Which one's better? I like to think of New Moon as the transitional novel, a movement piece within the over-arching storyline. Would you agree?
It is my least favorite of all the books. In fact, it is the book that made me want to stop reading this series, but I stuck with it, and boy, did it pay off in the end!
I also like to think of it as the practical joke that trickster Stephenie Meyer is playing on us. I get what you're doing with this book, Ms. Meyer! Clever, very, very, clever! As Bella spirals downward into a state of depression, we readers are dragged down along with her, living the misery, trudging through chapters. The storyline even slows down. I really felt Bella's sadness.
What did you think?
8 comments:
I agree that this was one of the hardest books to get through of hers. I just wanted to tell Bella to snap out of it, no girl should get that depressed over a guy- it's not worth it! Even if he is some hunky vampire, there are always more fish in the sea, or should I say, wolves in the woods? This was the book where I felt Bella's immaturity really showed. Luckily, Bella and Stephenie Meyer redeem themselves in book three.
Initially, New Moon was hands-down my LEAST favorite book. It was like trying to trudge through mud at high speed, knowing Edward would be back...right? He had to be...right? Then I began wondering, and the point in the book where several pages are marked with mere months to indicate the passing of time, my heart sank with every turn of the page that ticked off each month. I. couldn't. believe. it. How could she (Meyer)??? I refused to believe. So page after page I tore through, agonizing with Bella, not caring about much else in the story, until I reached what my heart wanted most: the Edward-Bella reunion. After I read the entire series, I realized I'd never really given New Moon a fair chance. I hated it from the moment Edward left and I had to witness Bella's bumbling attempt to survive without him, which was pitiable. Having realized my failure to fully give it a fair shake, it was the first book of the series I read twice. The second time around, I really appreciated it, and agree it had to be done as a connecting piece. I can honestly say now, that New Moon is my 2nd favorite in the series (Twilight is first of course). I like the frustration and anger Meyer demands of the reader in New Moon (despite the agony it was at first). Eclipse had the opposite effect. Loved it first, the second time I read Eclipse I hated it, but we'll save that for another discussion :)
I have to agree. I think we hated the book the first time we read it, not because it was bad or we really thought it was a waste of time, but because Edward was gone. We expected it to be a much shorter absence than it was and we had to get through it just like Bella not knowing what was going to happen or when he was ever freaking coming back. It was definitely conducive to hair pulling in frustration but it was useful to the story. It helped us feel for Bella and become as wrapped up in the despair of the situation. The first time I read this Bella really annoyed me in all of her complete overwhelming depression but I kept having to remind myself that she was just 17 and this was the first time she had been in love and had these emotions and I think we can all remember how wrecked we were the first time and how we didn't learn to put this in perspective until later. The second time I read the series, I also gave New Moon a better chance, partly because I knew what was going to happen so I wasn't constantly wishing it would happen already and partly because, by the end of the series I have trouble wondering why I or Bella ever liked Jacob at all. This is definitely the book where he shines and he's still very lovable. Farther down the line, not so much.
I also wonder if this book being the least favorite for a lot of people is as a result of the order the books were written. Meyer wrote Twilight and then what would become Breaking Dawn together. The publishers asked to spread it out, add more story and more detail and it became a 4 book set. I think it could have been done as a 3 book set but we would have missed out on the complete desperation of New Moon.
Either way, I liked it and understood it a lot better the second time around than the first.
Edward, Edward, Edward...Is that all we can think about?
Ladies, do you see what Stephenie Meyer has done to us all? She has made us crave Edward! She has made us long for him, weep for him, trudge through approximately 350 pages for him!
She has truly put us in Bella's shoes...the ultimate experience of longing, for a reader, that is. Truly a brillant move for an author, don't you think?
We are all such Bellas!
:-)
Is it wrong to say only if it's hair cut Edward?
I think Stephenie Meyer did a fabulous job of helping the reader feel what the main character was going through. New Moon took me the longest to read as I awaited for the end of each chapter so I could stop reading. However, the book became easier to read as Bella began to snap out of her depression. As Bella became less and less depressed (due in large part to her friendship with Jacob), the story moved along much faster. Then, towards the end of the book when Bella and Alice raced to save Edward, it really started to pick up speed. You could feel how excited Bella was to see Edward. Although this was my least favorite book, I still thought it was well written.
Hi,
I just finished reading New Moon, have not read the rest of the series as of yet. This book toor my heart apart. Until Bella found Edward again, I was weeping through the entire book. Now I usually dont get attached to books, but the author is a genious. Myself, I have already found my true love, but to loose him... well like I said I weeped the whole way through. I felt my heart was broken like Bella's. I'm glad it ended with Edward.
I personally really enjoyed New Moon. Not in the fact that Edward left, but in the fact that the author still makes you tear through the pages, even if Bella's true love was gone. I did feel terrible for Bella and for Charlie too. I read this book quickly, but sadly. I wanted to see the words "Edward has come back in every chapter." Though i didn't see that i did read the vivid,deatailed and magnificent book. I could barely put it down. though it is not my favorite of the series, it is a great book.
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