I know there's a thread for this series, but I have a question. My friend discovered her 10-year-old reading books 1 and 2. She's gone online and read some comments about the sexual content of book 4. Since it's too late to consider whether or not the series is age-appropriate, she just wants to be prepared in advance. I haven't read any of the books. Is there a lot of graphic sex in the 4th book? Or other issues she might want to discuss with a pre-teen?
Twilight Series -- Breaking Dawn
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There's NO sex in book four.
Well, I mean...it's referred to, but on every occasion it 'fades to black' then jumps to the next scene.
As for issues to discuss - it strikes me as weird that your friend is okay with violence, blood and death, but sex is off-putting.
That said, she might want to talk to her daughter about not following Bella's example and completely surrendering any hope of a life of her own for a man, doing what he says without question and losing all ability to do anything for herself.
Rly.
That bothered me more than anything else in this series. I found it more irritating than even the terrible writing style, although that really ripped my nips too.
I know, I know, it's fiction. But it still bothered me.
Well, I mean...it's referred to, but on every occasion it 'fades to black' then jumps to the next scene.
As for issues to discuss - it strikes me as weird that your friend is okay with violence, blood and death, but sex is off-putting.
That said, she might want to talk to her daughter about not following Bella's example and completely surrendering any hope of a life of her own for a man, doing what he says without question and losing all ability to do anything for herself.
Rly.
That bothered me more than anything else in this series. I found it more irritating than even the terrible writing style, although that really ripped my nips too.
I know, I know, it's fiction. But it still bothered me.
My friend hasn't read any of the books yet. She just saw some passing reference to themes of a sexual nature, so she asked for my opinion. I don't have one, which is why I posted here.
The "losing herself" issue would bother me too. Thanks, Scarlett.
The "losing herself" issue would bother me too. Thanks, Scarlett.
Well, it's obvious what's being referred to when Bella says things like, "I wondered if this longing for my husband would ever pass," but there is no direct description of the sexual act itself.
Okay, scarlet will know better than I do because she's actually read the book, but in book 4 doesnt edward chew up bella's stomach and womb to rip out the unborn baby who is eating up her insides? Someone should probably warn your friend about that bit cause seriously, if i had a ten yr old, i don't think i'd need her reading that bit, never mind sex. Sex is meh. having your vampire husband rip out chunks of your body to rip out a baby thats killing you is perhaps a little more traumatizing than oblique references to sex between married people. just saying.
Okay first of all, I'm going by my standards, and my 'reading age' has never been typical. But ten years old, too young? Nah. No way.
Meyer is reluctant to even mention sex, let alone describe it. Her vampires are vegetarian and don't drink human blood, for goodness' sake, so fear not - Edward NOMMING Bella's stomach to get the baby out isn't as freaky as it seems.
There's barely any mention of pain or blood. It's more like..."I lay there wondering how they would get the baby out of me until I realised...it was protected by thick skin, vampire skin...and the only thing that could penetrate that was a vampire's teeth..."
So it's mostly skimmed over. You can tell Meyer is squeamish about sex, blood, pain, violence and death, which makes me wonder why the hell she wrote a book about vampires.
Oh, right. She made them vegetarian virgins who refuse to have sex before marriage.
Meyer is reluctant to even mention sex, let alone describe it. Her vampires are vegetarian and don't drink human blood, for goodness' sake, so fear not - Edward NOMMING Bella's stomach to get the baby out isn't as freaky as it seems.
There's barely any mention of pain or blood. It's more like..."I lay there wondering how they would get the baby out of me until I realised...it was protected by thick skin, vampire skin...and the only thing that could penetrate that was a vampire's teeth..."
So it's mostly skimmed over. You can tell Meyer is squeamish about sex, blood, pain, violence and death, which makes me wonder why the hell she wrote a book about vampires.
Oh, right. She made them vegetarian virgins who refuse to have sex before marriage.
oh no worries then. everyone made it sound so graphic and icky. i actually have the books in my house. i keep forgetting to return them to my sister. they taunt me. i tried to read them. 3 pages. thats as far as i got. i got further in harry potter.
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I think she'd better just read it herself & see what she thinks. I know she intends to do that anyway, but she was curious what others thought. Thanks for your comments!
Actually, BD wasn't as bad as the publicity of it would suggest IMO. I'd say it's my second favourite, 'favourite' a word being used in the sense of 'least bad'.
New Moon, book #2 was the worst. 600 pages of Bella whining about Edward dumping her.
Then Eclipse, book #3. More Jacob in this book. Still mucho whining from Bella.
Breaking Dawn next, book #4. Unintentionally funny and too long, but not as bad as New Moon, as if anything could be.
