Stephen King "blasts" Twilight author, Stephanie Meyers

[bluesaturn]

I'm studying for my BA in English Lit and I still enjoy these books. To me being a good storyteller is a million times more important than having perfect or wonderful writing.

I disagree. You need both to be truly successful and write a really good piece of fiction. Stephanie Meyer is definitely successful and she should be proud. However, I doubt she will ever reach the level of King or Rowling. Her range is rather limited.

I liked Twilight for what it was, I really did. I bought the books, went to the movie, I'll be there at midnight for the second movie. So I'm not trying to bash her. I really do enjoy the books, but I think her writing abilities are limited.

 

[bicker]

What bothers me about Bella is that she's just dull as dirt!

By contrast, Melanie Stryder/Wanderer is one of the most intriguing characters I've read in a decade, or two.

One of the things I mentioned before was that critics often disagree. While Stephen King was a great writer, Library Journal has a long history of presenting reliable literary criticism. This is what they've said about The Host:

... All of which makes the publication of Meyer's first adult novel even more noteworthy. It lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well. ...
​

Is Stephen King jealous?

I don't know; I doubt it.

Is he "right" about his criticisms of Meyer, about his insistence that she's not on par with Rowling?

I don't know; I doubt it.

Until he actually shows that he's read more of Meyer's work than just her YA novels, I don't think he's even qualified to comment.

 

[Caribbeanprincess]

By contrast, Melanie Stryder/Wanderer is one of the most intriguing characters I've read in a decade, or two.

One of the things I mentioned before was that critics often disagree. While Stephen King was a great writer, Library Journal has a long history of presenting reliable literary criticism. This is what they've said about The Host:

... All of which makes the publication of Meyer's first adult novel even more noteworthy. It lives up to the hype, blending science fiction and romance in a way that has never worked so well. ...
​

Is Stephen King jealous?

I don't know; I doubt it.

Is he "right" about his criticisms of Meyer, about his insistence that she's not on par with Rowling?

I don't know; I doubt it.

Until he actually shows that he's read more of Meyer's work than just her YA novels, I don't think he's even qualified to comment.

I agreee with this. People seem that just because Stephenie has YA books (not by intention since she doesn't write for a specific age and BD is ANYTHING but YA) they must immediately be immature and childish. But they're not. And The Host, that isn't even a YA book, is amazing and intriguing. Judging that against Twilight, I can say her writing has improved a lot.

 

[Rora]

Although I read and enjoyed the Twilight Series, I have to agree with King.. she's no Rowling.

 

[TeacupDemon]

Maybe Stephenie Meyer wrote it!
Just kidding!!

 

[ConcKahuna]

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.

And I don't think King said the stories are bad (other than his disapproval of the weakness of the character and her being a bad role model for the intended audience). He said they were poorly written.

A story being poorly written does not mean it will be a bady one, it just means the technical side of the writing is off. Stephen King is a great writer, and a good storyteller. Beyond the gore and monsters, Stephen King has written stories like Stand By me, The Green Mile, Apt Pupil, The Shawshank Redemption, and many others that are more along the lines of drama than horror. Also his book On Writing is used in many creative writing classes as a textbook.

 

[bicker]

What you're saying is that there are failings in the technical implementation of the writing, itself: That goes back to my earlier comment:

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.

 

[Dolce27]

I agree with King- Meyer can't write. Twilight was awful King is the finest author of our day, in my opinion (second is Ms. Rowling, of course).

Overall, I think that Stephanie Myer does need to work on her writing skills but I still loved her stories. She was a good storyteller and I have read all four of the Twilight books and enjoyed them. That said, when I see someone like King (which this is not the first time I’ve noticed him doing this) slamming a fellow author, I think it’s a big inflated ego and more ten seconds the spotlight that drives this. I just don’t feel that he can ever look good for putting down another author, accurate or not. He isn’t a review critic whose job is to publically state his opinion on this subject and I feel that it is in his best interest to gloss over those questions, when asked, and stay away from publically slamming another author.

