TWILIGHT YEARS - Edward and the 30 plus woman

Last November, I queued for pre-bought tickets to Breaking Dawn, the fourth instalment of the Twilight saga. I'd contemplated skipping work for the back to back Twiathelon followed by the premier screening, which still feels like a perfectly good idea. I've literally stepped into the Twilight Zone. Oh and I forgot to mention that I'm in my 30s.

For the record, I'm not psychologically unhinged and I haven't invested in any of the merchandise. Last Summer my partner presented me with a copy of the first film. I waited for the punch line. To which he knowingly smiled and said 'Just watch it.' It could have been a B movie with its relatively unknown cast, dated fashion and low budget cinematography. The cold lighting lacked the day glow brightness of your average teen flick. Yet I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. It seems I'm not alone in this phenomenon.

Lets not get too cerebral here. I'm not going to quibble about the quality of Stephenie Meyer's writing, complexity of characters or originality of the plot. Meyer doesn't stray from convention. Its a proven formula.  By her own admission, Meyer borrowed from the classics. She maintains that Twilight is loosely based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, New Moon, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Eclipse, Emily Bronte's Wurthering Heights and Breaking Dawn, Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Twilight is literally the stuff of  great romances.

Edward Cullen is the archetypal love interest. He is mysterious, brooding, cliched. James Deanesque, he has the trademark quiff, fitted t and a jawline for days. But this rebel is old school. He's as reserved  and chivalrous as Mr Darcy with the hypnotic qualities of Dracula.  

Edward's family is also a paradox. The Cullens are affluent, good  looking, cultured with excellent taste in property. Despite these attributes, they remain compassionate and grounded, with strong family values. TIME book critic, Lev Grossman said ' ...their worlds have a free-standing integrity that makes you feel as if you should be able to buy real estate there....people do not want to just read Meyer's books, they want to climb inside and live there.'

" I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore."

This brings us to the main protagonist. Bella is human, tangible and perfectly ordinary to the untrained eye. Tomboyish, she favours practicality over the whims of fashion and make-up. Meyer didn't stray from convention with our heroine either. Many of her traits are comparable to those of Austen's Elizabeth Bennett. She is spirited and defiant enough to challenge Edward. He subsequently cannot wield his powers over her. But unlike Bennett, Bella is co-dependent and no feminist. There is no room for gender politics in this fantasy novel, raising many questions ( along with the 50 shades camp) about modern women and the romance novel.

That said, Twilight is still a teen movie that has captured an older market. This isn't the first time vampires have infiltrated teen fandom and appealed to an adult audience. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a spin-off teen series with a cult following. These texts prove popular amongst adults because on some level we still harbour a nostalgia for blackboards, long hallways and cafeterias. The Times praised Meyer for 'perfectly capturing the teenage feeling of sexual tension and alienation.' Maybe we hide our insecurities better but these feelings are still prevalent in adulthood. Small wonder she had a best-seller on her hands.

The saga's $2 billion profit, was significantly boosted by an older female demographic, who dictate much of Hollywood's taste. Is it that these movies help women connect with their inner teenage girl? I attended the screening with my friend, Sandy, 39 who says, 'I read the books before the first film was made. Edward's character (in the book) came across as much older, old fashioned and the perfect gentleman, with that sense of danger we ladies cannot resist'. She laughs. 'I can watch all the films in one weekend'

She sheepishly admitted to me that she's since gone back and watched it again with someone else.

My sister (who we'll call Clare, for privacy and street cred purposes) is also in her 30s and a fan of the films. She has been trying to indoctrinate me for months. She says, 'twilight gives you a sense that even though the guy is a monster, she's not afraid to love him.' I can see her point. Love is transcendent. 

Meyer has sold 116 million copies worldwide, in 38 different languages, highlighting its cross cultural appeal. Crystal Mack of The Daily Herald wrote 'While teenage girls are the main audience, young boys and adults of both genders have also been swept up in the phenomenon.'

Vampire literature is closely linked with the romance genre. Vampires have long been symbols of sensuality, passion and desire. Jenny and Belinda are two more of my friends who enjoy swapping mythical erotic literature, the way one might have swapped a Mills and Boon, Danielle Steel, Jackie Collins or Jilly Cooper novel 20 years ago. They assure me that werewolves are also big business right now. Clearly we'd sooner spend our time with fictitious creatures than being engrossed in gritty realism.

More recently there has been a resurgence of vampire TV. Being Human, Vampire Diaries, True Blood. To name but a few. They have fallen into the genres of sci-fi, comedy, horror, romance and fantasy. However Twilight is stored in my 'not to be taken too seriously' film genre. Boy meets girls. Boy and girl embarked on an intense, romantic journey. Nothing too thought-provoking. I can't wait for the final instalment.