I wonder what these people said that when they read OF HUMAN BONDAGE, by Somerset Maugham? I have a feeling that these folks don't spend a lot of time reading great literature and they obviously don't want you to do so either.
Posted on 08/09/2008 12:41:57 PM PDT by wagglebee
A little over a week ago, the literary world was lauding novelist Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon stay-at-home mother, as the new J.K. Rowling amid the excitement surrounding the release of the fourth instalment in her "Twilight" teen fiction series, "Breaking Dawn."
Today, the bestselling book is the subject of a backlash that's prompted a group in the United States to organize a "return your book" protest.
On Amazon's U.S. website, a group of readers, led by a one-time bookstore employee, is urging former fans to return their copies of "Breaking Dawn" in order to deprive Meyer of royalties.
Employees of the Borders bookstore chain in the U.S. have reported that some copies are being returned by indignant readers. A representative of the Chapters-Indigo chain in Canada, where the book sold 100,000 copies last weekend, could not immediately be reached for comment yesterday.
"Seriously, folks -- don't burn your copies of the book, return them," wrote the protest organizer, nicknamed Baby Strange, on Amazon.com. "I think Meyer's fans would send a much more powerful message if, instead of a book-burning tour, they staged a book-returning tour."
What's the beef for readers? Some are complaining about Meyer's portrayal of her heroine, Bella, as being disturbingly desperate to hold on to her new husband, Edward the vampire. Others are taking issue with the book's focus on Bella's unexpected but post-marital teen pregnancy, while still others see an off-putting anti-abortion message in "Breaking Dawn."
About half of the Canadian readers weighing in on Amazon's Canuck website aren't happy with Bella's behaviour and the turn of events in "Breaking Dawn."
"Not only is this girl seriously melodramatic and clumsy, she's the most weak-willed and pathetic character ever written," wrote a 28-year-old Canadian fan named Claire R.
"She has said numerous times that she would simply 'die' if Edward ever left her. It's like her entire life revolves around him. What are you trying to tell young women, Ms. Meyer . . . don't girls have enough self-esteem problems already? Should they really be reading books about a girl who has no life outside of her boyfriend, a girl who readily admits that she would die if he were to ever leave her?"
Another Canadian reader, Annette from Vancouver, said she hated the way "Breaking Dawn" focuses on Bella's pregnancy.
"I think most readers would have settled for maybe a surprise pregnancy at the end (or something to that effect if Meyer really wanted a baby in this story), but the fact that it swallowed the whole plot just plain sucks," she wrote. "I was extremely disappointed with the fourth book. I want my money back."
Book industry observers say Meyer's entire "Twilight" series owes much of its success to its avid online following of young female readers, and many of the complaints about "Breaking Dawn" can be found on blogs and websites.
Some readers are taking issue with the anti-abortion allegory in "Breaking Dawn," an unsurprising element considering Meyer has described herself as "really, really religious."
And this is undoubtedly the real opposition.
Pro-Life Ping
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the moral absolutes ping list.
FreeRepublic moral absolutes keyword search
Just shows how brainwashed teens are nowadays. (Exceptions are those that are home schooled and have a good relationship with their church).
LDS Ping
I don’t know anything about the series—but it’s the #1 on Amazon right now, with almost 2 thousand reviews.
Bring it on, wimps!! Let’s go out and buy the books in droves!
Pro-life message of not, these books seem to be awfully creepy fare that I wouldn’t let my daughter near. And no, I don’t mean creepy as in “It has a vampire in it and vampires are creepy.”
I mean as in relationship creepy:
http://thepoint.breakpoint.org/2008/07/twilight-the-ol.html
Not so fast...see the link in post 8.
That fact I was not aware of.
‘”Seriously, folks — don’t burn your copies of the book...”’
That pretty much captures the mind set of the Left here and on similar matters dealing with freedom of expression.
Sieg Heil,Baby Strange!
I’ve never heard of them before...
What is it you object to ???
I could post a website decrying the creepiness of Woody Woodpecker and get people to believe it.
My 17 year-old daughter read the previous books in the series and is almost finished with this one.
She is a deeply committed Christian who helps lead praise and worship at our church. She has a real aversion to things “on the dark side” and surprising wisdom for someone so young — far far far more than her daddy had at that age.
We can strain at this gnat all day, while real evil runs roughshod over our youth culture.
Thanks for that great link. I have no desire to read the series. In general I am disturbed at the popularity of taking what has usually been thought as evil and making it seductive (yeah I know vampires are not real) but there is a deeper message here. We are in this society being asked to accept as viable and affirming choices that those before us had no problem identifying as poison to the soul. If no one thinks teen, children or adult fiction does not play an important role in this they are very naive (sp).
Gotta say, too many modern women are pitifully delicate and downright batty, despite unceasing self serving talk about being independent and having strong self esteem.
In my experience female liberals fall in line very quickly - just reassure them that their right to abortion will always be there (no matter how aged and rancid her sex parts might me), and assure them that their government cheese will be there if the provider in their lives ever wises up and busts out on the next laundry truck.
It’s just for that reason I can’t feel sorry for Elizabeth Edwards - she goes along to get along. If she has no dignity, why should I treat her with dignity?
I wonder what these people said that when they read OF HUMAN BONDAGE, by Somerset Maugham? I have a feeling that these folks don't spend a lot of time reading great literature and they obviously don't want you to do so either.
So that's what happened to Hillary!
I posted the link so y’all could see a review from someone who’s read it. I haven’t, but unless The Point and the folks they cite are liars, this book is bizarrely creepy.
LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.