Twilight Re-Read: Chapters 16-20

I put off a lot of reading this week because of the panic for my approaching wisdom tooth removal (though all went well in the end), but I'm glad to have gotten the questions in on time!

1. {SERIOUS question} If you where in Carlisle position, do you think you would have been able to fight off your vampiric urges? Would you ever bring someone into that life, as he did with Edward and Esme?


I guess I don't really know how I would have fared without ever becoming a vampire, seeing as I can't think of anything to compare that experience to. I understand Carlisle's desire to have others like him to stave off the loneliness that is immortality, but I do see his actions as a little bit selfish whether the people he turned were going to die or not.
 I'm still not sure of Carlisle's reasoning for changing the people that his does. After all, he obviously cannot save everybody, and turning others solely for the purpose of giving already-made vampires romantic partners seems unreasonable. He knows very little/ nothing about the people that he changes, and may just be making another person who will be unhappy for eternity.


2. {FUN question} We are introduced to Edward's playful side in these chapters, before he gets all manic about the new vampires, I think we have a better picture of who he is. If you had to describe him in 5 words, what would they be? Good and Bad qualities, whatever you like!


I still find him off-putting.


3. {LONG question} While re-reading I have been taking notes: observations that I have come across re-reading and comparisons to the movie. One of my notes deals with page 383, in which Edward screams at Alice there is no other option. The first time around I didn't get that he meant the future that Alice saw for Bella as a vampire (because we obviously hadn't gotten to that part), but now that I know the whole story I see that is what he meant... Has this happened to you? Do you have any examples of things that are clearer now or things that you have realized while re-reading? 


I hear a lot of people take hits at Bella's intelligence (namely: my friends), but as my re-read has indicated she is actually quite bright, and I'm not sure why people think that she's so stupid. I take advanced placement classes myself, and can tell you that from what I've heard AP: Biology (what Bella took in her sophomore year, pg. 47) is no walk in the park, not to mention is a class only allowed to seniors in my neck of the woods.* Also, I am very interested in her Shakespeare and misogyny paper, even though Meyer didn't go too in depth into it. I think that she has a good work ethic too: she gets things done before they need to be done, and often out of a sense of duty/ without being asked. I suppose I have a new appreciation for her, and I wish she thought more about her academic future rather than just her romantic one, and I can see her going on to become a very successful woman.
*You also have to dissect a fetal pig in that class in my neck of the woods, and how Bella would have done that with her issue with blood, I'm not sure


4. {PERSONAL question} We haven't talked about this yet, but I think the idea of your human gifts amplifying in your vampire life is interesting (Jasper's control of emotions, Edward's mind reading), what do you think your gifts would be? 


I have very good voice recognition skills. For example, I watch a lot of cartoons and can usually pick up on who voices which characters in what shows without having to look them up. Supersonic hearing might be kind of fun.
Talking to animals would be cool too, but I'm not sure what human skill would have to be emphasized for that to happen.


5.{SURVEY question} We are coming to the end of the book, what has been your opinion on this re-read? First, when was the last time you read it? Second, do you feel you like it more, the same, or less this time around?


Oh wow, this is actually kind of tough... I certainly don't hate the book with the intensity that I thought I did. The last time I read this was early 2007, so about four and a half years ago. I haven't watched any of the movies, so I'm not doing a whole lot of comparing throughout the book. I'm still pretty neutral on the book overall, and can't place it into a "good" or "bad" category. It's okay, and some parts are definitely better than others. I like Bella more, but Edward less, and like Rosalie more than I can remember.