Okay, I admit it. I am a 33 year-old attorney and I've read all the Twilight books...twice. I saw the first movie (though I did wait for it to come out on DVD before I relented) and I will probably see the second. I do not consider myself a TwiHard, though I do get a little gooey watching New Moon previews featuring Jacob (yes, I know he is only 17...but, really...whooo boy...). I consider them escapist literature...no better or worse than the smutty romance novels, chick lit, or courtroom thrillers that I also read. They are books. They have encouraged millions of people to read and discuss books. I refuse to believe that that can be a bad thing.

GrayGirl, I think we all have our own routes to escapism. I'm a sucker for books about baseball, even if they're poorly written (not to mention the hours wasted in front of the TV watching games -- a habit I'm trying to break.)

Ok so can I just say I was one of those girl at the theaters last night for the 1245am yes am showing for new moon! It was AMAZING it was perfect in everyway and made u want to re read all the books again. I am so pleased that directes were changed. For those who didnt like twlight the movie as much as you would have liked please give new moon a chance I promise you will not leave the theaters unhappy!

Your books are the best. i really wish you could come to our school with tne movie star Taylor (Jacob).Our school is in Champaign,iL at franklin Middle School if you can come. Pleasa mention my name when you come to the assemble. And if i could goet your atagraph that would be great. Your bigest fan ! Love your books.

hi i have idea stephie for your new book it could be called sun seting it could be asome pleas write back

I am a late 50's mother of 2, grandmother of 4. I loved the Twilight Saga and just finished my second read-through. Loved it even more the second time around. I read too fast the first time!! My two daughters-in-law and their sisters-in-law were all fans and encouraged (begged!) me to read it. I was obsessed, I have to say. I have seen the Twilight movie twice, and will be going to see New Moon with my daughter-in-law soon. Thank you Stephanie Meyer for writing books with very little bad language, selfless love, and real romance without debasing or cheapening the characters. Bless you.

After seeing New Moon, I am so sad that the beautiful love story and Stephenie’s brilliant development of these characters may now be irretrievably lost in the cinema portrayal of these books.

The Twilight crew did a fantastic job of casting for these movies. Without a perfect Edward the movies could not be successful. Robert Pattinson nailed the role and brought Edward to life in the same way the character appeals to readers of the books. Kristen Stewart was also a perfect choice for Bella and was very good at being true to the character portrayed in the books, “at least in Twilight, that is.” I feel so sad for them, the other characters, and of course we fans for what New Moon may have done to the Twilight series.

The only good thing about this movie was the development of Jake’s character (which was much too long if that is what caused the script writers or whomever to so severely limit the “Edward and Bella” scenes so crucial to the storyline), the wolves, and the Volturi scene. We understand that developing Jake’s character was a necessary part of the storyline, but Edward was to be brought back into the story in a huge way with all the suspense and exciting anticipation of their renewed relationship. THAT was what got the readers through his absence in the New Moon book and kept the readers anxious to read the next book.

Stephenie, where were you?

Where was the scene when Edward and Bella arrived back at her house after the Volturi drama and Edward was carrying her in his arms to the house -- the heart-wrenching moment when Charlie told him to get his hands off of her, that he had his nerve being there; Bella so exhausted and trying to hold on because she was afraid Edward would go away again. His eyes so black because he had suffered and not fed in so long. The meaningful, insightful (and at times funny) dialogue you wrote between them when she woke up and found him still there, when he questioned her and asked if she could forgive him and still love him – the moments that actually led up to the “Vote” (the drama of that event was certainly lost); Charlie’s harsh words when he came into her room about not wanting her to see Edward anymore. That storyline is lost forever to the moviegoers who have not read the books and devastatingly disappointing to we fans who did not get to see it come to life.

Does it make any sense to you, Stephenie, as you developed Edward, for him to casually discuss the decision as to when Bella would become immortal directly after the pitiful scene when poor Jacob turns into a wolf and then runs off into the woods after being rebuked by Bella, and then of all things, like, oh, by the way, how about we just get married – a scene that should have taken place in the intimate setting it was intended – in Bella’s room after Edward and Bella came back from the Volturi and after the “vote” – when it actually had some depth and meaning. It was so unnecessary and unfair to Bella’s character to make her look like a callous little fickle teen by telling Jacob she loved him, with Edward standing nearby, an expression that should not have even been made until THE NEXT BOOK!!

