Comments on: Twilight Was Rejected Fourteen Times Before Being Accepted

By: maisy rose

maisy rose — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:10:21 +0000

I read the entire series after watching the movies. I liked the movies, but I had to put myself into the mind frame of a teenager to really enjoy them. I didn’t think they were as good as they were supposed to be considering all the hype and the number of people I witnessed becoming obsessed with them, even adults. I think the hype is what made me watch them in the first place…to see what it was all about. But the books to me, read as if they were written by a middle school student, with simple, repetitive sentences, words and phrases almost deliberately written to be easily read by children, but with content only appropriate for an adult. It was like visiting the children section at the library. I have re-read books that I read when I was in middle school and at the time I thought they were the greatest books of all time, and when I read them again as an adult, I asked myself, “I really thought this was a great book?” and the Twilight books seemed to have that same effect on me. I also don’t care to EVER see the word ‘glowered’ ever again. It actually started to irritate me after the first 10 times or so of seeing that word, sometimes only a couple paragraphs apart that I came close to throwing the book in the garbage. What was her fascination with that word?! Anyway, obviously I don’t have a lot of room to talk, since she is a well known published author and I am a normal nobody, but after considering the reading level of the books, I am not really all that impressed. It does however give me hope that I may be able to get my own book published and become a famous and well paid author. After all, if she can downplay her degree and writing talents and manage to get her book published, as awful and ridiculously poorly written as it is…anybody can, right?

By: AIRY is full of hot air.

AIRY is full of hot air. — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:25:45 +0000

@AIRY , APRIL 16th 2010, Why don’t you STOP insulting people? I can’t believe how many groups you’ve just insulted within a single paragraph. I mean,everybody excpet any Males of course. They can do no wrong,right? Romance books these days make up over 50% book sales, & most book readers are women who need an escape from the farting Homer Simpsons in their lives (yes, I just threw out an insult but I’m sure AIRY won’t mind. Btw, is “AIRY” shorthand for “gassy” or what). I’d rather swoon over Edward than sniff real men’s farts day and night. You guys make fiction look awfully appealing. HIMT: Take some Gas-X.

By: English Teacher & Avid Reader

English Teacher & Avid Reader — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:59:13 +0000

Your arguments are juvenile at best. As an English teacher, and an avid reader, I realize that there are books that are widely read and talked about for their literary merit, and others that are widely read and talked about as pleasure reads.

Understanding the difference between good literature, and fun literature is a skill you should probably learn before becoming a critic. The Twilight series is another series of possibly poorly written science fiction. What you can’t argue with are the sales numbers. The sales numbers don’t make it good writing, but they do make it compelling writing.

Whatever your stance on the series is, you can’t argue that millions of people are reading the books, watching the movies, and talking about both. Writing is often about the reactions provoked in the reader. This obviously evoked strong reactions from you…so good for Stephanie Meyer.

At this point, I haven’t actually read, talked to, or heard of anyone who is stating that these are great literature, just people who claim they are great reads. It’s ok to dislike something, but get over it already. Don’t you have some reading to do that has more literary merit?

This seems like “a clear case of sour grapes.”

By: 400 pages of Chagrin.

400 pages of Chagrin. — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:13:42 +0000

@LINDA Jan 31 ’11:

I really hate to lay it on you but you sound like a total basketcase when you say Twilight was better-written than Potter. I mean really, you have to be really…have a problem learning. Maybe Potter was too advanced for you even though you were technically in high school, maybe 498 pages of CHAGRIN, marble chest, and EYES TIGHTENING is easier for you to comprehend.

And that’s FINE, but don’t sit there and pretend Twilight is better written than Potter just because Potter is too fast for you.

P.S. I’m not even a Potter fan but the few pages I read were MUCH better written than Twilight. I flew through Twilight because it was just 400 pages of CHAGRIN: that ain’t nothin’. I liked it.

By: Kaitlynn

Kaitlynn — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 04:03:51 +0000

I was in highschool when I first heard about Twilight (the first book in the series). It had been released a year earlier and all of the sudden, everyone I knew had a a copy. I reisisted, just like I have resisted reading Harry Potter but a close friend stuck in my booksack and demanded I give it a chance. I tried it and fell in love. I read the first book in less than a day. Is it perfect? No. I hate how Bella is so dependent on others and I dislike that her life stops when Edward isn’t with her. I also hated how she “loved” both Edward and Jacob and they let her get away with leading them both on. You can’t just have every guy you want, unless you want to be selfish and try and form a polygamous relationship with those men. Anyway, back to the point at hand; the books were entertaining and fun. The movies are mediocre but hey, I had to support the books.

By: Naeneq

Naeneq — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:02:04 +0000

In all fairness I tried to read the first book, give it a chance. After a while it just became too painful to read and I am a woman. The subsequent books werent much of an improvement. The only character that had any substances and apparantly a living brain of his own was Jacob Black and Stephanie Meyers take on his backstory showed an almost ignorant disregard for Native American culture. The cliches, plot holes, poor character development, total disregard for centuries old folklore and myth(sorry folks Vampires do not sparkle in the sunlight they burn or die except if they are the Daywalker and he doesnt sparkle either) need I go on? Outside of having no backbone and being so Mary Sue you want to strangle her, she sets a very dangerous example by implying that its romantic to be with stalker, beater and psychopath all vampiric qualities aside. As a aspiring novelist myself, Ms. Meyer is the perfect example of how NOT to write a novel. Wish fufillment is fine that’s what fan-fiction is for. The fact she got rejected only fourteen times is disappointing yet encouraging. I have nothing against the fans, I just feel they need to open their minds to better literature like Anne Rice, Charlaine Harris even the Vampire Diaries or Sherrilyn Kenyon if they want vampires that bad.

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:57:32 +0000

Actually, I think “Twilight” WAS well written (after you get past the 1st
chapter)! It was much better than the film, and why wouldn’t it be? The
author, Stephenie Meyer, has a degree in English Literature! It’s
difficult for me to imagine it being rejected even once!

“Harry Potter”, on the other hand, (while at least in my opinion) wasn’t
extremely well-written! Sounds like a story an 8-year old would make up
during a slumber party! I’m currently reading it, and it just doesn’t
hold my interest like “Twilight” did! Fortunately, the “Harry Potter”
films WERE much better than the actual book!

I decided to read both of these books after receiving an idea for a fantasy
novel of my own – which I’m HOPING and PRAYING, may be HALF as good as
“Twilight”!

By: kristi

kristi — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 02:55:22 +0000

14 times isn’t a lot at all. Harry Potter was rejected 12, and many other famous books rejected many times more.
However, I enjoy the Twilight books, and with each one the writing improved.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:01:36 +0000

I’m not surprised that Twilight was rejected 14 times. The storyline isn’t that good, the books aren’t that well written, and the movies weren’t even that good. (New Moon was horrendous to sit through) However, I’m glad Stephenie Meyer kept trying. That shows a lot of character on her part.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:07:57 +0000

The only people I have ever talked to that didn’t like the books have never read them. Plus, I find it appalling that so few men read them. It’s not just a mushy love story, it’s got a lot of action in it as well. Please, read the books before you criticize. They aren’t pieces of classic American literature, but the storyline is creative and unique.