The Twilight of Catholic school Vampires

[dizzy_dave]

My wife and I have a 12 year old daughter (just turned 12 two months ago - 6th grade), she came home from her Catholic school today with a book called “Twilight”, she is obsessed with reading this book.

I don’t know if I am more concerned my daughter picked out a book about vampires to read or if I’m more worried a Catholic gradeschool library carries this book. I don’t want my daughter reading this junk (occultic and erotic), but I’m not sure how to handle it. Any advice? Thanks.

 

[RSD]

YES! Read the book, and the 3 sequels, and then join me in discussing these wonderful books from a Catholic perspective. These are not part of the current popular vampire fiction, any more than Hamlet is a ghost story. Would you let your daughter read Hamlet? Macbeth? Pride and Prejudice? Huckleberry Finn? Each of these works has some serious moral issues, which provide a lot of material for thoughtful parents to discuss with their children. If you are just getting started on the Twilight books right now, have fun!

I am a middle aged grandmother. I have found these books speak to all different ages. My husband, my married daughter and her husband, and my younger (unmarried) daughter have all read and enjoyed these books.

 

[Pro-Life_Teen]

The books are a huge phenomenon at the moment with teen girls. And their mothers. :doh2:
I happen to dislike the books [there are four]. Frankly they’re just badly written, for one, and two- many of Edward’s actions towards Bella are quite abusive. Though poor teen girls, and again- their mums, find it romantic. Somehow.

With occult- fantasy doesn’t have to be occult. A vampire book doesn’t mean evil anymore than Harry Potter teaches kids Satanism. So a well written nice vamp book I wouldn’t worry about. Twilight is not that.

As for erotic… it’s a romance novel, true. But the author, Meyer, is a Mormon and so chastity is actually praised in the books- the main characters wait until they’re married to have sex. So in that much, it’s nice, but it’s also giving unrealistic expectations to a great degree.

Not to mention the vampires sparkle in the sunlight. That’s just wrong.

 

[The_Catholic]

My wife and I have a 12 year old daughter (just turned 12 two months ago - 6th grade), she came home from her Catholic school today with a book called “Twilight”, she is obsessed with reading this book.

I don’t know if I am more concerned my daughter picked out a book about vampires to read or if I’m more worried a Catholic gradeschool library carries this book. I don’t want my daughter reading this junk (occultic and erotic), but I’m not sure how to handle it. Any advice? Thanks.

I can understand your concern, and while I’ve never read the book, I saw the movie and liked it. I’m probably not the best one here to give advice, but I just want to say I don’t really have a problem with these things, I guess it all depends on the person, and whether or not the book *purposely *bashes Christianity or the catholic Church like “Angels and Demons” or the “Da Vinci Code.” Twilight was a mythical story, not as "spiritual as “Lord of the Rings” or “Narnia,” but not a bad story, well, movie since I saw that.

But I do agree that a catholic School should give out books and stories rather on other things like the saints or something, not secular material, too much of that is everywhere. keep the schools strictly Catholic!

 

[narrowpath]

The books suck.

My firend’s girlfriend made him watch the movie, and…

He says he feels like he died inside.

Go ahead if you want. They sound pretty lame to me though.

 

[CWBetts]

The biggest surprise about Twilight’s popularity is that is isn’t new. The same idea was put on a TV series more than 10 years ago! Anybody remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer? High school girl falls in love with Vampire who is somehow different than the other vampires. I just don’t get it…

 

[dizzy_dave]

I’m the original poster…

Our daughter’s school friend has been begging her to read the book a while now and she is now reading it, I just think she could’ve found something much more wholesome to her faith.

 

[RSD]

The biggest surprise about Twilight’s popularity is that is isn’t new. The same idea was put on a TV series more than 10 years ago! Anybody remember Buffy the Vampire Slayer**? High school girl falls in love with Vampire who is somehow different than the other vampires. I just don’t get it…

I have watched some Buffy, and read all the Twilight books several times. They are very much NOT alike.

 

[RSD]

I’m the original poster…

Our daughter’s school friend has been begging her to read the book a while now and she is now reading it, I just think she could’ve found something much more wholesome to her faith.

