Dear God! Whatever happened to vampires with substance? I miss the glory days of Anne Rice (before she became a religious zealot). I keep hearing that this is for young adults so don't expect substance or depth but there are plenty of good works of literature for young adults so much better than the "sparkly" vampires of Twilight. Oscar Wilde's The Canterville Ghost, the hero was a fifteen-year-old girl. Frankenstein was written by a teenage girl. I can even say that Harry Potter is better so why are all these kids obsessed with these shallow cliches of Twilight? The plot is contrived and please! A vampire who willingly relives the tenth grade over and over and over again? Why? Why would anyone want to relive that? I know for some people High School wasn't Hell but it has to get boring after a while.

I can't wait for Tim Burton to have his way with Dark Shadows. I'll need to see Johnny Depp attempt a vampire to wash down this tripe.

Edit add: Ah, well... At least it's getting them to read...

People keep judging Twilight as a "vamp" movie or a "vamp" story but Twilight is not a vampire movie or a vampire story. Its a Love story..and one of the main story devices / obstacles for the story is the fact that the lead male is a vampire. You can call it shallow all you want but its actually a rather good love story and not shallow at all. No offense Mandy but your judging the book with little understanding of the entire concept of the story and simply focusing on a single point. And in what rule book for english literature has it ever stated that vampires, werewolves, etc must be evil vicious, snarling, fanged creatures. Last I looked there are no rules..thats the whole point to fantasy..rules dont apply.

Ah, I was waiting for someone to say 'It's a love story and a good love story.' To me it's really not. I know it's a matter of opinion but to me it's not. Especially that scene that lead up to Bella waking up bruised in the final book... That's not romantic. And for young girls to be taught that these abusive relationships are romatnic is disturbing.

Dark Shadows was romantic.

Bram Stoker's Dracula was romantic.

Jane Eyre was romantic.

The Canterville Ghost was romantic.

There are so many better romances out there.

By the way, Elven, I don't mean to insult you by saying this but you apparently didn't understand the purpose of my referencing Anne Rice's novels. The vampires of Anne Rice's novels are not the villains, they're the heroes. Louis who was reluctant to take human life and Lestat who would only feed on murderers who feel no remorse. And Barnabas of Dark Shadows was the main protagonist.

I never once said monsters have to be the villains. I gave references to stories where the monsters are the misunderstood outcasts with actual... you know, substance.

The fact that the Twilight books are both shitty vampire fiction, and a love story, don't really matter.

What matters is that the Twilight books are poorly written tripe. Kids reading this garbage are being introduced to a very low standard of "excellence" when it comes to literature. I didn't make it through the first chapter without spotting 3 or 4 grammatical errors, at least 1 continuity error, and several misused words.

It's just sad.

Please, make your kids read something else. Let them read this crap if they must, but make them read Wilde, Eliot, Shelly, Stoker, anything that makes sense and is written well.

Stephanie Meyer Sucks.

I agree with you, Mae but I fear your comment may be removed for your poor choice of language.

As I said before, at least it's getting kids to read...

i would rather they chose unknown actors/actresses that can bring a way more fresher feel to these movies. i still would rather have see michael copon play the part of older jacob. the casting is crap. but regarding the books and writing, meyer paints a great picture but i always hate how the endings are put. i have to agree with the fact that it does get kids to read!

Im a guy. i am one of the few un-chauvinistic
men who are willing to read this story
and im only 17, i agree with elven angel.
its ridiculous. its turning into a fad.
just like harry potter.
its the 11 grade by the way.
and Mandy if you gave them
a chance, which a lot of
middle aged women like, i
assure you, you would understand that
these vampires live on a base of morals
trying not to expose themselves
as the abominations they think, and willingly admit, they are.
no cliches. if anything they strive away from
cliches.
and i agree with e. new actors/actresses.
but dakota fanning isnt so bad.
not as much as the speculated venesa hudgens.
Miss Fanning could take the role of some demented Vampire girl.
hahaha. wow i sound old.
the books were meant for mature teens.
not the younger sisters of those teens.
they tell there friends and they tell there
younger siblings.
dont get me wrong i love the whole family sharing
thing. but it just makes everything a fad.
i hate logical conformity.

Boomer, I have given them a chance. I don't like them. The writing style is too simplistic. There is no symbolism or depth. There are plenty of young adult fictions that have the qualities of symbolism, meaning, depth and wit. It's not here...

And I wince at the adverb "Sparkly" vampire.

And middle aged... Please! I just turned twenty-seven. I'm not using a walker yet!

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice was written for mature teens. The Canterville Ghost was written for mature teens. Even Frankenstein was written for older teens. This was not. 'Young adults' does not mean older teens. That's the 12-16 year range as according to book store literary standards. That's not "older teens."

The young girl attracted to the mysterious and byronic reluctant vampire who wants to 'protect' her IS the cliche. It's old. It was done in the sixties with Dark Shadows and it was done later by Buffy The Vampire Slayer but these stories did it better in my opinion (You don't have to agree, it's just my opinion). It's not new. Byronic vampire romance is old, it's the oldest style of romantic Gothic fiction dating back to 1897. Cliches are familiar. They're like archetypes. And Twilight is riddled with them. Even the name Twilight is a cliche. In the nineties I came across a Goth poet calling herself Twilight who only wrote poetry about vampires from literature. They were simplistic but even they had more depth than these books.

Is it so difficult to see witch of the two people on the picture is Dakota Fanning that you have to place a explicit line of text underneath it "Dakota Fanning, right, with co-star Chris Evans in Push." I have to admit that I wash confused by looking at the picture is Dakota Fanning the large Male or the beautiful young girl (kidding).

Mandy, do you have any idea how incredibly rare you are? You actually know the difference between opinion ("I don't like them") and fact ("actually, they are."..or "shitty vampire fiction." The fact that I happen to agree with you is beside the point. The other posters could really learn from her. When talking about these sorts of things, one's opinion is really that, one's own opinion. For every person who hates the books, there is someone who loves them. I for one happen to think they stink and quite agree that there are several other vampire/love stories that I think are much better in terms of writing, plot, depth, characterization, and world-building. The vampire as the good guy has so become the cliche that "30 Days of Night" was made as a reaction to that fad (from the writer's own words, so that is not my opinion). I am also rather disturbed by the rather subservient and abusive relationships developed in the books and do not think they are good role models. Still, for those of you that like the books, great, enjoy. But I would encourage you to read some of the others that have been mentioned so you can develop good comparisons. You may or may not change your mind about the Twilight series.

Thank you, jdmimic.

mae and mandy u toatlly incorrect about twilight and i have to say u are being quite immature by saying stephanie meyer sucks

if u really hate twilight so much then why do u bother too read articles about it in the first !!!!!!!!!!!!!!