In a previous post I questioned whether reading the novel Twilight by Stephanie Meyer would corrupt the act of reading for me. After finishing the first book, I have to say that I was a bit over the top in my presumption.
First of all, I need to look at the target audience of the book: teenage girls. The last time I checked, I wasn’t in middle or high school and I wasn’t a girl. It should have been evident that I wouldn’t enjoy the book just by thinking about this.
Next is the fact that it’s meant to be read before the target audience is exposed to cliche ideas. A vampire falling in love with a teenage girl: cliche? Yes. Big market available for it? Yes. People actually love this book because they’re reading it at an age before they read more adult works? Yes, and that is the kicker. We read books when we’re young because we want to explore the possibilities available to us. I haven’t met somebody who was thirteen years old and reading only biographies and textbooks. Sure, I read Tesla when I was a teen, and I read Hamilton’s Mythology, but want to know what else I read in my formidable years? I was a god damned addict to Animorphs.
What needs to be clear is that the books we read when we’re young, no matter how stupid they may be, or how poorly written they are, are the books that stick with us the most. I read The Giver when I was in the 6th grade, I believe. If my sister hadn’t given me that book, I would not be in the mindset I am today, and this website wouldn’t even be an idea in my head. Do I like the book now? Not at all. I think it’s childish, poorly written and a piece of scum on the bottom of an old brown boot. The peculiar part of all of this is that even though I don’t *like* a book doesn’t mean that I can’t love the book for the memories it gave me growing up. In this sense, I love The Giver. This is the importance of reading while in our youth: that which we grow with changes us, and that which we change with, we fall in love with.
Did I enjoy reading Twilight? No. Did I find it painful? Absolutely. Do I hate reading now for it? Not at all. I am happy to say that reading is not a “dystopian” act for me, but instead is something that I still love to do all of the time. Maybe even two, three, four times a night if I have the stamina. However, I would like to share my “favorite” parts of the book with all of you:
“‘That’s Edward. He’s gorgeous, of course…’”
“I paused for a long moment, and then made the mistake of meeting his gaze. His dark gold eyes confused me, and I answered without thinking.”
“He turned his anguished eyes to the road, his words flowing almost too fast for me to understand.”
“‘I know, Bella. Believe me, I know. It’s like you’ve taken half my self away with you.”’
