Eclipse (Meyer)

Eclipse (Twilight Series #3)
Stephenie Meyer, 2007
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
640 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780316087384


Summary
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob—knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?. (From the publisher.)

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Author Bio
• Birth—December 24, 1973
• Where—Harford, Connecticut
• Education—Bringham Young University
• Currently—lives in Phoenix, Arizona


Stephenie Meyer's life changed dramatically on June 2, 2003. The stay-at-home mother of three young sons woke up from a dream featuring seemingly real characters that she could not get out of her head.

"Though I had a million things to do, I stayed in bed, thinking about the dream. Unwillingly, I eventually got up and did the immediate necessities, and then put everything that I possibly could on the back burner and sat down at the computer to write—something I hadn't done in so long that I wondered why I was bothering."

Meyer invented the plot during the day through swim lessons and potty training, and wrote it out late at night when the house was quiet. Three months later she finished her first novel, Twilight. With encouragement from her older sister (the only other person who knew she had written a book), Meyer submitted her manuscript to various literary agencies. Twilight was picked out of a slush pile at Writer's House and eventually made its way to the publishing company Little, Brown where everyone fell immediately in love with the gripping, star-crossed lovers.

Twilight was one of 2005's most talked about novels and within weeks of its release the book debuted at #5 on the New York Times bestseller list. Among its many accolades, Twilight was named an "ALA Top Ten Books for Young Adults," an Amazon.com "Best Book of the Decade...So Far", and a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year.

The highly-anticipated sequel, New Moon, was released in September 2006, and spent more than 25 weeks at the #1 position on the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2007, Eclipse literally landed around the world and fans made the Twilight Saga a worldwide phenomenon! With midnight parties and vampire-themed proms the enthusiasm for the series continued to grow.

On May 6, 2008, Little, Brown and Company released The Host, Meyer's highly-anticipated novel for adults which debuted at #1 on the New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller lists. The Host still remains a staple on the bestseller lists more than a year after its debut.

On August 2, 2008, the final book in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn was released at 12:01 midnight. Stephenie made another appearance on Good Morning America and was featured in many national media outlets, including Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, People Magazine and Variety. Stephenie headlined the Breaking Dawn Concert Series with Justin Furstenfeld (lead singer of Blue October) to celebrate the release in four major markets across the US. Breaking Dawn sold 1.3 million copies in its first 24 hours.

The Twilight movie, directed by Catherine Hardwicke and starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, was released on November 21, 2008. Twilight debuted at #1 at the box office with $70 million, making it the highest grossing opening weekend for a female director.

Stephenie lives in Arizona with her husband and three sons. (From the author's website.)

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Book Reviews
(Audio version.) In Stephenie Meyer's sequel to New Moon (Little, Brown, 2006) and the third title in her popular vampire series, Edward and Bella are back and the sexual tension between them has grown even stronger as Bella prepares to graduate from high school and enter into her new life as a vampire. But what about her longtime close friend Jacob (a werewolf)? How can she choose between him and Edward, and what will happen if, and when, she does? Ilyana Kadushin skillfully brings Bella to life, sharing her struggle to decide between her love for Edward and her friendship for Jacob, while striving to maintain the peace between the vampire Cullens and the werewolf Blacks. The narration easily distinguishes between characters. Fans of Meyer's previous titles will enjoy this one and eagerly await the release of Midnight Sun. —Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH
School Library Journal

The legions of readers who are hooked on the romantic struggles of Bella and the vampire Edward will ecstatically devour this third installment of the story begun in Twilight, but it's unlikely to win over any newcomers. Jake, the werewolf met in New Moon, pursues Bella with renewed vigilance. However, when repercussions from an episode in Twilight place Bella in the mortal danger that series fans have come to expect, Jake and Edward forge an uneasy alliance. The plot patterns have begun to show here, but Meyer's other strengths remain intact. The supernatural elements accentuate the ordinary human dramas of growing up. Jake and Edward's competition for Bella feels particularly authentic, especially in their apparent desire to best each other as much as to win Bella. Once again the author presents teenage love as an almost inhuman force: "[He] would have been my soul mate still," says Bella, "if his claim had not been overshadowed by something stronger, something so strong that it could not exist in a rational world." According to Meyer, the fourth book should tie up at least the Edward story, if not the whole shebang.
Publishers Weekly

It's the countdown to graduation and immortality for Bella, since the events of New Moon (2006) have convinced boyfriend Edward to let her join him in vampirism. While Bella desires only to leave this mortal coil, Edward wants her to try college and marriage first. Bella knows that becoming a vampire will forever sever her ties to best friend Jake, who's a werewolf and therefore an ancient racial enemy of all things vampiric. Luckily—and predictably—a gathering of bloodthirsty, vengeful vampires is headed straight for Bella. To protect her, the vegetarians of Edward's vamp coven need to stop trading racial epithets with the werewolves and work with them, instead. Bella wants the villains to be defeated so she can return to her everyday life of high school, anticipating immortality and fighting Edward's determination to avoid premarital sex. Unsettling racially charged characterizations are offset by messages of overcoming difference and working together. Fans of Bella's angst-drenched love triangle will gobble this entry up, and the open-ended conclusion paves the way for Jake's story to come.
Kirkus Reviews

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Discussion Questions
1. When Edward explained to Bella that Alice can’t see her if she is with Jacob’s pack, he phrased it as “your future got lost, just like theirs.” The other Cullen powers work on Jacob and his friends—why do you think Alice’s power is different?

2. It seems that Jacob’s story is following a similar path as Leah Clearwater’s story. Do you think that they will bond over that or will he continue to dislike her? What other characters’ stories have similar paths?

3. The Cullens and the Quileutes have come together over a common goal—to kill the attacking vampires. How will this newfound camaraderie affect the original treaty? What changes should be made and what parts should remain as they are?

4. Bella seems adamant that she will become a vampire, even though she knows her family and friends would be very much opposed to the idea. Do you think Charlie or Renee will figure out what Bella is planning? What about Mike and her friends at school? How will they react if they discover her intentions and do you think that they could change her mind?

5. Victoria’s character represents a physical and real danger to Edward and Bella. What other dangers exist for them that aren’t as apparent as Victoria? Will running away to Alaska keep them safe? What other options do they each have?

6. What do you think the next headlines will read in the Seattle papers now that the killing has stopped? How will the authorities explain what has happened?

7. Why do you think Leah turned into a werewolf when none of the stories have ever mentioned a woman wolf before? How will her presence be significant to the pack? To Sam? To Emily? To Jacob?

8. Does Rosalie’s story change the way you feel about her? What insight did you get into her character and her personality? What more still remains a mystery? Despite how it turned out, was it hypocritical of her to change Emmett?

9. Does Jasper’s story change the way you feel about him? What insight did you get into his character and his personality? What more remains a mystery? Will Peter and Charlotte or Maria come back into his life?

10. Stephenie Meyer has noted that each of the novels in The Twilight Saga pays homage to other literary classics. For Eclipse, she has said Wuthering Heights was the key inspiration. If Bella were assigned the role of Catherine Earnshaw, which character would be Heathcliff— Edward or Jacob? What aspects of Edgar Linton can be found in either Edward and Jacob? Is it possible Meyer intended Bella to play the role of Heathcliff? Are there other characters from Wuthering Heights that could more accurately represent the complex relationship between Bella, Edward, and Jacob?
(Questions issued by publisher.)

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