Twilight

Twilight is a young-adult vampire romance novel written by Stephenie Meyer. It centers around the lives of 17-year-old mortal beauty Bella Swan and her love Edward Cullen, a vampire who has been immortalized as a teenager. The novel was adapted into a hit film in 2008 starring Kristen Stewart as Bella and Robert Pattinson as Edward.

Twilight is the first novel in the Twilight series, which also includes New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. Over 17 million copies of "Twilight" have been sold around the world http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/inside-twilight.htm, earning it a top spot as the best selling book of 2008 http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-01-14-top-100-titles_N.htm

• 2005: Twilight
• 2006: New Moon
• 2007: Eclipse
• 2008: Breaking Dawn
• 2008: Midnight Sun

In early January, 2010 a screenplay script for the upcoming Twilight saga film, "Eclipse" was allegedly leaked, revealing the full plot for mass internet audiences to read. The leaked script was stamped with actor Jackson Rathbone's name. Rathbone plays Cullen sibling Jasper in the Twilight saga movies. Over 100 pages of script were leaked.http://www.reelempire.com/news/68-movies/1724-new-twilight-script-leaked-on-internet

Ongoing debate exists about whether the script was legitimate, or if it was, if it resembles a finished film-ready version of the movie.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2560113/the_twilight_saga_eclipse_script_leaked.html?cat=40

The movie finished filming in late 2009, and as of January, 2010, was in post-production.

• "My only complaint with the story was Bella's pathetic parents, who probably have to be so lame in order for much of the plot to take place, but are still occasionally outside the suspension of disbelief. That, and Meyer's tendency to describe every single twitch of her characters' facial expressions."—LAistLAist: Book Review: Twilight (August 11, 2008)

• "Despite its length it is very readable, though it's all too easy to read a hundred pages, enjoy it, and then not be able to remember anything that actually happened. The vampires are not only presented sympathetically, but with their amazing superhero-ish powers, spectacular looks, and hipster style, they make vampirism seem like a sensible and appealing lifestyle choice -- though they would certainly fit in better in Soho than in Forks, WA. Still, it's mostly good fun, and passes the time pleasantly."—Common Sense MediaCommon Sense Media: Twilight: The Twilight Saga, Book 1

1. Isabella "Bella" Swan - lead female protagonist, teenage girl

2. Edward Cullen - lead male protagonist, vampire

3. Jacob Black - Quileut teenager, friend to Bella

4. Charlie Swan - Bella's father, police chief of Forks, WA

5. Carlisle Cullen - head of the Cullen family, ER doctor, vampire

6. Esme Cullen - matriarch of the Cullen family, vampire

7. Rosalie Hale - adopted daughter of the Cullen family, wife to Emmett, vampire

8. Emmett Cullen - Adopted son of the Cullen family, husband to Rosalie, vampire

9. Alice Cullen - adopted daughter of the Cullen family, wife to Jasper, vampire

10. Jasper Hale - adopted son of the Cullen family, husband to Alice, vampire

11. James - antagonist, tracker vampire

Forks, Washington is the main setting for the Twilight series. Founded in 1945, Forks is a real town in Clallam County, Washington, with a population of 3,120. It is known for its trout and salmon fishing, and its abonormally high amount of annual rainfall (the highest of any city in the nation).

Twilight

Bella Swan, a teenage brooding beauty, reluctantly moves to Forks, WA to live with her dad. In the rainy rural town of Forks she encounters a mysterious and handsome classmate named Edward Cullen and all of his adopted siblings. After a series of freak accidents and close calls Bella slowly discovers that Edward and his family are all vampires living among the normal world. These "vegetarian" vampires that only feed on animals, never people, greet Bella with mixed reception once it becomes clear that Edward and Bella are falling in love with each other. Tension in the book builds as the vampire family (during an evening of baseball during a thunderstorm) encounters some roaming vampires who become very interested in Bella's presence. One of the three newcomers in particular, named James, decides that Edward's protectiveness of Bella is a great challenge and he decides to hunt her as prey. With the help of the Cullens, Bella escapes to Phoenix where James is already waiting for her. He tricks her into meeting at a ballet studio where Bella is seriously wounded and nearly killed/turned into a vampire. Edward, assisted by his family, is able to arrive in time to save Bella and kill James. They all return to Forks happy and safe.

New Moon

After a scare at a birthday celebration for Bella, Edward and the rest of the Cullens decide that for Bella's own good they must pack up and leave town, never to return. Bella is stunned and broken hearted at the departure of Edward and becomes caught in a spiral of depression. The only comfort she finds is in her friendship with Jacob Black, who she discovers has become a werewolf along with most of the other men on his tribal reservation. Despite her burning love for Edward, Bella does find some romantic connection with Jacob, causing her much inner turmoil. When Victoria, the mate of Bella's deceased would-be assassin, James, comes hunting for Bella it is up to the Quileute werewolves to protect Bella. In the meantime Edward, after a major miscommunication, believes that Bella has been killed. In reaction, Edward heads to Volterra, Italy, the seat of world vampirism to be voluntarily assassinated. Bella learns of his plan and arrives in Volterra with Edward's sister, Alice Cullen, just in time to stop him. The ruling vampire coven of Volterra, the Volturi insist on an audience with the Cullens and Bella in which they allow them all to leave unscathed on the condition that Bella be turned into a vampire very soon. The Cullens agree to return to Forks so that Edward and Bella may be together again.

Eclipse

Victoria, the spurned vampire, is still on the loose and eager to avenge the death of her mate, James. As part of her plan she creates a group of newborn vampires to go after the Cullens and Bella. The newborn army is a terrible threat that requires natural enemies, the Cullen vampires and Quileute werewolves, to join forces. Together they defeat the army and kill Victoria. During the story the rivalry between Edward and Jacob grows to a fervor as they both compete for Bella's love. She ends up choosing to be with Edward, even reluctantly agreeing to marry him. This breaks Jacob's heart.

Breaking Dawn

Edward and Bella get married and find out during their honeymoon that Bella is pregnant. Her pregnancy, being of a supernatural nature, progresses quickly and endangers Bella's life. Some of Bella's loved ones encourage her to end the pregnancy, but Bella finds strength to keep going with the help of her new sister-in-law, Rosalie Cullen. During the birth of the baby Bella is so badly injured that she is quickly dying. According to her wishes, and as a last resort to save her from death, Edward transforms Bella into a vampire. Together, Edward, Bella, and their new daughter, Renesmee Cullen (a half-vampire, half-human) learn to live life as a family living on the Cullen property. The birth of Renesmee stirs up controversy in the vampire world, where immortal children are forbidden. Unable to convince the politically motivated Volturi council that Renesmee is not purely immortal (and therefore immune to such laws), the Cullens and other vampire friends have a tense showdown with the Volturi and their army of vampires. Bella learns that she has a shielding power of protection, and is able to buy time to convince the Volturi that Renesmee really is no threat. The standoff eventually ends peacefully and the Cullens are free to live a happy immortal life together.

Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has said in interviews that she drew inspiration for each of her Twilight books from classical literature.

Twilight - "Pride & Prejudice", in that Bella and Edward loosely resembled Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

New Moon - "Romeo and Juliet", in that Bella and Edward nearly emulated the deaths of the famous lovers.

Eclipse - "Wuthering Heights"

Breaking Dawn - "A Midsummer Night's Dream"http://www.examiner.com/x-11613-Books-on-Film-Examiner~y2009m5d24-Stephenie-Meyers-classical-inspirations-for-Twilight-saga