(This is spoiler-heavy. Consider yourself warned.)
It’s virtually impossible not to draw parallels between “Breaking Dawn,” the concluding installment in the “Twilight” series, and the final “Harry Potter” book. Both involve revolve around mythic worlds and young, ill-prepared protagonists headed toward a supernatural showdown between good and evil.
The problem is Stephenie Meyer is no J.K. Rowling. We who’ve enjoyed the work of both authors have known this since we picked up “Twilight.” (I like Edward too, but there’s only so many times I can read how “beautiful,” “perfect” and “dazzling” he is.) But with these final chapters, in which both authors really swung for the epic, Meyer’s bunted.
Things looked promising at first. The pace is swift and the curve balls surprising and frequent: Bella and Edward finally get busy, we get inside Jacob’s head, Bella joins the Cullens in immortality, Jacob finds his mate.
But all the while, a larger story arc is missing. The love triangle is, sadly, summarily dealt with, and once the romance is over we’re left only with Edward and Bella’s child Renesmee — even the name, well, it’s no Hermione is it — and all the conflicts she so quickly and disappointingly resolves. Edward versus Jacob? Over and done with. Vampires versus werewolves? One big happy family. Bella being a ravenous newborn? She’s not going to eat her kid!
So what to when you’ve written yourself into a corner? Meyer is forced to more or less start over and she spends the second half of “Breaking Dawn” going for outright thriller. The second half of the book singularly involves the mystery of Renesmee and shielding her from the threat of the Volturi, an enemy initially so full of literary potential. Bella, Jacob, Edward and the rest of the “Twilight” characters become little more than Renesmee’s anxious protectors.
Bogged down in the new, too convenient mythology — Bella’s new power is the only one that will matter — the book winds up faltering under its own weighty aspirations. Bella’s covert operation, the additions to the Cullen camp, the unique powers of the new vampires are explained so thoroughly yet serve so little dramatic effect that “Breaking Dawn” could easily have trimmed off 200 pages and reached the same anticlimactic ending. What’s worse, the new guys are there merely to populate the side of good for a battle that — the big spoiler — never happens. That’s right. No blood shed. No deaths of loved ones to kill readers in the gripping way Rowling did in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
At least when you get to page 735 — where you’ll find the resolution neatly tied up — it’s more a confirmation of what you saw coming rather than simply a letdown. And as for the final scene, Meyer writes this one like she’s already imagined it on the big screen, with the swelling of sappy love song and a fade to black.
We would have much preferred the whole thing to end in book three, “Eclipse,” with yes, some happiness for Bella, but also some angst, some heartbreak, and a dark, ominous future looming.
– Denise Martin
When I read Breaking Dawn, I enjoyed it. Bella is 18 and an adult. She can do whatever she wants.
I loved the book! It seems people are upset because Bella is no longer the insecure teenager. Both Bella and Edward have matured, the relationship was taken to the next level – it has intensified. If you want a battle – go read Harry Potter. I found the dealings with the Volturi to be more intense and intelligent than just a bloodshed. They were willing to do for each other. Edward and Bella’s romance will last for eternity, with no regrets. As for books being returned – if you read it, you own it! Get a library card!
I came to this page curious because I found something, that told me about some sort of scandal about Breaking Dawn.
I was interested to find the scandal. I personally found it inconceivable that anyone did not like the ending of this facsinated series. I am a 32 year old career woman with a nine to five and two kids. I watched the movie out of curiosity and I have always enjoyed vampire stories.
The movie was cute. So I decided to purchase the book. I bought Twilight and quickly became engrossed. I am an avid reader usually reading between 5 and 12 books a week everything from Stephanie Laurens, J.K. Rowling, to James Patterson. Charles Dickens. Everything and anything. Koontz and King. I simply love to read.
I know fluffy teen stories I have read them. I have even enjoyed them. I can not imagine anyone describing Ms. Meyers stories as fluffy.
There is as much depth to the character of Edward as there is to Alex Cross.
And to say that the birth of Rennesme was not appropriate and then using the f word on the same page is offensive to me.
In two thousand pages the relationship between these two people took a natural progression. With unatural sircumstances. You can not exspect them to never have a real physical relationship. The fact that Stephanie put so much emphasis on Marrige is better than a teen show on tv right now on ABC family, where a young girl becomes pregnant from being irresponsible. Teenage girls can see that but not a married couple have a baby.
Yes the birth is beyond reality. Ofcourse in case no one noticed It is a vampire and a human. And it does cover old myths I read about in my teens. They made a movie about it in the seventies Rosemary’s Baby was loosely based off the same myth. So nothing new. I believe what bothers most people is that it was as far as they were concerned antclimactic. However. Stephanie is a character writer and fell in love with her characters as I did. She did not want to kill them and I did not want them to die. Life is so full of death why should our dreams have to be full of it too.
I think the fact the the book ended with a diplomatic solution was something people should try to consider not scoff at. Too bad more people don’t consider diplomacy and forethought or there would be less war in the world.
I throughly enjoyed the stories and was very pleased at the ending.
Thankyou for allowing me my opinion.
I believe Stephenie is an amazing auuthor and think that anyone who didn’t like breaking dawn and returned it should suck it! Yeah it didn’t have an explosive ending and could have ended in a better way get over it it’s done and just a book. I don’t think Renesmee’s birth was pointless it had meaning to it Bella and Edward both finally got what they wanted. And a story without a fight and blood shed is the best , in my opinion. I think Meyer sets a good example for young teens out there too. It makes teens want to aspire to find someone who truly loves them and wait for marriage to have sex. I love this series and the way Meyer writes her stories are only meant for sheer in enjoyment NOT OVER ANALYISING!