Bethany says:

I do NOT want to tell Mr. King he’s full of bologna or any other lunch meat. I read all four Twilight books, but I felt like hell afterward - ashamed that I didn’t have the strength to stop reading. I think Meyer is a TERRIBLE writer. I hate that an entire generation (maybe more, considering all the Twilight Moms out there) will come to think of that as good writing. *shudder*

Shawn says:

Sorry, Chris, but I have to agree with King. Meyer doesn’t have the chops of Rowling.

E. Christopher Clark says:

Oh, no apologies necessary. I haven’t read the books, so I haven’t formed an opinion.

You know what I really should do, since there is going to be a lot of negativity toward the series on this site this week: I should find a teenaged girl that likes it to tell us why.

Bethany says:

I know a slew of adult women who love the books, and some of them don’t think they’re poorly written. Ack! But anyway, I do think that any teenage Twilight lover is going to say this is why they love the books: Edward. I would love if you could find one who could express what they find “good” about the books, as opposed to simply how much they heart Edward Cullen.

Purple Butterflies says:

Sounds like you guys are having the same reaction to this series that I had to the Golden Compass series. I haven’t read Twilight, but if they read anything like the Golden Compass I don’t think I really want to. I’m still not exactly sure what possessed the film makers to think that book would make a good movie????

DW Golden
Soar with Fairies in Purple Butterflies, a new young adult novel now available at Amazon.com

E. Christopher Clark says:

@Purple Butterflies: I haven’t read The Golden Compass or seen the film. Is one better than the other? I have to admit that I’m still morbidly curious.

@Bethany: But isn’t hearting Edward enough? I mean, he is so dreamy (for a vampire).

Bethany says:

Loving Edward might be enough for most girls, but not this one! I think it’s the ridiculous purple prose… I’d much rather read about Louis from Interview with a Vampire, frankly. (Speaking of which, how I LOVED Blood, Guts, & Ghouls - I was so excited to get into that. Dare I say: Best. Class. Ever?)

E. Christopher Clark says:

Oh. my. God. Yes. Blood, Guts, and Ghouls was one of the best classes ever. I could have gotten so much more out of it than I did, if only I’d actually exerted a little effort. Boy, did I miss out on a learning experience. That man was a genius, and I was too much of a slacker to get what I could out of him.

Was it Bob that always taught that?

Bethany says:

Yep, always Bob. And only every other year. I got in my senior year, and almost wept with happiness. I still have every book we read - Perfume, The Monk… What year did you take it?

E. Christopher Clark says:

I took it… hmm… I think it was my junior year. I still have all the books, too. And I still haven’t read most of them. :-(

Man, I was a terrible student…

Bethany says:

Hmm, I wonder if we were in the same class? What year did you graduate? I got out in 1996. I think I took the class in Fall 95, but I’m not sure. I can’t believe you didn’t read the books! Bob and his ponytail would be so ashamed.

I wonder, if he was teaching that course today, how we would incorporate Twilight.

E. Christopher Clark says:

I graduated in 99, so I think I must’ve taken the course in Fall 1997, or thereabouts. I didn’t get to take anything really cool until sophomore year at the earliest.

I think it’d be very interesting to hear Bob’s take on Twilight. Any idea where he’s teaching now, or even if he’s still teaching?

I read some of the books, and at least parts of most of them. But I was a terrible, terrible student. I didn’t know what I wanted to do. One week it was acting, the next it was writing, the week after that it was art. And I knew how to bullshit my way through things.

Purple Butterflies says:

Hi Chris,
Hope you guys figured out your classes. :)
In answer to your question about The Golden Compass the movie was mildly worse because they sliced out a lot, but both were just, bleah! The graphics were cool I suppose.
The book’s main character was not anyone anybody could identify with, not even from this dimension or world. She didn’t care about her own story and frankly she was even likeable. There was really no point to the telling of the story. She was just sort of dragged along from catastrophe to the next without caring too awful much.
I haven’t met too many people that liked them. Everyone’s appalled that they killed God at the end. Not really. He just sort of dissapaited into empty space. hmmmm.

DW Golden

E. Christopher Clark says:

Interesting… well, I’ll definitely take that film off my Must Watch list.