Yes, if she will read nothing but the Bible, the Catechism and well written biographies of the saints. Only. If you will let her read any fiction at all, what are your criteria? That is a serious question. I have known several other parents who do not want their kids reading the Twilight books, and I always ask them what books they do let their kids read. I have not yet gotten an answer. I am serious in recommending that you read the books. There is a lot to talk about there with your kids. Not to mention some good reading.

I feel that I was fortunate to start reading the books before they were so popular. That would have put me off. They are good anyway.

 

[dizzy_dave]

Yes, if she will read nothing but the Bible, the Catechism and well written biographies of the saints. Only. If you will let her read any fiction at all, what are your criteria? That is a serious question. I have known several other parents who do not want their kids reading the Twilight books, and I always ask them what books they do let their kids read. I have not yet gotten an answer. I am serious in recommending that you read the books. There is a lot to talk about there with your kids. Not to mention some good reading.

I feel that I was fortunate to start reading the books before they were so popular. That would have put me off. They are good anyway.

I’m very happy she is reading.

My criteria for her reading would be anything that is not impure or occultic, just to name a couple. I’m sure there are plenty of good books that don’t deal with these two things, I won’t be reading these books, I don’t have the time and if I did I wouldn’t waste it reading this ilk.

 

[CWBetts]

I have watched some Buffy, and read all the Twilight books several times. They are very much NOT alike.

Then you must not have seen the first two seasons

 

[kesa82]

I’m 41 now. The first book I ever purchased was an illustrated copy of Dracula, in second grade. I was 7, I think. Anyway, that would have been the mid-1970’s. I was for a very brief time popular with the middle school girls on the school bus because they all wanted to read my book.
So clearly vampires were popular with girls in the 1970’s too.
why ? My guess would be because vampires are clearly erotic, but not blatantly so. A person who might blanche at, or be intimidated by, a porno movie might in contrast find vampires rather appealing. you have a rather vulpine male , rich and powerful, ( the vampire ) going in obsessive pursuit of a female , at night. He hypnotizes her, so there is a subtle suggestion of rape. But , at the same time, she has to voluntarily let him in. And why does she let him in? He chews on her neck, there is an exchange of fluids. He gets her blood, she gets a dose of his evil virility.
like I said , clearly erotic, but masked by the label of horror fiction or folklore.
I suppose it isn’t coincidence that Dracula appeared in the Victorian era. What sort of blatant eroticism would a Victorian come up with ?
By the way, I was a 7 year old BOY when I bought that book. Why would a 7 year old boy want Dracula ? Because little boys like horror fiction ? Maybe, except I never really liked horror fiction, and it so happens that while I may have been but 7 years old, I already had a romantic / sexual interest in the opposite sex. So I figure that reason, though not articulated at the time, had something to do with it.

 

[beckers]

The books are okay. Girls like them because its good at discribing the teen anxiety of school and love. It what they all want their boyfriends to be like. Handsome and shrouded in mystery and only has eyes for them…

I guess in my house we read everything from Stephen King, to history books, ann rice, patrica cornwell, baby sitters club, Don’t eat the lizzard in the freezer, etc…

IF you don’t like your daughter reading the series don’t blame the school just tell your daughter she can’t read them or give her another series to read. Frankly they wouldn’t take you very long to read. They are fast and then you can discuss them. It shows your daughter that you trust her and respect her growing intellgence. If you don’t like them just tell her why and you can have some great conversations about what is right and how they are in or out of line with the church.

 

[RSD]

I’m very happy she is reading.

My criteria for her reading would be anything that is not impure or occultic, just to name a couple. I’m sure there are plenty of good books that don’t deal with these two things, I won’t be reading these books, I don’t have the time and if I did I wouldn’t waste it reading this ilk.

