, and they realize that. They all regret what they've become. And Bella knows that. She knows that, and she wants to be a vampire anyway, in spite of the fact that every vampire she's met thinks it's a bad idea. Bella's stupid.
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Jan 15, 2020 16:36
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It almost feels like Bella wants to become a vampire not just so she can stay with her perfect porcelain boyfriend forever, but because she knows that she has nothing else going on. Despite everyone detecting her Mary Sueness and latching onto her to be her friend or boyfriend on her first day of school, she's never shown any sort of real complexity as a person or any serious interests. The only thing she seemed to do in her spare time before getting involved with the Cullens was read, and it's not even suggested that she has a huge book collection or breadth of knowledge because she's read Wuthering Heights so much that it's almost disintegrated. She doesn't have any particular skills apart from having good grades in high school. When we actually see her talking to people, she comes off as a dull and awkward bystander. Becoming a vampire is not only about her obsessive love, but about finally giving her life importance and meaning. She would no longer be stressed about her appearance because she'd be supernaturally transformed into the most attractive version of herself possible, and she'd be enticing and desirable to everyone who meets her (though she already is due to bad writing, but...). She'd have super strength, speed, and senses making her the toughest badass in the room everywhere. Becoming fabulously wealthy would be easy even if she wasn't marrying into a family of millionaires with a clairvoyant. She would finally have something that defines her without having to work for it. This is all fascinating characterization.....and it simply doesn't exist in the book. We're not really meant to see Bella as dull and unlikable, because she occasionally makes quips and got into Dartmouth and has lots of friends! She's self-deprecating and we're meant to disagree with her opinion of herself and believe Edward when he keeps talking about how amazing she is, when in fact it seems really accurate. In a sane book written by a mature person who isn't part of a Christian cult, all of the warnings against it would come to fruition and Bella would have to learn to love herself and put work into her life instead of making vampirism a cheat code to solve all her flaws and self-loathing.
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Jan 15, 2020 17:17
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Part of me can't help but imaging vampirism in Twilight as basically a stand in for motherhood in many Christian circles. It's essentially a way of giving women an identity that they can view as overriding all their current shortcomings, that lets them join the 'higher' levels of society and also cementing whatever relationship they have with their partner simultaneously. Meyer isn't a good enough writer for me to think there is any intentionality with this but from a literary critique sort of view I can see a lot of parallels too draw.
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Jan 15, 2020 22:46
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Not to get too spoilery (and I can edit this out if so) but the issue of motherhood does come up later on.
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Jan 16, 2020 05:58
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chitoryu12 posted:she is, when in fact it seems really accurate. In a sane book written by a mature person who isn't part of a Christian cult, all of the warnings against it would come to fruition and Bella would have to learn to love herself and put work into her life instead of making vampirism a cheat code to solve all her flaws and self-loathing. I think that's maybe a little simplistic. There re a bunch of Mormon fantasy/science fiction authors (Hickman, OSC, Sanderson, etc) who are able to avoid nor.alizing abusive or toxic relationships. While Meyer's writing is certainly influenced by her Mormonism, it's more complicated tha saying that's why she doesn't write about healthy relationships)
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Jan 16, 2020 15:29
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Epicurius posted:I think that's maybe a little simplistic. There re a bunch of Mormon fantasy/science fiction authors (Hickman, OSC, Sanderson, etc) who are able to avoid nor.alizing abusive or toxic relationships. While Meyer's writing is certainly influenced by her Mormonism, it's more complicated tha saying that's why she doesn't write about healthy relationships) I'm personally not incredibly fond of Mormons, so I freely admit to my personal biases being present here.
