Twilight vs. Midnight Sun by Saanvi Kunisetty

 Twilight vs. Midnight Sun

Saanvi Kunisetty

Ever since that momentous occasion when the novel Twilight, the first book of the Twilight saga was published, avid readers around the world have been going crazy for the love between vampire Edward, the normal teenage girl Bella, and an interference from Jacob (who later turned out to be a werewolf.) And when the movies began to be released from 2008 and onward, starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, fans just couldn’t contain their excitement.

The thrill died down after the final release of Breaking Dawn Part 2. Meyer had actually begun writing Midnight Sun in 2008, but when excerpts were leaked, she called it quits. Then, to many people’s delight, the book was released in 2020, about 12 years later. It narrates the same story as Twilight, but from Edward’s perspective.

So, why would Meyer simply rewrite an already written story from another character’s perspective? What was the reason behind this? From the release of Twilight, many people criticised Edward for his “manipulative” and “controlling” personality, due to his smoldering effect on Bella, and his captivating looks. This being a complete misnomer of Edward’s humble, caring, and protective personality, Meyer wrote Midnight Sun from Edward’s point of view to establish what Edward was going through. A look into his mind gave the readers an opportunity to understand Edward’s actions and his reasoning behind them.

I’m going to be honest; I completely agree with the author. From the second he begins to get to know Bella’s personality, and sees the possible future with the help of Alice, Edward realizes Bella is the one for her. He is irrevocably in love with Bella. Regardless of this, he continues to attempt to distance himself from her because he knows the danger that he poses to her life. And even when Bella accepts him for what he is, he maintains his precautions, and only agrees to be with her if she gives him his consent.

Personally, I feel like what makes Midnight Sun even more appealing compared to Twilight is the amount of intuition, thoughts, and perspective it provides. We really get to know the Cullen family more, we realize Edward’s origins, and why he is so cautious and over-protective with Bella. We understand his mood swings throughout the beginning of the book. (Of course he looked mad in Biology next to Bella- he was fighting the urge and the thirst to kill everyone in the room just to get a taste of Bella’s blood). And finally, best of all, we realize the overwhelming amount of love Edward has for Bella- he literally has lived for around 109 years, and Bella is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Finally, not only do we get to analyze Edward’s actions and personality, but we get to see other characters through the eyes of him. With his ability to read others’ thoughts, we can see the true intentions behind characters (such as Jessica, who appears nice, but really is always wishing the worst for Bella). We also realize what a soft, kind-hearted, good-natured person Bella is. Throughout Twilight, she is always ranting about how she is nowhere near good enough for Edward. But through Edward’s eyes, we see the small yet amazing things she does for people. She cares for her mother like she is a mother herself, she pairs up with the unpopular kid in class to work on a project, she takes care of household chores and dinner for Charlie, and so much more. Things such as these were never offered in the original Twilight book. 

Regardless, both Twilight and Midnight Sun are wonderful reads, and provide an insight to the life of a highschool teenager with a fantastical twist, as well as a look at the sacrifices involved in love.