'Twilight' 101: Who It's About and Why It's So Darned Beloved 

By Martha Brockenbrough
MSN Cinemama

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If you want to make an enemy of a teenage girl (and perhaps her mother), say something bad about Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" saga, a four-part romance between a really hot vampire and a klutzy schoolgirl set in the dreary town of Forks, Wash.

I learned this firsthand by writing a critical piece; some readers offered to burn down my house in reply. For certain readers, there is no criticizing these books, which were written by a young Mormon mother from Arizona who put herself through Brigham Young University on a merit scholarship.

This alone could make her the least likely person on the planet to author the blood-drenched romance that's captivated the imagination of millions.

But the world is a mysterious place. So are the origins of "Twilight." Meyer says it all came to her in a dream. Her hero and heroine appeared to her in a meadow. She fell in love with them both, writing late at night and during her children's swimming lessons, never dreaming she could be published. When she did finish, she had low expectations, hoping to earn enough money to pay off her minivan.

The four-book juggernaut could probably buy her a new minivan made out of platinum and flaunting diamond-studded windshield wipers. The books have been perennial best-sellers since the first came out in 2005.

Unlike the "Harry Potter" series, Meyer's saga hasn't yet made the list of most-challenged books in libraries. This is sort of odd, when you consider that it is about vampires. Even so, there's no shortage of drama surrounding the books. Meyer herself has endured death threats and recently canceled a sequel after an early draft was leaked online.

The first of the books, called "Twilight," is poised to become a movie, and there's little doubt it will be a sensation. "Twilight" introduces Bella, an awkward high school student who's moved to a small, rainy town in Washington to give her mother freedom to travel with her new husband, who plays minor-league baseball.

There, Bella meets the mysterious Edward Cullen and his standoffish siblings. Edward seems to hate her at first, though she can't imagine why. It turns out her smell is irresistible. Before long, the two are in love -- and Bella's life is at risk in more ways than one.

Maybe whatever makes Bella smell so good to Edward has been spritzed onto the pages of the millions of books that have been sold. Or it could just be that today's teens have an insatiable appetite for an old-fashioned romance, in which an often helpless beautiful girl is rescued repeatedly by a gorgeous man who never takes advantage of her despite his raging desire.

Whatever it is, there is something to these books. Never mind that they don't impress the literary snobs. The books are hard to put down, even when Bella is doing idiotic things -- or perhaps especially when she's doing idiotic things. (Click here for the debate: Does "Twilight" suck the brains out of teens?)

If you're not one of those fans sitting on fang's edge awaiting a cinematic introduction to the hunky Edward and disaster-prone Bella, here's an introduction to the stars and supporting players in the saga:

Bella Swan: She's a high school student who lives in Forks with her father, Charlie, the town police chief. Bella left behind her mother, Renee, in Phoenix. Bella describes herself as klutzy -- and indeed, does seem to fall a lot. She's also one of those annoying girls who thinks she's unattractive but nonetheless is pursued by many teenage boys and, of course, Edward the hot, hot, hot vampire. Kristen Stewart, seen in "Jumper" and "Into the Wild," plays Bella.

(Note to readers: Yes, I know it is illegal to say anything bad about "Twilight" and its perfect, perfect characters. But we all know someone who describes herself as average-looking and really isn't, and it's only human to want to smack some sense into her. Also, her last name is Swan, not Ugly Duckling, and I therefore rest my case.)

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