Stephenie Meyer’s first Twilight book in over 10 years years, Midnight Sun, finally came out this week, and it's resurrected the fandom’s fascination with the vampire-bitten romance. The newly released novel retells the story that started the cultural phenomenon, this time from the point of view of Edward, allowing one to read minds of the high schoolers with him, learn more about the Cullens and find out why exactly the vampire fell for Bella after a hundred years without a heartbeat.
Back in 2008, an unfinished draft of Midnight Sun leaked online, prompting the author to cancel plans to release the fifth and final book in her series. Because it's been such a long stretch of time since the Twilight saga has been in the spotlight, fans have been curious about whether she would make any alterations to the narrative. Here’s what Stephenie Meyer recently said:
Part of the struggle of writing [Midnight Sun] was there wasn't much room for me to readdress and to make changes. I've been locked into the story. I knew what Edward was thinking and feeling [when I was writing Twilight]. So for me there aren't a lot of surprises, and I wish that there was more room for changes.
As Stephanie Meyer explained to Bustle, she did feel a bit constrained finishing the fifth book because she was rewriting an established story from another point of view. If not for being fastened in the iconic Twilight story, it sounds like there were a few changes she would have made to the storyline. One particular aspect of the story fans of the series are certainly examining more closely this time around is the Twilight saga’s depiction of gendered dynamics.
When speaking to the New York Times, Stephanie Meyer admitted she is unsure if Midnight Sun “will make that better or worse” for fans taking a closer eye at their relationship except to say the story is not intended to be set in a realistic world. The author does have one change to share about the plot that she would change if Midnight Sun was not held back by the events of the original already being canon. In her words:
When I was writing Twilight, things felt right. But then I realized [Edward] absolutely would have told [Bella] he loved her sooner. There's no way he wouldn't have. There were certain points where I'm like, 'Yes, he would have said it right here.' And I can't change that. And that's very frustrating. He definitely would have after he saved her in Port Angeles. He addresses that mentally where he is kind of surprised, as he thinks over their conversation when he's talking to her again, that he didn't say it. He's like, 'Oh, is she not aware?' But still, I feel like if I had the freedom to rework it instead of just telling his side, there would have been some fun changes.
I mean, she is the author, so any changes she makes are just rewrites, right? I wonder what other “fun changes” circled Stephenie Meyer’s head regarding the Twilight story. We still have a few unanswered questions about it yet to be addressed. Anyway, Midnight Sun does make for some entertaining dialogue with Edward in the driver’s seat this time and offers some additional insight into the series fans have been curious about.
Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight would have been a much different movie if Edward Cullen was the narrator instead of high school transfer student Bella Swan. The director recently said it would be “fascinating” if the film was reworked to be Midnight Sun. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news on your favorite franchises.
