Posts: 617
From: New York, New York
Registered: Oct 2005

posted November 26, 2008 05:12 AM         

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Posts: 812
From: Pennsylvania
Registered: Dec 2005

posted November 26, 2008 06:09 AM         

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What is your point?

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Posts: 4700
From: U.K
Registered: Dec 2007

posted November 26, 2008 06:22 AM         

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If people want to read it, it doesn't offend me particularly. I notice the person complaining has only 'heard about' the book, they haven't seemingly picked it up or read any of it.

Here is the American Library Association's listings of most challenged books in the 21st Century (2000-2005):

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

2. "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier

3. Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

4. "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck

5. "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

6. "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers

7. "It's Perfectly Normal" by Robie Harris

8. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

9. Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

10. "Forever" by Judy Blume

Interesting, Captain Underpants was a free title given out to schoolkids here as part of National Book Week. I know, I read it to mine. Yes, it's toilet humour, if that gets the lads reading, great.

Of the rest I've read and enjoyed "I know Why the Caged Bird Sings", "The Chocolate Wars" and "Of Mice and Men". I can't remember them being particularly offensive.

http://www.lita.org/ala//aboutala/offices/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/topten2000to 2005.cfm

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Posts: 6679
From: Australia
Registered: May 2008

posted November 26, 2008 08:05 AM         

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Ummm, is there a problem with 5 foot 4 people who weight about 115+ pounds and have vampire scars?

Ahem.

Well, I take that personally. I'm not going to have plastic surgery to appease all of you and your personal limitations. It has taken a lifetime of lots of work and therapy and spiritual study to accept myself as I am. And as I accept myself, I expect all of you to as well.

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Posts: 6679
From: Australia
Registered: May 2008

posted November 26, 2008 08:06 AM         

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bm

There is something to be said about watching movies over reading the books.

Nastasjia Kinksi is solely responsible for my distaste of Thomas Hardy.

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Posts: 559
From: U.K
Registered: Mar 2007

posted November 26, 2008 08:55 AM         

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Peace oh c'mon! you didn't like Tess of the D'urbevilles?
Wait till you see the version with Gemma Arterton (Bond girl). Truly heinous!

I was unaware that collagened lips were big in Dorset in the 1800's but apparently milkmaids were paid a tidy wack.

"Ooh ah Farmer GILES. I be takin' some time off from milkin' to be getting me some of that there bo-tox if ee don't mind sire (and I won't be doing much of that thar grinning afterwards!)

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Posts: 2376
From: meet me in montauk
Registered: May 2006

posted November 28, 2008 11:08 AM         

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i dont get it but i dont really know anything about twilight.

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Posts: 2988
From: ohio
Registered: Aug 2004

posted November 29, 2008 08:02 PM         

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Weird thread... what am I missing here?

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Posts: 617
From: New York, New York
Registered: Oct 2005

posted November 30, 2008 07:51 PM         

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Basically, preteen girls are giving this book a lot more literary credit than it should be getting. I've read the book and while I can see the appeal it has towards young girls it's still a bit deluding. The photo is a screenshot (I think) of what someone wrote about the book. I recieved it on my Tumblr dashboard one day.

Personally, I don't care if Bella is really a young version of Stephanie Meyer. I only care that a book that's IMHO good entertainment but lacking in any deeper message beyond abstinence perhaps is getting so much publicity. The character isn't physically described in the book so female readers can imagine themselves in the place of Bella. There's nothing wrong with that, but there are times in the novel that you feel Bella's character lacks any realistic conditionings. The book is mostly self-indulgence - the main character a girl with no flaws, the people around her are only jealous of her, and she does absolutely nothing wrong.

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Posts: 617
From: New York, New York
Registered: Oct 2005

posted November 30, 2008 07:57 PM         

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And yes - I realize that it's just a book and that I'm being a bit harsh. But the fact that I know so many girls who would list Twilight above greater literary achievements such as The Old Man and The Sea or 1984 & etc concerns me. Either they're not being exposed to these books and the like or art is slowly losing its true purpose beyond just entertainment and proving aesthetic pleasure - to expose the intricacies and deeper experiences beyond what we experience in every day life.