Twilight, book #1, was the best of the lot, as in 'least bad'. Plot holes you could drive a truck through, but entertaining enough if you want to feel good about your own writing.
The trouble with all four books is the tendency of Meyer to wrap everything up too neatly; not for the sake of the story, but to pander to her own squeamishness. There are no big battles; Bella faints a lot, and when she comes round Edward relates the tale of how he saved the day. There's no conflict, which is what I hate about these books.
However, they'd be ideal for a mother who didn't want her daughter reading anything too violent.
That said, any loving mother would question the message Meyer is sending to young women in these books.
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Yup, I should save my scorn until I'm as successful as Meyer.
*waits 500 years without success* Oh well...
I hope your friend (and her daughter) enjoy the book, Illiterwrite.
*waits 500 years without success* Oh well...
I hope your friend (and her daughter) enjoy the book, Illiterwrite.
I haven't read the Twilight series, and to be honest, never would. Speaking as a woman in her late 40's, I was reading graphic horror stories from 5 yrs old, they were much more interesting than the 'kiddy' books the school wanted us to read.
If the 10 yr old girl has the reading capability to read vampire novels, then she should be allowed to imho, they honestly don't do any harm. Like I said, I was reading graphic horror from very a very young age and it never did me any harm
You be quiet Scarlet
If the 10 yr old girl has the reading capability to read vampire novels, then she should be allowed to imho, they honestly don't do any harm. Like I said, I was reading graphic horror from very a very young age and it never did me any harm
You be quiet Scarlet
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A friend of mine won't let her 13 yr old daughter read the series because she heard that there is sex in the series, but yet she is more than alright with blood and gore, she told me. I have read Twilight only, and told her there is no sex in the book, and as close to gore in the book is when Bella's head gets cut.
Steady, Cyia. Our scorn got the other thread locked.
Just answering the question to the best of my ability
Good grief. Since when was sex bad, but violence good?
Not that violence is good - it just amazes me that people are okay with it, but sex is somehow 'teh horrorz'.
Not that violence is good - it just amazes me that people are okay with it, but sex is somehow 'teh horrorz'.
I remember a story my Year 6 teacher told me, I guess six years ago now. I would have been 10 I suppose. The class was reading a book in which a character gets her head chopped - the teacher, Miss Smith (for real) told us that she would have no problem with her young child reading such a scene, as reading something is entirely different from seeing it.
When we read, we construct the image in our head. Therefore, we apply out own perspective to it - sure, an adult might see a gory and brutal scene when they imagine a head getting chopped off, but when the child reads it he's probably gonna see a fairly clean and simple scene. They're not as experienced as the rest of us - so when it comes to fiction, I think pretty much any violence is okay. The child isn't going to be disturbed, as he's probably not going to construct a particularly disturbing image in his mind. Unlike a movie, where what you see is what you get.
That make any sense?
When we read, we construct the image in our head. Therefore, we apply out own perspective to it - sure, an adult might see a gory and brutal scene when they imagine a head getting chopped off, but when the child reads it he's probably gonna see a fairly clean and simple scene. They're not as experienced as the rest of us - so when it comes to fiction, I think pretty much any violence is okay. The child isn't going to be disturbed, as he's probably not going to construct a particularly disturbing image in his mind. Unlike a movie, where what you see is what you get.
That make any sense?
Come on, guys. The OP asked a question. Please keep your answers specific to that. Usually I'm all for threads evolving but there is enough circular talk about Meyer in the other thread; this one doesn't need to go there, too.
It depends on how mature the 10 year old is. The writing is probably better suited for someone that age. I am a little more than half way through BD, but there is no sex. It is mentioned, they make out a little, but it is all done "off stage". There are some innuendos made, but a 10 year old probably wouldn't understand them. And the violence, there really isn't much of that either. The birth is mostly skipped over, and like Scarlet said, Bella faints through all the interesting stuff. It is quite tame compared to the stuff I read when I was 10. And I turned out pretty normal. Ok, somewhat normal....hell, normal is overrated.
I will never understand this either. Sex is bad, evil, sinful....we don't talk about it. But violence is ok. It is expected, and people (children especially) are becoming numb to it. Totally messed up IMO.
I'm currently reading this book and would like to be able to discuss it. If it is possible to do that without devolving into a thread trashing Meyer personally, will it be allowed? The only other thread I'm aware of about this book was closed days ago.
If discussing the book Breaking Dawn is allowed, should I start a new thread for that since it wouldn't specifically answer the OP's question (which has been thoroughly answered here already anyway)?
ETA: I freely admit I've was as guilty of Meyer bashing as anyone in the other thread, but it's out of my system now.
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