On September 27, 2005, the first Twilight novel hit the shelves. No one expected what would happen next—fangirls, Team Edward vs. Team Jacob wars, and movies that made millions of dollars. Stephenie Meyer was still writing the final scenes of Breaking Dawn when the first movie began filming. That’s how large Twilight became.
The popularity still hasn’t died down. From Sept. 11 — 14 is the Forks Twilight festival, an annual festival in Forks, Washington that invites Twilight fans to come together and celebrate the series. This year, multiple actors from the movies and Stephenie Meyer herself will be in attendance. The tickets sold out rather quickly.
But here’s the thing about Twilight — the books are way better than you remember. And if you’ve only watched the movies, you’re missing out on a lot. But fear not; I’m here to tell you all the details you missed and hopefully persuade you to read the novels.
Edward Cullen Is Actually Really Funny
“Never trust vampires. Trust me.”
New Moon
- In Midnight Sun, Edward calls Bella “sort of pretty” and titles himself a “vampire stalker.”
- He buys Bella a ridiculously safe car before their wedding, just in case she gets into an accident beforehand.
- Oh, and he once thought a spider would kill her.
Bella Swan Has A Life
She is so much cooler in the books!
- She works at Newton’s Olympic Outfitters (Mike Newton’s parents’ store).
- She’s an avid bookworm, which is only hinted at in the movies.
- She enjoys cooking and makes her father, Charlie, a meal almost every night.
- After she met Edward, she wanted to go to college to become a teacher.
Jacob Black Has a Backstory
The movies cut this out completely.
- His mom, Sarah, died in a car crash when he was nine.
- He has twin sisters, Rachel and Rebecca. Rebecca married a surfer in Hawaii; Rachel goes to Washington State University and gets imprinted on by wolf-pack member Paul Lahote. Jacob does not like this.
- Jacob and the rest of the pack are not werewolves; they’re shapeshifters.
- Jacob was written to be a minor character, and he’s based on Meyer’s brother.
Romance… But Make It Super Awkward
- In The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Bree describes the sound of vampires kissing as ceramic cups clacking together. Romantic? Not really.
- When Bella first meets the Cullens, she wears a khaki floor-length skirt. Edward thinks this is too revealing. Yes, really. He says to her, “You are utterly indecent – no one should look so tempting. It’s not fair.”
The Details You Missed
- The Volturi have a larger guard and are scarier in the novels. The group regularly hunts other vampires and have eyes everywhere. Furthermore, they hire human secretaries with the promise of immortality, just for them to be another meal.
- James has always known Alice. The novels suggest that James killed Alice’s creator, causing her to be confused when she fully turned.
- Emmett was mauled by a bear. Now, bears are his favorite prey to hunt.
- Edward’s powers are not perfect. He can barely hear Charlie’s thoughts while Renee’s are basically yelling in his head.
The Twilight books are funnier, weirder, and richer than the movies ever showed. If you have only seen the movies, then you’re missing out on a whole different world. If you really want to get into the depths of Twilight, grab a copy of The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide. One thing is for sure: Twilight and its sparkle culture will never die.