Over at School Library Journal, UC Davis Professor (who, we're told, is an expert on teen literature) Amy Clarke discusses the enormous popularity of a certain series of vampire romance novels (no, not the Anita Blake series). Most of her answers are not exactly "expert in teen literature" worthy. I have similar answers to these questions, and some different ones, based not on my expertise of teen lit, but my near expertise on teen girls. I do take exception to two of her answers:
Which fictional character would you compare Bella to?
I think that Jane Eyre and Elizabeth Bennet are more apt comparisons, in terms of the niche Bella fits into—despite the vampires, she is really a romance character. Having said that, I don't think that Bella has the complexity to become a legendary character. She has many good qualities, including loyalty and bravery, but she doesn't dig very deep intellectually or engage moral questions.
I know she's talking
niches here, and not character-to-character comparisons, but this just set my mind in a tither. I can honestly see the Jane Eyre, as that novel is a spin on the Beauty and the Beast motif of Gothic literature. And many arguments can be made about Rochester's treatment of Jane being similar to Edward's treatment of Bella. However, let's not forget Jane herself resented Rochester's treatment and went on a quest to seek her identity. She was then able to meet Rochester again as his equal, not by giving anything up, but by gaining her own independence. Bella may wish to be Edward's equal, but it will not be through gaining her independence that this will be attained.
Bella, I believe it goes without saying, is no Elizabeth Bennett.
PS, misspelled Bennett, SLJWhat are the educational benefits of this book?
Besides just getting kids to read—and these are real page turners—the books can be used educationally by looking at questions the texts themselves bring up (why are they so popular and is it good for girls to be identifying with Bella?) as well as linking them to other things we might be teaching, like religion and mythology.
Bella's character, what she is modeling for young women, is a good thing to explore. On the one hand, she seems to represent a step backward in terms of role models. She will marry very young, she is willing to exchange her humanity for an eternity with her boyfriend, she gets pushed around quite a lot, and she needs to be rescued frequently. On the other hand, she has redeeming qualities including her intelligence, her willingness to put her life on the line to save her loved ones, and her total acceptance of people society would label monsters.
So...on the one hand, Bella doesn't dig deeply intellectually, but we should celebrate her intelligence?
Hey, I belong to the
it doesn't matter what they're reading as long as they're reading school, don't get me wrong. But, compelling as the story is, it's just not good writing. In fact, it is some of the suckiest writing this side of a Harlequin Romance novel. And I just don't see the value of such novels as educational models of any sort. The same mythic/religious connection and themes can also be found in many Charles de Lint novels, which are much better written and have stronger mythos. Yes, discuss these novels in your book club and have the debates. But please, for the love of all that is holy, do not think you can find educational benefits in this series. Unless your educational benefits involve not good writing and how to recognize unhealthy relationships.
And before anyone accuses me of taking this all too seriously, remember I got this from
School Freaking Library Journal, not Julie's Super Vampire Love Blog. These books are now a phenomenon. On some level, we should take them seriously.
Okay, truly done now. We are not, of course. That book is coming out tonight. The movie is coming out...sometime (I have no idea). And teh internets will be buzzing about this for some time. So while I am certain I will read much much more about the subject, this will be the last time I post about it. I is tired.
PS, AMC - you will tell me what happens, right? Don't make me read it off Julie's Super Vampire Love Blog.
ETA: I can't believe it took me so long to figure this out. I feel like an idiot. In attempting to assess what it is about the writing and story structure that bug me so much, it occurred to me that this shit is no better than romantic/erotic
fanfiction. I'm serious. All the themes and conventions I've come to expect (and - guiltily - sometimes love) in my fanfic (dependence!devotion, over-exposition, hyperbolic descriptions of people) are all here. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to find that's where Ms. Meyers got her start. So while I cannot (and never have) state I do not understand the appeal, it still rankles me for many reasons.
Roger, there is a big difference between taking issue with children's literature advocates who claim that children's or young adult novels are the sublime epitome of all that is good in prose, and saying "adults whose taste in recreational reading ends with the YA novel need to grow up". You say that those of us whose recreational reading needs are met in the main by children's or young adult books are "missing a lot". Well, sure. Everyone who makes a choice is missing a lot. Those who fulfill their recreational reading needs with Barbara Kingsolver might be missing out on what John McPhee can give them. Those who will gobble up restoration comedies might be missing out on the thrill of a high-quality mystery. People who only have time to watch Grey's Anatomy miss out on Scrubs. The world is full of great ways to spend our recreational time, some marketed towards children and others marketed towards adults, some well-crafted and some less so.
You say "to say that children's literature will give a grownup all he or she needs from books suggests there is no reason to grow up in the first place". Really? My pleasures of growing up have included owning my own home, of eating Cadbury's Chocolate Spread the spoon without anybody yelling at me, having a profession and an avocation, volunteering, choosing friends, having sex, growing my own garden, making pie, and yes, reading Flora Segunda instead of cleaning my room. Was my reason for growing up really so that I would learn to appreciate Stephen R. Donaldson over Diana Wynne Jones, Jane Austen over Margaret Mahy? Because personally, I'll take having the right to vote and the intellectual capacity to vote wisely over some kind of moral requirement that my recreational reading come from books marketed towards adults.