Book Information for Stinkyfrogy
- Title
- Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
- Author
- Stephenie Meyer
- Member
- Stinkyfrogy
- Publication
- Listening Library (Audio) (2008), Edition: Unabridged, Audio CD
- Reading Dates
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- Collections
- Your library
- Rating
- Review
- Not reviewed
- Lending
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Description
Although eighteen-year-old Bella joins the dark but seductive world of the immortals by marrying Edward the vampire, her connection to the powerful werewolf Jacob remains unsevered.Tags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
Jenson_AKA_DL If you're looking for more vampire stories, I'd suggest this one!
Also recommended by Rachook
41
amybroad25 Amazing books
Could not put any of them down
Hoping that she will write another one about Bella show more and Edwards daughter renesmee show less
30
LostVampire Thomas Watson becomes a vampire during the Civil War. The YA fantasy fiction novel NOT SAFE FOR show more VAMPIRES is a good read. It is only 128 pages, but it is not light reading, You really have to follow the beginning - once you understand the style of writing (there are flashback scenes) you will really enjoy the journey. The story is filled with history. For example, Africatown and the Clotilde ship are a real part of history (I googled it). Also, the character Captain Thomas Watson was really a soldier for the Union Army. I believe you will enjoy this book and add it to your library as well. show less
310
Member Reviews
I was never sure what it was about this series that drew me in. I read Twilight somewhat unwillingly and had mixed reactions to it as well as New Moon and Eclipse, though each one did seem to get a little better; a little more grounded in real emotion. To this point I hadn't found anything particularly literary about the Twilight Saga, it was more the hidden 12-year-old girl inside of me that loved the books, the more analytical adult in me was horrified throughout much of the books. Now I know Stepehenie Meyer was building up to something. Something amazing.
Breaking Dawn is divided into three books and, unlike so many books in this format, each really could be a different book. One of these books is told from Jacob's perspective, much show more like the epilogue at the end of Eclipse, which was a particularly fascinating move on the part of Meyer. At first it was somewhat jarring to realize I was about to read 200+ pages in a different voice than Bella's, which I had become so used to, but it ended up being my favorite section of the book. It was a genius move on Meyer's part, had we been trapped reading the events Jacob chronicles for us from Bella's point of view, it certainly would have seemed like more of the same. Getting a new and unique perspective on things at a crucial plot turn left the book feeling fresh and helped to reinvigorate me for the end.
As to plot, there's not much that can be said that would not end up spoiling something important. Impressively, all the questions I had before beginning, were answered by the end, as well as some questions I didn't know I should be asking. Many of the plot twists felt unique this time, something different than the usual vampire story or love triangle. By the middle of the book, some relationships had changed in such a drastic way, I was ravenous to see how it would all turn out.
If you have been avoiding this series or tried it and put it away disappointed, I would encourage you to give it another shot. The path to reach Breaking Dawn was at times tedious, and at times frustrating, but having reached the end of Bella's story, I'm glad I gave it the time. show less
Breaking Dawn is divided into three books and, unlike so many books in this format, each really could be a different book. One of these books is told from Jacob's perspective, much show more like the epilogue at the end of Eclipse, which was a particularly fascinating move on the part of Meyer. At first it was somewhat jarring to realize I was about to read 200+ pages in a different voice than Bella's, which I had become so used to, but it ended up being my favorite section of the book. It was a genius move on Meyer's part, had we been trapped reading the events Jacob chronicles for us from Bella's point of view, it certainly would have seemed like more of the same. Getting a new and unique perspective on things at a crucial plot turn left the book feeling fresh and helped to reinvigorate me for the end.
As to plot, there's not much that can be said that would not end up spoiling something important. Impressively, all the questions I had before beginning, were answered by the end, as well as some questions I didn't know I should be asking. Many of the plot twists felt unique this time, something different than the usual vampire story or love triangle. By the middle of the book, some relationships had changed in such a drastic way, I was ravenous to see how it would all turn out.
If you have been avoiding this series or tried it and put it away disappointed, I would encourage you to give it another shot. The path to reach Breaking Dawn was at times tedious, and at times frustrating, but having reached the end of Bella's story, I'm glad I gave it the time. show less
I'm going to buck tradition and start off by saying that I think I actually enjoyed this book for the most part. Before you gasp and gape at such an admission, be assured I'm still going to rip apart all its stupid/sick elements. But there is a little more to like here, toward the end of the book at least.
Bella and Edward finally get married. The plan is that they will attend Dartmouth College in the fall, if Bella — as a newborn vampire with unpredictable and strong desires — can stand to be around humans without killing them. But of course this doesn't happen... on their tropical-island honeymoon, Bella gets pregnant.
There are two seriously disturbing issues in this book. First, Edward leaves horrible bruises all over Bella from show more their lovemaking. He feels awful but Bella, of course, just eats it up and even enjoys it. Apparently it's okay if he hurts you so long as he's what you want, right? Nothing else matters.
