Decoding Twilight

I promised Amanda that I would spend some time tonight to uncover the reasons why we spent almost the entire weekend, glued in front of the computer screen, reading the e-book version of the Twilight Saga. What started out as a Robsession (on her part) unfolded into 36 straight hours of intense immersion in words, held breaths and the occasional yells of “WTF?!”

So just what was so captivating about a teen-story featuring your klutz of the century and a vampire who will never age beyond 17? Sure, casting Robert Pattison in the role of this old-man stuck in a kid’s body was a good motivation to begin, but seriously, by the time you reach the 3^rd book – Eclipse, the visual image of him starts to fade away. So surely, it couldn’t just have been about the man who played the words coming to life!

We’ve spent the last couple of days, trying to dissect this great mystery cos Amanda is mortified she was pointed in the direction of Teen Reads when she sought to buy the book. Plus, she being a pagan reader these last couple of years, went ahead and shamelessly purchased the books.

Senthil tried to console me by updating that he has discovered a whole load of women our age-group confessing to have read the books as well. I’m not surprised. After all, Mary Anderson a nice Irish friend of mine told me I HAD to read them. And she even added, after finishing the first book, I too, would be willing and wanting to offer up my neck!

And so, after many ponderous moments, with Decode playing on repeat-mode, here’s my two cents on why Twlight – the Series – has taken the world by storm:

1)     The impossibility of the whole storyline

This is probably the one that has got the guys wondering why we girls are utter-nutters. Cos they know that there is no way such a story could exist. But here’s the deal boys – it doesn’t matter that it can never happen in real life. The mere fact that someone else thought about it and wrote 5 whole books on it is enough for us. It says that we’re not the only ones who see the potential in impossibilities.    

2)     The great romance

Most people, regardless of their age, gender and background, crave that they have their very own personal guardian angel. Someone who would go to the ends of the world to make sure that they are never hurting or are harmed. Someone who would fight to be with them, come what may. And we get it here. Chapters and pages of it. From start to end. Even when all the drama is unfolding and death is potentially upon them.

3)     The poignancy of language

This one is my personal favourite. Having made the conscious decision to leave such airy-fairy books behind, reading has become quite stressful. So to come across a book where sentences do not span longer than a comma somewhere in the string of eight to nine words was a nice relief. Add to that Stephenie Meyer’s ability to economically encapsulate every single phrase we have longed for (e.g. Amanda’s favourite - please take care of my heart ... I left it here with you”) just makes it all that more poignant. And lingering.

These 3 reasons itself (forgetting Robert Pattinson for the mo) is surely enough to hold most audiences at the edge of their reading chair.

And while you may think that we are hopeless romantics, I’d have to say we’re not. Having been known to be occasionally dark and twisted, indulging in such a series is only possible when we remind ourselves that it was written with the young audience in mind – before the realities of life and world catches them in its grip!

Perhaps then, I should add a fourth reason – it reminds us of a time gone by…which we know we will never be able to recapture. Ever again.

The Twilight Series

By Stephenie Meyers