Twilight Tonight!

Technically, Twilight doesn't premiere in theatres until tomorrow, but since I have my hot ticket to the midnight show, I'm pretending today is the day.

Since reading Stephanie Meyer's four-part series in August (thanks to Jenn and Arielle), I have to admit that my obsession has waned slightly. For a good 2.5 weeks, I lived, breathed, and dreamed Edward Cullen. Not only did I complete the 2,000+ pages of the Twilight saga in a mere four days (hey, at least I was being unproductive with literature and not Facebook), but I followed up my speed-reading by downloading 20 or so songs fellow fans suggested were Twilight-like, bought and listened to the Twilight audio tape, and watched the trailer for the movie so many times I memorized it.

Why was I so intrigued? I wasn't a vampire enthusiast. I'd never been to Forks, WA. Romance novels were sooo not my thing. But Meyer is an excellent story-teller. She created characters readers can't help but empathize with--we are willing to fight for them and we are invested in their happiness. These, as well as Meyer's ease in portraying Edward as both super sexy and sensitive, are the reasons so many have fallen in love with Mr. Cullen, as well as the series itself.

I couldn't get enough and wished the movie wasn't over four months away. Then, Harry Potter's release date shifted to summer, pulling Twilight up a whole month. Victory! Then, Midnight Sun (Twilight from Edward's POV--OMG) was leaked on the Internet and Meyer said she wasn't going to release it at all. Boooo....

As the semester started, I was able to read other things (notably Janet Fitch's White Oleander and her far underrated Paint It Black, as well as Different Seasons, Stephen King's short story collection). I started a new project, a move inspired by Meyer's story-telling, but very different thematically. I began to fall out of obsession with Edward, which was probably for the best.

Though, at midnight, I may just revert back into my Twilight love affair. While the trailers for the movie are getting progressively awkward and cheesy, I predict I will see the movie no less than three times. If anything, I am excited to see this book on the big screen. It's rare for literature to ignite such fever and I hope the film does Meyer's creation justice.