The other big problem is when Edward offers to let Bella bear Jacob's children, if she will only let them abort Edward's child that is slowly killing her from the inside out. If Bella wants babies, she must have them at whatever cost. How twisted is that offer? The relationships in this book are really sickmaking. I don't care that Meyer tries to straighten them all out by having Jacob imprint on Bella's daughter later. It's just banal.
Another issue, and one that has run through the entire series, is the graphic descriptions of sexual desire, so incredibly unrealistic and inappropriate for young girls to be absorbing. If raging physical desire sweeps through your entire being at a simple kiss, you have bigger problems than vampirehood. Why are girls as young as eleven and twelve reading these books? They aren't old enough to realize that this is all fantasy, and fantasy of a dangerous breed. Many older readers may not be able to make that distinction either. I think these books are setting up young women for a lifetime of disappointment; nothing can ever live up to Meyer's ridiculous fantasies.
Once more the characters are weakened by being forced to fit the plot rather than the other way around. Charlie's unwilling, uncomfortable acceptance of the supernatural does not ring true. Meyer is trying to sew up two completely different worlds and it just doesn't work.
But as I said, I did find the second half of this book quite interesting, which is why this one gets two stars instead of one. The strategic plans for negotiating with the Volturi, all of Carlisle's friends gathered from around the globe to stand witness that Renesmee was not a dread "immortal child," and the final confrontation made for an absorbing finish. I'm surprised that a lot of Twilight fans rate this fourth book as the worst of the bunch; though I was bothered by several things, it seemed that this one had the most cohesive and interesting plot, despite being a bit too long.
For the series as a whole, I do think it could be reworked to remove all the problematic ideas that permeate it without destroying the good parts. All the problems I mention above in Breaking Dawn could be easily removed and the story would actually be stronger, I think. Overall, I'm glad I read the Twilight books. I can criticize them knowledgeably and — I hope — point out their problems to young readers. The series can be enjoyed for some of its characters and its mythology, I'll admit that. But with the abusive/disturbing relationships presented in a favorable light, the mediocre writing, and the weak plotting, I could never recommend them. There are so many better books out there. show less
Bella and Edward finally get married. The plan is that they will attend Dartmouth College in the fall, if Bella — as a newborn vampire with unpredictable and strong desires — can stand to be around humans without killing them. But of course this doesn't happen... on their tropical-island honeymoon, Bella gets pregnant.
There are two seriously disturbing issues in this book. First, Edward leaves horrible bruises all over Bella from show more their lovemaking. He feels awful but Bella, of course, just eats it up and even enjoys it. Apparently it's okay if he hurts you so long as he's what you want, right? Nothing else matters.
The other big problem is when Edward offers to let Bella bear Jacob's children, if she will only let them abort Edward's child that is slowly killing her from the inside out. If Bella wants babies, she must have them at whatever cost. How twisted is that offer? The relationships in this book are really sickmaking. I don't care that Meyer tries to straighten them all out by having Jacob imprint on Bella's daughter later. It's just banal.
Another issue, and one that has run through the entire series, is the graphic descriptions of sexual desire, so incredibly unrealistic and inappropriate for young girls to be absorbing. If raging physical desire sweeps through your entire being at a simple kiss, you have bigger problems than vampirehood. Why are girls as young as eleven and twelve reading these books? They aren't old enough to realize that this is all fantasy, and fantasy of a dangerous breed. Many older readers may not be able to make that distinction either. I think these books are setting up young women for a lifetime of disappointment; nothing can ever live up to Meyer's ridiculous fantasies.
Once more the characters are weakened by being forced to fit the plot rather than the other way around. Charlie's unwilling, uncomfortable acceptance of the supernatural does not ring true. Meyer is trying to sew up two completely different worlds and it just doesn't work.
But as I said, I did find the second half of this book quite interesting, which is why this one gets two stars instead of one. The strategic plans for negotiating with the Volturi, all of Carlisle's friends gathered from around the globe to stand witness that Renesmee was not a dread "immortal child," and the final confrontation made for an absorbing finish. I'm surprised that a lot of Twilight fans rate this fourth book as the worst of the bunch; though I was bothered by several things, it seemed that this one had the most cohesive and interesting plot, despite being a bit too long.
For the series as a whole, I do think it could be reworked to remove all the problematic ideas that permeate it without destroying the good parts. All the problems I mention above in Breaking Dawn could be easily removed and the story would actually be stronger, I think. Overall, I'm glad I read the Twilight books. I can criticize them knowledgeably and — I hope — point out their problems to young readers. The series can be enjoyed for some of its characters and its mythology, I'll admit that. But with the abusive/disturbing relationships presented in a favorable light, the mediocre writing, and the weak plotting, I could never recommend them. There are so many better books out there. show less
There is always a certain amount of trepidation that comes with reading a highly "hyped up" book. As soon as t-shirts, pre-orders and midnight release parties are mentioned, the standards are set so high that the work itself can rarely live up to the ideal that fans hold for it. This is why I was pleasantly surprised with just how good of a book Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn turned out to be!