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Jan 16, 2020 16:42
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quote:Then I sighed and hopped down from the counter, because I really couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to cram, and cram hard. Luckily I had Edward’s help, and Edward was an excellent tutor—since he knew absolutely everything. I figured my biggest problem would be just focusing on the tests. If I didn’t watch myself, I might end up writing my History essay on the vampire wars of the South. You should be used to that! quote:“So how do you feel you did on your exams?” Edward asked on the way, making small talk. Has Edward actually been doing his work for the past 88 years of immortal life or does he just rely on his supernatural charms to skate everything? quote:He laughed again, but suddenly stopped when we turned the last bend and saw the red car waiting. He frowned in concentration, and then, as he parked the car, he sighed. You've threatened to murder him! Multiple times! quote:“That’s Jacob,” I sighed, and I hurried out before Jacob did something to really set Edward’s teeth on edge. Are we still really doing this poo poo? quote:I wanted Edward to come to me. I wanted to make both of them get out of their cars and shake hands and be friends—be Edward and Jacob rather than vampire and werewolf. It was as if I had those two stubborn magnets in my hands again, and I was holding them together, trying to force nature to reverse herself.… He's turning into a were-Droopy. quote:“Are you all right, Jake?” I actually had to go back and check if there were prior references to Harry. For someone whose death is supposed to have a meaningful impact on the series, he's been such a non-entity that I keep forgetting he even existed. quote:Jacob sat down on the old couch that was no bigger than a loveseat and squished himself to the side to make room for me. "We tried to make Paul do it, which led to 3 deaths." quote:“Double shifts? Is this because you’re trying to watch out for me? Jake, that’s wrong! You need to sleep. I’ll be fine.” "Everything I want, plus immortality and superpowers!" quote:“I want my friend Jacob—and I don’t want him half-dead, hurting himself in some misguided attempt—” Is it possible to make a worse joke than that? quote:“So, any special plans next week? You’re graduating. Wow. That’s big.” His voice turned flat, and his face, already drawn, looked downright haggard as his eyes closed again—not in exhaustion this time, but in denial. I realized that graduation still had a horrible significance for him, though my intentions were now disrupted. He can arm-wrestle Emmett! quote:Poor Jacob. I studied his dreaming face, and liked what I saw. While he slept, every trace of defensiveness and bitterness disappeared and suddenly he was the boy who had been my very best friend before all the werewolf nonsense had gotten in the way. He looked so much younger. He looked like my Jacob. It's like Meyer looked back at people hyping up Bella's cooking and realized that she just wrote the most boring white housewife meals possible. quote:I was strangely relaxed, almost sleepy, too. This house felt safer than my own, probably because no one had ever come looking for me here. I curled up on the sofa and thought about taking a nap myself. Maybe I would have, but Jacob’s snoring was impossible to tune out. So, instead of sleeping, I let my mind wander. Don't even wait, just grab her and fly up into the rafters hissing as she grabs her diploma. quote:But Edward was right—I wasn’t quite ready yet. If this were any more of an obvious metaphor, she'd be talking about how white and sticky the venom is. quote:But I knew he was going to stick to his marriage scheme like glue—because a delay was what he was clearly after and it was working so far. I tried to imagine telling my parents that I was getting married this summer. Telling Angela and Ben and Mike. I couldn’t. I couldn’t think of the words to say. It would be easier to tell them I was becoming a vampire. And I was sure that at least my mother—were I to tell her every detail of the truth—would be more strenuously opposed to me getting married than to me becoming a vampire. I grimaced to myself as I imagined her horrified expression. Your mom sounds like a loving freak, Bella! quote:Then, for just a second, I saw that same odd vision of Edward and me on a porch swing, wearing clothes from another kind of world. A world where it would surprise no one if I wore his ring on my finger. A simpler place, where love was defined in simpler ways. One plus one equals two.… I got a fever while I was away and it just left me cold, not running around naked in the winter. quote:I tried to slide out from under his arm without waking him, but I had to shove a little bit, and when his arm fell off me, his eyes snapped open. He jumped to his feet, looking around anxiously. This is the new unit of time for me. quote:He flopped back on the couch next to me. “Wow. Sorry about that, really.” This is going some uncomfortable places, gonna let you know right now. quote:The wintry air seemed to make Jacob more alert. He paced back and forth in front of the house for a minute, dragging me along with him. Actual credit to Edward for seeing this coming and not yelling at him to shut the gently caress up preemptively. quote:He laughed again, nervous. We were still pacing slowly.
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Jan 17, 2020 18:00
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Does Meyer ever go into how the Cullens finance themselves? I know the dad is a big-shot doctor which is not nothing, but how did they ascend into that kind of upper class strata you only really see in fiction where money's never really a concern?
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Jan 20, 2020 01:39
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Dawgstar posted:Does Meyer ever go into how the Cullens finance themselves? I know the dad is a big-shot doctor which is not nothing, but how did they ascend into that kind of upper class strata you only really see in fiction where money's never really a concern? As far as I know, it's never been mentioned. The Forbes Fictional 15 had plausible explanations (Alice predicting stock trends and Carlisle investing and letting interest accrue for over a lifetime) but they're "Just Rich People."
