TWILIGHT (2008) aka Book Proves Secret Fear of Writers to be True

There are some immensely popular books that seem to be fluff but are so well written that even if the material isn't one's cup of laai cha, one can’t help but feel a begrudging respect. For me, the Harry Potter series is an example of this. I just don't care for wizards, magic and spells. It's a matter of personal preference. Still, it's clear those books are writen extremely well.

Then there is TWILIGHT, a bestseller by Stephenie Meyer which has now spurned a film adaptation. So Jene, who loves the Harry Potter series and has introduced me to many books that I would have otherwise skipped, suggested I read the book as an exercise to see how it would be adapted for the screen.

Adapting a very popular novel to the screen is always difficult since a strong fan base demands that the film not deviate from the book even if this strict adhesion to the source material works against the film. On the other hand, it also means a minimum x number of fans of the book will flock to theaters regardless of how the adaptation is done.

At the risk of being called out for sour grapes (which I must harbor at some level since my own books haven't sold well), my main impression of the novel is that it seems to have been written by an 11-year-old for other 11-year-olds. The sentences are clunky and scenes go on for much too long. The vampire story seems to be rehashed from existing works of that genre and there's very little that could be called complex or sophisticated. I can't quite understand how any grown-up could derive enjoyment from this piece of junk.

The remarkable success of a book like this makes me question my own sanity. To me, it's so evident that this book is so unbelievably lacking in every way, yet it has somehow won the praise of hundreds of thousands of readers. It's enough to make a writer lose faith in the reader and wonder why he or she even bothers.

Whenever I read a complete piece of rubbish like this that's sold millions of copies, I can't help but think back to the writers I've known in my life (most whom I met when I was in university or freshly out of university). In their unguarded moments, nearly every writer I know has told me that as cynical as it sounds, deep down he or she has come to accept that the worst most talentless writers are the ones who make it commercially.

I don't agree with this view since it's a blanket statement and it's clear that there are exceptions. But TWILIGHT certainly seems to providence ammunition for such a claim. Sure not every novel has to say something serious or important, and there is a place in this world for fluff. But this book isn't even good fluff.

That said, the only sense I can make for how and why this book works(and rather well obviously given its success) is that it does, in its inane, childish and clumsy way, try to tell an earnest story of incredibly intense first love. BELLA, the narrator and main character, sees and studies the beautiful EDWARD, who is actually a vampire, as no one else at her school does. The bulk of the book is long passages of Bella obsessing and agonizing over the meaning behind Edward's tiniest gestures, words, and actions.

As for the film adaptation, this is precisely where it fails. Without the film equivalent of Bella's obsessing over the object of her first love, the intensity of the obsession/first love doesn't come through on screen. It also doesn't help that the film treats these scenes of fascination-turning-to-obsession-to-purest love quickly and as merely a means to get to some special-effects-driven good vampire vs. bad vampire fight sequences.

Despite this shift in focus, which I can only guess must have been made to try to add production value to the film and make it feel more like a movie, the special effects are poor and there’s very little to distinguish the film from a small TV show except that Robert Pattison plays the moody vampire. Overall, the film plays worse than most recent TV shows about supernatural elements mixing with the ordinary populace set in high schools, which as a TV genre, tends to be far more witty and sophisticated.

The classic BUFFY THE VAMPIRE series, which also featured a moody vampire love story, epitomizes this. The genius of that series and its creator Joss Whedon is that each episode also worked as social commentary about familiar issues in high school life (eg. Eating disorders, cliques, losing one’s virginity…)

Lacking this sophistication in the source material, the film adaptation of TWILIGHT also disappoints because it fails to show the earnest obsessive intensity of first love that is the book's focus and main strength.

New Creative Thanksgiving Juice

I know there's a lot going on in the world right now, but life goes on and I just can't help but be concerned with realtively small things.

Today, on the day after Thanksgiving, I'm thinking mostly about these two things:

1) MOJO TANGO -- Jonny Stranger, who was at NYU with me in the MFA program and is now based in Austin, TX sent me a DVD of his second feature. I think the film is still not locked down (it's still being edited), but the version I saw blew me away.

I watched it once. Then, in the middle of the night (4AM), watched it again. It has its flaws and needs a few adjustments (some scenes need to be cut and a few scenese need to be added), but it is going to be a real crowd pleaser at festivals.

Here is one of Jonny Stranger's other works, a short animated film that is a sample of his creative visual sense. Enjoy.




As for MOJO TANGO, he has done an amazing job of making a really entertaining and hip film about two friends and their relationships with women. I've seen lots of indie no-budget films shot on digital video about floundering 20somethings and 30somethings that have since been labeled as mumblecore, most notably THE PUFFY CHAIR, FUNNY HA HA, KISSING ON THE MOUTH, and Jonny's movie is way better than all those. And those movies were reviewed in the NY TIMES.

I tip my hat to you, Jonny Stranger, for persevering and getting your second feature made under remarkable duress. You are a true independent filmmaker. I can't wait for you to experience the love of the audience at festival screenings, especially since the film also authentically captures the hipster Bohemian scene of Austin. If anyone hasn't been there, the hype is for real. It is one cool city, still great for artists and slackers in general.

