Serendipity
The Twilight Zone: Part 2
In the third installment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, Stephenie Meyer continues to tell her riveting story. In Eclipse, the love story of Edward and Bella persists, but not without much complication. A love dilemma ensues, where Bella finds herself in the midst of a triangle. Who would she choose? Her bestfriend, Jacob the werewolf, or the reason for her very existence, Edward the vampire? Yes, you will hate her, but she loves them both! Old enemies resurface: Bella, the "danger magnet" that she is, becomes, once again, the hunted. The La Push werewolves and the Cullen coven form an unlikely alliance and the book moves in an electrifyingly swift pace.
The conclusion hangs, of course, in preparation for the true ending that would come in Breaking Dawn. In Breaking Dawn, the pace picks up from Eclipse. The excitement gradually builds, crescendoes to an unstoppable, don't-you-dare-blink-or-you'll-miss-it climax -- making my palms and the soles of my feet all clammy and sweaty (this happens to me when I'm excited and nervous). Then comes the denouement, tying everything up in a neat and satisfying package.
Call me shallow, but I'm a gushing "Bella and Edward 4ever" fan. But because I can also be an opinionated shrew, I would just like to say that Meyer was a little bit predictable in Breaking Dawn (or maybe I just read the previous books until they were dog-eared, thus understanding the characters more than the typical reader). Somehow, I knew what was going to happen next, but well, that's just me. I've always had a knack for predicting the outcome of movies or books (to the chagrin of some people). Those who have not yet read the last book can breathe easy though; there will be no spoilers here.
Meyer could also have written two books instead of squeezing everything up in one volume. It felt like I was shortchanged, in a way, expecting so much more especially in what Meyer's resolutions would be regarding the love triangle, the impending Volturi visit, the compromised treaty between the werewolves and the Cullen coven, and the question of humanity vs. immortality (in the case of Bella). One saving grace though was how Meyer changed narrators, dividing the book into two, one from Bella's perspective, and the other from Jacob's. This literary ploy showcases Meyer's insight and skill as a writer, and her meaty characterization of Jacob is glaringly evident in his realistic, laugh-out-loud inner dialogue.
Still, I felt that Meyer could have expounded on the conflicts that she has posed in the previous books. It was like she glossed over the whole thing; as if she was pressured on finishing the series because readers were getting antsy and impatient for the outcome (believe me when I say that this series is huge here in North America, the first day of Breaking Dawn's release last August 2 earned a whopping $1.3 M – yes, fans were that impatient). There were also typo errors (which I've also noticed in the other three books) which were quite distracting, and I was expecting the editor/s and proofreaders to have done something in this last one. But I guess they all fell in love with Edward and lost all of their faculties while editing.
As a writer, Stephenie Meyer doesn't also get the full credit that she deserves. Her series has been clumped in the romantic genre, but obviously, there's more to the saga than just romance. It has all the elements of what a gripping story should have: romance (as just one part of it), action, horror, suspense, fantasy, and comedy. Yes, all in one. She was able to put all of her rich characters: humans, vampires, werewolves, and those in-between into the real, everyday world, playing with the "what ifs". What if a vampire falls in love with a frail human and vice versa? What if a werewolf and the rest of his telepathic pack join in the "fun" and twist everything up? What if Bella has to make a choice, would she stay human or become immortal just to be with the one she loves? And if you're a vampire like Edward and you can live forever, what then will you live for?
The series is riddled with melodramatic cliffhangers – Meyer's way of drawing her readers into the addicting whirlpool of her brilliant imagination. It ends but not without a lot of twists and turns, humps and bumps. Bella's tendency to make annoyingly insane risks and decisions is a perfect foil to Edward's overbearingly protective nature. And the surprising new character that Meyer throws in the last book binds all of the characters together to create a mammoth and unforgettable ending.
All in all though, I closed all the books happy and contented, not wanting the series to finish so soon. But all good things must come to an end -- and so should this review. It is bittersweet to be saying goodbye to characters that I've come to love and hate, but then again, the beauty of books is that you never have to say goodbye. All you have to do is read them again and again and again.