BUT what happened to Kristen in New Moon, is she bored with the character? Her acting in New Moon was so disappointing I can hardly talk about it. I don’t know whether it was her fault or the director’s. She talked in pre-interviews about how hard it was on her to do the departure scene but that devastation did not project to the screen, neither in the forest or in the scenes of her sitting in the chair in her bedroom – how about a little thing like some gut-wrenching tears, even a few tears would have been nice. And, please, when she came out of the water, spit out a few drops of water and then had the same nonchalant expression she showed throughout most of the movie. And do you know how exciting it was for the readers, after Edward’s long absence, when Bella screams stop and demands that Jake take her back because she sees Carlisle’s car. Also, a very moving movie trailer showed Jake asking Bella to stay, for him, and then the movie has him asking her from Alice’s driver’s side of the car – who came up with that?

And the scene when Bella ran into Edward to stop him from stepping into the light and Edward’s realization that she was not dead – that should have been so thrilling and it fell kind of flat – not the actors’ fault by any means but apparently the director and screenwriter. Then Edward turned his back and followed Jane leaving Bella following behind him – what the heck was that?

The wolves were brilliantly done, as was the Volturi fight between Edward and Felix. But it all appeared hurried through. The wolf scene with Laurent could have been so dramatic and thrilling but all of a sudden it just cut away to another scene – and did so at the cost of the integrity and impact of the scene. You have to make a decision here, either you’re going to make a kid movie or you’re going to make a movie that appeals to teen-agers and adults. And the cut from the drama of the Volturi scene immediately to Bella laying in her bed and then just allowing a few minutes discussion with Edward was a huge letdown and excruciatingly disappointing.

It appears throughout most of the movie that the director, screen writer, or whomever, set up a bunch of scenes and threw them together without any meaningful lead-ins. (And what’s with the wardrobe -- with the exception of the Volturi scenes, Rob must have filmed all his scenes in one day wearing the same outfit.)

New Moon soundtrack – what music? I guess I’ll have to buy the CD to hear the music because the music in this movie was painfully missing. The only memorable moment was Thom Yorke during the Victoria scene and that was awesome but that was just one scene. The music in Twilight (including, but of course not limited to, Pattinson’s own vocals) was a major part of the movie’s success. The music in New Moon was so far in the background it was nonexistent. And the typical background “suspense” music played to hype some of the more dramatic scenes sounded like something that was recycled from about a hundred different drama movies over the past 20 years. Then, the silence as Bella sprinted the last several yards to stop Edward –

I have watched the Twilight movie at least five different times and I don’t even know if I can bear to watch New Moon a second time because it saddens me for the lost opportunity. But, who am I kidding, I will watch it again because I love the story and the characters and the actors portraying them – I will just look forward hopefully to Eclipse.

New Moon was amazing!! The part where he runs and turns into a wolf. That part gave me goosebumps. The ending was defintally a cliff hanger. The cast is great. If theres gonna be diffrent people to play Eclipes and Breaking Dawn i will be very disapointed. I dont think the director of this movie was as good as the last.

Oh Gracie thank you for your comments -I do so agree - I am not a teenager but a professional women in my fifties who picked up these books for something to read on a long flight to New Zealand and cannot pout them down 12months later ( neither can my married daughter or my equally professional friends) thinking that the original movie despite fantastic casting and portrayals left out so much we all went along to the opening night showing of New Moon - and enjoyed it up to Volterra - as you so rightly say - the bit we had been waiting for e.g. all through the movie/book - the amazing tummy tingling renewal between Edward and Bella and WHAT happened? two lines of dialogue and then that ending which had the audiance here in the UK gasping aloud ( not as usual thing in England) clearly many had not read the books and so thought it was Ok BUT for those of us that had we were left stunned and upset - also have they done something different to the vampire contact lenses? poor Rob seemed to be having problems with his eyes in the too brief times that we saw him. PLEASE PLEASE Stephanie make sure that in (too my mind) the most wonderful chapter in all the books 'Compromise' in Eclipse is treated as you wrote it and not allow this crucial third book to become an action only movie.

