twilight by stephenie meyer

picture this: it's raining, it's cold, the sun is going down, and the cullens are miserable because another day is ending. but while twilight might be the saddest time for the cullens, it is a time we have been waiting for longer than bella has been irrevocably in love with edward. this episode kicks off our twilight megamix extravaganza, our two-month long celebration of our first anniversary as a pod! every fortnight until the end of the year we'll be covering a book from the series and we're kicking it off with twilight by stephenie meyer. as edward cullen once said (after a lot less time than this) you, our listeners, are our life now so what better gift to give you than exactly what we have been foreshadowing for a year ❤️

synopsis music: for when it rains by juan sanchez

special things mentioned in the episode:

• timeline from twilight lexicon
• @sarahelizabeth_talks
• purple prose
• twilight playlist by stephenie meyer 

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Transcript

Laura 0:00

Hello and welcome to Talk With Get Hit, a podcast where we read questionable books recommended to us by social media and talk shit about them.

Eryn 0:08

We're Bridget, Erin, and Laura, three friends who have mentally progressed since high school, where we bonded over a love of music and books, but mainly Twilight.

Bridget 0:15

Brace yourself for a heady cocktail of somewhat highbrow and incredibly lowbrow raplets about all the books the internet loves and our journey to figure out why.

Laura 0:23

It is the moment we have been threatening for over a year. What better way to celebrate the one-year anniversary of our podcast than by talking shit about the magical saga that started it all? The Twilight Saga Mega Mix Extravaganza starts now, folks. We'll be releasing episodes every two weeks, and we're kicking off with book number one. This episode we will be asking ourselves the all-important question: Does Twilight by Stephanie Meyer still dazzle us after all these years? Cut the shit, ladies. How have your months been?

Eryn 0:55

I love that as an intro. That's smooth and you hello, hello. Shit. Cut the shit. And look, shit cut. Um nothing to say. It's been good. Um mini trip to Sydney, went and saw some K-pop, went and saw Miss Saigon at the Sydney Opera House. That was really good. That's pretty much what I've been doing, other than reading Twilight. Sweet. I like it. I'm cutting the shit. Yeah.

Laura 1:21

That's requested. That's requested. Shit has been cut. Bridget, how about you? You've had a bit on, actually.

Bridget 1:27

Yeah, I went to England for two weeks. It was very nice. The weather was very every day. So I was really into that. Um, that was lovely. We went to Paris for a few days as well.

Eryn 1:40

Nice.

Bridget 1:40

So the king. Um and the queen, but less exciting, I guess. So sorry, Camilla, if you're sorry, Camilla. Big fan.

Laura 1:51

When did you see them? It honestly happened. Like you just popped down the street and you're like, oh hello.

Bridget 1:56

It was pretty much that we were in this um prison.

Laura 2:06

Okay.

Bridget 2:06

We went to a prison, the conciergery, and we walked outside and there was just police everywhere. We were like, what is going on here? And then by you know, the just magical powers of our brains and Google, we figured out that Charlie was around the corner or Harleys, as the French people kept calling, it was very funny. Oh, that's cute. Or Harleigh or something. Anyway, there was just police everywhere. I got stuck in between two Secret Service type people. And before we'd been sort of making fun of them and saying, Let's see if they could take anyone down, like look at them. Because they were just in suits and whatever, and they had like the you know microphones. But they were full-on like tensing. I could feel it was like being in between two big rocks. And I got stuck, we all got pushed into a corner with all this paparazzi and stuff, and it was like a stampede, and we all just merged into this the end of the street. And then he just walked off down the road and he went and looked at Notre Dame. Off we went. Back into the the rain. Forever changed.

Eryn 2:58

Yeah. Interesting that you described the um security detail as like standing between two rocks. Would you say it was like standing between two vampires? Yeah.

Bridget 3:06

Maybe they were vampires.

Eryn 3:08

That's what I was thinking. And it was rainy, the sun wasn't Oh my god. It really was the right vibes. Yeah. It was meant to be. Can you top that, Laura, with your monthly recap?

Laura 3:20

I really can't. I just have a quick first. Yeah. Sorry to be let down, but I had a quick scroll through my camera wall to try and jog my memory, and I truly have been doing nothing but going to work, coming home, reading these books, and texting you guys to say, uh, I'm trying to read these books, but I'm not getting very far. Same. And then going out into the kitchen and getting a snack from the fridge and saying to Brown, Oh my god, I'm supposed to be reading Twilight, but instead, let me just tell you about what I think about it before I've read any of it. So, no, nothing from me, but very, very, very excited to have this chat. It has been such a long time coming, and I honestly feel like I'm gonna throw up when I think about it. That's how excited I am. You have been messaging the group chat like every day without fail.

Bridget 4:10

Like, I'm so excited to talk about these books. We've got the buckets ready.

Eryn 4:15

Put your buckets in, yeah. No, seriously, guys, I would really appreciate it. I think that is a good segue though, because I think we were all very excited to start on this journey. It was one of the first things we talked about when we decided to do the pod, was that for the first anniversary we would do the Twilight Books. And here we are, like, let's do the thing. Let's do the thing that started the whole pod rolling.

Laura 4:46

So obviously, this time around, we don't have the pleasure of diving into reading uh this book completely blind. So I kind of have a double barrel point I'm hoping we can answer. If you can think back this far, first I want to know if you remember your sort of thoughts or how you're feeling when you were first reading Twilight. I'm struggling to answer this question a little myself. Like, why did I pick it up? What did I think about it? But yeah, tell us a little bit about like 14-year-old you.

Bridget 5:16

I think I might be able to answer this question for you.

Eryn 5:18

So I think you're the reason I read it. I agree.

Bridget 5:22

I remember it was December of 2007. To the month! I remember it was the Christmas holidays after grade eight, and I had some of my friends come over. It wasn't you guys, sorry.

Eryn 5:33

Ouch!

Bridget 5:34

Anyway, we had a sleepover, and one of my friends brought this book and I started reading it, and then I finished it that night. You're such a freak. Because I was obsessed with it, it was so good because I was 13. And then I she was like, you can borrow it, like so. I did, and I read it probably six times in the next few weeks when school started again. Our friend had the copy, and I think we all borrowed it. But when I had it at one point, a boy in our class didn't like it because you know it was the time of Justin Bieber, Edward Cullen. We don't like the boy, boys don't like them. They hated them.

Eryn 6:16

And I think it's also just boys hating whatever girls like.

Bridget 6:19

I think so too. Anyway, he took the book and threw it down the hill. I remember this. Yeah. And our friend was so upset, I was so upset, but it was her book.

Eryn 6:29

Understandably.

Bridget 6:30

And so, and I like I was looking after it, and it was just like wrecked. So I gave her my copy whenever I got a copy, and so I have the wrecked copy. It is a family heirloom though, and it is under lock and key at all times. So I think that's where I think we just passed it around, Sisterhood of the Traveling Twilight. So and then I think you got your own copy.

Laura 6:51

That really makes sense. Because I do remember having a feeling, it's like when you get a book from the library and you end up loving it, and then you're like, shit, like, should I buy my own copy of this book? But then it's not the same because it had it doesn't have that like first read, doesn't feel the same energy. Yeah, I agree, yeah. Yeah. But I remember, I mean, I obviously made up for lost time and read my copy many, many times, but that that sounds right, yeah.

Bridget 7:16

It was good because when we were all reading it together, the first three books were all released. So Eclipse came out 2007, New Moon 2006, and Twilight came out 2005. So we had all three. We were fed. Actually, Breaking Dawn came out in 2008, but we read it before Breaking Dawn came out because I was heavy on the theories for Breaking Dawn, which we'll talk about when we get to Breaking Dawn. But I'm sad to report that by the time the movie came out, I was pretty much over it. I wasn't as big as into the movie as I was the books. I'd sort of agree. I wasn't as interested. And I don't know if it was because I was uh oh my god, it's not cool to like the movie. I probably was swayed by that, but I think I also just got over it.

Laura 8:04

I absolutely would have been on camp, it's not cool to like the movies, or it's not cool to like things that other people like. I do remember like school holidays, I remember it so vividly. School holidays at my grandma's house using her internet to search for like fan casts, and I remember seeing these really, really blurry, low-quality shots from set of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I remember reading like little tidbits about who Stephanie Meyer thought should be cast, and I was super involved in that. But then I think once I realized it picked up momentum, I was like, yeah, Twilight, Schmilei.

Bridget 8:43

I think it was when the mums got involved. Yes. It was when we were both like, oh, we're out. Yeah. But I will still read it and I will still watch it.

Laura 8:52

Because it was like, yeah. You don't, I mean, you don't really want your mum to be reading a book that was like your sexual awakening.

Bridget 9:05

I think it was also when other people at school started reading it, and we were like, we can't be the same as them. Yeah. Especially you and I. We can't be seen as liking the same things as these other people. And I think that was when I I sort of checked out a bit. Yeah. Um, as publicly anyway.

Eryn 9:23

It's interesting because I remember being into Twilight, but I only read the first book twice, I think. And then all the other books once. And I've only seen the first movie once. But I feel like in my brain I was really into it at the time, but obviously not really that into it.

Bridget 9:41

Like I would say there was a six-month period where I at least read it once a week.

Eryn 9:46

That's crazy. Like, I remember reading New Moon in the morning before school while I was eating breakfast and stuff. But I do remember when I read Twilight the first time, my sister is a big like English literature fan and a huge snob, and she would absolutely be fine with me saying that. And there's a nine-year age gap between me and her. So when I was reading this, she was like looking down her nose at me, and she said, and I quote, if you're gonna read about vampires, at least read something good. And so I think also I was maybe conditioned not to be that into it, even though I was 13 or 14 or whatever we were, and I was the prime audience for this book.