The story begins where the previous episodes have left off with the awkward but lovable heroine Bella Swan engaged to her true love, vampire and epitome of perfection, Edward Cullen. A storybook wedding is in the works, but even before the honeymoon is over Bella questions her rush to become immortal with Edward. For the first time the reader sees show more Bella truly face up to what she must sacrifice to become a vampire and yet before she decides anything her life is in danger and her character is once more revealed as one who will give up anything for true love. Although predictions for what would occur in Breaking Dawn were running rampant in the weeks before the book's release, Stephanie Meyer did a great job of keeping spoilers under wraps (you'll find very few from me) and she was able to incorporate plot twists and surprises, that even after reading four of her books, I did not see coming at all.
With Bella's life on the line, the narration of the book switches over to the point of view of Jacob Black, Bella's werewolf best friend. This was easily my favorite part of the story as Jacob's perspective offered a wry humor and a deeper look at characters like Seth and Leah, previously only in the background. Even those readers of the "Team Edward" persuasion likely enjoy how Jacob's relationships with the Cullens are more deeply explored and the interactions provide a new view of Edward and Rosalie, whom the reader has only ever seen through Bella's eyes. Jacob also shows a greater maturity in Breaking Dawn when he is called to make a choice that affects the lives of Bella and the Cullens, as well as his entire wolf pack.
The final third of the book switches out of Jacob's voice and the action really sets in as all the principal characters are in mortal - or perhaps, immortal? - danger. Stephanie Meyer does a great job of building the suspense up to and throughout the final pages of the story. Though there was a little bit of an "info dump" in the last portion (excessive explanation and back story), for the most part the pacing was really well done. The ending was satisfying and though loose ends were certainly wrapped up, one hopes that there could still be more stories told from the world that Meyer has built - after this reading journey, many of us are not quite ready to leave Forks!
Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse have already secured their place in the hearts and on the shelves of readers of all ages and Breaking Dawn earns its rightful place beside them. The 750+ pages are revealed only in the weight of the tome, as the reading time was akin to a much shorter work. For the willing reader, the Twilight saga is a series that will engulf the mind and captivate the imagination. Meyer is an expert storyteller who has brilliantly touched on the themes of what her audience craves - the desire to love and be loved; the need to feel strong or protected; and the dream of living forever. As eternal as the characters portrayed, Breaking Dawn sparkles like a Cullen on a sunny day! show less
The story begins where the previous episodes have left off with the awkward but lovable heroine Bella Swan engaged to her true love, vampire and epitome of perfection, Edward Cullen. A storybook wedding is in the works, but even before the honeymoon is over Bella questions her rush to become immortal with Edward. For the first time the reader sees show more Bella truly face up to what she must sacrifice to become a vampire and yet before she decides anything her life is in danger and her character is once more revealed as one who will give up anything for true love. Although predictions for what would occur in Breaking Dawn were running rampant in the weeks before the book's release, Stephanie Meyer did a great job of keeping spoilers under wraps (you'll find very few from me) and she was able to incorporate plot twists and surprises, that even after reading four of her books, I did not see coming at all.
With Bella's life on the line, the narration of the book switches over to the point of view of Jacob Black, Bella's werewolf best friend. This was easily my favorite part of the story as Jacob's perspective offered a wry humor and a deeper look at characters like Seth and Leah, previously only in the background. Even those readers of the "Team Edward" persuasion likely enjoy how Jacob's relationships with the Cullens are more deeply explored and the interactions provide a new view of Edward and Rosalie, whom the reader has only ever seen through Bella's eyes. Jacob also shows a greater maturity in Breaking Dawn when he is called to make a choice that affects the lives of Bella and the Cullens, as well as his entire wolf pack.
The final third of the book switches out of Jacob's voice and the action really sets in as all the principal characters are in mortal - or perhaps, immortal? - danger. Stephanie Meyer does a great job of building the suspense up to and throughout the final pages of the story. Though there was a little bit of an "info dump" in the last portion (excessive explanation and back story), for the most part the pacing was really well done. The ending was satisfying and though loose ends were certainly wrapped up, one hopes that there could still be more stories told from the world that Meyer has built - after this reading journey, many of us are not quite ready to leave Forks!
Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse have already secured their place in the hearts and on the shelves of readers of all ages and Breaking Dawn earns its rightful place beside them. The 750+ pages are revealed only in the weight of the tome, as the reading time was akin to a much shorter work. For the willing reader, the Twilight saga is a series that will engulf the mind and captivate the imagination. Meyer is an expert storyteller who has brilliantly touched on the themes of what her audience craves - the desire to love and be loved; the need to feel strong or protected; and the dream of living forever. As eternal as the characters portrayed, Breaking Dawn sparkles like a Cullen on a sunny day! show less
Breaking Dawn is, while a satisfactory conclusion to the story of Bella and Edward, not particularly necessary to the series overall.