Jilly, you summed it all up in the last sentence of your comments. Although, admittedly, I am anxiously awaiting all the intense conflicts in Eclipse and the hopefully gruesome scene between Edward and Victoria, hopefully the screenwriter and director can strike a balance.

I share your plea that the Compromise chapter remain intact. I cannot even put in words how incredible I think Stephenie is in her ability to write the dialogue that describes the feelings of these characters that brings them to life so vividly in our minds.

I also appreciate the way Stephenie so cleverly sets up her scenarios. That is why I DO NOT understand why the screenwriter or whomever takes the wonderful words she writes, takes them out of sequence and throws bits and pieces of them into the movie. I realize you can’t put the entire book in the movie, but this is where I think Stephenie must get more involved.

By the way, I too am a professional woman, having worked as a paralegal for more years than I wish to state. I have a twin sister who is as fascinated with the Twilight series as I am and it’s good to know that other adults share our enthusiasm (although I already knew that as my co-workers, like me, all read the books one right after the other and are on repeated readings.)

Chris Weitz has done an awesome job in staying true to the story. That being said, I could not help missing Bella and Edward’s reunion the way it was in the book. Also their flight back to Forks, Charlie’s confrontation scene and the conversation Bella and Edward had that led to her moments of epiphany! I know that for my sister and me as twihards this was disappointing, and for some others who have not read the book it did not feel much like the girl got answers that she deserved after going thru all the heart break… Or even worse, it seemed like there were not too many questions in her head to begin with- I am not sure what kind of image that would paint of Bella for the audience who meet her for the first time?! It felt, well, really unrealistic. Even for a fictional world! Let’s not forget that Stephanie Meyer’s vision of realistic reactions of characters to the events and, their human emotions were things that have made her work such a success and have had so many people become interested in the fictional world of vampires and werewolves. I would prefer that the time used on squeezing the borrowed marriage proposal from Eclipse into the last scene, to have been granted to the couple for working out some of their issues and to helping her heal first! I also think more music would have been nice. Except for these minor points, I think the movie was excellent! Chris Weitz is now my favorite director: I think he is gifted, so talented... many thanks to him, the cast and the creator of Twilight world, Stephanie Meyer.

I feel bad. I saw the movie. I don't get it . BUT ALL my daughters do . so maybe there is hope for me.. But what the h... I didn't even like the Wizard of Oz, Pinnochio, Bambi , Saving Private Ryan, Any one see a trend here???v

Please bring back Kathrine to direct. New Moon was not as good as Twilight.

Gracie: YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON, GIRL! I was sitting in the theater with a pack of tissues ready to cry my eyes out during the infamous leaving scenes. I cried for days while reading the book--so I knew what to expect! While it was poignant and set up the outcome of the movie, I agree... where was the emotion? Kristen may have been afraid to let it all out, but she should have taken the risk. Bella didn't just walk around, fall to the ground and hug herself... she wailed! She was comatose for months! Where was that drama? That's what the readers and true fans of the literature that is Twilight are eager to see! The movie Twilight did a great job of setting up scenes, but told little of the background. New Moon was even worse about it. If you hadn't read the books, you wouldn't have known what was going on in the background. Maybe New Moon should've been made into 2 movies; one during the absense of Edward and one in Italy and beyond. If Harry Potter can be hugely successful with 7 books and movies, what makes Summit think Twilight won't be as well? I hope as the directors, Stephenie and the producers of the Eclipse and any movies beyond are in the planning stages they will consider blowing us away with the drama! We want to FEEL the ache while watching the movie the same we do while reading the books.

I don't think it's Rob or Kristen, but the writer and director who are limiting the movie. They need to get in touch with their audience and write what we want to see. These movies could be award winning if they followed the books more closely. I'm no screen writer, but I could do better than New Moon. This said, I absolutely love Edward and Bella and the ongoing pursuit of love and happiness, while going thru the trials of their lives. Every girl wants to be loved, cherrished and adored like Edward does Bella. EVERY girl.

I loved New Moon, just a little bit of a let down with the missing gut wrenching scenese I was expecting.

im a 12 year old boy waiting for my mom to finish the 3rd book so i can read it
can't wait!!

