Breaking Dawn

I felt the need and the requirement to read the last novel in the Twilight saga. It is a set of four books so not really a trilogy. The word 'saga', as it has been referred to is quite an appropriate word. I realized as I finished the last novel that I had read over three thousand pages of a very simplistic and stereotypical story.

In doing research on this article, as well for my own interest and to keep up with my students, I read that originally the author had finished the first novel and then began to write this one. She was then asked to add some filler to give readers most detail into the life of Bella and Edward before Bella becoming a vampire.

It seemed to have worked based on the number of star struck teenagers who are truly obsessed with the four books. As an adult I was slightly relieved that as I read this story, there was an end in sight and that the end was interesting. It was a good ending and I was thankful that the many hours of reading that I spent on this saga was rewarded with a high paced climax and a sweet romantic ending. What I did not like was what occurred from the first page until this climax.

The novel begins with Bella and Edward's wedding. We are then told about their honeymoon, which I have to tell you should be read for nothing else, but humor. The author, Stephenie Meyer, is a Mormon, and has stated that she did not want the main characters to have sexual intercourse before getting married and that she did not want any sexual explicit scenes to be in her novel. She decided instead to describe the beginning of each sex scene, and then fast forward to afterwards, giving an excellent description of how rough the sex was. There is mention of pillows ripped to shreds, bruises all over Bella's body, and a headboard damaged. As a novel that, although not classified as young adult, caters to the young adult group, it is unnecessary and inappropriate.

The novel is split into three sections and the first section, told from the perspective of Bella, ends with her finding out that she is pregnant. The reader is excited to find out what is going to happen yet we are disappointed. We are disappointed because the next section is narrated from the point of view of Jacob. Jacob is a werewolf who comforted Bella when Edward left her. This section is boring and annoying because we are given very little information about the story other then finding out that Jacob is attracted to Bella's child and that after only a few weeks Bella gives birth to this child, a girl.

The birth scene is grotesque and unnecessarily gruesome. I read it over quickly and really the emphasis on the baby's need for blood was humorous instead of horrific. Bella is turned into a vampire at that time to save her. It has been hinted that she would eventually be turned into a vampire but this removed the need for her to make a choice. In past novels, her vampire family has dismissed her request for becoming a vampire, stating that it is not a good choice. In a simplistic way, she was required to become a vampire.

The third section is from the perspective of Bella and we are led to believe that everything is perfect. Bella and Edward are enjoying their new daughter Reneesme. The emphasis on Bella's beauty is nauseating at best. The stereotype of women being beautiful continues to be an important part of this novel and it sickens me. When we are first introduced to Bella we are told how plain and ordinary she was when she was in Arizona but now that she is in Forks, Washington, she is beautiful. Now that she is a vampire, she is even more stunning.

This emphasis on physical beauty is disturbing to me because this novel is marketed to teen girls. This novel was classified as an adult fiction novel, not a young adult fiction novel like the three previous novels. Adults do read this novel but since many teenager girls, who already have issues with their appearance, read it, too, this is inexcusable.

The climax of the novel comes with the head vampire clan arriving in Forks to remove what they think is an immortal. The Cullen clan is able to convince them that Reneesme is indeed half vampire, half human, and that no vampire created her. The conflict is over and that means that Bella, Edward, and their daughter Reneesme, can live happily ever after, forever.

As a fairy tale, it is cute and romantic. It has all the elements that women of all ages enjoy. It is not an intellectual work, nor are the three other novels either. This saga is a romance story that takes place in present day and creates a scene that makes female readers want to be Bella and those scarce male readers want to be Edward.

If you are used to a literary masterpiece then you are looking in the wrong place, but if you are looking for some romantic fluff that will be a fun read then these novels are a good substitute for any other grocery store paperback.