Ron says:

No, I don’t want to disagree. King is 100% correct. Meyer can’t write to save her life.

E. Christopher Clark says:

Hey, Ron. Thanks for stopping by and for offering your two cents. Definitely sounds like Meyer is someone whose writing I should avoid like the plague that it apparently is.

Kella says:

I refuse to read that rubbish, and Mr. King continues to be my hero!

E. Christopher Clark says:

Thanks for stopping by, Kella. And thanks for offering your two cents. What’s your favorite King novel?

gabriel says:

i don’t agree with tha purple butterfly, I liked The Golden Compass, and it is a very interesting estory. I identified myself with lyra ‘cause I was almost like her when I was a child: I lied very much to be free of problems (:x) and I was very curious.
The problem is that anyone here can say nothing about any kind of estory, because everyone has their own likes and dislikes, so : very much people can like Twilight, and other not. Much people can dislike harry potter and many others prefer Stephen King’s books.
You guys can’t criticize things, just tell if you like or dislike. Remember: your opinion will never be the real truth or even the reason.

E. Christopher Clark says:

Thanks for stopping by, Gabriel. As a writer, I’m always happy to hear when some piece of writing, even a piece I don’t personally enjoy, has had an effect on someone. So, I’m thrilled that The Golden Compass did something for you.

As for your contention that we can’t (or shouldn’t) criticize things, I think that’s a bit naive. People will always agree and disagree about what’s good and what’s bad in art. That’s the nature of the beast. What’s important is that you realize that the opinions stated here are just that: opinions. We all believe that we’re right to some extent, but we’re all fooling ourselves to some extent when we think that.

Hope that makes sense. It’s early, and I didn’t get much sleep.

gabriel says:

Ok Christopher :]
but as i said:  your opinion will never be the real truth or even the reason.
I don’t consider my opinion naive, as you said about it :“That’s the nature of the beast”
I don’t need to follow the nature, but the point of been carrfull in saying things that can affect people’s opinion. For exemple: Criticizing a movie and someone is reading your critic about it, this people was wanting to watch this movie and started changing plans.
  You can give your opinion but been carryful about what your saying.
Say, don’t attack.
I know that my opinion here will not be considered for many people here, ‘cause i’m not a geek guy, i’m just a reader and movies lover, but I hate computer games :/ .
                thank you for reading it .

E. Christopher Clark says:

I’ll agree with the principle of not attacking something, but I will defend my right to critique till my dying day. Saying “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it” is useless. I (and others) need to say why we liked it, or why we didn’t, or else we shouldn’t bother opening our mouths.

If people don’t want to be influenced on movie-going or book-buying decisions by another person’s opinion, then they should either stay off of the Internet or realize that one person’s opinion is just that: one person’s opinion.

Twilight Eclipse says:

I think Mr. King is bluffing. Well, Stephanie sell more books than him. I think hes just jealous.

E. Christopher Clark says:

Not sure what you mean by “bluffing,” but I’d be interested to hear where you’ve heard that Meyer sells more books than King. Maybe she does now, but, over the course of his career, King has probably put her numbers to shame.

R.T. says:

Guess this conversation’s a bit old now, but King touches on something which I think is paramount in the failing of the Twilight franchise.  The proto-sexual feelings of young girls is something to pay attention to because Meyer’s treatment of the male-female relationship dynamic is troubling.  Essentially, from what I can gather without reading it, what we have is a young woman subject to the whims of a controlling, moody male.  Neither role really enforces what would normally be seen as a healthy relationship.  I think it’s a bit poisonous to suggest that this kind of obsessive love (on the part of the woman) and the lack of consequences for the man’s attitude might be construed as appropriate, especially to potentially-impressionable girls.

As far as I can discern, you are doing right by your man as his mate when you idly long for him and obey his commands.  It’s a little scary, honestly.  I’m sure most people to read it this way, but I do wonder if there isn’t some kind of subconcious, knock-on effect.

E. Christopher Clark says:

I wonder if it’s the kind of effect we won’t really see until these young girls grow older and begin to get involved in more adult relationships.

By the way, have you read Bryan White’s article about the series?