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Jan 20, 2020 01:54
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Chapter 15: Wagerquote:I stared at him for a long minute, speechless. I could not think of one thing to say to him. All right, that went well! There's definitely no way this will get worse! quote:“You’re a glutton for punishment,” I grumbled. What the gently caress kind of answer is that? gently caress off with this guy. quote:I stared at him, frustrated. “That’s mean.” Uhh, no? Like you are definitely mean and selfish, but that's because you manipulated him into friendship to feed your worst desires. Not because you tried to be too nice to a guy who can't keep his hands off you no matter how much you tell him to stop. quote:He laughed. “I forgive you. Just try not to get too mad at me. Because I recently decided that I’m not giving up. There really is something irresistible about a lost cause.” Obviously, one of the only things I knew about Twilight coming in was the love triangle where Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob. I expected this to be, you know, an actual love triangle. What it really seems to be is Bella having one romantic interest through the entire series and Jacob being a pushy creep who manhandles her when she tells him it's not happening. The lack of chemistry due to Meyer's poor writing is bad enough, but this isn't even a choice! He's actively crossing boundaries! quote:His eyes narrowed. “All the more reason to fight—fight harder now, while I can,” he whispered. And now we have crossed the line into outright sexual assault. quote:“Are you done now?” I asked in an expressionless voice. Bella would be 100% justified in pulling out a stun gun on this motherfucker right now. quote:“Don’t touch me! I’m going home right now!” That's another character to throw in the bin. The number of people in Forks who aren't utterly awful human beings (or something akin to one) is getting dangerously low. quote:I jerked away from him. “Fine!” I growled. “Do! I can’t wait to see what Edward does to you! I hope he snaps your neck, you pushy, obnoxious, moronic DOG!” Are you seriously going loving Sith right now? Cracking jokes about the girl you just molested being mad at you? This book is terrible. You're all terrible. gently caress you all. quote:“I’ll give you passionate,” I muttered under my breath. “Murder, the ultimate crime of passion.” If Jacob hadn't become a werewolf guardian of Quileute lands, he would have been the guy who rapes a girl behind a dumpster at a party. quote:“Ugh,” I groaned. How is this getting worse? How the gently caress is this getting worse? quote:“If I think about you tonight, it will be because I’m having a nightmare.” I'm going to find a way to somehow burn an electronic copy of a book. quote:“Jacob, I can’t be happy without him.” I said before that Stephenie Meyer took great offense to people saying that Jacob behaved in a manipulative manner toward Bella and wrote a summary of New Moon from his perspective to prove that he didn't have some darker agenda. Turns out she just really likes writing manipulative assholes! He may not have any further desires than getting Bella to gently caress him, but he's hitting every point from victim blaming to outright molestation and telling her she secretly enjoyed it. In a book where the protagonist is incredibly unstable and her love interest is a semi-repentant serial killer who controls her movements and is on the verge of killing again as soon as he has enough of a push, Stephenie Meyer somehow managed to make the third point of the "love triangle" equally repulsive. quote:I wasn’t about to let him make me feel bad for him now. The Mormon version of "You were wet! You liked it!' quote:I took a deep breath. There was no point in arguing with him; he would twist anything I said. I concentrated on my hand, trying to stretch out my fingers, to ascertain where the broken parts were. Sharp pains stabbed along my knuckles. I groaned. "Also Carlisle has centuries of medical experience and vampire powers, so this will be free and perfectly done." quote:He let the Rabbit idle in front of the house, deliberating with an unsure expression. Charlie’s cruiser was in the driveway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bG0iKaxQYM The film greatly shortens the punching consequences, with editing that makes it seem like there's actually a shot or two missing. This is fortunate, as the direction the book takes this is going to be real bad. quote:He didn’t answer. He opened the front door and held it for me. One of my coworkers fell down the stairs so often growing up that her parents wouldn't even have a reaction other than "Jackie's up," after a point. quote:Jacob laughed. “She hit me.” What the gently caress? Is Meyer on a mission to commit character assassination on her entire cast? Does she legitimately not understand sexual assault? Am I high? quote:I ground my teeth and went for the phone. I dialed Edward’s cell. If Jacob had any sense, he would be miles away right now. quote:In the other room, Charlie spoke again. “Maybe you ought to take off, Jake,” he suggested. Edward just sails in and Jacob is decapitated before Charlie even notices. quote:“How’s your hand?” Charlie asked as I walked by. Charlie looked uncomfortable. Jacob lolled next to him on the sofa, perfectly at ease. He sexually assaulted your daughter you maniac quote:“Maybe,” I agreed. I walked on to open the door. Edward was waiting. Use a gun next time. quote:He kissed my hand softly. “I’ll take care of it,” he promised. And then he called, “Jacob,” his voice still quiet and even. Jesus Christ, this is a room full of assholes. quote:Edward grimaced. Preparing to snipe Edward. quote:Jacob’s