At the end of Eclipse, we were left with a hope for a promising future with Bella and Edward, and while the fact that she hadn’t been bitten yet was troublesome, who truly could doubt that it would happen? With Breaking Dawn, Meyer brings us back to our favorite characters, but it wasn’t such a happy reunion for me.
I admit, that I enjoyed seeing the reaction of Charlie to Bella’s wedding, and there were many revelations that enriched the story as a whole. But writing an entire novel to fit these things in seemed superfluous. Overall, I found much of the book melodramatic and slightly annoying and I show more believe that these things could have just as easily been incorporated into a short story or two; and would made it a much more enjoyable read.
What Breaking Dawn lacked, compared to the other novels, was real substance and conflict. While I have never read the Twilight books for their intriguing plots (which are quite predictable at times), they still have included major dilemmas for characters I loved. There was also strong motivation for the choices the characters made, and the actions that they did. In this installment, however, all major conflict was resolved nearly within the first half of the book.
Much of the last half of the book is spent describing preparation for a major event that ultimately amounts to nothing.
All in all, I think that this last book was just a piece of fluff that, while it happily ends the series, was not quite necessary. show less
At the end of Eclipse, we were left with a hope for a promising future with Bella and Edward, and while the fact that she hadn’t been bitten yet was troublesome, who truly could doubt that it would happen? With Breaking Dawn, Meyer brings us back to our favorite characters, but it wasn’t such a happy reunion for me.
I admit, that I enjoyed seeing the reaction of Charlie to Bella’s wedding, and there were many revelations that enriched the story as a whole. But writing an entire novel to fit these things in seemed superfluous. Overall, I found much of the book melodramatic and slightly annoying and I show more believe that these things could have just as easily been incorporated into a short story or two; and would made it a much more enjoyable read.
What Breaking Dawn lacked, compared to the other novels, was real substance and conflict. While I have never read the Twilight books for their intriguing plots (which are quite predictable at times), they still have included major dilemmas for characters I loved. There was also strong motivation for the choices the characters made, and the actions that they did. In this installment, however, all major conflict was resolved nearly within the first half of the book.
Much of the last half of the book is spent describing preparation for a major event that ultimately amounts to nothing.
All in all, I think that this last book was just a piece of fluff that, while it happily ends the series, was not quite necessary. show less
Beautfiully written, as is the entire series. Something about Stephenie Meyer's writing makes it impossible to put any of her work down for long, even when you're not pleased with the direction the story is taking...
Which is why I'm only giving Breaking Dawn three stars. The writing - flawless. The story - not so much.
***spoilers ahead***
I like happy endings just as much as the next girl who's lived long enough to know that life doesn't always turn out like you had planned. That is why the ending of this phenomenal series disappoints more than it delights. I realize that books aren't life but the best books do reflect life in the way that you sometimes win, you sometimes lose, and sometimes you have to sacrifice and make difficult to show more choices to do the right thing or obtain your goals.
What did Bella ultimately sacrifice?
Absolutely nothing, except her life. Which didn't really matter to her anyway.
At the end, tied up in a pretty red bow, Bella got her man, her child, her family, lots of money, lots of love, and even Jacob, in a weird way that I never saw coming.
And really, why did the bad guys just walk at the end? It took me right out of the story at that point. All this build up and nothing happened? Nope, Bella and the rest ride off into the sunset untouched, unscathed, unchanged by it all.
Unless Ms. Meyer has a fifth book hidden up her sleeve, I'd like to pretend the series ended with Eclipse. show less
Which is why I'm only giving Breaking Dawn three stars. The writing - flawless. The story - not so much.
***spoilers ahead***
I like happy endings just as much as the next girl who's lived long enough to know that life doesn't always turn out like you had planned. That is why the ending of this phenomenal series disappoints more than it delights. I realize that books aren't life but the best books do reflect life in the way that you sometimes win, you sometimes lose, and sometimes you have to sacrifice and make difficult to show more choices to do the right thing or obtain your goals.
What did Bella ultimately sacrifice?
Absolutely nothing, except her life. Which didn't really matter to her anyway.
At the end, tied up in a pretty red bow, Bella got her man, her child, her family, lots of money, lots of love, and even Jacob, in a weird way that I never saw coming.
And really, why did the bad guys just walk at the end? It took me right out of the story at that point. All this build up and nothing happened? Nope, Bella and the rest ride off into the sunset untouched, unscathed, unchanged by it all.
Unless Ms. Meyer has a fifth book hidden up her sleeve, I'd like to pretend the series ended with Eclipse. show less
A genuinely satisfying read, a great end to the series, and the best book of the four. The rest of my comments are spoiler-rich for the whole series, so stop reading now if you don't want to know What Happens.
Breaking Dawn is the best book of the Twilight series because it deals with all of the weaknesses of the first three (except for the general quality of the writing, which still leaves something to be desired--though I will tentatively allow that Meyers got better at that as she went on). The weaknesses of the series up to this point were Bella's own weakness, lulls in the action, the tiresomeness of the virginity issue between Bella and Edward, and the lack of attention to vampiric metaphor (these last two are show more intertwined).