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Posts: 617
From: New York, New York
Registered: Oct 2005

posted November 30, 2008 08:00 PM         

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And I honestly don't think Twilight does that enough to deserve the amount of attention that it has. This is just my opinion though.

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Posts: 6679
From: Australia
Registered: May 2008

posted November 30, 2008 08:03 PM         

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MoonPixie

Mindless entertainment has it's value. Mostly for escapism. But I don't look for my values in it. I look for entertainment. I think that a lot of what you have said is just a reflection of our basic society. If you look at the role models - Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, etc, it says loads as to what societal values are at present. It's cyclic though. And you either follow or do your own thing. They can teach us what we don't want to be as much as what we do, so there's something in that.

btw - have you settled in? How's your move been?

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Posts: 617
From: New York, New York
Registered: Oct 2005

posted November 30, 2008 08:34 PM         

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I'd be lying if I said that I've never indulged in mindless entertainment; I am a child of the 90s. Twilight isn't a horrible book and actually it's a good book to read to pass time, but by no means should it considered a "masterpiece" as it seems many teenagers are considering it to be.

My move: Crazy insane. Lindaland, Tumblr, and Facebook are the only things keeping me sane and on check with my English, lol. Which is probably why I find the amount of popularity Twilight has receieved to be so upsetting at times. When my girls here are old enough to understand enough English they'll see Twilight as a cultural reference to this time. The same goes with girls like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Hopefully, they'll see these girls as poor role madels rather than just their generations standard of femininity.

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Posts: 330
From: Murray, UT
Registered: May 2008

posted December 01, 2008 03:22 AM         

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I haven't read the series myself and have heard mixed reviews. But it's fantasy and not meant to be taken much further then that. But I can say that my 16 yr old daughter has read the whole series...something like 3 or 4 books. And not small books at that. And I got her the first book in the new series by Stephanie Meyer called The Host.
On a posative note, if it get's kids reading... more power to them! I have an 8 year old who's teacher is pushing him to read anything and he's so freaking stubborn!
And.. my daughter's english grades in the past have been horrific, but she's getting a C this term which is her best grade ever. And NO I'm NOT giving credit for that to Twilight, but the reading does help kids in that area.
Besides, it's Fiction.. fantasy.. nothing more.

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"Secrets and lies can sleep from the walls of Rome if we sit hard enough on them. They are undeniably destined to come out. Tomorrow, the next day or a hundred years from now!"

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Posts: 359
From: Georgia
Registered: Aug 2003

posted December 01, 2008 01:19 PM         

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MP, that is just your opinion, it does not mean the book/film was not great. You are just not the sensible gal to be moved by a fiction story.
I got to tell you - I went to that movie by a total accident. I had just seen "Australia" and had one more hour to kill inside Hollywood24 theater before my S.O. came.
I got into the nearest salon and sat on the chair. The movie turned out to be 'Twilight", I had never heard of it before. I thought it was a goofy scarry movie. I couldn't get out of the theater before its final scene, I was late a full hour for my meeting. The movie really grabbed my attention and held it to the very end. I must say - I loved every bit of it, it was tremendously moving and inspiring.
And I am not a teenager.

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Posts: 4700
From: U.K
Registered: Dec 2007

posted December 01, 2008 01:41 PM         

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Crimson ~ he might like Captain Underpants.

http://www.pilkey.com/

quote:

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".. I wanted to create a book that kids who don't like to read would want to read." — Dav Pilkey

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Posts: 330
From: Murray, UT
Registered: May 2008

posted December 01, 2008 11:21 PM         

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Thanks Blue Moon!

I'll check it out! He surprised me the other day at the book store and picked a book out called The Dragon Child (he loves dragon's).
And he's goofy enough that Captain Underpants may grab his attention :-)

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"Secrets and lies can sleep from the walls of Rome if we sit hard enough on them. They are undeniably destined to come out. Tomorrow, the next day or a hundred years from now!"

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