Bridget 10:30

It's pretty funny though, because we were not influenced by TikTok or Instagram or even Tumblr at the time. Grade nine, we were pretty free to develop our own opinions, free of the internet.

Eryn 10:41

Well, that would have been when we just started being on MySpace.

Bridget 10:44

So I I just I think it's really cute that little baby us were just so into this stupid book.

Eryn 10:52

Agree.

Laura 10:54

So obviously it's been many, many years since we read Twilight. I was really shocked, like when you said uh grade eight holidays, I was like, oh, ten years ago, and then thought, nope, not quite, a bit longer than that. So, given that it's been so long since we last read it, how were you feeling heading back into this reread? How did you think it was gonna go this time around?

Eryn 11:19

I really did not expect this to hold up. I was excited to read it because I thought it was gonna be a really fun time, but I knew that there were gonna be a lot of like cringy moments and that it was I was potentially gonna be too old to still get the appeal.

Laura 11:36

Similar to you, I was super excited to read it. I think pretty early on we decided we would reread this again. And so I've been like honestly counting down to rereading it, and I thought it was gonna be fun and I thought it would be bad, but I'd forgotten a lot of the things that happened throughout. Uh, so I don't think I had perhaps as much expectation as I should have that it would be kind of like an uncomfortable experience at times.

Bridget 12:03

No, I agree. I knew that I would still love it.

Eryn 12:07

So I think is what I'm trying to say. How many times do you reckon you've reread Just Twilight? Oh, at least a hundred, I'd say.

Bridget 12:17

At the least. Surely not. Yeah, I when I read it, I know what word's coming next. The first one, definitely.

Eryn 12:23

Do you reckon you could recite it?

Bridget 12:26

Bits. I don't know.

Laura 12:27

I was really like struck by the familiarity of it. I did not expect so much of it to be so deep in my brain.

Eryn 12:34

So usually we would say our spoiler warning at this point, but if you don't know what happens in Twilight by now, it sounds like a you problem and not an US problem. Um, so there aren't really any obvious trigger warnings with this book, but as always, we encourage you to do your own research and make your own decisions around the media you consume. We'll probably be touching on themes of abuse, mental illness, violence, etc.

Bridget 12:57

When 17-year-old Isabella Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her father, she expects that her new life will be as dull as the town.

Laura 13:05

But in spite of her awkward manner and low expectations, she finds that her new classmates are drawn to this pale, dark-haired new girl in town.

Eryn 13:12

But not, it seems, the Cullen family. These five adopted brothers and sisters obviously prefer their own company and will make no exception for Bella.

Bridget 13:22

Bella is convinced that Edward Cullen in particular hates her, but she feels a strange attraction to him. Although his hostility makes her feel almost physically ill.

Laura 13:31

He seems determined to push her away. Until, that is, he saves her life from an out-of-control car.

Eryn 13:37

Bella will soon discover that there is a very good reason for Edward's coldness. He and his family are vampires, and he knows how dangerous it is for others to get too close.

Laura 13:51

Okay, lambs, we've done it. We have been threatening to reread this book for so bloody long. And now that we have how are you feeling in the aftermath? Let's keep it short because I feel like we're gonna have so much to say, and once we get talking, it's gonna be absolutely unstoppable.

Eryn 14:09

My first and like overall comment is that even though I didn't really remember what happened, the things that I thought happened didn't happen. And so I was very confused.

Bridget 14:20

Maybe you read more fanfiction than.

Eryn 14:22

I don't think I've read Twilight fanfiction. I really I don't know what my brain has done in fucking up what happened in Twilight. Unless maybe it's what happened in the movie, because I think the movie and the book are slightly different.

Bridget 14:37

What did you think happened that didn't happen?

Eryn 14:39

I can't even remember. I just remember I was about halfway through and I was like, man, some of these scenes don't happen the way I remember them happening.

Laura 14:46

I had a similar experience. So maybe as we talk about it, um, you'll remember what they are. Okay. Because there are a few scenes where I was like, oh, that's not what happened in the movie.

Eryn 14:59

What about you guys? What were the vibes after reading? I loved reading this.

Laura 15:03

I I mean, I thought I would have a more negative reaction to reading this, but I think like if Twilight were a standalone and I were taking away like any prior knowledge of what happens in the rest of the series, like this book is so so fun. I found reading it to be so comforting and nostalgic. And I've seen a lot of talk about cozy books, and I don't know if this necessarily falls into that category. Um, but for me, this is perfect, and like even just the discussion of Forks itself, like the mist and the rain, and all the discussion about Bella like needing to get dry and drying out her hair in the heater and like putting on warm clothes, I was like, oh, shivers up my spine. Like, this is just I was in the full mindset so bad. It was so good. I had fun.

Bridget 15:57

I think that if Stephanie Meyer didn't receive the Pulitzer Prize, then she should have. And I'm not gonna pretend like Stephanie Meyer doesn't have a million uh problematic aspects of her personality and the books and everything. I'm just gonna forget that for a second. And honestly, what a vibe of a book. I love it so much.

Eryn 16:19

But by God, is it long? Nothing happens for 90% of the book.

Bridget 16:25

I don't I find it so easy to read though. I and my favorite parts of the book are where nothing happened. I love the parts where she's making her boring, boring meals for Charlie. She's marinating the fish, she's cooking steak and three veg for dinner. They're my favourite parts when she does her homework. I love those bits, and I'm so happy that all the action is like over and done with quite quickly because I want to hear about her mundane, boring, middle-aged life as a 17-year-old.

Laura 16:53

I know, I totally agree, and I think that's what makes it so cozy for me. Like when it talks about like when she first moves in with Charlie and she's putting her clothes away in the drawers and and tacking a poster up on the wall or closing all the pop-ups that come up on her computer. Oh my god. Yeah, it was I don't know. I can picture it so vividly, it was so comforting to me. She just lives such a simple life.

Bridget 17:16

And I love it.

Eryn 17:17

Simple girl, she's a simple girl with a simple life. I think it's crazy how like obviously dated this is now. Because I thought it would hold up a lot better, but there are so many references that I feel like if someone was reading this with absolutely no idea about it now, it would make it seem really old to them.

Bridget 17:34

I want to talk about it a bit more later on, but I think that it was dated at the time because Stephanie Meyer was not a teenager. So she she was writing a teenager, but Bella is a 35-year-old woman. She is not a teenager.

Laura 17:50

We really need to address the time the events of this book took place over because it is truly bonkers, and I think it will give context to a lot of the discussion that I anticipate us having. So I've pulled this info from The Twilight Lexicon, um, which we should include in the show notes. So I have to give my thanks to them for this truly staggering breakdown. Bear with me on this, it's a little bit long, but I think it's really, really worth discussing. On January 17th, in 2005, Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington. The next day she goes to school for the first time and meets Edward Cullen, who smells her blood, wants to kill her, and leaves town for a week, returning on the 24th of January. The day after Edward returns, Bella is almost crushed in a car accident, but he saves her. He then proceeds to ignore her from January 26th through to March 2nd, which is also the first night that he watches her sleeping without her knowing.

Eryn 18:46

Oh my god.

Laura 18:49

On the 3rd of March, Bella eats lunch with Edward and he drives her home, and then on the 6th of March, after learning about the cold ones from Jacob Black the day before, Bella does some crafty internet searches and starts to formulate some theories. Edward skips school for the next two days, and then on March 8th, he stops the thugs attacking her in Port Angeles, buys her two Cokes, and admits he's a vampire.

Bridget 19:13

And the ravioli, mushroom ravioli.

Eryn 19:15

Oh, totally true. When they're eating that, I was really hungry. I wanted to eat some of that. I was so jealous. Oh my god.

Laura 19:22

It always sounded good. I know. Anyway, so that's soon in, the jig is up. Um, and then the next day at school, they announce that they're a couple. And two days after that, on March 12th, they go to the meadow and Edward tells Bella, You are my life now.

Bridget 19:38

In response to her saying, I love you, he says, You are my life now.

Laura 19:43

It's so crazy. He says simply To blow your mind further, the next day on March 13th, Bella officially meets Edward's family. They play a ripper game of baseball, and the vampire James sets his murderous little eyes on Bella. That same night she leaves Forks and spends the next day in Phoenix, where she's stowed away under the watchful eyes of Alice and Jasper. The day after that, she sneaks away from them, is promptly tricked, trapped, and almost murdered. But thankfully. Wow, it's almost like as if she'll do this again 16 times throughout the whole series. Listen, repeat, baby. Anyway, Edward sucks the poison out of her system and saves her. She reawakens on March 18th with extensive injuries. The book ends on a vague date in May when Edward takes Bella to prom. So this barely takes place over five months, and it is a very generous five months. So just think about that. Chew on that. And let us begin.

Eryn 20:43

That is psychotic. I knew it was insta-love, and I hate insta love, but it is even more insta-love than I remember it being. The second that they interact, she's obsessed with him.

Laura 21:02

And it's disgusting. Especially when you consider how high the stakes are. Like InstaLove is strange and unhealthy enough in a book as it is. But when it's like the potential murder and constant threat to her life kind of aspect, it really takes it to a weird place.

Eryn 21:23

It is so strange. And I was trying. Oftentimes we've talked in the pod about like suspending the logic and just having fun with it. But I really struggle to just have fun with it because it was just so fucking insane. And because I didn't really remember it, I'd forgotten it was so fucked up.