Anyway, being witness to Jonny Stranger's struggle and now seeing the fruit of that struggle has been humbling and enlightening. I will follow your example.


Now, the second thing.

2) I've been busy since returning to Hong Kong doing Korean-to-English translations. I did the translation (English subtitles) for an old-school Korean television mini series (all 16 episodes). This entails watching the episodes and coming up with English dialog that has same or similar meaning but that also matches the relative length of the original. It's not that difficult, and I'm pretty good at it--I'm relatively good with languages. But it still takes time. It doesn't pay much (especially now since I get paid in Korean won and that currency has plummeted), but it's work I can do at a very flexible schedule and without having to schlepp around.

Because of that job, I really haven't had time to do much else. So, it wasn't until this morning that I realized that the laptop that was stolen from our luggage in the Maldives contained the latest file of the novel that I've been working on--more fitting description is the novel that's been kicking my butt-- for the past 3, 4 years.

I thought I'd backed it up to an external hard drive that I have at home, but it turns out I hadn't. So basically, what I do have of that novel is an old draft from about a year ago before a major rewrite.

I'm not even sure what the point of this is. I'm not really sad about it. It's more like begruding acceptance of a situation.

Basically, I didn't lose it all, so if I can go on and finish the novel, losing the laptop will make for a good making-of overcoming-obstacles story.

On the other hand, it's as if this novel, a hip mystery, is giving me a way out, tempting me to take the easy way out and abandon it.

I ought to, as I know its flaws already, but I've invested so much in it already, that I just couldn't do that.

Anyway, this is what it feels like sometimes to write a book.

On a positive note, I got an e-mail from out of the blue from some prof at UC Berkeley who tracked me down to tell me she is teaching my book BOY GENIUS to her class of 40 students this semester.

This happens to me about once a year, but this is the first time from a really big name school. Very gratifying feeling.

I guess one has to find encouragement in all things.

Rice and the Trailing Male

I spent yesterday afternoon with Phillipe walking around Mui Wo and eating some good squid. I am so happy and grateful to be able to see him here in Hong Kong.

During our long walk and talk, he mentioned that there is a label for the existence that I've found myself in.

What is that label?

TRAILING MALE

I was a little surprised that there was a name like this, but also a little pleased at how clever the description was in describing my and other people's situation.

The fact is, I am in Hong Kong because my wife's career has brought us here. My VISA clearly states this reality.

But, this hasn't affected my life in quite the same way that it may have other men's.

Why?

My career was already quite non-traditional to begin with, and hence, it hasn't been derailed or disrupted in the same way that it might have been had I had a more traditional suit job.

And aside from the fact that I miss some aspects of my life back in NY, I think I've adjusted rather well to life here and to my existence as a 'trailing male.'

I'm managing to earn a few bucks doing Korean-to-English translations, am writing my third novel, and have begun making short films and keeping this blog. In addition, I've managed to learn enough Cantonese to get by and carry on simple conversations with Cantonese people who speak little or no English.

That said, do I feel lonely and isolated sometimes?

Absolutely.

Do I feel completely emasculated?

Not really.

The truth is I really don't think it's as big a deal as some other people do.

Of course, there are plenty of people out there who do think it is quite quite a big deal.

For instance, last Sunday, I went to JUSCO and bought three bags of Japanese rice before heading to my Cantonese class, which is in Wanchai and subsidized by the HK government. The class is actually quite terrific with an amazing instructor and about 500% better than the Cantonese class I took at the Tsim Sha Tsoy YMCA, which was a complete waste of time with an instructor who was excellent only at being inept.

Anyway, I was a little late to the class, and hence, ended up making an entrance, lugging the bags of rice, in front of the 25 or so other students.

The instructor saw my entrance and made a comment about how HK society had changed so much in recent years and the status of men had depreciated so much that men were now reduced to shopping for rice and lugging it home for their wives and families.

It was a semi-humorous and completely innocuous comment, especially given the fact that the class is usually conducted in a very casual, fun atmosphere with jokes exchanged in good spirit.

But then, during the rest of the class (breaks and the end of class), about half a dozen of my classmates (mostly Indians and a few Filipinos) went out of their way to tell me what a good husband I was for buying rice for my wife and how rare this was. Basically, they made such a big fuss that I couldn't help but become a little startled.

My buying rice seemed to be something completely foreign to them, when to me, I had simply bought the rice because it was convenient to do so then. I'd simply consolidated my going to class with doing an errand.

Anyway, I used to do grocery shopping all the time back in the U.S. without anyone making a big deal out of it. And here in HK, I do most of the grocery shopping and the cooking and cleaning for my wife and myself. I work from home, so I try to keep the place clean. It's just not that big a deal for me.

The point is, this business with the rice brought home two things:

1) As modern as HK and other parts of ASIA seem to be at times, the grip of tradition still lingers strong, especially when it comes to conventional gender roles. Call me naive, but the U.S. seems much more progressive on this front.

2) You can't let other people dictate how you live. That only makes people miserable.


That's my three cents for today.

Having said that, I do truly hope and pray that those 3.5 people out there who read this blog do not start to think less of me for being a.....

...trailing male.