Stephen King "blasts" Twilight author, Stephanie Meyers

[mjkacmom]

I for one cannot stand to read Stephen King. He may be a good "writer" but he is NOT a good storyteller!!! I could never understand why he would go on and on for three pages about the color of the wallpaper! Who cares! Instead of paying so much attention to the little details why not actually write an interesting story that doesn't fizzle out halfway through and make no sense by the end. More than the "writing" persay, I like a good story and I think Stephenie Meyer tells a good story!

I guess it is all a matter off taste! I am 32 and loved Stephenie Meyers Twilight series and The Host!

I think the quality of the writing is just as important as the story. I'm reading a Dean Koontz novel right now, and I can't get through it. I like his plots, but not his writing. It's painful. I have a BA in English - maybe that has something to do with it?

 

[Anewman]

There is a difference between "popular" and "good".

 

[bicker]

There is a difference between "popular" and "good".

True, but there is also a difference between what one person thinks is "good" and what another person thinks is "good". All forms of art, specifically, cannot be evaluated objectively for "good"-ness; they can only be evaluated objectively for conformance, and conformance is not generally a hallmark of "good" art.

 

[Anewman]

True, but there is also a difference between what one person thinks is "good" and what another person thinks is "good". All forms of art, specifically, cannot be evaluated objectively for "good"-ness; they can only be evaluated objectively for conformance, and conformance is not generally a hallmark of "good" art.

AGREE 100%

I have read many "good" books that were not that well written.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

There is a difference between "popular" and "good".

Who determines what is good and what isn't? Isn't "good" just a matter of opinion? I say if Stephanie Meyers is selling books at the rate she is, they must be pretty good to someone. If that many people like her, she's good.

I haven't read any of her books yet, but I want to. All this hype has me curious.

 

[Anewman]

Who determines what is good and what isn't? Isn't "good" just a matter of opinion? I say if Stephanie Meyers is selling books at the rate she is, they must be pretty good to someone. If that many people like her, she's good.

I haven't read any of her books yet, but I want to. All this hype has me curious.

McDonalds has sold 100 billion hamburgers, it must be good... Best even.

 

[bicker]

All this hype has me curious.

That's a good point: Stephen King's comments may actually have the reverse impact that he might have expected, prompting people to look into a writer who might have otherwise been overlooked, if he hadn't drawn such attention to her, and incited fans of hers to vigorously extol her virtues, in response.

 

[fourdaughters]

Who determines what is good and what isn't? Isn't "good" just a matter of opinion? I say if Stephanie Meyers is selling books at the rate she is, they must be pretty good to someone. If that many people like her, she's good.

I haven't read any of her books yet, but I want to. All this hype has me curious.

Exactly!! Ask my teenaged girls and they will tell you that they were great books. They read and reread them. I wanted to see what the appeal was, so I read all four over Christmas break. I can certainly see the appeal to a teenage girl. As far as Bella not being a good role model to my daughters, I don't think they look to fictional characters in love with vampires as role models. It's just fun and it gets them reading.

 

[mjkacmom]

True, but there is also a difference between what one person thinks is "good" and what another person thinks is "good". All forms of art, specifically, cannot be evaluated objectively for "good"-ness; they can only be evaluated objectively for conformance, and conformance is not generally a hallmark of "good" art.

True, but I think it depends upon who is the one reviewing. For example, a person who's studied art his or her entire life would be better qualified to give his impression of a piece of art than, let's say, me. If I'm deciding what movie to see, I will take the advice of a movie critic over the advice of my dd12 (who loved Twilight, of course).

 

[tiggger1]

Bella is not a strong female character.

but where does it says she has to be? Not ever female character needs to be strong. Sometimes people like reading about someone who is a bit "whiny and needy" it makes them feel like they are not alone....Plus they are supposed to be fluff.. I love my fluff books, I would take them over SK novels any day

 

[bicker]

True, but I think it depends upon who is the one reviewing. For example, a person who's studied art his or her entire life would be better qualified to give his impression of a piece of art than, let's say, me.

"Better qualified" in that such a person is more familiar with the standard ways that qualitative evaluations of art are expressed in public discourse. That doesn't mean that their qualitative analysis, itself, has any more (or less) validity or relevance. In a way, art is like politics: A Senator might be "better qualified" to write laws, because they know how laws need to be structured, and what is necessary to make something into an enforceable law, but that doesn't mean that a law that that politician might promulgate would necessarily be a good law to have. It could be, very effectively,a bad law.