Bridget 21:41

And so I just spent the whole time being like, what is wrong with everyone? I think the main problem is why do they like each other? Neither of them have one iota of personality. They are so boring. Why do they like each other? Exactly.

Eryn 22:00

At no point is it clear why they like each other.

Bridget 22:03

For anyone in the book, they are all so one-dimensional, straight-laced. I don't get it.

Eryn 22:09

At least, like Edward is funny, but she doesn't even know he's funny.

Bridget 22:12

He's barely funny.

Laura 22:14

He's barely funny. She's like, cut the shit, stop joking. Like, I don't, don't tease me, don't bully me.

Bridget 22:21

I think reading Midnight Sun, he is so angry and so depressed, and he is so bitchy about everything that happens. It's so funny reading his inner monologue. I want to read every single book from his perspective because he is such a winger and I love it.

Eryn 22:39

She is just insufferable. She has such low self-esteem.

Bridget 22:45

She is the smartest But at the same time, the highest self-esteem.

Eryn 22:49

Yeah, like she's just a confusing little character. She's smart, but she's dumb. She's clumsy, but she's capable. She is somehow the most responsible person and the most irresponsible person. I know when Jacob started getting more of a character, I had to remind myself he's 15, that's why he's behaving in some of these ways. But with Bella, it doesn't really work like that. I found it really hard to be like, oh, she's just being a 16-year-old. She's not. She's just a very confusingly written character. She is all the things. Well, she's a self-insert. She's just Stephanie.

Bridget 23:25

This is even down to her description. Yes.

Laura 23:28

I think a complaint that you always see about Twilight or about Bella, sorry, is that she's a Mary Sue, which I think I don't really know where that term originates. I think it's a term used a lot in fanfiction, but I think basically it's a female character in particular that's really virtuous, doesn't have any flaws or weaknesses, people always like them, things always fall into place for them. And like you said, a Mary Sue can definitely be like a stand-in for the author. It's like their own kind of wish fulfillment. And I think when you factor in that Twilight came to Stephanie Meyer in a dream, and Bella's described as suspiciously similar to Stephanie Meyer, you really have to think about it.

Eryn 24:10

Yeah. So I've just Googled where does Mary Sue come from? And you're correct in saying it originates from fanfiction. So it's from a Star Trek parody short story. Um, because Mary Sue was the name of a character standing in for the idealized female characters widespread in Star Trek fanfiction. So it was almost like a little jab at everyone who was writing shit female characters in their Star Trek fanfic.

Bridget 24:37

I've got a list of the parts of Bella that are the same as Stephanie Meyer, like physically. Bella is described as having a wide forehead with a widow's peak. Pale skin, a heart-shaped face, a pointed chin, brown hair, lips too full for jawline, brown eyes. And I think when she becomes a vampire, I mean, spoiler, but when she becomes a vampire, um, there is a comment about how her bottom lip is just a little bit too big for her top lip, or vice versa. No, it's vice versa. Vice versa. Which is the opposite of Stephanie Meyer. Stephanie Meyer has a big bottom lip compared to her top lip. And I think maybe she'd gotten some criticism about it. She's like, no, it's flips. It's completely different. So I just thought that was so funny. Like the hair, everything is the same.

Laura 25:30

Rereading this was really interesting. My initial reaction to Bella, and I remember it being the same at the time, was that she's this really annoying, contradictory, martyred kind of personality. And yet, after all these years, and I don't know what it is, like it could be something to do with the kind of folklore surrounding Twilight, or like the way that it's just taken on a life of its own. But I almost have this feeling like Bella is actually a good and interesting person and character, but Stephanie Meyer has just done like a really bad job of explaining it. Ooh, interesting take. And I I mean, it's never like no, none of these aspects are ever, ever, ever addressed in the book. And it's like me filling in the gaps to compensate for what I perceive to be flaws in her character. Like, for example, the fact that it sounds like she completely had to raise herself. Like it mentions vaguely like how she had to be the responsible one, how Renee was never parenting her. And I think that's such an interesting thing about her. And it would be such a difficult and isolating thing for a child to have to do. But that's never leveraged or mentioned in the book. I get so frustrated because I think things like that would give so much depth to her character and would go such a long way in explaining aspects of her personality, like why she's so closed off, why she's so responsible.

Bridget 26:55

And why she falls so hard for someone who will look after her. Yes. Exactly. But I think the way that it's written in the book is she is condescending towards Renee and Charlie, cooking Charlie dinner, reminding Renee that she has to pick up her dry cleaning, making appointments for her paying the bills, all of those things. It just comes across as condescending because she's like rolling her eyes, oh silly Renee. But if there was a bit more depth, it would make her make sense, I think.

Eryn 27:24

I think so too. It would make sense to just have one sentence where Bella said something like, It's nice for the first time ever to have someone looking out for me or someone looking after me the way I've always looked after everyone else. Like that one sentence would make the whole obsession with Edward make so much more sense, I think. Because I agree, I think that's a really important part of her character, and I think that is something that drives why she is so obsessed with Edward. It's because he's chosen her in a way that her mum and her dad never did.

Laura 27:54

I think another good example of a crumb of information that we get about Bella that isn't never really expanded upon or or written well is on page 157 when Edward tells her he can read mine's but he can't read hers, and she has this knee-jerk reaction of, I'm a freak, it's my fault, like I've always been different. I think that's like a really honest, logical kind of teenage reaction, but they never build upon these points of like why she feels so isolated, why she feels so different to others. I think that's such a a really common way of thinking for teenagers. Uh, and I remember it resonated with me at the time, but it just is left to hang there, and you're meant to draw your own conclusions about that.

Eryn 28:38

I remember when I read it the first time, I didn't have huge beef with Bella. I felt when we read it we were teenagers, so I felt she was really similar to the kinds of stuff I was hearing from my friends at the time. Reading it as an adult, I find it so much more frustrating because she is so insecure, and that's not her fault because she's a teenager and she's been through a lot, but it is hard to keep reading that knowing what I know as an adult, that she's putting herself in these really like questionable situations, and she's really got no one guiding her. Like Charlie's doing his best, Renee's doing Renee, and she was obviously really let down by the adults in her life, and as a defense mechanism, she also doesn't want them to look after her anyway, and so she's stuck in this spiral of not really learning anything, not really being guided by anybody. She doesn't really trust her friends, she's never had friends to this extent before. Uh, she's got all these dudes interested in her, but she doesn't really like them anyway. I think it's interesting the way she is her own worst enemy.

Bridget 29:48

I think that's something that the movie does really well. She is shown as actually being funny, and she's still quiet, but she's got a good sense of humor. She can joke along with Jessica and Mike and Angela. She's quietly funny, and I think she has a lot more personality in the movie than she does in the book, and I think that's a credit to Christian Stewart. I think she was perfect for the role, and I will hear nothing bad about her. I was trying to think of what I actually liked about Twilight because I never liked Bella. I'm not really like that big of a romance. I don't know what I liked about it.

Laura 30:27

I think a really major appeal of this book to me was kind of like the romance of being noticed. And even now, I think some of the scenes made my stomach sort of like flip with excitement. And a couple of examples would be like when Jessica says, Oh, he's never sat with anyone but his family before. Or like when Esme says to Bella, it's been a century that Edward's been alone and like he chose you. Definitely as a teenager and now as well. I always want to be picked out. Like if we're being completely transparent, like I'm always hoping to be picked out as like special or noticed or different. And I think that resonated with me so much as a teenager, like the hope that you will be seen, basically.

Eryn 31:12

I think that's a really good take. Because I like Bridget was also wondering what I saw in this book as a kid. And I think I always liked like high school slice of life stories anyway, and this was a fun change from that. The romance I was kind of into, I know I was Team Edward. But yeah, I also can't really put my finger on what it was, except maybe just the hype that we had built in our friendship group.

Laura 31:37

I was like 13, 14 when I read this. It's such a like strange and vulnerable time in your life, and you don't know who you are, and you don't know, like, you're not I was not, I don't think I'd had any sort of like boyfriends by this point in time, or nothing that could really be that was functional. And so Bella was a good insert. She was so much of nothing that it was easy to just erase everything I knew about her and kind of like make up my own story and insert myself in.

Bridget 32:05

I think for me it might be like I read a lot when I was a kid, but I feel like this was probably the first grown-up book that I'd read. And I felt like the language was so lush and new words were I know we're gonna talk about that later, but like new vocabulary, and it was just like something I'd never read before, and I think maybe it was just a like a step up from reading The Snow Pony, the Saddleback World Babysitter's Club.

Eryn 32:31

That's a really fair call as well.

Bridget 32:32

Yeah, I feel like that was my first foray into literature.

Laura 32:36

To me, like Twilight is the book, like it has the magic, like it has the biggest sparkle and like the most kind of comforting feelings of nostalgia and stuff. Like the other ones, like I forget about them. Like, there's no forget about it. But what I was getting from Twilight, I do not get from those books. Like they're a completely different story, it's a completely different tone, or like I'm getting something else from those books. But Twilight is like its own separate thing, and no book makes me feel that kind of level of coziness and comfort, and yeah, I guess just like familiarity that that Twilight does. I don't have much else to say about Bella apart from the kinds of lessons that I felt she taught me about how a woman should be. I have a few different points about this to bring up, but I think at the time reading this, if someone had said, like, oh, Twilight teaches you bad lessons about like love or like relationships or being a woman, I would have said, Oh, like it's not that serious, or I would have had no perception of that at all. Um, but coming back reading it as an adult, I found that I was really able to look at what was written on the page and be like, oh my god, I really remember that sinking in and like thinking that this was the way that it had to be. Like, like I said, I had never had a boyfriend in any sort of serious way. I'd never had any sort of like romantic interactions really. This was kind of really informing me how that was supposed to go. And so, for example, about Bella, like to be a cool, casual, accommodating kind of character that gets attention and is like able to go with the flow. She didn't like clothes, she only read the classics, she doesn't get sport, she doesn't fuss around with hair and makeup, but she cares for all the men in her life, she fusses over like everybody else, she doesn't pay attention to herself, but at the same time, she doesn't know anything about boys, she's completely like untouched by the male hand. And like at the same time, everyone's obsessed with her, and that's not achievable. Like, you can't be that person, but and you shouldn't be that person.