stance was casual, his arms folded across his chest, but the muscles in his jaw were tight. Edward spoke in a voice so peaceful and gentle that it made the words strangely more threatening. “I’m not going to kill you now, because it would upset Bella.” This is probably a literal threat from him. quote:Edward turned slightly to throw me a quick smile. His face was still calm. “It would bother you in the morning,” he said, brushing his fingers across my cheek. Again, this isn't even a love triangle. There's nothing to market to tween girls here. This is a committed relationship on the verge of marriage where a guy shows up and starts molesting the girl while demanding her attention. quote:“If that’s what she wants, then I won’t object.” Edward shrugged, untroubled. “You might want to wait for her to say it, rather than trust your interpretation of body language—but it’s your face.” Not a fight! She only likes one of you that way! quote:Jacob grimaced briefly, then he composed his face and leaned around Edward to smile at me. I glowered back. Childish? No! He assaulted you and you hurt yourself retaliating! It would be perfectly acceptable for you to cut off contact permanently with him. quote:I didn’t look up again as Edward walked around the car and climbed into the driver’s side, so I didn’t know if Jacob went back into the house or continued to stand there, watching me. Make Emmett the protagonist instead. quote:Emmett watched curiously as Edward helped me carefully out of the car. His eyes zeroed in on the hand I cradled against my chest. This is hilarious and also terrifying. quote:“It will make him feel better if you have a hard time adjusting. He’s tired of being the weakest link.” Bella just drops a stack of corpses at the door of the mansion. "IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT JASPER?" quote:He squeezed me. “You don’t need to worry about it now. In fact, you don’t have to worry about it ever, if you don’t want to.” https://twitter.com/expanseonprime/status/1112338755484971010 quote:I’d always known that I would be different. I hoped that I would be as strong as Edward said I would be. Strong and fast and, most of all, beautiful. Someone who could stand next to Edward and feel like she belonged there.
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Jan 20, 2020 19:21
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Wow what the gently caress happened to two of the least unlikeable characters in the story? That is horrifyingly rapey by Jacob and her loving dad is cheering it on? gently caress.
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Jan 20, 2020 20:15
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Midjack posted:Wow what the gently caress happened to two of the least unlikeable characters in the story? That is horrifyingly rapey by Jacob and her loving dad is cheering it on? gently caress. I just can't believe what the hell happened. Is Meyer trying to make all of the characters unlikable so Bella looks better and more reasonable by comparison when she acts like a bitch? Does she actually not think what Jacob did is that big of a deal?
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Jan 20, 2020 20:22
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chitoryu12 posted:I just can't believe what the hell happened. Is Meyer trying to make all of the characters unlikable so Bella looks better and more reasonable by comparison when she acts like a bitch? Does she actually not think what Jacob did is that big of a deal? That last question is worrisome and it is really hard not to infer author’s life experience from writing things like that and not pointing out how terrible they are.
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Jan 20, 2020 20:42
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Holy poo poo, like you I had never read the books before and was giving the "love triangle" apparently a lot more benefit of the doubt than it deserved. One leg of the triangle straight up assaulted her and all the men in her life are blaming it on her.
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Jan 20, 2020 21:53
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wizzardstaff posted:Holy poo poo, like you I had never read the books before and was giving the "love triangle" apparently a lot more benefit of the doubt than it deserved. One leg of the triangle straight up assaulted her and all the men in her life are blaming it on her. It's like she was seeing how boring and cold Edward was and thought "What can I do to make him seem more appealing? How about I have someone sexually assault his girlfriend and he's the only one who doesn't say she deserved it!"
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Jan 20, 2020 21:57
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But even then, just look at how disgustingly possessive Edward's language is. "If you return her to me in anything less than perfect condition", like she's some loving vinyl record or expensive gadget they're passing between them and not a person who deserves good treatment on her own merits (regardless of her lovely personality). I can't believe I know so many smart, competent and cool women who actually adore this series. All of the interactions between Bella and her "love interests" have so far ended up mostly making me feel unclean with a strong urge to take a shower. Maybe it bugs me a bit extra because a lot of this - the jealousy, the damsel in distress needing saving, etc - is stuff that was presented as normal and good relationship features in a lot of the popular culture I grew up with, and I blame that in part for me normalising my rather unhealthy first relationship for much longer than I should have.
