TWILIGHT. It's all been said before.

I am not capable of writing a review, and besides, it's all been said before elsewhere and better.  But I do want to document this because I can't stop analyzing and feeling utterly confused and on the outside of things.  

So, yeah.  I finished reading TWILIGHT last night for the first time.  The first book in the series.  I wanted to like it.  Even though I've read many, many criticisms, I still half-expected to like it.  I think it's because every time I see some sort of online survey with the question: "Which fictional character do you lust for/have a crush on/want to shag?" everyone says, "Edward Cullen!!!!!!!"  I fully expected to fall desperately in love with Edward and then we would run away together or something.

But, no.  I didn't like the story, the writing*, or the protagonist.  And I didn't lust for Edward.  At all.  I mean, I liked him better than Bella (how could I not?), but I didn't find him to be anyone special.  I would never put him on my Fictional Character To Shag list.

It really is a strange thing.  Like, hey, Angel fans!  Remember how in season 4, everyone was mesmorized by Jasmine and adored her absolutely?  But when they came in contact with her blood, they could see her for what she really was?  That's how I feel about TWILIGHT.   Except that I never even got a chance to love TWILIGHT because somehow its blood touched me immediately. Others, so many others, are seeing a beauty that I never got to see.

Anyway, I'm a million years behind the times, I know.  And I'm being weird and somewhat mock-melodramatic here, yes.  I am well aware that I'm not the only one to dislike TWILIGHT.  There are others like me out there.  I KNOW IT!   But my lack of understanding of the mass appeal is so strong that it almost hurts.   Why am I one of the people who doesn't get it?

(*But no, my dislike isn't about me being all jealous writer-ish.  Not entirely.)