Eryn 34:43

No, that person sucks, yeah. But you can't like put everyone else first and yourself second, it's just nonsense, and I think it's really interesting as well that Bella doesn't want to be like Renee so bad, but she becomes exactly what she didn't want to be. Like Renee, who has run off with um her partner to go support his dreams and stuff. She does the exact same fucking thing. That's so true. Bella is exactly her mother in trying so hard to not be that person. She comes and she supports Charlie and doing everything Charlie wants to do, and then she supports Edward with everything. Like, because I think Bella thinks that she's like better than everyone else. You were absolutely right before when you said she helps people out in a really arrogant way. She thinks she's better than her mum, but she's just exactly like her mum. She's learnt nothing, she's not grown, she is just doing the same shit.

Bridget 35:39

I find the difference between academic Bella in Twilight and New Moon and Eclipse to be, I don't know, just such a difference because in Twilight she'd been in all of these advanced placement classes. By the time Eclipse comes around when she's about to graduate, she does no schoolwork and she hasn't even applied to colleges because she is just so sure of the path that her life is going to take. And I just think it's funny when you compare that with the first book, Bella. But also if you compare it to the Cullens in general, they are all so educated and they've had the time to be educated, but they're they're driven as well. The amount of things that Edward knows and Carlisle and just all of them, they're just so well versed in the world and education, and she could not care less, even though in the first one she was on top of her schoolwork. She if she found it easy, she'd done it all before, and she was she was doing well.

Eryn 36:34

And I think that's a really interesting segue to talk about the power imbalance between Bella and Edward, because I know it's a difficult thing, and I there's a lot of debate around age gaps, especially when one is an immortal and one is a teenager. I know at the time of reading it the first time I wouldn't have thought anything of it, because in my brain he's still 17. He knows so much more about the world than she does, to the point where, and I'm pretty sure it's in Eclipse, um, she says Edward knows everything. And she just blindly trusts that he knows everything and he knows what's right for her. And even though that's in Eclipse and that's two books later, she has these thoughts even in Twilight. She thinks that he is the smartest, he's the prettiest, he is the most capable person she knows, and she is nothing in comparison to that. So beyond the fact that he's already got all this power and knowledge uh over her, she actually actively gives him more power over her, and it is so crazy to read that, and that no adult in her life up to this point pulls her aside and says, Hey babe, maybe just cool it, simmer down, take a breather.

Bridget 37:53

I was having the same thoughts when I was reading it, and I was thinking it's in a clip, and Charlie was very anti-Edward and saying you can't just spend your whole life, you can't base your whole life around this person and forget your friends and forget your friends in La Push and all of those things. At the time I was like, why not? Here's her life. Yes. It makes so much sense that she is spending her whole time, like all of her time with him. What what what else would she be doing? But I think if you were a 13-year-old in 2008, it's very different than a 13-year-old in 2023.

Eryn 38:26

Oh, yeah.

Bridget 38:27

If you were 13 now, you have access to um social commentary that we didn't have access to. If we weren't getting it from our parents or from our friends, that's it. It wasn't on TV. The same things that it were in this book would have been on TV. We weren't hearing discussions or debates or anything like this. I was like, oh my god, Charlie, leave her alone. Just wants to hang out with that boyfriend.

Laura 38:51

Oh my god.

Eryn 38:52

No, that's so real though, because I remember having the same thing. I remember not even questioning him sneaking into her room and watching her sleep at night. The first time I read that, I was like, that's amazing. He's been watching her the whole time. He loves her.

Laura 39:08

I did have an interesting reaction to that reading it again. Uh I fully expected to be 100% creeped out. Um, and I didn't find it as freaky as I thought it I would. I don't know, obviously it's like a colossal invasion of privacy and trust, and it's a very invasive thing to do. But but it's it's inexcusable, but my I can't lie, like my reaction was like, uh. And I think like Laura. I think it's just like that Bella, Bella already feels like they have a relationship, like she's ready for that escalation of their relationship. I 100% agree. I know that it's wrong. I know that it's wrong. But like love.

Bridget 39:56

But you know what I think it is? Until breaking dawn, they are sexless. They have no imbuer thoughts. So in my mind, him coming to watch over her is nothing creepy because I mean, obviously, I know it is, but he would have nothing going on his in his brain other than, well, I love her.

Laura 40:15

Yeah. And she wants him to do that. She's like, I want to be perceived by you so badly, I want to be your every waking thought that it's great news for her. Not saying it's healthy, not saying it's okay. But I surprised myself. I read that part, kept reading, and then was like, oh shit. Like that that's a I should have had a bigger reaction. I think that should have been a problem.

Bridget 40:37

I think we need to put a caveat in here. We are, I think, well, I personally am very aware of most of the problems of this book, the problematic parts of this book. And we're not supporting that, but I did I do really enjoy it.

Laura 40:51

Yeah, I mean it's like what we have to repeatedly tell our two like TikTok haters is that you can still think critically about the things that you enjoy. There can be two truths that live side by side. Should we talk about Edward? I guess we've kind of touched on like how he's 17, he's been 17 for a while. And I guess just like as a starting point, um, something interesting that I read, um, apparently it's explained in like the Twilight Guide book or like the Twilight graphic novel or something. I saw a lot of reference to the Twilight Illustrated guide. So much to say about this because apparently in this she explains, no, no, no, you've all got it twisted. Vampires are frozen pretty much as they are, which is why like Rosalie's like never mellowed out after all these years because she was like so angry when she was changed into a vampire and stuff like this. And like, okay, that's interesting. With that in mind, I think it changes my read of Edward a lot. At the same time, just write the book properly. Like, you should not have to write a companion guide to make up for the mistakes that you made in your initial book. Like initial books, sir. But uh, yeah, I did surprise myself. So I read that um at some point quite early on in my rereading journey, and I was surprised reading Twilight that I found Edward to be a lot more sort of like playful and charming than I initially expected him to be. I think I'm really used to movie Edward, where he's like so in the later movies, he's so serious and like thrown up and responsible that I thought he was really cheesy and like he speaks exclusively in catchphrases like ladies' first partner or like let the chips fall where they may. Like he's so lame.

Eryn 42:41

I agree. Because in my memory, he was really like Gamada and like really depressed. And I remember Bridget would always say, Oh, Edward's so funny in Twilight, and I could never remember that he was funny. But rereading it, I'm like, he's making me chuckle. I'm chuckling, and I guess that is what endeared me to him the first time. And even again, he was endearing, like his character is probably what kept me reading because he was funny and he was charming, and it's no wonder that she falls in love with him.

Bridget 43:14

I mean, it's many wonders, but I think there's a part in the movie that in my mind, Edward is in the book. It's when Bella is washing her truck and he jumps down from the roof and she's like, Can you pretend to be human? I have neighbours, and he's like, I'm gonna take you to meet my family. And he's just so excited. He's like a boy, he's like a boy. I love that part, and I feel like that is what Edward is in my mind in Twilight. It's before everything has really gone wrong, and he's he's just like, I just love how he's asking her questions and he's he's cute.

Eryn 43:50

Poor little Edward. One of my favourite Edward scenes is when he's just being an arsehole and deliberately stops in the driveway so that guy can ask her to. Even though Tyler knows she doesn't want to go and he knows she's gonna say no and love it. Sits there and watches like a little arsehole. So funny.

Laura 44:10

I love that scene. I really enjoyed that too. And although, like, although I found him more kind of upbeat that I remember him being, I think there's still a lot more red flags or a lot of red flags that were more evident, or perhaps evident for the first time to me. Um, and so I think Edward and Twilight is skating on thin ice. Like, I I think, like, for example, his temper is such a known fact in this. Like, I think it's when they're in the car after he saved her from those dudes in Port Angeles, and he's like, I have a problem with my temper, Bella. Like, if I was alone in a car with a guy I'd never really hung out with before and he said that, I would shit my pants. I'd be so scared.

Eryn 44:55

Yeah, after what she just went through, like feeling like you've been saved from that, to then be in a close quarters with someone who is equally as unhinged.

Bridget 45:04

But I think it just really um shows the personal lack thereof personality of Bella because when he says, like, if you don't keep talking, then I'm gonna turn around and kill them. It would be so cringy to have someone talk to you like that, even if you had literally like you were this close to being assaulted or whatever. The way he acted was so embarrassing. I would be so embarrassed for him, like to my core. I'd be thinking, you are a freak.

Eryn 45:28

Let me out. She doesn't even know he's a vampire yet. So she doesn't even know that he can kill them.

Bridget 45:33

No, he's just this fucking. We're gonna go beat him up, beat them up.

Eryn 45:37

Bindling white boy. He's gonna go back and beat them. In your Volvo is like, oh, it was fucking like Ralph Lauren polos.

Bridget 45:46

Like, I want to talk about that later, but I the Volvo. I wanted to talk about it. Because I remember reading it and I was like, oh wow. I didn't really know what a Volvo was because no one I no one really has Volvos where we live. And I remember saying to my mum, like, I really like Volvos. And she was like, Bridget, that is so embarrassing. Volvos are for old people, like they are so boring.

