N.V.R.’s Comments (group member since Apr 29, 2008)

N.V.R.’s comments from the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer group.

Haha Shaina! I was thinking the "special mind" excuse makes Bella sound like she should be riding on the short bus LMAO

And Bella IS a little mental. Emotionally healthy individuals don't try to off themselves just because their BF leaves them. They're smart enough to realize they are worth life regardless if they have a man present or not. Bella's entire existance revolves around Edward and has done so since she first met him. She's an empty vessel without him. That's (no offense) just sad and pathetic. So maybe something is mentally wrong with her.

No matter which way you slice it, Bella's mind is very typical for a girl her age. In fact, sometimes Bella's very immature; if not downright self-centered. (She's definitely a drama queen LOL) We see everything from her point of view. She doesn't think any differently than any of us do. If she did it would be very hard to relate to her as a narrator.

So the "special mind" excuse just doesn't cut it for me. Sorry, Smeyer!

Then again, I read BD and I was very unhappy with other parts of Smeyer's "logic" concerning vampire biology, etc. I really hate when a writer just makes stuff up without doing enough research. It's so lazy.

But that's for another thread ;-)

I agree with Sella. I'm noticing in several of the Twilight clips that things aren't the way they were in the book. James is suppose to bite Bella then she blacks out as Edward arrives. She doesn't look anywhere close to blacking out in that clip let alone injured enough for Edward to contemplate turning her.

I also noticed in the trailer that Bella and Edward are in the woods when she asks him how long he's been 17 for. In the book they were in a car.

I hope this doesn't turn out to be another Eragon *sighs* And I'm sorry, but EVERY time I see Kristen's face in this clip I get annoyed. Something about that chick irritates me. I wish I knew what it was LOL

Another thing I don't understand, why does Edward let James smash him into the wall mirror in this clip? Why doesn't he just start fighting him right away? It seems like it's because James has him by the throat but that makes no sense since vampires don't need to breath...anyone else find that strange??

Hmm...I like that idea but it has its flaws. I mean, Bella can't be the only person in the US (let alone the world) with a sensitive mind. It's not like she's had a particularly hard life to justify it either. She wasn't abused or tortured as a child where she would've turned inwardly to protect herself, she didn't lose her parents, she wasn't picked on mercilessly at school--basically, she's just shy. There are plenty of other people in the country that are shy, even shyer than Bella.

So then why is Edward so shocked by her being immune to his mind-reading?

I mean, he's lived for over a hundred years. Stephenie's telling us in all that time (and in all the places the Cullens have lived) that Edward hasn't met anyone else with a sensitive mind he couldn't read??

That argument just wouldn't make any sense. No offense to Stephenie (I adore her), it just seems like a flimsy excuse that wasn't well thought out. I would've rather her say it was because Bella's brain chemistry was different than others. Like maybe she could've had Bella experience a head injury when she was younger that changed her brain chemistry? That would've been more believable and it would've made more sense why Edward hasn't met anyone else like her in his long life.

Just saying...I still love the series. I just don't like when writers use the easy explainations that end up having too many holes in them LOL

Thanks Sella! Unfortunately, I think Stephenie removed that question. I don't see it in the Twilight FAQ. What is the answer anyway? Why is Bella immune to Edward's mind reading?

I agree with you 100%, Sella :-)

Although...I guess it would also depend on the distance too. What I mean is...even if Edward knows what Ceddy's gonna do because he can read his mind, if there's enough distance between them it may give Ceddy the extra second he needs to flick his wrist and freeze Edward. MIGHT being the key word.

If they're face to face then Cedric has no chance though. Edward would be too quick.

There's also one more idea we never considered. What if Edward can't read Cedric's mind because Ceddy is a wizard?? The two could cancel eachother out. You never know. That would be pretty cool to find out Bella's not the only one who's immune hehe ;-)

I haven't had the chance to read all the Twilight series books yet so I dunno if Stephenie ever explains why Edward can't read Bella's mind.

Stephenie says Jane Austen influenced her growing up and you can see that in her writing. It's very dark and gothic. The descriptions are lush and languid. The books are more character driven and less plot driven. It's also all in first person--from Bella's point of view (or POV)--so when Bella looses consciousness, we have to wait for her to wake up again to find out what's happening.