(Yes, yes; I know the analogy isn't perfect. If it was perfect, it wouldn't be an analogy; it would be a tautology, eh?)

If I'm deciding what movie to see, I will take the advice of a movie critic over the advice of my dd12 (who loved Twilight, of course).

I would go to a movie critic before an average Joe, but only because their review would be easier to understand, more likely to indicate precisely why they liked or didn't like the film, and therefore, based on that information, I would be able to better determine for myself, from what the critic wrote, whether the movie was more likely to be "good" or "bad" (AFAIC). However, a "good" review, by certain reviewers, might very consistently indicate a "bad" movie (AFAIC). For example: Remember the vitriolic differences of opinion between Siskel and Ebert? What it often came down to (for me) was the good films were only the ones that Ebert liked, and Siskel didn't like. "Two thumbs up" typically meant I would not like the movie, i.e., it wouldn't be a "good" movie, AFAIC.

Something similar to this often comes up in the Dining boards, when people are vigorously disagreeing with each other about WDW restaurants. ("Le Cellier is the best." "Le Cellier is horribly overrated." And so on.) What I typically suggested to people, in that forum, was to look at who was rating which restaurants which ways. I would recommend that if you know whether you like certain restaurants, you can get a feel about who's reviews you can rely on based on whether they rated your favorites highly and your least favorites poorly. I also suggested that folks try to learn about the reviewers, to see if they're "like you" or not. If they're like you, then good reviews from them may be more likely to indicate that you'd find the restaurant "good", while bad reviews from them may be more likely to indicate that you'd find the restaurant "bad". Food, television, books, movies... it all works the same way: Personal preference.

 

[Darsa]

it gets them reading

Exactly! My DD13 didn't really *read* anything until these books came along, although we tried to find something she could get into, and she ate these up! I was delighted, and I wish like crazy that there were more books like it out there.

Personally, if I were Stephenie Meyers... I'd read all the criticism, check my bank account balance... and smile. Sorry, but that's just how I feel about it; obviously the books have some appeal because there are so very many fans out there, of all ages. I imagine the critics assume that these people aren't educated enough to understand how very bad they are.

 

[JenM]

but where does it says she has to be? Not ever female character needs to be strong. Sometimes people like reading about someone who is a bit "whiny and needy" it makes them feel like they are not alone....Plus they are supposed to be fluff.. I love my fluff books, I would take them over SK novels any day

But they should be stronger than Bella, especially in a book geared for young girls. I'm not done with the series yet, but I hated the way she dumped her friends, her family, and even her own future because she's obsessed with her boyfriend, and the way she used Jacob when Edward was gone for most of New Moon. She wasn't written well.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

McDonalds has sold 100 billion hamburgers, it must be good... Best even.

Ba da ba ba ba. I'm lovin' it.

If they didn't taste good, they wouldn't sell.

 

[Family Fun Mom]

True, but I think it depends upon who is the one reviewing. For example, a person who's studied art his or her entire life would be better qualified to give his impression of a piece of art than, let's say, me. If I'm deciding what movie to see, I will take the advice of a movie critic over the advice of my dd12 (who loved Twilight, of course).

Not me. I'll take the advice of a 12 year old over a movie critic anyday. They usually love horrible movies and hate the great, guilty pleasure, fun movies.

 

[rabyoga]

I find it ironic that King would rake someone over the coals for being a 'popular' writer. The guy who almost always writes how irriated he is with people asking when he will write something 'serious'. Perhaps King is a bit jealous???

 

[rwrocksme]

ITA agree with King. I know good writing, I have read good things, and I have written good things (not many, but still). Twilight was okay. Book 2 made me ill. I didn't continue.

My favorite part was when he said that JK Rowling IS a good writer. Yay! Go Harry

 

[rwrocksme]

ITA with King. Twilight made me ill.

My favorite part of the "article" (ew) was when he said JK Rowling was a good writer. I like her. Yay, go Harry!

 

[si-am]

I'm sorry, I have to agree with Stephen King on this. Technically, Meyer is just not a great writer. I used to teach middle school and when I read it, I thought this is something my students could have written.

Does that mean she's not a good storyteller? No. Does it mean her books aren't appealing to many people? No, not at all.

I think what King meant is that her style just isn't all that fantastic. Obviously a lot of people love the books, but I think it's for the plot, not for mastery of the written language.

 

[MuskratSusie]

I find it ironic that King would rake someone over the coals for being a 'popular' writer. The guy who almost always writes how irriated he is with people asking when he will write something 'serious'. Perhaps King is a bit jealous???

That's what I think as well.