Laura 46:12

And I mean, checks out. Yeah. I would say like it checks out in another way as well, because at least I've noticed that like private school boys in certain suburbs of Brisbane, as their first car, will get a shiny little black Volvo. Oh and I think it's like the most yuppie, like young guy kind of car. And I think that's perfect for Edward.

Eryn 46:33

On brand. Something else that I think is on brand for Edward is that he's so pretentious about his taste in music. They both are. Oh, it's just it's painful. It's so painful, but it's so like 17-year-old boy like thinks he knows the most about music ever. Like, shut up.

Laura 46:56

I do remember when I was like clacking away on the keyboard at my grandma's computer. The desktop. Yeah. Chunky, chunky keyboard. Family computer. And I came across some tidbits from Stephanie Meyer, and one was the CD that is playing in the car when Edward and Bella are like, you like this? And she's like, I like this.

Bridget 47:18

And I think it was the one that was in her CD player.

Laura 47:20

Yeah. I read that Stephanie Meyer said it was Lincoln Park. And I was absolutely devastated. Oh my god, I didn't know this.

Bridget 47:29

We'll get into it more later, because there's way more. There's way more than just Lincoln Park. But it is incredible.

Laura 47:34

Also, one more thing about slightly music adjacent, but the way that Bella always describes Edward as having a musical voice. I there's so many descriptions in this that make absolutely zero sense. And I always know what she's trying to convey, but like when you think about them, it's just pure insanity. And one of those was the musical voice, and it always, always, always makes me think of Mr. G in some hot time, and he's like, ah me too.

Bridget 48:04

I love how he's just always quietly singing to himself. And she thinks it's so hot. And I'm like, he is a oh, get him away.

Eryn 48:12

The constant crooked smiles, chuckles. My yeah, the one that grosses me out every time is all the talk about his breath on her. She loves to smell.

Bridget 48:24

She would have no, he would have no scent. He's a stone.

Eryn 48:27

It's so gross. I think it's a disgusting thing to be so focused on all the time. And I couldn't remember if it was in this law or if it's just vampire lore generally, that like vampires can compel people with their like eyes or with their mouth or whatever.

Bridget 48:44

Everything about me invites you in.

Eryn 48:46

Yeah, so I kept thinking that it kept being brought up because he was compelling her, but that never happened. And all those scenes that were like he stared at me really intently. I was like, oh, maybe he's trying to compel her, but he can't because he can't read her um her thoughts. But that didn't happen either. And I was like, where have I got this idea that he's trying to convince her the whole time and he can't? But maybe it's just because she focuses so much on these really fucking weird things, like the smell of his breath and his really intense stare. Like, if a dude is staring at me that intensely that I notice it every time, I'm gonna be like, Whoa, schools, take a step back. Starting on the rest of the Cullens, I remember the first time I read this book, and I don't know, I feel like I've probably taught Bridget this, but I never pronounced Carlisle in my head. He was Carlisle, of course. And uh even reading it now, my brain is telling me his name is Carlisle because Carlisle is spelt with a Y.

Bridget 49:54

One of my friends did the same. She watched the movie and she was like, wait, yes, who dad? Carlisle, it's Carlisle.

Eryn 50:00

I think you guys were talking about Carlisle, and I was like, wait, which one's Carlisle? But I really like Carlisle. I really like Carlisle, I think he's a great character and a good like guiding force for the Cullens. I actually have no beef with Carlisle's character, and I like the scene where he like explains his history and how he came to be. And I think that's a really good scene. Me too. I think he is one of the best fleshed-out characters when he talks about like the pits of his loneliness and his desperation and how much he just wanted a friend, but he would only make a friend when he had no other choice. Like, you can understand all his motives so clearly. But equally, he had all these morals then, but he sees Edward doing all this fucked up shit and gives him no guidance. It's just like, yeah, well.

Bridget 50:53

One of my favorite theories about Carlisle is something I saw on TikTok a few months ago. I think it was when we first sort of cemented plans. So her name is Sarah Elizabeth underscore talks on TikTok. And she was sort of bantering with the people in the comment section and sort of came to the joke that, or the theory that Carlisle is responsible for the Titanic.

Laura 51:17

Tell me more.

Bridget 51:18

Because he was just having a swim in the ocean, he was just relaxing, and he felt so bad because he couldn't save everybody in the water, and that's why he makes the rest of the Cullens and the Hails go to the funerals all the time. I love that theory so much. It's so funny. How does he call it to sink?

Eryn 51:37

So he was the eye.

Bridget 51:38

He's the ice read into him. Oh god. Yeah, I love it. In his backstory, he was the son of the vampire hunter, or who was he? Yeah.

Eryn 51:46

What was he? He was the son of a top church dog.

Bridget 51:50

Oh, yeah, church dog.

Eryn 51:51

Yeah. I don't know what the role was, but he was like a pastor or something.

Bridget 51:55

Yeah, and he was in charge of reading the town of vampires or whatever. And so Carlisle escaped into the sewer system or hid in the sewer system while he was changing. Something that Stephanie Meyer is really proud of is the fact that she is not into research. She's just not really that keen on research. And so she placed um Carlisle in the London sewer system, I think, in the 1600s. It wasn't invented until the 1800s. Just there's so many things, but I just I love that she just doesn't give a shit. And she's like, I'm just gonna do whatever I want. And especially with their backstories, there's so many things we could talk about, but so funny.

Laura 52:29

I would say Carlisle is probably the only other character that I've or probably the only character that is like truly interesting in this book. And I do agree, he's fleshed out, and I cracked up when I read the story that was the chapter that was really his story, because I honestly had no memory of that. I think I used to skip it all the time. But the like reading it as an adult, I was like, this is fascinating. Like, what a compelling man. Why don't you? He is a real square, he's so boring.

Eryn 52:57

No, what a good doctor. Oh my god, he's watching every day. No, but I agree. I really liked Carlisle's chapter. And I think broadly I like that Stephanie Meyer does give the characters like a chapter of their own in the various books. Uh, it's good to know their backstory. Personally, I'm an Emmett girly, though, so I want to be a good one. I knew you would be an Emmett girly.

Bridget 53:22

I knew because you're a Cassian girly as well, and they are the same.

Eryn 53:25

No, I'm an Azreel girly. Well, they're the same.

Bridget 53:26

Yeah. Cassian and Azreel are the same as Emmett.

Eryn 53:29

No, they're not.

Bridget 53:30

They are the same as Emmett. They follow the same recipe, they have the same fans.

Eryn 53:36

Well, I think Jasper's a fucking loser. They're all losers.

Laura 53:39

Emmett is a loser. Why are they still in high school? Yes. They're all losers.

Eryn 53:44

Agree, agree, agree. I just think Emmett's a funny character. He's always just making like snide remarks.

Bridget 53:50

I think he's funny because the fans online make him funnier than he is. The same as Cassian and Azreel. The jokes that they say about him that aren't like canon are funnier to me than Emmett in the books or in the movies. But I do love in the movies when he's walking around with a bag of eggs.

Laura 54:08

Iconic. That's exactly what I was sort of trying to articulate before about Bella. It's like the external activity that the fans make up, like the backstories, the jokes, the like context they give to whatever's being shown on screen or on the page. Like it's so much richer than like actually what we're working with. And I can't tell you how many times I've rewritten this book in my head or like rewritten a scene to suit how I think it should have been. Because I do think it's like it they have potential to be interesting characters, and it's such a weird dynamic. And I like the vampires in this story, and I like the events that unfold in the most part, but are they done justice? I don't believe so.

Eryn 54:53

Obviously, there's a lot of criticism that the vampires in these books don't stick to traditional vampire lore. They sparkle and all the other shit. I don't really care about whether they sparkle or not. I'm interested to see something different and seeing them live a normal human life, even though they're not human is interesting to me. Um, like seeing the bedrooms and stuff like that, seeing how they live.

Laura 55:17

Talking about the sparkling, because that was like such a particular point of like outrage for so many people. Like very much don't sparkle, like so many men and teenage boys. So many people hated that. Um, they felt, I guess, like emasculated by like these mythical beasts that they all like circle jerk about could sparkle or be like appealing to women. I don't know. They hated it. But I have to say, like, I also pictured the sparkling in a completely different way to how it unfolded in the movie. I was kind of picturing the sparkling as almost like unbearable to look at. Like, you know, like mythical, biblically accurate angel kind of sparkling, like terrifying to behold, kind of thing, almost. Like you could just see the shape of a person and almost like them in shadow, but the sparkling was like really intense in my mind. And so when they made it like really pretty, like soft glitter, I was kind of like, oh I see why people would be like Edward's whole thing was like, oh, it signifies that we're not human, like we're unnatural. And like, yeah, for sure. If I saw someone sparkling, like probably in 2006 when I didn't know about highlighter, I would have been like, ah, but I don't think that signifies not human to me, but if beams of light were like refracting off their body, I for sure I'd be scared. I'd be a bit alarmed. I just think they'd have that like that spray, the glitter spray.

Bridget 56:46

Yeah. You know the cool girls in primary school when they'd have the glitter spray?

Laura 56:50

Yeah.

Eryn 56:51

I would love to talk about Charlie. I love Charlie. I think Charlie is just doing his best. He's been on his own. A bit that I remember being sad about the first time and really sad about again this time is when she uses what Renee said before she left to make him let her go again. That's so mean and so sad. She could have yeah. She could have said literally anything else. Like she wanted to hurt him. And like she never really makes it up to him. Like, I would love to s have seen a scene where she's like, Look, I really didn't mean it. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have used that against you like that. I just really feel for him. And like Renee was so mean to him as well. Like, obviously, I get why she would choose to leave, and she should leave if that's what she wants to do. But he just wants to stay in his little town and live his little simple life, and people using that against him is so mean.

