Bear with me...
I sat back and watched the Bree commentary unfold yesterday like I did with BD. I watched the discussion boards. I went to Amazon and Barnes and Noble's sites to see what people were saying there. It was like one giant social study, observing the commentary that evolved.
Hey, it was rainy crappy here, and it passed time.
Anyway, here are the threads that evolved and some of the comments I gleaned:
Re the Bree Book
- more folks were vocal against it than for it, although the reasons were mixed. Why this character and not that one? Why the additions of history that change logic?
- why sell the print vs (with a dollar going to charity) and offer it for free too?
- was it written any better than the other books? Has SM improved as a writer? Was it edited better?
Re Midnight Sun
- the most vocal backlash! People were upset, why Bree, why not Midnight Sun? The bookseller boards were getting nasty with the comments and reviews.
RE Stephenie Meyer
- lots of comments about milking the cash cow, about staying relevant.
- where is Midnight Sun? Why did she lie to us when she said no more vamps?
- will she ever finish Midnight Sun, or is she so far into Jacob now that she can't reclaim Edward?
My Humble Take
- Most of us that came to the books enjoyed Twilight. This same group is most likely the set that skipped 2/3 of NM to get to Edward again. It was never about the story, it was about Edward
- Stephenie Meyer is a storyteller. Big difference in being a great storyteller and being a great writer. A lot of the BD backlash tied to that.
- She made comments about losing Edward's voice (which was apparent in BD) - if that is the case, could she get it back? Would MS be forced without it, and even if it is produced, will it receive the same sort of backlash because of her writing style and evolution?
During the summer of 2008 the stories changed, and with it, the innocence and idealism that a number of people view the saga with. BD was not the story that a number of people had hoped for, and left some scratching their heads. Once the Midnight Sun leak hit and there were hurt feelings in the fandom AND in the SM camp, a schism seemed to develop that almost became an us vs. her. It feels as though that schism has grown, but as GAW mentioned in a post below. there are multiple factions in that schism. Die hard fans that consume everything, people (like myself) who enjoyed the characters so much they want more, but in a style that enhances SM's, as well as those who came in via the movies and not the books. Those are only a few, and there are most likely many more.
At root, a book written as YA has established cross generational appeal, and has touched a number of people in very different ways. We've been part of a phenomenon which, regardless of where we are in our engagement (coughPTWFcough) has been an experience that helped us stretch skills, make friends, or pass an hour. I may not be the biggest SM fan in the world, but I owe her a huge thank you for that.
Dr. Pollyanna signing off ;)