Twilight

It may not come as a big surprise that I am writing about the new craze that has hit us by storm (though its primary audience is the countless number of teenage girls that have become its obsessed fans), Twilight. I have talked to many people about the topic of the book (and its three sequels, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn) and its new movie, and it seems as if people either love it, or hate it (though the people who hate it are mostly those who haven't read it). The book was published in 2005, and tremendously increased in popularity since then, especially with the release of the movie remake. I know plenty of people that fell in love with the book from the start - much of that on account of the vegetarian vampire, Edward, who it is very hard not to fall head over heels with, despite the disappointing fact that he is fictional - but they simply refuse to watch the movie. I must say that I was of the same opinion when I first heard that there was going to be a Twilight movie; I had envisioned my own scenes and images of the text as I read the four books in the series, and I was worried that as soon as I saw the movie, those visualizations that were so vivid in my mind would vanish and be replaced by those given by the movie. But surprisingly, as the release date of the movie drew closer and closer, I became excited and eager to see it, and I ended up going to it on opening night. As I was watching, I realized that it was a good thing that I had read the book before seeing the movie, and also that it really didn't interfere with what I had pictured in my mind before the movie.

Personally, though I had previously been critical of the choices for the characters, my opinion changed quite drastically during the movie, and believed that the actors chosen were really good fits, and that the movie was actually a great success. Again, that is just my opinion, and obviously others are entitled to their own thoughts, which may differ from mine. But I would definitely recommend at least reading the book - you get addicted and find yourself finished with the book with a day or two (if you have the time to read it nonstop for that long); some people who I have talked to refuse to read the book, but they won't explain why, and I have a feeling they don't want to just because they do not want to follow the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. And if you are willing to, I would also recommend seeing the movie. News flash: it really isn't a big deal if you read Twilight, even if you do want to stand out and "be an individual"; just call it your guilty pleasure.