Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, #3) in Easley Library Bookworms

Sep 20, 2009 Werner rated it it was amazing

Shelves: supernatural-fiction, books-i-own

Note, Feb. 13, 2016: I just edited this review to correct a minor typo.

Continuing her high-quality storytelling here, Meyer advances the unified plot of her series in this installment. In particular, the ongoing threat posed by the vengeful vampire Victoria finally comes to a head here, which will mean a larger degree of vampire (and werewolf) climactic action than what's found in the first two series installments, and the author skillfully builds the tension as it mounts toward that point. And Note, Feb. 13, 2016: I just edited this review to correct a minor typo.

Continuing her high-quality storytelling here, Meyer advances the unified plot of her series in this installment. In particular, the ongoing threat posed by the vengeful vampire Victoria finally comes to a head here, which will mean a larger degree of vampire (and werewolf) climactic action than what's found in the first two series installments, and the author skillfully builds the tension as it mounts toward that point. And the strange triangular relationship of Bella, Edward and Jacob will turn a decisive corner with this book, and not without a painful gain in self- understanding on Bella's part.

One of my Goodreads friends faults Bella sternly for hurting both Edward and Jacob through much of this book, as a result of her refusal to make a clean break with the latter when Edward returns at the end of New Moon. Bella, of course, also comes to fault herself bitterly. But both Jacob and Edward recognize their own mistakes and culpability in the situation, too; and in fact all three are harder on themselves than I am on them, as a reader. Part of Meyer's achievement here is making the attitudes, perceptions and attitudes of all three completely understandable and psychologically true to life, and allowing them to come across as essentially decent people in a painful situation that doesn't offer ANY options that are perfect. That's not a rosy, cheery story; but it's a story that's enormously emotionally compelling and empathetic, which engages our attention and our sympathy --a story that's, in Thomas Hardy's phrase, "worth telling." The supernatural elements of vampirism and lycanthropy add color and texture, but the human drama and dilemmas (and in that sense, Meyer's vampires and werewolves are as human as you and I are) are the core of the story, as they are in all good fiction regardless of genre.

Strongly drawn secondary characters add to the appeal of this series. Here, we get to know Rosalie and Jasper, and their grim back histories, better than before. And, of course, you've gotta love Alice! :-) Here, also, Meyer uses Alice to suggest a (convincingly plausible, within the assumptions of the series) explanation for a point that had perplexed me, and probably other readers: why Bella is immune to some vampiric special powers, but not to others. Twilight detractors fault Edward here for controlling behavior towards Bella, stemming from his overprotective attitude; but far from condoning and encouraging this, as some of these critics imply, Meyer has Bella bucking and defying this at one point, and him finally recognizing that he was out of line and changing his tack --which sends a very different and more positive message than the author usually gets credit for! ...more

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