Because seriously? All of this is a matter of opinion. I honestly don’t find the majority of King’s books to be all that great. But that is simply my opinion; other’s do. That is their opinion. You can only give opinions for topics such as this – never facts.

 

[bluesaturn]

What you're saying is that there are failings in the technical implementation of the writing, itself: That goes back to my earlier comment:

I tend to disagree. Her lack of proper writing skills impairs her ability to create "great" art. Her books are quite entertaining and obviously successful, yet they could have been much more. She was limited in her ability to get her point across because she literally could not stretch herself that far. Worse yet, there were even obvious errors (grammatical, wording) which distracted from her message.

I think a writer needs to know all the rules before they can smash them to pieces. Just because someone paints colors on a canvas doesn't mean it is art, there has to be an eye for contrast, color, and beauty. Similarly, one can write with extensive vocabulary and perfect grammatical placement, and still come up with a passage that is essentially a worthless combination of words on a page.

I believe a true artist can truly combine their technical knowledge with their storytelling ability to reach the largest number of people. I also believe the point of proper writing skills is to enhance the quality of your story.

 

[minniebeth]

What's it to him? Really...as in my DD's terminology, who happens to love the Twilight books, "WhatEVER"...

 

[des1954]

I use to read Stephen King myself. not so much lately, but you have to admit The Stand is probably one of his finest.. Hard to top that one.

I have the first book Twilight, but have not started it yet.

I've enjoyed most of King's books - The Stand, in particular. One of King's latests, Duma Key, was "spot on" King. I think his accident did something to his writing style. Starting with The Regulators, until Duma Key, all his books inbetween were pure crap.

Now - I cannot imagine King giving a rat's behind about Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight series. I doubt that he even gave the interview cited here. (not calling the original OP a liar - or anything like that) I just can't see King caring enough about the series to make any kind of comment.

Twilight is a series written for "tweens" - not in the same category as King's books. You cannot compare them to H.P., either, because it is an entirely different genre.

I read the series & enjoyed them. However, book 4 was very slow & almost painful reading. I purchased "The Host" by S.M. & getting ready to read it.

It would be a more level comparison if you put Meyer up against Ann Rice, and not King or Rowling.

 

[bicker]

I don't feel that Meyer's Twilight series (which is apparently the context of the article from the OP) fits any better in comparisons to Anne Rice's vampire novels than it does to Rowling's Potter series. Perhaps the best we can say, I feel, is that Meyer's Twilight belongs somewhere in between the two, in context. Having said that, I do see putting Meyer's The Host next to Anne Rice's The Witching Hour. Completely different stories and contexts, but I think people who liked The Witching Hour might like The Host.

 

[Jennasis]

Uh oh...you've incurred the wrath of the fanpires.

I doubt that Stephen King has read The Host. The Host is a substantially better-written book than the Twilight series, and shows me that Meyer has some serious skills, skills that are improving with time (while Stephen King's skills are, regretablly fading).

Your opinion. I found The Host COMPLETELY unreadable. After 4 or 5 chapters, I was beyond bored and frustrated with it and promptly chucked it across the room. But that's just MY opinion. King is entitled to his too. I have no problem voicing mine and so should he considering he was ASKED specifically about Twillight.

 

[bluesaturn]

you all are really ridiculous....if you dont like the books or the movies that is fine but do NOT condone bashing....

AND I QUOTE:
"After graduating from college in 1970, King taught English at a high school in Maine and added to his income by holding a number of part-time jobs and by writing short stories for several popular magazines. He did not receive much money from the sale of his stories. Sometimes he was not paid at all but was given extra copies of the magazine to show or sell to other people."

the first novel he wrote that made a huge success was in 1974 when his book Carrie was written...

Stephenie Meyer wrote Twilight (her FIRST book) in 2005 and the final in the series in 2008...Steven King only dreamed about the kind of popularity SM received in just a couple of years...

which goes to show you that it is nothing but plain jealousy on Steven King's part that prompted him to state his opinions...and that is what they are..and thats all Im going to say on this subject...

find something else to talk about like oh world peace, hunger, the pope, the president, twilight??????