[[**SIDE NOTE--This actually irritated me BIG TIME in "Twilight" when Edward finally gets to confront James. I wanted to see a big fight scene through Bella's eyes. Instead, she blacked out and when she's wakes up it's already over. That's why I can't wait to see Edward and James duke it out in the movie. I always felt a bit cheated that we didn't get to see James get what was coming to him in the book. It seemed like a cop out to me. Like Stephenie didn't know how to write the scene or simply didn't want to. The whole last half of the novel built to that moment and then...POOF!! I kept thinking maybe I skipped a chapter or something LOL]]

Meanwhile, JK Rowling's work definitely has a lighter air to it. Although, strangely enough, they do still retain a bit of the Gothic element in them. Her books are more plot driven and are written in the third person. Honestly, I find her writing style a bit tedious at times, less personal. Maybe it's because she's English? I dunno.

I realize Jane Austen was English too but there's a big difference between an American writer like Stephenie immitating her favorite English novelist and an author like JK who actually grew up in Britain. British humor is drier than American humor. Their writing tends to be more literary. I think that shows in JK's writing style.

So when it comes to style, I prefer Stephenie's because it's easier for me (as an American) to relate to.

However, the one thing I really love about JK is she doesn't flinch at writing action sequences or death scenes. She jumps right in the middle of it, knee deep in muck, and writes what she sees. It's not easy to do, trust me. It's hard to kill off characters you like or have other characters harm them in any way. So, in that respect, I think JK has a bit more courage.

All in all, BOTH woman have incredible imaginations but I don't think they're anything alike as authors. I love them both for different reasons.

Oh and, I like your idea about Edward flying on a broom (that actually sounds pretty hot hehe) but you missed something...

Edward would not be able to fly a broom no matter how hard he tried. Not even if he read Cedric's mind.

Why?

Because Edward is not a wizard. Brooms require magic to make them fly. Wizards are born with magic inside them. Cedric is a wizard, that's why he can make brooms fly.

Edward is NOT a wizard. He's a vampire. He could throw the broom, he could use it as a fighting stick, he could break it or use it to sweep with but he will NEVER be able to make it fly the way Cedric can because he doesn't have the type of magic Cedric has. Even if Edward learned the spells by reading Cedric's mind he still isn't a wizard so he couldn't make the spells work.

I was thinking maybe if Edward drank Cedric's blood...maybe then he could do magic. But, I think wizards are just born magical. There's magic in every part of their bodies. In their DNA. I don't think it's just in their blood. I think their entire body (from head to toe) is magical like little crystals of magic in their skin or something. So I doubt drinking Cedric's blood would work...

Would be an interesting experiment though LOL ;-) What do you think? Do you think Edward drinking Cedric's blood would give him magical powers like Cedric? Or do you think Cedric's wizarding magic isn't in his blood but more like crystals in his body?

Maddy, I can tell you're a very enthusiastic Edward fan, and I think that's great (really)... Now let me explain why I still pick Cedric to win ;-)

Cedric doesn't have to be anywhere near Edward in order to cast an anti-mind reading spell. He can even do it before the fight begins. It all depends on how the duel is fought. If Edward can't read Cedric's mind then he has to guess what Ceddy will do. Guessing is not the same thing.

All Cedric has to do is freeze Edward in place with a quick zap of his wand. If Edward can't move, he can't win. Easy as pie!

Edward could win in a PHYSICAL fight (you know the kind that require punching and kicking but no magic) because he's a vampire which means he's stronger, faster, immortal, etc. But that's assuming Cedric, a wizard, wouldn't use his magic to protect himself. He would. I know I would if I were Cedric LOL

Edward can't fight against magic no matter which way you look at it. It's hard to fight against something that isn't solid. Edward can't hurt magic the way he could hurt Cedric. He can't touch magic at all, but magic CAN touch him. Understand?

So Cedric doesn't have to be ANYWHERE NEAR Edward to defeat him with magic. He can be standing on the other side of a field and still zap Edward. But Edward HAS to touch Cedric in order to hurt him. He can't win if he can't get close to Cedric. It's as simple as that.

Wizards are fast too and harder to injure (that's why they play Quidditch) so I can see Cedric zapping Edward and freezing him in place. It only takes one zap. Some spells don't even require a wand.

If all else fails, Cedric could simply surround himself with a protective force field (like an invisible bubble) that Edward can't reach him through then zap Edward with the freeze spell when he gets close enough.

Well I reread Twilight last night and in it Bella finds out that Alice has already seen her becoming a vampire in the future. She's in the hospital with Edward after surviving James and they have the cutest dialogue. She's basically asking him to change her and he's saying no. So she says, "I'm betting on Alice." So I think that means she'll eventually become a vampire. Otherwise, their love story wouldn't have a happy ending because Bella would eventually die and leave Edward heartbroken. It'll be like Romeo & Juliet, only after they both "die" they are reborn as vampires. Edward's already there, Bella just needs to be turned now.