Throughout the first three books, I found Bella far too timid to be fulling satisfying as a protagonist (I said in my review of New Moon that I thought Edward was far more interesting than Bella--it's because Bella lets things happen to her rather than making things happen). Despite being a character who thinks for herself and who does not allow herself to to be swayed from her own ways of thinking, she doesn't do much in the beginning. In Twilight, Bella, who is not only the protagonist but the point-of-view character and the narrator, passes out at the climax. It makes sense within the framework of the story but is not terribly satisfying for a reader. Bella spends much of New Moon moping about and that book only picks up when she finally gets up and does something. She's a bit better in Eclipse, but in Breaking Dawn, Bella shows up in a way she doesn't in the other three. She takes on the protection of her husband, child, and extended family in a way that is fierce and interesting and that we just haven't seen from her before. Bella sort of is the climax of Breaking Dawn and that made for a satisfying read.
Each of the first three books (and mostly especially New Moon) contained long sections that just didn't hold my interest. Twilight dragged in the end (at exactly the point where the book should have been the most interesting), New Moon dragged in the middle (when Bella's anguish over Edward's absence is particularly trying--there's a reason the depressing middle bits of Romeo and Juliet only ask of the audience less than an hour of their time), and Eclipse suffers from "wrap-up syndrome"--the plot primarily cleans up what didn't get sorted in book two, and while I grew more and more interested in the workings of the supernatural world Meyers has created in Eclipse, I can hardly remember now, a mere two weeks after finishing it, what that one was about. But Breaking Dawn leaps right in at a resolution we've been waiting on for three books (the marriage and sexual consummation of Bella and Edward's relationship), and doesn't let up for nearly 800 pages. I was fully invested for the entire book (even through the lengthy section told from Jacob's point-of-view, which Meyers pulls off with more skill than I expected from her). The honeymoon, the pregnancy, the rift between Bella and the Cullens over that pregnancy, the conflict (and its resolution) between the wolves and the vampires, Bella's transformation into a vampire, the development of Renesmee and her influence over her family, and the conflict with the Volturi were all completely gripping. The last one hundred pages of the book were brilliantly, deliciously tense and contained, I think, the best example of Tolkien's concept of a eucatastrophe I have seen anywhere outside of his own work. Utterly satisfying all around.
One of the ongoing tensions throughout the first three books of the series was Bella's desire for Edward and Edward's desire to keep her at bay, at first because he's afraid he won't be able to be intimate with her without killing her, then because he wants to wait until they're married (why? He's not religious. She's not religious. He believes vampires have no souls, and he's committed to turning Bella into a vampire before he comes up with this marriage condition--I think the answer has to do with Meyers, not her characters, and its one of the few times she does not successfully couch her own views logically within her framework, and it's annoying), and then because he's afraid of hurting Bella because of his superior vampire strength. This issue of abstinence could have been fantastically compelling if handled with a little more finesse or sophistication. Vampires, as they sit in our 21st century western imagination, are about desire, specifically repressed sexual desire and submission to that desire in the face of the death (real or metaphorical) inherent in that submission. The Twilight series pulls the metaphor apart at the seams and gives us a vampire who controls not only his metaphory vampire desire (bloodlust) but his declared sexual desire as well. It's the human who is seducer, who wants to act on her desires (again both the real (sex) and the more metaphory (desire to be a vampire, or desire for death)). Meyers sort of turned the emotion behind vampire mythology on its head, but then she didn't do anything with it. And furthermore, the constant angst about the physical aspect of the relationship grew a little tiresome after some 1500+ pages (though I suppose it might be more interesting to a teen, especially one considering becoming sexually active), and I was relieved when they finally consummated the relationship (albeit in a fade-to-black that might as well have been a literally blank page in the book--I certainly wasn't expecting anything graphic, but good grief. Hays would be proud) and it wasn't an issue anymore. So Breaking Dawn was better than the other three for me because I no longer had to roll my eyes at the sexual angst (because it was resolved) or calm myself down when I got all twitchy about the vampire stuff (because if everyone's a vampire, the metaphor kind of goes pfffft anyway).
I still have some lingering concerns about the portrayal of women (mostly Bella) in the series. I love that Bella comes into her own in the last book. But I am suspicious of the fact that she cannot do so until she has married and had a child. Bella becomes a vampire (and thus strong and immortal) at the moment she gives birth. This is another moment that makes perfect sense within the framework of the book, but which bothers me in the same way that Bella's obsession with Edward-as-perfect-and-superior boyfriend bothered me in Twilight. Is it possible for a woman to feel stronger, to feel reborn, to feel as if she is more herself as a woman after giving birth? I'm sure it is. Is it necessary to give birth in order to become a strong woman who has goals that are not always perfectly in-line with her husband's or her family's (or whoever's)? No. Does the book send the message that motherhood is the path to some sort of better womanhood? I think it does. And as much as I loved this specific story about this woman and her child, I don't like that message at all. show less
Breaking Dawn is the best book of the Twilight series because it deals with all of the weaknesses of the first three (except for the general quality of the writing, which still leaves something to be desired--though I will tentatively allow that Meyers got better at that as she went on). The weaknesses of the series up to this point were Bella's own weakness, lulls in the action, the tiresomeness of the virginity issue between Bella and Edward, and the lack of attention to vampiric metaphor (these last two are show more intertwined).
