Friday, January 22, 2010

Am I too old for "Twilight?"


I don't buy trendy books. I have no interest in "The Da Vinci Code" and I've certainly never tried to share a pair of traveling pants with my friends. I usually go for books I can relate to or at the very least, titles that will impress others who glance at my bookshelf. “She studies Balzac, I've underestimated her," I imagine them saying.

However, all bets are off when it comes to "Twilight." I am crazy about the intense romance between teenage Bella and her brooding vampire boyfriend, Edward, who spews such smitten lines as "Look after my heart--I've left it with you." Like other teenage girls everywhere, I cannot get enough of it. Only I'm not a teenager...

I understand that there are plenty of things I am too old for: Sippy cups, feetie pajamas, Fall Out Boy. But the line is not so clear for all things "Twilight." The internet is swarming with middle-aged Twi-moms who write racy fan fiction. Why then, at 25 years old do I feel guilty about the joy that comes from reading about the sparkly vamp? Maybe it's the eye rolls my better-read friends give me when I happily tell them "I just finished re-reading 'New Moon!'"
"That's...great" they say, not unlike how you'd answer a child showing off their finger painting.

This got me thinking; perhaps I should be reading something with a little more substance than a vampire at prom. But there is more to "Twilight" than high school crushes and muscular werewolves, those are merely a bonus. "Twilight" is centered on the vulnerability of love and how you would do anything for the person you care for the most. Vampires or not, I can relate to that.

As I pass the Hot Topic display window, I momentarily see myself shamelessly parading around in a Team Edward t-shirt. I can also see the horrified expressions of my close friends and family--particularly my husband. Perhaps I'll keep my overwhelming love for Edward and Bella in my heart and not across my chest in enormous gothic letters. Then it hits me, I'm not too old for "Twilight," just "Twilight"-related clothing! As for my collection of lovesick vampire tales, they will stay proudly displayed on my bookshelf, somewhere between Proust and Nietzsche.
~Lauren

1 comment:

  1. I don't think you're too old for Fall Out Boy! But I think everyone is too old for Twilight. Sorry.

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