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Jan 20, 2020 22:24
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Seagull Fiasco posted:But even then, just look at how disgustingly possessive Edward's language is. "If you return her to me in anything less than perfect condition", like she's some loving vinyl record or expensive gadget they're passing between them and not a person who deserves good treatment on her own merits (regardless of her lovely personality). Edward unironically sings this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeoUMoSEFqU
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Jan 21, 2020 04:42
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Seagull Fiasco posted:I can't believe I know so many smart, competent and cool women who actually adore this series. All of the interactions between Bella and her "love interests" have so far ended up mostly making me feel unclean with a strong urge to take a shower. Maybe it bugs me a bit extra because a lot of this - the jealousy, the damsel in distress needing saving, etc - is stuff that was presented as normal and good relationship features in a lot of the popular culture I grew up with, and I blame that in part for me normalising my rather unhealthy first relationship for much longer than I should have. It's a fantasy. Most people are happy fantasizing about things they don't actually want to see realized. Fantasy distances one from the real. As Zizek points out, the word we have for a fantasy realized is nightmare. Whether it's okay to write something that rolls about in an anti-social fantasy, and the responsibility any writer has to the people who might not be able to tell the difference between imaginative play and something you should want to emulate... Well, that's a whole other topic.
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Jan 21, 2020 05:42
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Milkfred E. Moore posted:It's a fantasy. Most people are happy fantasizing about things they don't actually want to see realized. Fantasy distances one from the real. As Zizek points out, the word we have for a fantasy realized is nightmare. The question becomes harder to answer definitively when you look at Meyer's comments on the series outside of it. She's often given confirmation that she really does believe in the way the relationships seem to be portrayed in the books: quote:"I think there are many feminists who would say that I am not a feminist. But, to me ... I love women, I have a lot of girlfriends, I admire them, they make so much more sense to me than men, and I feel like the world is a better place when women are in charge. So that kind of by default makes me a feminist. I love working in a female world." quote:"You know, it's so funny, I never decide to put a message in anything. I decide on a story that I think is exciting, and I entertain myself, and then some of it obviously reflects my personal experience … What I think says true love is different than what a lot of other people do, so it's just what my subconscious puts out there. To me, true love is that you would hurt yourself before you would hurt your partner, you would do anything to make them happy, even at your own expense, there's nothing selfish about true love. It's not about what you want. It's about what makes them happy." And it's actually very hard to find any direct comments from her on the abusive relationships in the books. It seems like she's consciously avoided making any definitive statements on the most controversial elements of her books.
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Jan 21, 2020 07:13
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Seagull Fiasco posted:Maybe it bugs me a bit extra because a lot of this - the jealousy, the damsel in distress needing saving, etc - is stuff that was presented as normal and good relationship features in a lot of the popular culture I grew up with This is where Meyer is writing from. Not as a conscious decision of “fantasy,” but because this is how relationships work in her world, as sadly they do in the world of a whole hell of a lot of people. When the context is right chitoryu please post Meyer’s quote about putting a hand in an ice bucket. The implications of that one were fairly  as I recall.
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Jan 21, 2020 07:26
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SUPERMAN'S GAL PAL posted:This is where Meyer is writing from. Not as a conscious decision of “fantasy,” but because this is how relationships work in her world, as sadly they do in the world of a whole hell of a lot of people. Yeah, this is how I'm reading it as well. To be clear, I'm not judging anyone for indulging in a romantic fantasy, or failing to understand why they might want to - not least because in more competent hands, these books would have been exactly my type of guilty pleasure. A fantasy doesn't have to be super progressive or realistic. But it's clear that to Meyer, the relationship she writes is an ideal. You have a soulmate (even if they have no soul), you sacrifice everything for them (including your family and your life), you think and talk of nothing else, you refer to them as "your whole life" because you really don't have anything outside of them (and that's perfectly OK), they have to 'protect' you from everything and no matter how much they cross boundaries in order to do so it's still considered a good thing, they're extremely jealous of any man who wants to spend time with you, and so on. And none of it is ever really addressed as problematic, or as something a character might need to change to become a truly good partner. It's all just inevitable features of the one true love, and the story focuses heavily on this. Like, we still don't have any idea why these two fell for each other, or why they continue to like each other. In Edward's case it might make sense - he can't read her mind which immediately sets her apart from others and allows him to construct an idealised version of her, free from her whiny and pedestrian thoughts. But she likes him because he's pretty? And once that's established, all-consuming sacrifice commences immediately.
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Jan 21, 2020 08:41
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