Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Spoiler free review of Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Meyer, Stephenie. 2007. Eclipse.

If you're like me, you've been waiting for the release of Eclipse since five seconds after you read the last page of New Moon. It's been eleven months of waiting. Eleven whole months of wondering just what would happen next between Bella Swan, Edward Cullen, and Jacob Black. Eleven months of wondering if this next book would be the one...the one where Bella's biggest dreams come true.

What does Eclipse offer readers? It has more Edward and Bella than New Moon. (But don't count out or young werewolf, Jacob. Jacob has not gone away. Bella doesn't want him to go away. Not on most days.) It has plenty of action as well. As with Twilight and New Moon there are bad guys--vampires actually--who are out to get Bella and friends. Which as you know always leads to an exciting climax complete with chase scenes and close calls. (But if you're a fan you've come to expect this. So my telling you this is not a spoiler!) After all, if it's talked about in the prologue on the first page...it's not really a shocker. It has action. It has romance. But it also has more family interaction. Whose family? Well, Bella's to a certain extent. But mainly Edward's...after all if she accepts his arrangement she'll be part of his family for life. This is something that I really enjoyed. We get more back stories on how this vampire family came to be. For example, we see how Rosalie came to be a vampire (152-168) and they have their first and only heart-to-heart talk. And we also hear Jasper's story for the first time (287-309). I have always loved Edward. And Alice, well, she's been fleshed out in the other books--both Twilight and New Moon--but for me this is the first time I really appreciated the ensemble cast of Cullens.

Another highlight, for me, was the presentation of werewolf folklore. Bella attends a bonfire with Jacob--as a friend not a date. (239-260)

Eclipse is exciting, fast-paced, full of action and romance. It is emotional. It is intense. It is wonderful. Did I love it as much as Twilight? No. I wouldn't expect to be as head over heels in love with any sequel. Twilight will always be my favorite and my best. But I thought the novel was good. The release of New Moon saw some skeptics who were thoroughly disappointed and hated the way the direction was going. That appears to be happening with Eclipse as well. Some are completely disenchanted with the series. And that is okay. Really. If I were in charge would I have done things differently...yes. There were slight things--things that could add up to a good bit of frustration if you kept count and read with initial mindset that the novel was going to be a bitter disappointment--that annoyed me in the book. So don't expect the book to be perfect. No book is perfect in every way. But try to keep an open mind.

I can't believe you're reading Wuthering Heights again. Don't you know it by heart yet?

Not all of us have photographic memories, I said curtly.

Photographic memory or not, I don't understand why you like it. The characters are ghastly people who ruin each others' lives. I don't know how Heathcliff and Cathy ended up being ranked with couples like Romeo and Juliet or Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. it isn't a love story, it's a hate story.

You have some serious issues with the classics, I snapped.

Perhaps it's because I'm not impressed by antiquity. He smiled, evidently satisfied that he'd distracted me. Honestly though why do you read it over and over? His eyes were vivid with real interest now, trying --again-- to unravel the convoluted workings of my mind. He reached across the table to cradle my face in his hand. What is it that appeals to you?

His sincere curiosity disarmed me. I'm not sure, I said, scrambling for coherency while his gaze unintentionally scattered my thoughts I think it's something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart -- not her selfishness, or his evil, or even death, in the end...

His face was thoughtful as he considered my words. After a moment he smiled a teasing smile I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality.

I think that may be the point, I disagreed. Their love is their only redeeming quality.

p. 28

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For a less enthusiastic review which contains a few spoilers
BookBinge's review of Eclipse; again not so enthusiastic; again has spoilers