Throughout the first three books, I found Bella far too timid to be fulling satisfying as a protagonist (I said in my review of New Moon that I thought Edward was far more interesting than Bella--it's because Bella lets things happen to her rather than making things happen). Despite being a character who thinks for herself and who does not allow herself to to be swayed from her own ways of thinking, she doesn't do much in the beginning. In Twilight, Bella, who is not only the protagonist but the point-of-view character and the narrator, passes out at the climax. It makes sense within the framework of the story but is not terribly satisfying for a reader. Bella spends much of New Moon moping about and that book only picks up when she finally gets up and does something. She's a bit better in Eclipse, but in Breaking Dawn, Bella shows up in a way she doesn't in the other three. She takes on the protection of her husband, child, and extended family in a way that is fierce and interesting and that we just haven't seen from her before. Bella sort of is the climax of Breaking Dawn and that made for a satisfying read.
Each of the first three books (and mostly especially New Moon) contained long sections that just didn't hold my interest. Twilight dragged in the end (at exactly the point where the book should have been the most interesting), New Moon dragged in the middle (when Bella's anguish over Edward's absence is particularly trying--there's a reason the depressing middle bits of Romeo and Juliet only ask of the audience less than an hour of their time), and Eclipse suffers from "wrap-up syndrome"--the plot primarily cleans up what didn't get sorted in book two, and while I grew more and more interested in the workings of the supernatural world Meyers has created in Eclipse, I can hardly remember now, a mere two weeks after finishing it, what that one was about. But Breaking Dawn leaps right in at a resolution we've been waiting on for three books (the marriage and sexual consummation of Bella and Edward's relationship), and doesn't let up for nearly 800 pages. I was fully invested for the entire book (even through the lengthy section told from Jacob's point-of-view, which Meyers pulls off with more skill than I expected from her). The honeymoon, the pregnancy, the rift between Bella and the Cullens over that pregnancy, the conflict (and its resolution) between the wolves and the vampires, Bella's transformation into a vampire, the development of Renesmee and her influence over her family, and the conflict with the Volturi were all completely gripping. The last one hundred pages of the book were brilliantly, deliciously tense and contained, I think, the best example of Tolkien's concept of a eucatastrophe I have seen anywhere outside of his own work. Utterly satisfying all around.
One of the ongoing tensions throughout the first three books of the series was Bella's desire for Edward and Edward's desire to keep her at bay, at first because he's afraid he won't be able to be intimate with her without killing her, then because he wants to wait until they're married (why? He's not religious. She's not religious. He believes vampires have no souls, and he's committed to turning Bella into a vampire before he comes up with this marriage condition--I think the answer has to do with Meyers, not her characters, and its one of the few times she does not successfully couch her own views logically within her framework, and it's annoying), and then because he's afraid of hurting Bella because of his superior vampire strength. This issue of abstinence could have been fantastically compelling if handled with a little more finesse or sophistication. Vampires, as they sit in our 21st century western imagination, are about desire, specifically repressed sexual desire and submission to that desire in the face of the death (real or metaphorical) inherent in that submission. The Twilight series pulls the metaphor apart at the seams and gives us a vampire who controls not only his metaphory vampire desire (bloodlust) but his declared sexual desire as well. It's the human who is seducer, who wants to act on her desires (again both the real (sex) and the more metaphory (desire to be a vampire, or desire for death)). Meyers sort of turned the emotion behind vampire mythology on its head, but then she didn't do anything with it. And furthermore, the constant angst about the physical aspect of the relationship grew a little tiresome after some 1500+ pages (though I suppose it might be more interesting to a teen, especially one considering becoming sexually active), and I was relieved when they finally consummated the relationship (albeit in a fade-to-black that might as well have been a literally blank page in the book--I certainly wasn't expecting anything graphic, but good grief. Hays would be proud) and it wasn't an issue anymore. So Breaking Dawn was better than the other three for me because I no longer had to roll my eyes at the sexual angst (because it was resolved) or calm myself down when I got all twitchy about the vampire stuff (because if everyone's a vampire, the metaphor kind of goes pfffft anyway).