Bridget 57:48

I saw a lot of criticism online of Charlie about how Bella is a parentified child or something. I think that was a term that was used. I don't think that's fair for Charlie because Renee has made Bella that way, and Bella has come in and just assumed the role of caretaker.

Eryn 58:05

Yep.

Bridget 58:05

He's a grown man, he can cook his own dinner, but she has been. Exactly. And she's decided that he can't, and she's doing the washing, she's cooking him his boring marinated steak and fish and whatever else she planned three weeks in advance. But I just think he is where Bella gets her placidness, plainness, whatever shyness from. I think they really are the same person, and I don't think that Bella ever appreciates how easy he makes her life. He's happy to let her stay in her in her room and just live her life.

Eryn 58:39

He does what he thinks he can to accommodate her, and then he basically lives his life like she's not really joined him because she doesn't want him around.

Bridget 58:49

Yeah.

Eryn 58:49

So he just keeps living like he has never had her around. Except now he gets dinner made for him. And when she's not there to not make him dinner, he's just ordering pizzas anyway. Like he doesn't know what to do with a child that doesn't need guidance. And so you see it a bit more in the other books when he starts to step up and parent a bit more because he can see that despite what he thought and what Bella thinks, she does need guidance, and he does try a lot more in the other books that we'll talk about.

Bridget 59:16

Something I thought when I was reading it this time is I don't know why it was necessary for Bella to move to Forks. She's basically an adult. Well, she's living as an adult with this big baby as her mother. I don't know why she couldn't just stay in the house.

Laura 59:31

But it also makes no sense to me why Bella liked Phoenix anyway. She doesn't like shopping and she doesn't go anywhere with friends. She says she doesn't do sports, she's not tanned, uh, she doesn't play volleyball as a big chip on her shoulder. And she's not blonde, so I will say as well, something that stuck with me all the time was that first line after the prologue about like I wore my favorite shirt, white eyelet lace, drove to the airport with the windows rolled down. That is like imprinted in my brain. Imprinted. And I should we talk about the fashion because I really, really want to talk about the fashion.

Eryn 1:00:11

Yeah. Because she dresses exclusively in like maroon blouses and corduroy pants. Khaki.

Bridget 1:00:19

So I've got a list of a few of my favourite outfits, and that one is on the first of the first one. So she's got um her sleeveless white eyelet lace shirt that she wears, and then she's got a parka to carry on with her to the plane. I mean, I would say that the 2000s weren't the height of fashion. No. The clothes that I wore as a child should not be immortalized in a book. But I feel like if you're writing a book, you can choose to dress your character well. Stephanie Meyer did the opposite, and I think she put her in the most ugly wardrobe that has ever been written in a book. But I think the best one was when she went to meet Edward's family for the first time. Special occasion and she wore a dark blue blouse that Edward had once commented on, I think, and it was like, I think it was described as a v-neck. Oh yuck. Paired with a long khaki skirt. And that that is just the picture in my mind that is so inescapable. I don't I don't even have anything to say about it because I think long khaki skirt, blue sweater shirt, it just explains.

Laura 1:01:27

Edward wears a lot of chinos, a lot of V-necks, there's so much. Han leather jackets, so much corduroy, and yeah, absolutely that that khaki skirt lives on in memoriam forever.

Bridget 1:01:40

And he describes her as utterly indecent in that outfit. He says that Bella is utterly indecent in a blue sweater and a long khaki skirt. Well, it's I think it's the collarbones. He's obsessed with her collarbones. But speaking of Edward, he's no better. When they went to the meadow, they were actually matching in their clothes. So they were both wearing a white sleeveless button down.

Eryn 1:02:08

Yeah, that's right. Oh my god.

Bridget 1:02:11

I think I think a tan sweater and blue jeans, I think. When they were in the meadow, they'd both taken off their sweaters. Oh my god. Edward had his white sleeveless button down unbuttoned. They were in the meadow and he was wearing his shirt as a vest.

Eryn 1:02:29

Oh my god.

Bridget 1:02:29

It had no sleeves! I know.

Eryn 1:02:32

Oh my god. Like he's an 80s rocker. It's so bad. Amazing.

Laura 1:02:37

I totally forgot. I did make a note about that because I I really couldn't wrap my head around it. I was like, is she saying sleeveless but meaning short sleeve? Because surely this man's not out here with his arms on display. You know what they say? Sun's out, guns out.

Eryn 1:02:54

I think when I read it, I autocorrect.

Bridget 1:02:56

I changed it to just something less offensive than whatever Stephanie Meyer chose to dress her characters in.

Eryn 1:03:03

I also just don't really know slash understand why we care what they're wearing all the time.

Bridget 1:03:09

I think it's just something easy for someone who doesn't really know how to write. Describe the weather, describe the clothes. Done.

Laura 1:03:16

Job done. Job done. I think I found a lot more enjoyment in the friendship group at Forks than I expected to. Also, they may as well have not been in the book at all. Because Bella is so callous and does not give a shit about them. Like the second she gets a crumb of attention from Edward. And they were set up to be fun and interesting, and I like their dynamic and I like the character of Jessica. I actually will say I was disappointed that for the most part I can't escape the movie casting. And for most of these characters, I was imagining like Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, blah blah blah, like the Cullens. I didn't have any imagination to picture them, and that saddened me because I don't really agree with those casting choices, especially for the Cullins. But the high school kids, they were perfect, and I was so happy to imagine them. Like Anna Kendrick as Jessica was perfect. That guy as Mike, perfect. Like I I loved them and I was happy to imagine that.

Bridget 1:04:11

I think in the movies they did a great job at expanding their role, and they just seem so natural. And I loved the scenes in the movie where when Bella and Edward are in line for the lunch, and when Edward like cheesily picks like drops the apple and he kicks it up and he holds it. But I love looking at the friends in that scene because they're at their table and they're just all staring. And they're all like, What is going on?

Eryn 1:04:34

Because it that's what you would do. I read a very interesting comment on Goodreads earlier about how everyone says that Edward is the baddie, but really Bella is the bad one because she makes these friends who go out of their way to include her in their friendship group. She's got these two guys who are interested in her, but in her monol internal monologue, she describes them both as really unattractive and she only cares about Edward because he's super attractive, and so um Bella's the villain for being shallow and not having the hots for Mike andor Eric andor Tyler. Um I agree. Because they're not hot. She's definitely shallow, yeah.

Laura 1:05:16

She is so obsessed with how beautiful Edward is, and she is so obsessed with the fact that she doesn't feel they're on equal footing. Um, and I really think you ought to address that, Bella, before you progress with this relationship. I really don't think becoming a vampire is the solution to your self-esteem issue. I think it might be therapy.

Eryn 1:05:36

Time to go to therapy.

Laura 1:05:37

Or a little bit of time. Stop being 17.

Eryn 1:05:41

The only thing I have to say about Stephanie Meyer is it blew my mind when picking these books up, I realized her name is spelt with all ease. There's no A in it.

Laura 1:05:51

And it is because her dad's name was Stephen.

Bridget 1:05:55

Ah. Which really uh excuse. Explains a lot. All of the characters in Twilight are named after people in her family.

Laura 1:06:04

Kind of on that same point, like going through, there were those little scenes that I remember that made me like so giddy inside as a kid. Like I remember the scene where Edward's like, I'm gonna have to tamper with your memory. And I remember being like, Oh my god! And they're kissing, and Bella's like almost blacking out, like once again, so humiliating to read. But reading that this time around was so horrible, and like it's just the fact that this is written about school-aged children. And like I know you've said they're completely sexless, but I still don't want to be reading that, and I just don't understand like what is lost by having these people be in high school. The same story can unfold. Like, there's still the urgency, like Bella can still feel urgency to be the same age as Edward and not get left behind, but she doesn't have to be 17. Procreating and making these terrible, untake backable what is the word life-altering.

Bridget 1:07:07

Yeah, decisions. That is I've actually never thought of that, but you are 100% correct. They could have been in at college.

Laura 1:07:13

It's weird that she wrote that. It's weird that she inserted herself into this story as an adult and named the characters after her children and had them do these things. Like, I know it's not super explicit, but it's just not quite right.

Bridget 1:07:28

There's also a lot of commentary online about her treatment of the indigenous people within the book and even Laurent.

Eryn 1:07:35

Yes. Laurent's not black in the book. No. He's described as dark though. And what's interesting as well is one of the bad guys, when she's about to be abused in the alleyway, is also described as dark. Yes. And then in New Moon, she's retconded, and he is described as having dark hair. But in Twilight, they're both described as dark.

Bridget 1:07:59

But she really doubled down. So in the illustrated guide, she went into full detail about how when someone is changed into a vampire, the venom leeches the pigment from their skin. And so she was saying there is no way that any there can be any people of colour in this book. And the director Catherine Hardwick, I think, in an interview in 2018, she came out and she said that she fought really hard to try to have a diverse cast. And Stephanie Meyer basically refused.

Laura 1:08:29

With the concession that the character Laurent, a bad guy, could be played by a person of colour. Just crazy. Insane, like when you put it like that, because you are repeatedly told throughout this book that the vampires are perfect, like they are the peak human form. Like they are the most ideal visual state you would ever want to be in. And I guess that puts in your mind that perfection equals white.

Bridget 1:08:59

But what is worse, she actually uses those words. In the illustrated guide, she actually says they are traditionally considered well, they are beautiful because of the whiteness of their skin.

