The teenage fantasy novel Twilight by Stephenie Meyer has recently come into the spotlight for being rated as the worst book of all times by reader’s votes on Goodreads, according to Parade. Twilight has been one of the biggest bestsellers in the industry by selling off more than 160 million copies globally. While remaining a blockbuster, the rating reflects public sentiments on how it did not age well and its polarizing content.
The unmatched popularity
Originally published in 2005, Twilight quickly became a cultural sensation. The plot revolves around Bella, a teenager who encounters a 170- year old vampire, Edward Cullen in her high school and falls in love with him. It is a blend of romance, thriller and fantasy and the teenage drama resonated strongly with the readers, particularly teenagers.
The novel went off to become a huge success and was followed by sequels like New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn- Part 1 and Breaking Dawn- Part 2. The book’s success was unmatchable. It defined an era of teenager sensibility and became an inspiration for similar fantasy romances of that time.
The popularity was enjoyed by the Silver-screen adaptation of the novel, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner. The franchise succeeded immensely on the box office and defined the popularity of its celebrity cast.
The criticism
However, the book has always been the subject of criticism due to its character dynamics, writing style and plotline. The famous horror writer Stephen King criticized Twilight in an interview with “The Guardian” saying the book is “really not about vampires and werewolves. They’re about how the love of a girl can turn a bad boy good." He went on to call the series “tweenager porn” and insisted that he read the book but “felt no urge to go on with her”.
{{/usCountry}}However, the book has always been the subject of criticism due to its character dynamics, writing style and plotline. The famous horror writer Stephen King criticized Twilight in an interview with “The Guardian” saying the book is “really not about vampires and werewolves. They’re about how the love of a girl can turn a bad boy good." He went on to call the series “tweenager porn” and insisted that he read the book but “felt no urge to go on with her”.
{{/usCountry}}Despite its tremendous success, the book has always been a subject of criticism which has now become a part of its legacy. With the recent developments in the books ratings, it is further proved that some works stand at the crossroads of opinions and continue to be in limelight for years to come.