I still have some lingering concerns about the portrayal of women (mostly Bella) in the series. I love that Bella comes into her own in the last book. But I am suspicious of the fact that she cannot do so until she has married and had a child. Bella becomes a vampire (and thus strong and immortal) at the moment she gives birth. This is another moment that makes perfect sense within the framework of the book, but which bothers me in the same way that Bella's obsession with Edward-as-perfect-and-superior boyfriend bothered me in Twilight. Is it possible for a woman to feel stronger, to feel reborn, to feel as if she is more herself as a woman after giving birth? I'm sure it is. Is it necessary to give birth in order to become a strong woman who has goals that are not always perfectly in-line with her husband's or her family's (or whoever's)? No. Does the book send the message that motherhood is the path to some sort of better womanhood? I think it does. And as much as I loved this specific story about this woman and her child, I don't like that message at all. show less
It was the end of something great. The twilight of a fantastic series, that has gripped 15 and 50 year-olds alike. The closing of a world, where the extraordinary is but a breath away. My heart breaks to know that I'll never experience life through Bella's eyes. But I rejoice because reading Breaking Dawn was a privilige. I was worth the wait, and it exceeded all my expectations.
In the much awaited conclusion to the Twilight Saga. We find Bella Swan and Edward Cullen on the eve of their nuptials. Edward Cullen is the vampire who both haunts Bella's (and mine too!) dreams and makes them a reality. The vampire who has come to symbolize the epitome of the perfect man, if such a thing were to exist.
From page one, Stephanie Meyer draws me show more back in to her universe. A universe in which deathly pale gods with the strength of titans interact with us oblivious mortals. She writes from the heart, so she touches the most tender crevices of your psyche. She ensnares you with her great plot, wit and beautiful prose.
Bella, who has always been debilitatingly shy, has to come to terms with being the center of attention at her wedding! The word alone drives her to internal hysterics and panic. She has to cope with leaving Charlie and the happy home they were able to share. She is saddened to be leaving her father alone, again. Her pain and pity are acute because she senses that he has never gotten over her mother. and evern more frightening: she has to find the fortitude and courage to Immerse himself in the world of the supernatural.
Bella gain many things by becoming a true Cullen; unbelievable strength, breathtaking beauty, immortality, and a loving, ready-made family. At last she will dwell in safety. She will have the ability to stand on her own, to hold her own to defend her own. Bella will be a victim no more.
But despite all this, there is no relief from the anguish of all the things she will lose. She will have leave behind everyone she's ever known, all those mortals who have touched her life, her mother, her father, her friends, herself.
She faces a very difficult year ahead. The first year as a newborn vampire is legendarily brutal. She will lose all traces of her humanity and if allowed, would drain her own father's blood. Meyer takes us through this journey with great intelligence and skill.
I feel that in Breaking Dawn (and everything else I have read from her), Stephanie shines. She is a phenomenal storyteller and a gifted writer. There is no way for me to illustrate the pull that this book had for me, perhaps it is the way I've become endeared with each of her well rounded and highly developed characters. Or perhaps, the beautifully subtle way she describes things. The simplicity and honesty with which she expresses herself. The brimming emotion in every line.
As we've come to expect from Stephanie Meyer, a great part of the action takes place behind the scenes, and tin Breaking Dawn there are MANY things going on (phwoar!!). This is and Edward & Bella as we have never know them. Be prepared, yee fans, to cheer and cry in equal measure. I wanted to jump right into the pages and join my beloved characters. Their pains become my sorrow and their laughter my gift. I want more. I am not ready for this series to end. show less
In the much awaited conclusion to the Twilight Saga. We find Bella Swan and Edward Cullen on the eve of their nuptials. Edward Cullen is the vampire who both haunts Bella's (and mine too!) dreams and makes them a reality. The vampire who has come to symbolize the epitome of the perfect man, if such a thing were to exist.
From page one, Stephanie Meyer draws me show more back in to her universe. A universe in which deathly pale gods with the strength of titans interact with us oblivious mortals. She writes from the heart, so she touches the most tender crevices of your psyche. She ensnares you with her great plot, wit and beautiful prose.
Bella, who has always been debilitatingly shy, has to come to terms with being the center of attention at her wedding! The word alone drives her to internal hysterics and panic. She has to cope with leaving Charlie and the happy home they were able to share. She is saddened to be leaving her father alone, again. Her pain and pity are acute because she senses that he has never gotten over her mother. and evern more frightening: she has to find the fortitude and courage to Immerse himself in the world of the supernatural.
Bella gain many things by becoming a true Cullen; unbelievable strength, breathtaking beauty, immortality, and a loving, ready-made family. At last she will dwell in safety. She will have the ability to stand on her own, to hold her own to defend her own. Bella will be a victim no more.
But despite all this, there is no relief from the anguish of all the things she will lose. She will have leave behind everyone she's ever known, all those mortals who have touched her life, her mother, her father, her friends, herself.
She faces a very difficult year ahead. The first year as a newborn vampire is legendarily brutal. She will lose all traces of her humanity and if allowed, would drain her own father's blood. Meyer takes us through this journey with great intelligence and skill.
I feel that in Breaking Dawn (and everything else I have read from her), Stephanie shines. She is a phenomenal storyteller and a gifted writer. There is no way for me to illustrate the pull that this book had for me, perhaps it is the way I've become endeared with each of her well rounded and highly developed characters. Or perhaps, the beautifully subtle way she describes things. The simplicity and honesty with which she expresses herself. The brimming emotion in every line.
