Escape from reality

Today I shall talk about two books I've read by Stephanie Meyer. I don't know how my sister will view this blog entry, but let me get on with it. Twilight is the first instalment in the series and New Moon the second.

So, the 18 year old fragile Bella falls in love with a 110 year old (but bitten at 17) gorgeous and handsome vampire Edward. (Now before I go on, let me just tell you that the nature of my job forces me to go into the nuances of fiction and admittedly, silly fiction sometimes).

The first book was interesting... they meet, he doesn't like her but is intrigued... she can't figure out what his problem is but is besotted... soon they get close and finally they decide to be with eachother. Thrown in is the whole rigmaroll of how he's a vegetarian vampire, his family is a vegetarian vampire coven, she's being hunted by a non-veg vampire.... who they all kill.

The second book would have you think that the mushy love story will go on.... he'll keep protecting her from evil and eventually the situation will reach an impasse - something for the next novel.

But no ---- Edward decides he loves her too much and should leave her (Yes, this is why John Gray's book - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus did so well). And the whole book is about how Bella will now have to live without Edward. Something new in this book, which I've actually not seen in any book till date - is how after he leaves there are four blank pages with just the words of the month written. Rest all are blank - like Bella's months are blank. I thought it was a brilliant way of portraying the feeling.

So how did Stephanie Meyer come up with this idea? This whole idea of two teenage kids who have this wierd connection? Why does this appeal to so many people? I read a review in The New York Times that said that they just couldn't figure out how this film could appeal to so many people and how the audience (which consisted largely of young teenage girls) knew just when to scream in unison.

Well, Stephanie Meyer says that this book idea came to her in a dream. She dreamt the middle part first actually, then wrote the book starting from the middle to the end - all the while thinking about how it would begin. She has actually picked a real life place in the US called Forks in Washington - which I'm sure will now become a tourist spot like the rolling hills of Matamata in New Zealand where Lord of the Rings was filmed.

Why does it appeal to so many of us? Do we like to escape from reality? Sure we do. When I read the second part, there was a truckers strike, a petroleum operators strike, it was freezing outside and I was fretting about something at office. Now I'm sure that many teenagers won't have the same kinds of problems - but we all have problems. Little kids worry about why their best friend hit them for no reason; teenagers worry about the impending pimple; and we adults - worry about taxes and the mortgage and things like what would happen if you couldn't get petrol one day - and how companies like Satyam can crash overnight.

We all have our problems. Which is why movies and books and the whole entertainment industry flourishes!! It's a way to destress. I love reading - so I keep reading... sometimes I don't like reading things that give me stress though - like the high crime rate in NCR, but one does have to keep oneself appraised and face reality as well. I like to watch movies - so I do.... :) I like to paint... but I don't as often as I should (did I mention it was too cold to sit on the floor and work on a painting?).

No excuses for spring though.