I'm a combination of Bella and Alice :-)

Like I said above, wizards have super speed and agility too (how else could they play Quidditch??) and all Ceddy would have to do is cast an anti-mind reading spell then freeze Edward in place. Pretty simple.

Edward, as much as I adore him, wouldn't stand a chance if he can't move. Ceddy could do all this from a distance. Edward has to actually get close to Cedric to do any damage. So Edward has the disadvantage not Cedric.

That's why I vote Cedric :-)

Brittany!! I LOVE the idea of Hayden Christensen as Edward!! He has that smoldering quality down pat! He doesn't even have to try hehe

And now that I've seen the trailer I have to agree that Kristen DOES work as Bella (although her face still annoys me for some odd reason) but her voice is too boyish. Ugh.

True. Then again, who says he doesn't know? Or can't ask? ;-) Depends on how much time he has before the duel.

Good point, Brianna! But no one said Ceddy couldn't cast the anti-mind reading spell BEFORE the duel started. After all, he'd be casting a spell on himself, NOT Edward. So it wouldn't be against the rules. He can even bespell himself not to be intimidated or overwhelmed by Edward's presence. I doubt anyone would stop him from spelling himself before a duel.

Then all he has to do is zap Edward with a freeze spell as soon as the fight started. That requires what? One word and a flick of his wand? And that happens at the same time so it would only take a second to do. Wizards are fast too (think Quidditch). Plus, Ceddy can do this all from a distance, which is a big advantage. Edward has to be up close and personal to do any damage to Cedric.

So it IS possible for Cedric to win within the first two minutes. If Edward doesn't know what Ceddy is thinking, Ceddy could cast the spell before Edward reached him. Then Edward's unable to move and Ceddy wins :-)

Now that's if this is a duel where both sides meet and agree to fight. If it's just a regular fight that happens without being planned, Ceddy could still win if he took to the sky quickly on his broom and zapped Edward from there. But that's if he HAS his broom on him. Otherwise, I'm not sure what would happen. Edward would def have more of an advantage then.

I forget, can Edward fly? I'm getting the two series mixed up now in my head LOL

Good point, Ali. I actually posted another thread here about JK and Stephenie being compared. Honestly, I think it didn't happen until Pattinson was cast as Edward. Him being in both movies is what I think really started the whole comparison.

**NOTE: Wicked is an excellant book (and and even better musical LOL) but some younger fans may not understand all the political and social satire in it.

Still, I adore Gregory Maquire! :-) I suggest renting it from the library first to see if you like it before buying it.

I have to admit, that's one thing that's gotten on my nerves--Bella constantly questioning why Edward chose her because she's so plain. I mean, sheesh! Grow some confidence already! Or, get a makeover LOL I've seen plenty of celebrities who started off plain and ended up looking really gorgeous with the right make-up, haircolor/highlights and clothes. It's not like she'd need a stylist or designer brands. Wal-mart or Walgreens has cheap stuff.

And I honestly think Alexis Bledel would have added to the movie more than Kristen. In my opinion, she's a better actress. Her vulnerablity is much more believable. And it's easier to see why Edward would fall for her understated elegance and feminity. She also seems more frail than Kristen, which would make Pattinson seem even more powerful in his vampire role. Kristen's a little too tomboyish for my tastes.

Cedric could always cast a spell to make sure Edward can't read his mind then cast another spell to freeze Edward in place so he's at Ceddy's mercy. Then Edward's speed and vampy strength wouldn't matter.

That's what I would do ;-)

Or... he could cast a spell that allows him to read Edward's mind as well as two more for super strength and speed. Then he'd simply level the playing field.

In either case, Edward ends up having the disadvantage. That's IF Ceddy's smart enough to think about it and quick enough to cast it.

Remember wizards are quick too. They play Quidditch at speeds normal muggles would find dizzying.

According to JK, the Potter series started on a long train ride to London.

It's really amazing where inspiration hits, isn't it? For instance, the YA Paranormal series I'm working on hit me during a phone call I was on while washing laundry at the laundromat. Cleaned my clothes and walked out with a series! Who would've thunk it? LOL

Stephenie has actually been an inspiration for that series too, along with JK.

I'm currently writing a YA paranormal series (I'll post a thread for it here once the official site goes up) and Twilight has been a big inspiration for that. So has Harry Potter :-)