|
Twilight (Twilight, Book 1) | 
 enlarge | Author: Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers
Category: Book
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $11.13
You Save: $8.86 (44%)
New (33) Used (16) Collectible (2) from $10.24
Avg. Customer Rating:  2482 reviews
Sales Rank: 56
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Standard
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 544
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.9 x 1.7
ISBN: 0316160172
EAN: 9780316160179
ASIN: 0316160172
Publication Date: October 5, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat." As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship. Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst. The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction. (Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell
10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Stephenie Meyer
 Q: Were you a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Angel? What are you watching now that those shows are off the air?
A: I have never seen an entire episode of Buffy or Angel. While I was writing Twilight, I let my older sister read along chapter by chapter. She's a huge Buffy fan and she kept trying to get me to watch, but I was afraid it would mess up my vision of the vampire world so I never did. I don't have a ton of time for TV, and my kids get rowdy when I have on "mommy shows," but I do have a secret fondness for reality shows (the good ones, at least in my opinion). I always TiVo Survivor, The Amazing Race, and America's Next Top Model.
Q: What inspired you to write Twilight? Is this the beginning of a series? Why write for teens?
A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. There are sequels on the way--I'm hard at work editing book two (tentatively titled New Moon) right now, and book three is waiting in line for its turn.
I didn't mean to write for teens--I didn't mean to write for anyone but myself, so I had an audience of one twenty-nine year old (and later one thirty-one year old when my sister started reading). I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that.
Q: What is your favorite vampire story? Fave vampire movie?
A: I guess my favorite vampire story would be The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice, simply because it's one of the only ones I've ever read. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula, because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Again, I'm afraid to read other vampire books now, for fear of finding things either too similar, or too different from my own vampire world. Ack! I can't even answer the movie question. I can't remember ever seeing a single vampire movie, outside of clips from Bela Lugosi movies on TV. I don't like true horror movies--my favorite scary movies are all Hitchcock's.
Q: What other young adult authors do you read?
A: My favorite young adult author is L.M. Montgomery I also enjoy J.K. Rowling (but who doesn't?), and Ann Brashares. As a teen, I skipped straight to adult books (lots of sci-fi and Jane Austen), so I'm rediscovering the world of teen literature now.
Stephenie Meyer's List of Books You Should Read 
Anne of Green Gables | 
Romeo and Juliet | 
Dragonflight | 
To Kill a Mockingbird | 
The Princess Bride |
See more recommendations from Stephenie Meyer
Q&A with Stephanie Meyer
Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: The book with the most significant impact on my life is The Book of Mormon. The book with the most significant impact on my life as a writer is probably Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, with Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier coming in as a close second.
Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: The CD is easy: Absolution by Muse, hands down. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility--the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. One book is impossible. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy, too.
Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: My lies are all very, very boring: "No, you really look great in hot pink!" "My children only watch one hour of TV a day." "I didn't eat the last Swiss Cake Roll--it must have been one of the kids." That's the best I've got.
Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: It's late at night and the house is silent, but I'm still (miraculously) full of energy. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse, Coldplay, Travis, My Chemical Romance, and The All-American Rejects. Beside me is a fabulous, and yet mysteriously low in calorie, cheesecake....
Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I'd like it to say that I really tried at the important things. I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. Under that, I'd want a list of my favorite Simpsons quotes.
Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: I'd love to have a chance to talk to Orson Scott Card--I have a million questions for him. Mostly things like, "How do you come up with this stuff?!" But, if he wasn't available, I'd settle for Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse).
Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: I'd want something offensive, rather than defensive. Like shooting fireballs from my hands. That way, you're really open to going either way--hero or villain. I like to have choices.
Product Description
Deeply sensuous and extraordinarily suspenseful, TWILIGHT captures the struggle between defying our instincts and satisfying our desires. This is a love story with bite.Isabella Swan+s move to Forks, a small, perpetually rainy town in Washington, could have been the most boring move she ever made. But once she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen, Isabella+s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. Up until now, Edward has managed to keep his vampire identity a secret in the small community he lives in, but now nobody is safe, especially Isabella, the person Edward holds most dear. The lovers find themselves balanced precariously on the point of a knife-between desire and danger.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2477 more reviews...
 Absoulutely FABULOUS!!! October 7, 2008
I read books for fun and this book became an obsession. It brought me into another world. I actually felt the feelings of each of the characters. After I was finished with Twilight it left me burning for more. I have never really been a person who was into the whole vampire type thing but the way this book is written I can say I am actually a fan now. Even if you don't think you can get into this book based on the fact you don't like supernatural things, think twice because I guarantee you will love this book and series. I definately recommend this book.