True, but I doubt Meyer has the kind of staying power King does. I doubt she will see the same level of success over time as King. If she does, that is wonderful and more power to her. However I don't think you can really compare them right now, even with the success of the Twilight series. I really can't imagine King is jealous. They also don't really target the same audience, so I don't think they are direct competitors.

I actually think it was a problem that Meyer was able to complete the series so quickly. I believe if she had been given more time her writing would have been more thorough. I think her publisher probably rushed her based on the success of the first book. She was still just a beginner at writing novels, and yet they expected her to churn them out. I'm also not sure what compelled her to stop at four books, perhaps the publisher again? She should have spread the same storyline out over at least one more book. Then I believe she would have been able to give the end of the story with the kind of detail she had already created in her mind.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It would be a more level comparison if you put Meyer up against Ann Rice, and not King or Rowling.

AAACK!!!! Blasphemy!!!

Don't mess with Louis and LeStat or the mother will come for you. She is crazy.

Fanpires, never heard that one?....

 

[Breezie]

I hated book four (and haven't quite forgave Stephenie for that yet ) and can't bring myself to read The Host. I really want to, but geez she really killed my Twilight buzz.

I definitely see what people are saying about her writing skills. It was as if no one edited Breaking Dawn, and she was allowed to publish an unpolished version.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I loved the books. Is it Pulitzer or Newberry material? No. But then most aren't. I've read a lot of authors in my day who are not good technical writers or recycle plotlines, but that doesn't make their books any less enjoyable:

-Dan Brown. Once you've read one you can figure out the rest. It's the same plot each time, just different details.
-Steve Alten. He took a turn for the bizarre and his technical skills aren't that great.
-Terry Goodkind. one character gives frequent multipage speeches. You learn to skip those.

Etc. etc. It doesn't mean that you shouldn't read their books. I read books for a lot of different reasons. If I want to appreciate a tight plot with good writing, I might turn to Lowry, L'Engle, Lewis, or Tolkien. King would not be an author I would turn to. Most of the time though, I'm looking for something entertaining, something that draws me in. Sometimes that might be King (loved Green Mile), soemtimes that might be Meyer or any of the above authors.

I think it's important to note that Twilight was Meyer's first series and you can certainly see an evolution in her writing from book one to four. I loved book four and the character development. I don't see how anybody who has read book four can say that Bella is a weak character. From Twilight to the Host her writing has improved even more.

At this point I am not ready to throw in the towel and say that she will never be a great writer in terms of technical skills. Every author needs time to polish their style and grow as a writer. I can't believe people are being so snarky and writing her off so early- especially those that have never read the books. You can love her work or hate it, that's your choice. But why just assume that she will not improve in her craft?

 

[denisem]

Considering the convoluted "report" of Stephen King's remarks in the OP's post, I'm thinkin' this was a throwaway remark by SK "built up" merely to create controversy. Meyers can in no way be compared to SK, J. K. Rowling, Ann Rice, et all.

I don't consider myself a SK fan (even though "The Stand" is high on my list of books I'd take to a desert island.) But I have to agree with his take of the "Twilight" series. Read #1 recently because of the hype (enjoyable enough {shrug}) and the hook for "New Moon" prompted me to continue.

At the rate I'm slogging through #2, there will be no #3 & #4.

Maybe I'm prejudiced as I'm older than dirt, was encouraged to read early on and had moved onto more adult themed novels while a YA.

 

[travelmel]

SK shouldn't have felt the need to be so mean. It isn't necessary and it shows an immaturity I am surprised at.

If something had to be great "technically" to be popular and well loved then Coors would be out of business, right? Same goes for lots of stuff that people who do "better" versions of would poo-poo. Let it go. Petty looks ugly on you Steven.

 

[bicker]

Meyers can in no way be compared to SK, J. K. Rowling, Ann Rice, et all.

I remember reading messages twenty years ago saying that Stephen King could in no way be compared to [Insert Well-regarded Author-of-the-Day]. It is impossible to determine who will be considered a notable author, until it happens.