Okay, so there are plenty of good books that meet your criteria. Can you name 10? Seriously. If your kids read anything as much as mine do, can you name 10 each week? And what about the classics? Would you let them read Hamlet? Macbeth? Wuthering Heights? Jane Eyre? Aesop’s Fables? What about the plays of Euripedes? Would you let them read Titus Andronicus? See a good production of it? What about Julius Caesar? If other kids are reading the Twilight books and talking a lot about them at school, do you think it is better for you not to know what is in them, than to read them and talk about specific issues? I really am trying to understand the people who say they do not want their kids reading these books, but so far no of you has been at all communicative. What (name a book, a series, and author) that you do let your kids read. And then what about next week?

 

[penguinchicky]

My wife and I have a 12 year old daughter (just turned 12 two months ago - 6th grade), she came home from her Catholic school today with a book called “Twilight”, she is obsessed with reading this book.

I don’t know if I am more concerned my daughter picked out a book about vampires to read or if I’m more worried a Catholic gradeschool library carries this book. I don’t want my daughter reading this junk (occultic and erotic), but I’m not sure how to handle it. Any advice? Thanks.

Please do NOT read these books. I am 26 and was sucked into believeing these books were a good story to read.

They are badly written and if that was not bad enough are not all that good of a story … in so much of the fact that she was clearly told by her publisher that she needed to pad them out.

I read many books around 6-8 a week on many different topic and genres … I feel that a lot of middle aged women who have taken up these books after not reading for many years cannot see the difference between well written fiction and rubbish.

Yes I am aware that this is my opinion and a lot of women will jump down my throat for it. Even if you are okay with the ideals these books try to convay … they are not well written. People simply jumped from the Harry Potter band wagon (because if fills the publishing = making money band wagon) and enjoy the actor who plays Edward in the movie. For all that do not believe me go to Amazon.com and read some of the reviews for the forth book.

 

[penguinchicky]

I have watched some Buffy, and read all the Twilight books several times. They are very much NOT alike.

Thank you! For many who have unfortunatly read all of the Twilight books and are not pulled in with their hype they can see the difference.

I have no problems with books about vampires or witches / wizards for example … I just think it is bad for kids to be reading badly written fiction.

 

[Seatuck]

12 is young to be reading this series.

 

[doggiemom2]

I’ve read all 4 of the Twilight books and found them entertaining. I don’t think book #4 is suitable for young teens. It was pretty graphic, IMO.

 

[Prayer_Warrior]

I have read the books as well. The writing style is not my cup of tea. I think that under 12 is probably too young for some of the content (especially in the last book). However, there are some positive qualities about the book (spoiler alert if you haven’t read the books and want to be surprised). One positive thing is that it is a story of good versus evil. The main vampire family, the Cullens, fight what is in their nature; they choose to only kill animals to survive. They do not murder people though it is in their nature to do so. They value humanity. There is also a love story, of sorts, between the two main characters, Edward and Bella. Despite the modern literary trend, they choose to wait until after they are married to have a sexual relationship. That is positive too.

In my opinion, the author wasn’t original at all in her story development of the story… boy meets girl, they fall in love, but they can’t be together, he leaves, she turns to someone else, blah, blah, blah.

There is some mention of God in the books. Edward believes that by becoming a vampire, which was not his fault, that he cannot go to heaven if he dies. He does not want Bella to become a vampire because of this belief. But, ultimately, he lets her become a vampire because she is going to die in child birth. Other than that, I don’t believe that God is discussed, and there is nothing about Christ.

I would categorize these books as mythical or fantasy, but not occult. That is just my opinion, of course. But I think of “occult” as some secret revelation of supernatural power in the spiritual realm (God or angels or demons). These are just mythical creatures (vampires and werewolves). Additionally, the OP had a concern about the books being erotic. I would not consider the books erotic and the kissing “scenes” and sex (fourth book) is not written in graphic detail. However, it may be too much for a 12 year old.

 

[Kit15]

I’ve never read them myself. But I’ve read the synopsis. My maiden name is “Cullen”. When the lady I’m buying my wedding bands from starts squeeing at the sound of my name and asks me if I have any bothers or cousins named Edward…well…eventually the curiosity starts to get to you. But after reading the plot, it doesn’t sound like something I’d enjoy not a romance fan. My sister enjoys them though.

I was actually very impressed with the waiting until marriage thing. The author got a lot of flack for it. But you don’t see that a lot these days where everyone tends to act on impulse.