Best saga I have ever read October 7, 2008
I could not put this book down. I read it in less than a week, then rushed out to buy New Moon and devoured it in less than a week. I would have read them in just two days if I didn't have to go to work! I love the characters and the stories are amazing. There is real depth to the characters, they are real and relatable. I am only saddened by the fact that there are only 4 book in this series.
 Not an adult read!! October 7, 2008
I foolishly bought this knowing it was regarded as "young adult" reading. If you are an adult, this book will bore you to the core. There is no build up of excitement, or realistic language. And it does seem to linger in spots that don't call for it. I can see this being a good teenage read or for someone a little more sensitive to profanity, but seeing as I am not a teenager anymore and not at all sensitive to profanity, I can't fully appreciate this book for what it is. I should really give it one star from an adult perspective and four for young adult. I felt it lacked a little in personality.
If you are looking as an older person, for a more upfront vampire mystery and more to the point read, I'd go for Charlaine Harris's "Sookie Stackhouse" series. It kept me interested, which is what good books are about. I rated that one with a four, but am going to change it to a five the more I think about it. It's a great and exciting read. A fast paced, strange, yet more believable love story. And the show 'True Blood' on HBO based on the book series is awesome.
 Disappointed October 7, 2008
I know they say don't judge a book by its cover, but that's actually why I decided to buy this book. I loved the contrasting colors and simple design of the cover. I bought this book on a whim, never having heard of the author or the series. I was actually pretty disappointed. I read almost any kind of book, both within the adult and young adult sections, and I almost always enjoy/like books I read. This book was just boring, and repetitive for me (the language itself is just very repetitive and dull); and not truly original. I have read other books with similar plot lines, although if the characters had been likable for me, I could have gotten over that. I didn't like the main character... she was just very shallow and I didn't understand her obsession over Edward. Edward was just a pretty face, pretty boring in terms of all the male characters I've read about over the years. It's been a long while since I read the book, and I have had no desire to even pick it up again (in fact, I've lost it). Usually I will either completely reread a book, or reread scenes I liked, but with some books I just put them down and forget about them once I'm done. I would have done this with Twilight if not for all the press about it in Entertainment Weekly and elsewhere, and all the hype about it. I always hate it when a book I read is mediocre for me and just the best book ever for someone else; I always feel like people who think that's good won't even look for anything better. I've known people who read only one series of books for fun, such as the Harry Potter books (which I found good, but not up to the hype), and never read anything else. I don't want that to happen with Twilight - people need to read more, there's so many good books out there.
I recommend checking it out from the library if you're curious as to whether or not you'll like it. Just because it fell flat for me doesn't mean it won't hit the spot for you.
The MOST annoying character EVER. Bella October 7, 2008
I guess I asked for it by choosing to read a young adult book. Simply stated: If you are over the age of 15 this book is way way too foolish and immature for you!! Pages and pages of mindless, annoying, teenage angst. I have never found a book character as irritating as Bella. She has no depth, nothing to make her stand out as anything special or likable. She's not talented, smart, clever, or funny. She's stupidly clumsy and rather bitchy and not too friendly for being a new kid in town. I found myself wondering why someone as OH SO perfect as Edward would fall for her. He's got the body of a 17 year old boy but shouldn't he have the wisdom and maturity of a 100+ year old man since he has been around for that long? Seriously. Why did HE act like a teenager??
One minute they are glaring and glowering and scowling at each other, and the next they are professing their deep (and unhealthy/ psychotically obsessed) undying love.
Also if I had to read one more time how gorgeous, perfect, flawless and stunning Edward was I would have screamed and vomited. It really was torture to finish it. I will not be reading the rest of the series.
If I had a daughter that was in her early teens I would NOT want her reading this book. It really paints an unhealthy picture of love. It's almost saying love is like this dark obsession and it's OK to let everything else go when you are that young as long as you've got your man. And don't even get me started on the fact that she'd rather become a blood-sucking crazed vampire than stay with her mother and father and try to make something out of herself.
Bella just got worse with every page and went all the way to the end when she got red-hot mad at Edward for taking her to the prom! Then she cried because she thought they were all dressed up so he could sink his teeth into her and have his burning venom turn her into a vampire and they can live happily ever after; Yes, the two of them hunting grizzly bears and mountain lions together with their bear hands and teeth and shredding them apart and drinking their blood. The end.
|
|
|
Copyright 2008 - RailroadBookstore.com
| |
