*Spoiler Alert* They get married and have a baby and live happily ever after. During all that, other shit also happens.
Phew! OK, now that you know how it ends...
Breaking Dawn gets a bad rap around here. I haven't been a part of the online Twilight community until very recently, and I've noticed many of y'all are down on my book. I don't know what that's about, to be honest. I've read some of the complaints, and I understand them, and I'll even concede a few (Renesmee??? WTF??! That's not a name!!!!), but I cannot sympathize at all. Overall, I love this book.
OK, to begin with, I have this pathological romantic sensibility which leads me to believe a "happy ending" is (get your minds out of the gutter) getting married and having babies. Yes, I know, how very un-feminist of me. Let me clarify that this is what constitutes a happy ending for me with regard to my fictional characters. I understand that not everyone wants to get married and/or have babies, but I did/do, and what a lovely ending for books and movies and shows! (IMO, anyway.) So when I started Breaking Dawn, I wanted Bella and Edward to get married and have sex. OK, but seriously, because Meyer had been dangling it in front of our faces for three books and indicating that she was finally going to give it up in BD, and I stayed up extra-extra late reading to get to the honeymoon and then... fade to FUCKING BLACK???!!! You whore!!! You dirty, twat-teasing whore!!! WHERE IS MY SEX???? (I had not found fan fiction yet, of course, or I would have gone right there to get my smut before I continued with the real book.) I nearly threw the book across the room.
Aaaanyway, when I started the book, that's what I wanted for them. It did not occur to me that they would get pregnant (because, really?), but the more Bella wanted eggs and kept vomiting everywhere and sleeping all the time, I began to suspect that maybe, just maybe, there was going to be a sick, twisted baby story. I love babies. I do not love creepy, bloodthirsty, I-will-eat-you-from-the-inside monster babies. (Who does? Anyone? Bueller?) That's very scary. I also hate Jacob, so when we took his perspective for a third of the book, I was less than pleased. Those two aside, I fucking LOVE vampire Bella. I might have hated how we got there (and I think a lot of that was just shock-value, which I never appreciate), but I love the destination. VampBella is WAY better than simpering, self-doubting Bella. It's like she finds herself as a woman, and that I can totally get behind. Also, the relationship between Edward and Bella is SOOO much better once they're equals. Once she can also take care of him. It's nice to be taken care of from time to time, but after awhile you begin to feel like an invalid. While I think I would have made a wonderful lady of leisure back in the day, I'm sure I also would have been bored out of my fucking skull after awhile, and things would probably have gotten a little Dangerous Liasons just to liven the place up. So I love the J Jenks storyline, and the shield superpower that allows her to have a little fucking dignity for once. I also LOVE the last chapter, when she finally lifts her shield and he sees into her head, and then they make mad, passionate love all over the house. Oh, wait, that last part is just in my head. I'm sure they kiss chastely.
I could do without Jacob and Renesmee, but that's kind of also why I love them because they each tie the other one off so neatly, plot-wise. Go imprint on a creepy-ass newborn, you would-be rapist, that seems fitting. I can't wait to see how they play that in the movie without the Megan's Law people picketing every screening.
I love how Bella figured out Alice's clues, I LOVED the wedding, ditto the honeymoon location (I wish TH and I could have gone to Isle Esme on ours!), I love that nobody dies (HP broke my heart with the folks JK killed off - although that story definitely grows as it goes, and death is necessary, I still don't have to like it), and I just basically love that after all you go through in the books, it's a sticky-sweet ending. I desperately wanted a sticky-sweet ending. I was rooting for those two, and I love that they win.
My favorite of the saga is Twilight, followed by Breaking Dawn, then Eclipse, and New Moon last. I'm sure I'll write posts about each of the other three as I go along, I just needed to say my piece about this one. Don't hate too much on BD, everyone, it has a lot going for it, despite Renescob and the pregnancy from Hell.
Thoughts?
Posts
Happy Birthday Mom- from Baby Pantry
1 year ago
7 comments:
I love that they got a happy ending too. You're a good writer and I agree with this post. I don't know if BD is my favourite but I like it for the reasons you mentioned. Here's hoping the movie does it justice.
Actually, I don't hate BD. My least favourite book is Eclipse, because it's filled with uncertainty. I was dreading the entire time that Bella would kick Edward and go to Jacob, because he really annoyed the hell out of me. If he wasn't played by Taylor I'd hate him in the movies too. I didn't, however, dislike his POV in the book, I enjoyed it. I even enjoyed the parts where he goes out, desperately trying to imprint on someone. I could really sympathize with him. I hated the parts with Quill/Emrbry, I always forget which one it is, playing with his imprint on the beach; the vampire assembly is a bit too long, if you ask me, but like you, I loved that she was able to lift the shield, although, I truly did find those parts a bit corny, as well as the whole Volturri crew being outsmarted by Bella. But nevertheless, I thought BD was immensely fun. My book order goes like this: New Moon (because the way SM describes a broken heart is absolutely uncanny), Twliight, BD, Eclipse.
I agree with your reasons to dislike Eclipse - I was worried she'd choose Jacob, too. I think it might be the best one for them to make into a movie, though because the least happens in it, IMO. So I'm hoping to like the film version. Thanks for your perspective!
Amen to that - I don't know how they're going to do it justice, but I can't wait to find out!! Thanks, TC!
I told you I was going to visit your first post, but before that I clicked on this one. Can I just say I loved every single word of this, because I totally agree with your points. When asked, I'd say my favorite books are Twilight and BD, then Eclipse and NM. I just finished reading Eclipse and I've yet to start BD because I'm dreading the Jacob voice, but reading your post now I'm excited for the other parts NOT Isle Esme related. I'd also like to mention that I listened to the books this time around, and I was more than startled when the epilogue of Eclipse was a man's voice because I'd completely forgotten it was Jacob's POV. Seriously, loved this.
Hooray, SFT! Thanks for all the kind words! I'm glad I'm not alone in my BD love!!
You are definitely not alone in the BD love, MB! I love it too and had a hard time hating the bad stuff because I was too caught up in the good stuff.
Yes - Renesmee was a bad choice of names (Carlie would've been a cute first name) - but them having a kid was a cool and unexpected twist.
Yes - Jacob's was not everyone's favorite POV, but for me it was a fun change of pace and we wouldn't have had the insight into the wolves any other way.
Yes - the anti-fight was a let down, but it facilitated the Happily Ever After which I couldn't have lived without!
So - yeah - BD has some issues, but for me - they were worth it!
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