Laura 1:09:10

Oh my god, Stephanie, no.

Eryn 1:09:13

Girly. I'm glad you're not writing books anymore. Oh my god.

Bridget 1:09:19

I actually have the quote. So this is in the Illustrated Guide to Twilight. The common factor of beauty among vampires is mostly due to this crystalline skin. The perfect smoothness, gloss, and even colour of the skin give the illusion of a flawless face. The skin reacts differently to light, creating an angular effect that heightens the perception of beauty. Additionally, the stone-like firmness of the vampire body creates a look similar to muscle, making any size human appear more fit as a vampire. Like humans, vampires are drawn to beauty. When choosing a human for the transformation process, vampires are as likely as humans to be motivated by a beautiful face and body. This is under the pallor section. Pale vampire skin is a product of vampire venom's transformative process. The venom leeches all pigment from the skin as it changes the human skin into the more indestructible vampire form. Regardless of original ethnicity, a vampire's skin will be exceptionally pale. The hue varies slightly, with darker skinned humans having a barely discernible olive tone to their vampire skin, but the light shade remains the same. All forms of skin pigmentation, freckles, moles, birthmarks, age marks, scars, and tattoos disappear during the transformation.

Laura 1:10:31

Oh shit. Stephanie. I think as well, another thing is hotness equals thinness as well, is repeatedly driven home in this, like they're waiflike or they're lean.

Bridget 1:10:43

She even goes so far as to m mention the weight of Bella. She's 110 pounds, which I think is like 40 something kilos. And that was always in my head as oh, that's that's like that must be like the weight you need to be.

Laura 1:10:58

Me too. That's 17. I'm glad you brought that up because when I read it in the book, I was like, I wonder how much that is, and I'm pretty sure it's like 47 kilos.

Bridget 1:11:06

And that has always been in my head as the the weight that you should be. Yeah.

Laura 1:11:11

That's what's a child's weight. Yeah. Yeah.

Eryn 1:11:14

Yeah. How is it possible that there are no fat vampires? Like you could absolutely be a fat vampire.

Bridget 1:11:22

So you are changed into your optimal self. I would assume if you're going through Stephanie Meyer's logic, then your body mass or weight or whatever, muscles, I guess, would be changed as well. I have no words. I mean, this is just the tip of the iceberg with her, but it's I feel like there's more discussions to be had in the in the later books.

Laura 1:11:44

And yeah, I guess it brings up another thing, like I've kind of touched on at like In Defense of Twilight, you know, like I think we sort of see this with books, maybe like Colleen Hoover books at the moment. There's the argument that like any book is a good book as long as it gets you reading. And to a point, like for sure I agree, but going back to what I said earlier, I was, you know, 13, 14 when I read this, and so many of the things in this it was my first experience of these topics or themes, and so therefore it was a lesson. And I think one thing I really took away from this was that love equals sacrifice or love equals anger, or possibly even like love equals being saved, love equals control. And I don't think there is ever like really a healthy love on display in Twilight. And I, yeah, just really think that Stephanie needs to get that checked because it's not, it's not right. Like, there's not anything about love being comfort or love being safety, yeah. Not in the way that it should mean. Like, there's love is protection, it's it's not a safe, safe space. Well, like love is patient, love is kind, there's none of that. She's constantly on edge around Edward. She doesn't want to make him angry, she doesn't want to make him upset. They're not having these conversations with one another.

Eryn 1:13:11

It's interesting your comments, Laura, on how there is no relationship in this book that is a good depiction of a good relationship or a a happy, healthy relationship. It's interesting because we're made to believe that Carlisle and Esme have a relationship like that. But we don't see it, and if they do have it, we don't see them expressing that to Edward or Bella on how they should maybe be making changes or what they could do to go towards that happy and healthy relationship. Like, much like we talked about before how no adults were stepping in, even the adults who were in the know on like the reality of the situation weren't stepping in. And it's really bizarre to think that Edward put Carlisle and Esme on this pedestal of being what he is striving for, and even they aren't guiding them, like no one is guiding anybody on how they should be behaving in this thing. And I wonder, like, is Stephanie Meyer okay? Is this a call for help? Like, what does her relationship look like? That every relationship in this book is fucked up.

Laura 1:14:25

So one thing I saw mentioned quite a few times in reviews for Twilight was this phrase purple prose, which was something I'd never heard of, but I looked it up and I would say, like, yes, Stephanie Meyer absolutely writes purple prose. According to Good Company Lit, purple prose is overly embellished language that serves little meaningful purpose in a piece. It's characterized by strings of multi-syllabic words, run-on sentences, and blocks of unyielding text. And they have an example which honestly reads like it could be from Twilight. It says the mahogany-haired adolescent girl glanced fleetingly at her rugged paramour, a crystalline sparkle in her eyes as she gazed happily upon his countenance. A hundred percent. Spot on, right? Like that's exactly Twilight. And typically I don't enjoy this kind of writing. In fact, I actively dislike this kind of writing. With Twilight, like, you know, it went on a bit. I enjoyed it in this book, I think purely because of nostalgia. Uh, but one one thing that I do have to give Twilight or Stephanie Meyer credit for is teaching me a hell of a lot of words. And I wrote a short list of words that I remember reading in this book and having to look up in the dictionary. And it was just so funny that as I read it again, I I remembered this was the place I learned that. So some examples would be Chagrin, ochre, irrevocable, masochist, unequivocally, omnipresent, verbose, and permeable agree with all of them. Yeah.

Bridget 1:15:58

Yeah.

Laura 1:15:59

I also didn't know what heroin was, so I had to Google that. Um, probably a bit dodgy, uh, probably on like a school computer.

Eryn 1:16:05

Googling Harem and Masochist seems dangerous.

Laura 1:16:08

And then I was really confused about was when Edward says, let the chips fall where they may. Because one, what a lame thing to say. And two, I didn't know about gambling, and so I was like, are we talking like Hot Smith's originals? Like something. Like, why are they not yum? Or like I had absolutely no idea, so I was really perplexed.

Bridget 1:16:33

I really enjoy reading things about Stephanie Meyer. I was having a great time last night, just screenshotting all this stuff, but we like I talked about before about how she doesn't research anything, and it's evident in like a lot of parts. So Alice was receiving electroshock therapy before it was invented. Uh, Rosalie, her father was a wealthy banker in the 1930s.

Eryn 1:16:54

In the middle of the Great Depression.

Bridget 1:16:56

Just things like that. I also enjoy hearing about her writing process. Like, she always says, like, I can't condense, I write too much. And it's like, yeah, we know you know about and so she never tried a hand screenwriting, she said, because she had a hard time condensing her ideas and it's too painful for her to make the necessary cuts. Like, she is so connected to her story, which I guess is nice, you know, whatever. But she said she was crying, like anytime Bella was in any pain, she would cry. Don't think that she should be writing these things if they like are physically hurting her and emotionally hurting her. And also, like, she said that when they're adapting the book to the movie, whenever they cut a line or even a word, she said, it's like cutting off your fingers.

Eryn 1:17:41

And Bella makes so much more sense now.

Bridget 1:17:44

And she so she finished it in 2003. It says here she wrote to the end chronologically, not worrying about the backstory. Again. Yeah.

Eryn 1:17:53

Really?

Bridget 1:17:53

Sure. The last chapter of the first draft kept getting longer and longer, so she just kept writing epilogues. Like, I just think she had no idea about how a book is structured, and she was just writing words.

Eryn 1:18:05

Her self-insert, yeah, thick.

Bridget 1:18:07

And she was just like like writing like epilogue after epilogue. She wanted to make backstories instead of a sequel, and then when she decided she'd write a sequel, she said she like freaked out a bit. She was on with her epilogues, multiple hundred-page epilogues, and she quickly realized she wasn't ready to start writing about Bella and Edward. And she originally started writing a sequel called Forever Dawn, uh, which was uh skipped over Bella's final year of high school. So she was going straight to Breaking Dawn, I think. But then she um wanted the next book to be aimed at a similar audience, so she started writing New Moon.

Eryn 1:18:42

She wanted to keep milking that cash cow.

Bridget 1:18:44

Yeah, well, that's another thing I want to talk about because she wrote the short second life of Brie Tanner, which is a character in the clips.

Laura 1:18:52

She wrote a gender Yeah, she's one of the newborns.

Bridget 1:18:55

Yeah. She also wrote Life and Death Reimagined, which is a gender-bent retelling of Twilight. And they're called like Bo. Um have it here. She's not great with the name. There are two sides to every story. You know Bella and Edward. Now get to know Bo and Edith. So Edith is a vampire. When Beaufoot Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets a mysterious, alluring Edith Cullen, his life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. It's the same book, just with different names. I'm I've read it, it sucks.

Laura 1:19:28

She used the like find and replace function in Word. Definitely.

Bridget 1:19:32

And then also like Midnight Sun, which was leaked. I remember reading Midnight Sun when it was leaked.

Laura 1:19:37

Were you saying that she considered skipping through to like breaking dawn really just makes me yearn for what could have been? Because like as we progressed through the timeline of these books, like shit happens fast. Like, as we've seen, Twilight takes place over less than five months or five months-ish. And like, once again, I I just don't understand why it has to move that fast. I don't understand what's lost through slowing down a little bit. And it's something that we battled with um actually in our red, white, and royal blue episode. Um, we said that the text and emails were a little bit too much like instant gratification, and we wanted some yearning. We thought maybe some letters um could be a good option, and people were really like resistant to this, and the key like feedback that we had was that the book would take too long, which I think is really interesting because creative writing exists and books don't take place in real time. Even if Twilight had a throwaway line that was like the next few weeks passed by in a blur, we spent days at Edward's house and like relaxing in the meadow, these months were like the happiest of my life. I would be like wildflowers blooming and die. Like, thank God, like the passage of time. This seems like they're getting to know each other. I may not see it on the page, but I know it's happening. I it would be less alarming to me. And I'd be way more on board, I reckon.

