Held Captive by the Edward Cullen Mystique

So, the word on the street is true.

I've fallen in love with a vampire.

I'm guessing I'm not the first person, though. I'm a little late on catching up with the Twilight phenomenon - I had basically been oblivious to it until after the movie came out - but I'm hearing that many a heart has been won over by the mysterious, beautiful Edward Cullen from Stephenie Meyer's massively successful vampire saga.

First of all, let me say this about the book: YAY for kids reading!! I'm hearing that the Twilight series has been a huge hit with teen girls, long before it ever came to the silver screen, and that makes me very, very happy. Because now, after having read the book myself, I can honestly tell you it is a cleverly-written, intelligent book, beyond the fact that is a very impressively-thick volume that I would think most girls between the ages of 13 and 18 would cower and run away from. It's the kind of book I wish had been around when I was in high school. So much more powerful and captivating than the R.L. Stine/Christopher Pike "horrors" I immersed myself in at that age. By Grade 9, I was seeking my thrills with the likes of Stephen King - books that, in retrospect, were way over my head. Twilight would have been just perfect for me back then.

Hell, it's perfect for me now! And that's another awesome aspect about the book. It can be enjoyed by teen girls and then passed on to their older sisters, cousins, aunts, mothers - it's not so far-fetched for women in their 20's, 30's, 40's and beyond to enjoy this story. As long as one keeps in touch with what it was like to be a teenage girl, self-conscious, afraid of not being able to fit in - and then, discovering an irrisistable attraction to the most handsome boy in school.

The twist? Buddy's a vampire. But you all saw that one coming, right?

So, I do have one little problem with the whole Edward Cullen thing.

It didn't take me long to get wrapped up in the story - Bella, the narrator, moves in with her father, and struggles with fitting in at her new school. She quickly discovers the can't resist the pale, beautiful boy who sits next to her in Biology, and despite some odd behaviour on his part, before long they fall in love and Bella becomes privvy to Edward's family's secret.

Yep. A whole household of vampires, living in the sticks, mingling with the humans in town. But these vampires are the good kind - they resist the temptation to suck the blood of people, choosing instead to hunt animals, which allows for a peaceful co-habitat with the humans. That doesn't mean they're not a danger - as long as they keep a safe distance, all is well. But Bella's relationship with her gorgeous vampire boy is still risky, as he must constantly fight his natural instincts in order to be with her and keep her safe.

*sigh* How romantic!!

But here's where my problem comes in: Throughout the book, I envisioned Shane West (of A Walk to Remember and ER fame) playing the role of Edward. I do that all the time - pick Hollywood actors to imagine in the roles of my favourite books. Shane seemed to fit the description of Edward Cullen to a 'T'. Pale skin, muscular body, crooked grin...Just dye his hair bronze, and ta-da!! Edward Cullen!!



So now, I've learned that it's actually a dude named Robert Pattinson who plays Edward in the movie, which I've been dying to see since I finished the last chapter of the book last night. (Okay, so it hasn't even been a whole day of "dying to see it", but I'm desperate!) Problem? I Googled Mr. Pattinson, whom I'd never heard of before, and the images I brought up did not fit what I had in my mind for Edward. He's not nearly as sexy or dangerous-looking as Shane West. He doesn't compare at all...


I'm thinking that after seeing the movie, I'll change my mind. And Robert Pattinson will become my Edward. And then I can carry on with the rest of the series, envisioning him as the most beautiful vampire boy in the world.

But as of right now, I can't escape the clashing images...I just really wish I'd been put in charge of casting this movie...