Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewStephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, a dark romantic fantasy saga between mortals, vampires, and werewolves, had an astounding reception when it hit the shelves in 2005. Since that time the books have gone on to be international bestsellers and the movies adaptations have been just as well received. The fact that this series has been an international success makes it worthwhile to examine what it is about the characters, the storyline, and the genre that make it appeal to such a wide audience. In this volume the editor has compiled 15 essays, written by contributors from the United States, France, Spain, Chile, and Australia, that examine the intercultural relevance of the Twilight series. The book is arranged into five parts: Contextualizing Twilight’s Appeal; Twilight Audiences; Characters and Their Cultural Referents; Issues of Gender, Sex, Class, and Race in Twilight; and Beyond the Twilight Universe. Many of the essays look at how the series fits within larger contexts including historical, philosophical, and sociological studies. Designed for scholars and students of media, this work will be a valuable addition to larger university collections. * American Reference Books Annual *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction Claudia Bucciferro, Editor I. Contextualizing Twilight’s Appeal 1. Mythic Themes, Archetypes, and Metaphors: The Foundations of Twilight’s Cross-Cultural Appeal Claudia Bucciferro 2. Manifest Destiny Forever: The Twilight Saga, History, and a Vampire’s American Dream Michelle Maloney-Mangold 3. Reading Twilight: Fandom, Romance, and Gender in the Age of Bella Barbara Chambers and Robert Peaslee II. Twilight Audiences 4. “Twilight Moms” and the “Female Midlife Crisis”: Life Transitions, Fantasy, and Fandom Laura K. Dorsey-Elson 5. Twilight and Twitter: An Ethnographic Study Michelle Groover 6. Twilight Anti-fans: “Real” Fans and “Real” Vampires Victoria Godwin III. Characters and Their Cultural Referents 7. Renesmee as (R)omantic Child: A Glimpse into Bella and Edward’s Fairy Tale Cottage Lisa Nevárez 8. Isabella Swan: A Twenty-First Century Victorian Heroine? Gaïane Hanser 9. "Doesn’t He Own a Shirt?": Rivalry and Masculine Embodiment in Twilight Nicole Willms IV. Issues of Gender, Sex, Class, and Race in Twilight 10. Chastity, Power, and Delayed Gratification: The Lure of Sex in the Twilight Saga Brynn Buskirk 11. Alice, Bella, and Economics: Financial Security and Class Mobility in Twilight Paul Lucas 12. “I Know What You Are”: A Philosophical Look at Race, Identity, and Mixed-Blood in the Twilight Universe Michelle Bernard V. Beyond the Twilight Universe 13. Mainstream Monsters: The Otherness of Humans in Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, and True Blood Emma Somogyi and Mark David Ryan 14. Individuality and Collectivity in The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, and Twilight Lisa Weckerle 15. From Twilight to Fifty Shades of Grey: Fan Fiction, Commercial Culture, and Grassroots Creativity Sonia Baelo-Allué Closing Thoughts Claudia Bucciferro Index About the Editor and Contributors