As we've come to expect from Stephanie Meyer, a great part of the action takes place behind the scenes, and tin Breaking Dawn there are MANY things going on (phwoar!!). This is and Edward & Bella as we have never know them. Be prepared, yee fans, to cheer and cry in equal measure. I wanted to jump right into the pages and join my beloved characters. Their pains become my sorrow and their laughter my gift. I want more. I am not ready for this series to end. show less
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ThingScore 58
And so the pabulum slips down, spoonful by spoonful, with every now and then a neat idea, an unspoken hint of untold perversity, an almost subliminal flash of something nasty.
added by Shortride
Over 754 pages, the answers come almost too easily, but not quickly.
added by Shortride
Certain elements of BREAKING DAWN are perplexing, even off-putting --- particularly the scenes of sex, pregnancy and childbirth.
But it's nearly impossible to please everyone --- especially when so much of the series' drama has relied on the tension of Bella's choice between two very different but desirable lovers. Readers who are able, eventually, to gain some perspective will find much to show more redeem BREAKING DAWN, particularly its new insights into Jacob's inner life as well as its neat resolution to several of the series' pressing conflicts and its realistic (or at least as realistic as a vampire romance can get) portrayal of the complexities and joys of married life. show less
But it's nearly impossible to please everyone --- especially when so much of the series' drama has relied on the tension of Bella's choice between two very different but desirable lovers. Readers who are able, eventually, to gain some perspective will find much to show more redeem BREAKING DAWN, particularly its new insights into Jacob's inner life as well as its neat resolution to several of the series' pressing conflicts and its realistic (or at least as realistic as a vampire romance can get) portrayal of the complexities and joys of married life. show less
added by Shortride
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Talk Discussions
Past Discussions
Twilight in Someone explain it to me... (September 2012)
Discussion of Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (CAUTION:SPOILERS!!!) in Hogwarts Express (August 2008)
Author Information
Stephenie Meyer was born in Hartford, Connecticut on December 24, 1973. She received a bachelor's degree in English from Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Twilight, was published in 2005 and was the beginning of the popular Twilight Saga, which includes New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. All the books within the Twilight Saga were made show more into feature-length films. Her first novel for adults, The Host, was published in 2008. Meyer's novel The Chemist has been on several best seller lists including USA Today, Barnes and Noble and New York Times. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
1 Work 42,370 Members
1 Work 42,379 Members
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Awards
Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Breaking Dawn
- Original title
- Breaking dawn
- Original publication date
- 2008-08-02
- People/Characters
- Edward Cullen; Isabella 'Bella' Swan; Jacob Black; Charlie Swan; Alice Cullen; Carlisle Cullen (show all 31); Esme Cullen; Emmett Cullen; Rosalie Hale; Jasper Hale; Seth Clearwater; Leah Clearwater; Sam Uley; Sue Clearwater; Renesmee 'Nessie' Cullen; Zafrina; Senna; Tanya; Eleazar; Carmen; Amun; Benjamin; Stefan; Vladimir; Aro; Caius; Alec; Jane the Volturi; Garrett; Kate; Paul
- Important places
- Forks, Washington, USA
- Related movies
- The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011 | IMDb); The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012 | IMDb)
- Epigraph
- Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age. The child is grown, and puts away childish things. Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Edna St. Vincent Millay (Book 1: Bella)
And yet, to say the truth, reason and love keep little company together nowadays.
>William Shakespeare "A Midsummer Night's Dream" Act III, Scene i (Book Two: Jacob)
Personal affection is a luxury you can have only after all your enemies are eliminated. Until then, everyone you love is a hostage, sapping your courage and corrumpting your judgment.
>Orson Scott Card "Empire" (... (show all)Book Three: Bella) - Dedication
- This book is dedicated to my ninja/agent, Jodi Reamer.
Thank you for keeping me off the ledge.
And thanks also to my favorite band,
the very aptly named Muse,
for providing a saga's worth of inspiration.... (show all)> - First words
- I'd had more than my fair share of near-death experiences; it wasn't something you ever really got used to.
- Quotations
- The days were not long enough for me to get my fill of adoring my daughter; the nights did not have enough hours to satisfy my need for Edward.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And then we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever.
- Original language
- English
- Canonical DDC/MDS
- 813.087381; 813.087382
- Canonical LCC
- PZ7.M5717515
Classifications
- Genres
- Teen, Young Adult, Fantasy, Fiction and Literature
- DDC/MDS
- 813.087381 — Literature American literature in English American fiction in English By type Genre fiction Adventure fiction Horror fiction; Ghost fiction Horror fiction Vampires and the undead
- LCC
- PZ7.M5717515 — Language and Literature Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Fiction and juvenile belles lettres Juvenile belles lettres
- BISAC
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- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 203
- ASINs
- 73