I am seriously disappointed. I read the book and felt like the movie was a huge let down. These writers and producers should have read the book so they could get it right!!!

It was so good to read your message, Kim. I have never gotten into a blog site before and if I had it to do over again would have given my writing more thought and toned it down. I know it’s very silly but I worried all day that Kristen would see my blog and be offended. I cannot even imagine anyone playing the role of Bella as well as Kristen – she is Bella, as Rob is Edward. I was just soooo disappointed about the omissions. Then in the movie when Charlie came in and told Bella she was grounded and the people in my theater laughed, that was it for me and I began to worry about the direction the movies were moving.

I have read the twilight series about 4 or 5 times each and I am in love with it. the story keeps you on your toes.

Fan,
I am not a huge fan of fictional love stories/vampire books I mostly read nonfiction until now, let just say I cannot get enough of the Twilight series. I have read the series twice and I am reading the series again to hold me over until the next movie. I started reading the books out of curiosity because my daughter was so obsessed with the book and that concerned me so, I decided to read the first chapter, the second chapter and the rest is history I am hooked. Thank you Stephanie Meyers for such a wonderful book and providing an opportunity to escape this reality to a more enjoyable, chaotic love triangle. I know, it sounds crazy but fans I know you understand.

I really agree with a lot of what Alice Walsh said. There were a lot of missed opportunities, the most dissapointing being the very rushed scene at the end in Bella's bedroom. I also disliked the way Edward and Bella had that intimate scene in Volterra just after she pushes him out of the sunlight. The whole point is that they have no time to discuss or explain anything and that the reader is heart broken that Bella still believes that Edward doesnt want her until the beautiful conversation they have in Bella's room when they get home. Ahhhhh! Yea, I'm freaking out at how dissappointed I was with Edward's portrayal. He was almost made out to be the bad guy and Jake as the all shiny golden boy. Edward really isn't that depressed in the books. Also, during what there is of the intimate bedroom scene at the end, Edward says something along the lines of how Bella better be able to forgive him because he doesnt know how he can live without her. I'm sorry, but this is just not Edward's personality. He asks her if she did move on as he meant her to and tells her that he would not contest that decision. This is a heartbreakingly beautiful line which shows utter selflessness in Edward's love for Bella. IN the film's attempt at this, it almost seems that Edward is playing off Bella's guilt. He's basically telling her that if she can't forgive him, he's going to have to go and kill himself or something because he doesn't know how to live without her. Am I the only one who thinks this is an absolute shambles and awful depiction of Edward's beautiful and selfless personality.

However, enough of what was wrong with the film. Other than these minor (well actually fairy substantial) issues, I thought the film was truely beautiful. The acting was far better than in Twilight (perhaps the actors were just given better lines?). There was a lot more humour in this which was great (apart from the lift scene with the opera music playing in Volterra which was kind of funny but killed the mood a little for me). I thought Mike and Jessica were fabulous and Alice was much better in New Moon. I also thought the general cinematography was much better than in Twilight, though that is probably because of the incredible budget increase. The CGI was truely stunning and I loved how the NEW MOON title is unveiled by the moon at the beginning to the beautiful version of 'The meadow' music played in strings with pauses between each phrase. It was mesmerising and definately beat the display of the TWILIGHT title which just appears infront of a view of a mountain. I also loved how the film deviated very little from the book (other than those mentioned above) and i recognised many quotes from the book.

I actually love the music from this soundtrack. If you get a chance to listen to the soundtrack, you really should. And the lyrics are beutiful - especially Lyki Lee's 'Possibility' which is playing while the camera spins around Bella sitting in the chair as the months of loneliness pass by. I do however think they could have much more use of the music. It was very much in the background and had i not hear the soundtrack previous to my watching the film and was thus listening out for it, it would probably passed by me unnoticed - a terrible shame for such beautiful pieces.

