Why ‘Twilight’ shouldn’t be read
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In this month’s Word Play column, our critic Sonja Bolle argues that the saga of Bella and Edward in Stephenie Meyers’ ‘Twilight’ series is best kept away from pre-teen’s eyes. Why? In part, Bolle explains:
Parents who haven’t perused the “Twilight” books may have heard that the series is all about sexual restraint and consider that it conveys “a good message.” … But just because the lovers don’t have sex in the first three books doesn’t make the story appropriate for younger kids; inherent in the pleasure of restraint is the longing for sex. And that’s just the first three books.
Bolle is hardly playing the role of contrarian: When she wrote about the series a year ago, she enjoyed the story and Meyers’ approach to the almost star-crossed lovers. And yet, she argues that there are reasons why young children should wait. What do you think? Should ‘Twilight’ and its sibling volumes be kept from the hands of, say, 10- and 11-year-olds? We await your thoughts.
— Nick Owchar
Photo credit: Tobias Hase/EPA