The Twilight Antidotes

My friend is a devout fan of the Twilight series. We were discussing this the other day and she made the shocking claim that she couldn’t think of one novel that was better than any of the Twilight books. She says that most books she’d read before twilight were okay but too ’stuffy’ Well, I’ve made a list of 5 books that I think would appeal to twilight fans and hopefully convince them that there are much better examples of literature out there.

Twilight Antidote 1

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Set on the spooky moors, this is the twisted love story of Cathy and Heathcliff and the relationships that destroy them and most of the people around them. Heathcliff is the ultimate brooding bad boy, and although popular culture has for the most part ignored the completely evil side to him (in the second half of the novel and the first) he is a truly baffling, but interesting character. And Cathy at best is the brat that deserves more than a slap, but just wants to be loved. So we have the Bella and Edward characteristics but Emily Bronte being a much better writer than Stephenie Meyer makes her character’s seem so much more real and vivid than Meyer’s.

Twilight Antidote 2

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

This eerie tale follows a young woman, as she tries to fit in as lady of the manor and her inability to fill the shoes of her husband’s first wife Rebecca. It is a truly chilling tale, with much more complex and complete characters than in twilight.  The husband, Maximillian de Winter is secretive, dark and brooding with a skeleton in his closet. He’s everything Meyer tried and failed to make Edward.

Twilight Antidote 3

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This short story is deemed as a hugely important piece of feminist literature for it’s dealings of issues of female mental and physical health and suppression. In less than 7000 words Gilman creates a brooding atmosphere that Meyer can only dream of creating.

Twilight Antidote 4

The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing

Although the previous three books are of a more gothic nature, The Fifth Child share some gothic similarities. This may be a bit too meaty for some readers, but it is definitely a modern classic that should at least be tried. It is the story of a perfect nuclear family and how the dynamics of the relationships changes with the arrival of the fifth child. It’s powerful and chilling and I believe a much more rewarding read than twilight.

Twilight Antidote 5

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Although Plath’s own tragic legacy have overshadowed and shaped the way this novel has been received by some critics it is a truly brilliant text. This semi-autobiographical novel follows Esther Greenwood at her summer internship for a prominent magazine and her descent into mental breakdown. It’s an honest and vivid account that kicks twilight out of the competition.