Overall, I loved this film so much more than Twilight. Although Twilight was great, It felt very amature whereas New Moon felt much more like a proffessional film. And Edward has incredible suits! (and shoes)

No, Rachael, you are certainly not the only one disappointed about the distortion of Edward’s true personality at the end of the movie. I am so hopeful that in Eclipse, after Edward goes a little over the top and disables Bella’s vehicle and then has her held “hostage” while he is away hunting, that the movie will include the whole scene with Edward when she wakes up in his bed. If they include that scene as Stephenie wrote it, the audience will be gasping for air plus it sets up the goodness and selflessness of Edward for the rest of the book. I notice there are some web sites that ask what you would like to see in Eclipse, although I would imagine the script is set in stone by now. Do you think anyone reads these blogs other than the fans?

Actually, I just want to see every aspect of Edward -- strong and decisive, angry, happy, kind, sweet, vulnerable, tender, and sexy, and then I want to see him rip Victoria apart with finesse and with all the blood and gore that goes with it and then turn around and look like the lethal vampire he claims to be for just that moment.

At the risk of sounding mental based on Gracie’s (my) previous blogs, my sister and I went to see New Moon for the second time and the most amazing thing happened. It was like we were seeing a completely different movie. The movie flowed beautifully and we had missed so many exciting and emotional cues in the first viewing that we just sat there in the theater in awe (the only ones left by this time), looked at each other with peace in our hearts, laughed and said, “what’s that stupid Gracie know anyway.” The scene where Bella pushed Edward out of the sunlight - Edward looked so pitiful and Bella so bewildered by what he was saying, it was beautiful, and for heaven’s sake, Edward still had a hold of Bella’s hand when he turned to follow Jane down the alley – get a grip, Gracie. Anyway, we rationalized that what happened was that being so in tune with the book’s version, it was not the movie “jumping from scene to scene without any lead-ins” but it was our minds jumping from chapter to chapter as we watched the movie with such anticipation that we could not see the forest for the trees so to speak. It was like, okay, we’ve seen this part and now we’re already moving on to the next and oh my gosh, they included this but they left this out, and this part should have been here instead of there and, well, you know the rest.

Although many people have expressed that New Moon was one of their least favorite books because of Edward’s long absence, it was actually one of my favorites (if I have a favorite as I loved them all) due to the thrilling circumstances of his return and the following chapters in the book. Jake’s character is such a necessary element to the excitement of the story, and you leave New Moon thinking, okay, Jake’s a fun and great guy but what kind of residual impact is this going to have on our Edward and his relationship with Bella and off you go to the next book with great anticipation.

I digress, sorry. In any event, although I still wish they could have extended the movie another 30 minutes and included so much more of the dialogue Stephenie wrote between Edward and Bella upon their return from Volturi, I believe that Melissa Rosenberg did in fact include, as she stated, “most of the key emotional stepping stones” leading us to the next saga. I can hardly wait to see Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

By the way, I sure hope some of the rumors I’ve heard that Breaking Dawn may not be produced are not true. It would be so mean to deprive us of the finale in all its glory.

After watching Twilight countless times, I went in to see New Moon all excited - but was terribly disppointed with the way it turned out. Granted, NM the book wasn't my favorite, but I felt that the film lacked the wow! moments that the first film had.

Granted, NM had some cool scenes- but totally disappointed me, esp. during the last 15-20 minutes. I loved the reunion scene of Edward and Bella in the book - the moments when they were on the plane, on the car (w/ Rosalie apologizing to Bella), then to Charlie's house. No scene in NM topped the super romantic tender moment of Twilight's Prom Scene - where Edward & Bella dance and kiss. Chris Weitz could have made Edward & Bella's reunion so sweet and tender (and tension-filled), but why oh why did he miss out on that one? Or, why oh why did Melissa Rosenberg miss out on that one? Or, why oh why did Stephenie Meyer didn't fight for those scenes?

The scene with Victoria (while Hearing Damage was playing) was awesome, the wolves transformation was awesome, but I felt that some characters were not given their "moment" - while they were delivering their dialogue, the camera didn't focus on them.So it was like duh. what did he say?! Demetri, Alec, Heidi didn't stand a chance, and even the wolves needed individual shining moments.

And the music. How come Satellite Heart was cut off - and in mono? How come several songs started playing, then stopped?! How come I didn't really hear The Meadow by Alexandre Desplat?! Bah! twilight had many super cool music that made the film really stand out.