Eryn 1:21:01

See, what I think is interesting is the time frame of the book, everything happens in a short amount of time, but the actual action of the book takes a really long time. The pacing problems are twofold in this story. It is both a really short amount of time in character, but it takes forever for anything to happen that makes you think that sitting through the story was worthwhile. And I think part of why it feels like it takes so long is because Bella and Edward are constantly just moaning on about nonsense. Edward's always like, I want to kill you. And she's like, Oh, I'm so sorry you feel like killing me. That must be so hard for you. Can we all just like get our shit together? Do something, do literally anything other than mope about and whine. Like, we get it. You're Starcross lovers, we get it.

Laura 1:22:00

It is shocking that the events take place over such a short period of time because it feels like it takes place over a long time. And like, what is it about the book in particular that makes it drag on in that way? Like we were saying it's so easy to read, but at the same time, something about it is like so hard to choke back.

Eryn 1:22:20

Yes, and I think part of the problem is the purple prose, which we touched on before. But it's because so much time is spent on these mundane conversations.

Laura 1:22:31

Erin, I was thinking of you when I was reading this book as well, because I think like super early on, um, page 20, apparently, Edward looks at Bella with coal black eyes. And I've watched enough Supernatural that I know that that shit is not on. And I immediately like, if I saw that, I would be like, get the salt, like goddamn, get salmon dean out here. We need to perform an exorcism. This man is not right. Like I would be so scared. And I think if I went to that high school, I'd be so scared of the Cullins in general. Like they're up to some freaky shit, they should not be coupled up in such an obvious way. Yeah, I would be scared.

Eryn 1:23:08

Even that alone is so cooked that everyone was like, oh, they're adopted siblings. Oh, they're also together. That's fine.

Bridget 1:23:18

I think this is a good segue into a discussion about who is to blame for the continued risk of Bella and Edward's relationship because I think on the surface it's really easy to just put the blame on Edward because obviously he is dangerous and a vampire. He's a killer, he's a killer, he's a killer. But Bella is is somewhat responsible as well. She knows what she's getting herself into, she puts herself into these positions, she sacrifices herself so often. She just does the opposite of what she should do every single time.

Eryn 1:23:49

I'm putting the blame firmly on Carlisle. Like he is the only one who knows all the things and is letting the whole thing happen. Bella is so desperate to keep this one crumb of goodness or perceived goodness that she's doing whatever she needs to do. The adults aren't paying attention, and Carlisle, as the only person knowing, should be intervening and saying, like, this is pretty risky. Bella, you don't know the consequences of what you're like signing up for here.

Laura 1:24:20

I don't really even know the firm answer to that. I think, yeah, like you said, it is easy to say Edward because he could kill her, she could not kill him. He's the one that wants to drink her blood, she's just a girl with the crush, and she is absolutely relentless. But it is like incredibly manipulative, like the way that he presents her with the facts and the options that she has. He claims he can't read her mind, he can't figure her out, but it should be so obvious which way she's going to sway. Like, she wants to be with you, and he's out here being like, I hope that you'd get bored of me or whatever. But at the same time, he's out here like love-bombing her, like obsessively spending time with her. She is relentless, but at the same time, did she ever have an option to be any other way?

Eryn 1:25:08

She never stood a chance. Like, Edward is, even though he's 117, he's like textbook teenage boy. The manipulation that's happening, even when he's like, I hope you get sick of me, that in itself is manipulative. Because what else can she say? But I'll never get sick of you. And she, it's one of those self-fulfilling prophecies. You say it so much it becomes true. Whether or not he knows he's being manipulative, it's up for debate, I think, but he is such a like toxic teenage boy, such a toxic first relationship, like just leading her on, gaslighting her, manipulating her, obsessing, love bombing. It's just it's fucked.

Laura 1:25:50

She has never had a boyfriend, and also she's almost never had a friend. She will accept anything that's given to her, it seems.

Bridget 1:25:58

You could say the same thing about him, too. He doesn't have any friends outside of his family. That is. And he's never had any relationship or interest in anyone else. I think you're right, Erin. It's Carlisle. Yep. Yeah.

Laura 1:26:09

That's such a good observation.

Bridget 1:26:11

What I wanted to talk about with the music is something I remember very clearly from when I was reading the book is going on to Stephanie Meyer's blog a lot. And so she would blog like her life depended on it. I loved it. So one of the things I really remember is Stephanie Meyer made her own soundtracks. And she made some choices. I made playlists of these songs, of course, got them off Limewire, and I down and put them on a C went them onto a CD. Loved them. Twilight was probably the best one. I think it went downhill from there. But she had a really like eclectic, not even eclectic, a really weird taste in music. Just who I pictured her, it didn't really fit. So we've talked about how um Bella and Edward bonded over their love of Lincoln Park.

Eryn 1:26:56

I just, I can't fathom that.

Bridget 1:26:58

What album was it meant to be? I'm not sure, but there are there is Lincoln Park on these playlists, so maybe that'll give you a bit of a hint. We start with the inspired choice. Why does it always rain on me? Yeah, that's the first song.

Eryn 1:27:19

Wait, isn't there a lyric in there that's like, is it because I lied when I was 17? Oh my god.

Bridget 1:27:26

Number two, we go to creep by Radiohead. And I think I have problems with Radiohead, and I've I've come to the realization it's because of this. This is why I don't like Radiohead.

Eryn 1:27:35

That song is so Edward. I'm a weirdo.

Bridget 1:27:38

So we also have Coldplay, another band I have problems with. It all makes sense. Which song? In my place.

Eryn 1:27:44

I love that song. I'll hear no slander about in my place.

Bridget 1:27:47

Number four, banger. I'm not okay, I promise. Oh, yeah. But then we have Lincoln Park makes their first appearance with you, reanimation remix, and then both. By myself is number six. So then we have uh Dreaming, OMD. I don't know that song. Please Forgive Me, David Grey. Nine, Here With Me, Dido. Number 10.

Eryn 1:28:15

Oh, Here With Me is a good song.

Bridget 1:28:17

Time is Running Out Muse. This is when the Muse first comes in. Number 11, Tremble for My Beloved, Collective Soul. Number 12, Dreams, the Cranberries. And then 13, Lullaby, Goodnight, My Angel, Billy Joel.

Eryn 1:28:28

It's just a weird mix of songs. Those are some crazy songs. If I remember correctly, and I was just looking up the album, I'm pretty sure the Lincoln Park song mentioned is really like almost Screamo vibes. And it's hard to imagine Edward, like in his Volvo, in his Ralph Lauren, like bopping his head in that white boy way with no rhythm, being like, yes. It does have a lot of anxious, though. God, I wish that we could see what he looked like in like, I don't know, the the 90s or the 80s, like going to punk shows or something as like the biggest dweeby poser. We should get AI to do it. That's a good idea. And then that tied in with the fact that Edward is always humming. Like, God, I'm is he humming? I'm not okay, I promise. That's something like aggressively humming.

Laura 1:29:23

I really, really wanted to talk about that because that was my note on the music as well, to do with him humming, and Bella always said, like, he's humming my lullaby. With the context of the movie in mind, I was just picturing her closing her eyes, trying to go to sleep. He's behind her, like in her ear, like you know, there's another really great part.

Bridget 1:29:52

I don't have the exact quote, but I just remember it a little bit. Um Edward and Alice are together playing something on the piano. Alice is singing, I I it's either two or three octaves higher than the melody.

Laura 1:30:07

Oh my god, oh my god. So many examples of this, like the Volvo, like, does Stephanie and Meyer know anything about cars? Does Stephanie Meyer know anything about music? Fashion. Fashion.

Eryn 1:30:22

I feel like there's so much we haven't even touched on.

Bridget 1:30:25

Well, we've barely talked about the plot, but honestly, what plot? There is no.

Eryn 1:30:29

Well, we've talked about the fact that there is no plot. Or like the one-liners, the whole conversation about heroin should be, I cannot begin to do that.

Bridget 1:30:38

I remember putting that as my MSN like message. Incredible. And then somebody was like, what does that even mean? And I was like, you wouldn't get it.

Eryn 1:30:47

I think I would have put um the do I dazzle you as my I like that line.

Laura 1:30:52

I probably would have put um and so the lion fell in love with the land.

Eryn 1:30:56

That does seem like your vibes too. I think that's a good note to end it on with our Emerson statuses. The Emerson statuses were. Should we do fave characters? It's Edward. It's Ed.

Laura 1:31:09

Edward.

Bridget 1:31:10

I love Edward.

Eryn 1:31:10

I'll go with Edward. Edward's very funny in this one. Is it little shit Bridget? Lit. It's lit. I don't know. Erin. I'll say it's lit.

Bridget 1:31:24

Under duress.

Eryn 1:31:26

Under duress. I I don't know that I think it's lit. And I I think I've had, to be frank, I've had a lot more fun talking about it than I had reading it. I had such a great time. So I think on that basis it's lit because it's been fun to talk about, but I don't know that I could slash will ever read it again. Wow. Can't relate.

Bridget 1:31:50

About three things we are absolutely positive. First, this is the end of the episode. Second, you could follow us at talklit.gethit on Instagram and TikTok to stay on the same page as us. And third, we are unconditionally and irrevocably in love with you all.