There was something about the first Twilight film that made me watch it 7 times on the big screen (which busted my budget). Why is NM a letdown (for me, at least?)

I have seen New Moon three times and I agree with mostly everyone. There were so many missed opportunities to show Edward and Bella's eternal love. I missed their reconciliation. Especially while they're in the Volterri's waiting room and Edward caressing and holding Bella but never kissing her on the lips. As well as the plane ride home, Charlie's confrontation with Edward. Edward asking Bella if she has moved on and Bella letting Charlie know that Edward and her are a package deal.

Having said this, however, I thought it was a great movie much better than Twilight. New Moon at least followed the book and you did get the story. In Twilight there were scenes that were never ever in the book such as the Butt Crack Santa and Charlie and Bella always at the restaurant. Where did that come from? A big part of Twilight was Bella's cooking which to me showed that she was a caregiver and more of an adult than even the adults around her.

I did come out disappointed on my first viewing of New Moon because I felt cheated out of my favorite book scenes however my second viewing was so much better. I caught those same scenes that I missed from the book but in different settings. For example Bella telling Edward that it doesn't make sense for him to love her because she is just a human, instead of this scene being in her bedroom they were in Volterra.

The third time around I noticed the music. I don't understand how anyone can say that it was horrible, it was great, again much better than Twilight. The songs are in the perfect settings and are the perfect lyrics for each scene. I agree they are in the background most of the time but this isn't a music video, it's a movie. Some of these songs were supposed to be playing on the radio, they are supposed to be music that the characters are listening to such as Satellite Heart and Friends.

I believe everyone who has only seen the movie once should go back again to see everything that was missed the first time. It’s not a movie that can only be seen once.

I can't wait for Eclipse to come out and hope that they recapture Edward's and Bella's romance and don't just focus on the battle scenes.

When Breaking Dawn is made I hope that Summitt can think more of the fans and make it into two movies or even three so that they capture everything about Edward and Bella's love and that they don't just trivialize it into just a teenage love story because this is not a teenage love story.

Iam a middle aged mother of two teenagers (and a successful professional) who can't get enough of the intensity of Bella and Edward's relationship. I've read the books and seen the movies countless times. And I've cried in the same places every time. There is something so compelling about the recurrent themes of love, loss and return. Bravo Stephanie Meyer. Bravo Melissa Rosenberg. Bravo Catherine Hardwicke. Bravo Chris Weitz. But, most importantly, Bravo Rob and Kristen - I wish you both in real life the unparalleled love of Bella and Edward.

Kenneth Turan wrote in a review of New Moon in the Los Angeles Times that the movie suffered as a result of the long absence of Edward, stating: “Constrained by the plot of the novel, the film keeps the two lovers apart for quite a spell, robbing the project of the crazy-in-love energy that made ‘Twilight,’ the first entry in the series, such a guilty pleasure.” The sad thing is that the novel itself provided that energy upon Edward and Bella’s return from the Volturi but someone edited most of it out or diluted its impact by throwing bits and pieces of it into different scenes. All you have to do is give Pattinson Edward’s words as Stephenie wrote them and he will deliver in spades.

Thank you, Niene, for the Kenneth Turan review of New Moon which says it all in few words.

I'm a 52-year-old electrical engineer who does not enjoy science fiction books. Twilight on the other hand has me thinking this has really happened so I love the series!

I found Twilight the movie one day in our house, somebody had bought it, and put it on wondering what this movie was about and without reading the review on the back. I had never heard of Stephanie Meyer's books (I live in Norway).

The movie is the best I've ever seen and the music really captures the eerie mood of the story. Then I discovered there were books so I could find out what happened to Edward and Bella, which made me read them way too fast.

When I read the books or watch the Twilight movie, I think I'm watching a true story that's how well they are written/directed and that's what makes them so fascinating to me. What a story!

I love the idea that Edward, who lost his family and his own life to the Spanish flu, and is alone for so many years, then falls desperately in love with Bella and discovers that a lot of his humanity is still intact and finds the happiness he deserves.

Bella's story is fascinating and she is so brave, chosing to stay with Edward after she discovers he is a vampire.

No one would want to see their daughter chose a vampire, but how could they let Edward be alone for the rest of eternity?

Rita
Norway