| Author | Stephenie Meyer |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Twilight Saga |
| Subject | Vampires |
| Genre | Young adult, Fantasy, Romance novel |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
Publication date | August 4, 2020 |
| Pages | 658[1] |
| ISBN | 9780316707046 |
| Preceded by | Breaking Dawn |
In Midnight Sun, Stephenie Meyer transports us back to a world that has captivated millions of readers and, drawing on the classic myth of Hades and Persephone, brings us an epic novel about the profound pleasures and devastating consequences of immortal love. Aug 03, 2020.
Midnight Sun is a 2020 companion novel to the 2005 book Twilight by author Stephenie Meyer. The work retells the events of Twilight from the perspective of Edward Cullen instead of that of the series' usual narrating character Bella Swan.[2] Meyer stated that Twilight was to be the only book from the series that she planned to rewrite from Edward's perspective.[3] To give them a better feel of Edward's character, Meyer allowed Catherine Hardwicke, the director of the film adaptation of Twilight, and Robert Pattinson, the actor playing Edward, to read some completed chapters of the novel while they shot the film.[4][5][6] It was released on August 4, 2020.[7][8]
- The record for the completed novel can be found here. Midnight Sun is the much anticipated retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. An unedited partial draft was illegally leaked onto the internet in 2008; consequently, author Stephenie Meyer put the project on indefinite hold.
- At last, readers can experience Edward's version in the long-awaited companion novel, Midnight Sun. This unforgettable tale as told through Edward's eyes takes on a new and decidedly dark twist. Meeting Bella is both the most unnerving and intriguing event he has experienced in all his years as a vampire.
Pre-release history
On August 28, 2008, Meyer halted the writing of Midnight Sun in response to the leak of twelve chapters of the unfinished manuscript on the Internet. She stated, 'If I tried to write Midnight Sun now, in my current frame of mind, James would probably win and all the Cullens would die, which wouldn't dovetail too well with the original story. In any case, I feel too sad about what has happened to continue working on Midnight Sun, and so it is on hold indefinitely.'[2] She made the twelve-chaptered draft available on her website in fairness to her readers, now that the novel has been compromised before its intended publication date.[9] Meyer also stated that she does not believe the manuscript was leaked with any malicious intent, and would not give any names.[2]
In a November 2008 interview, Meyer said that, 'It's really complicated, because everyone now is in the driver's seat, where they can make judgment calls. .. I do not feel alone with the manuscript. And I cannot write when I don't feel alone.'[10] She said that her goal was to go for around two years without hearing about Midnight Sun, and she thought that she would begin working on the novel again once she was sure that 'everyone's forgotten about it'.[10]
In 2015, following the release of Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, the first Twilight novel gender-bent, Meyer felt comfortable to pick up writing again, but as she said to a comic-con panel in 2015: 'What do you think was the top story on Yahoo the next morning? Grey.' She was referring to Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian which, as the subtitle says, is a retelling of the first Fifty Shades of Grey book through the eyes of Christian Grey. 'It was a literal flip the table moment for me', Meyer reportedly said. The book remained on hold.[11] However, in May 2020, Meyer announced that the book would be released on August 4, 2020.[7]
Release
Critical reception
Critics panned the novel, with review aggregator Book Marks reporting one positive and two mixed reviews out of a total of nine reviews.[12] Elle Hunt at The Guardian wrote that the book was 'chronically overwritten' and under-edited. She lamented the lack of new lore and how the strict adherence to scenes in the original Twilight made the book boring.[13] At The Independent, Annie Lord also noted the large overlap with Twilight, and called the writing 'laughably bad', but notes that fans would enjoy gaining new insights into Edward's relationship with his sister.[14]Kirkus posited that the 'glacial pace' of the book allowed for a focus on characterization, and predicted that fans would forgive, or even enjoy, its 'excesses and indulgences.'[15] At The Washington Post, Karin Tanabe criticized the lack of diversity in the characters, describing the Quileute characters as 'stereotypical B-list characters.' She also noted that the sexual tension between the two main characters was hindered by having to adhere to the original storyline.[16]
Sales
Midnight Sun sold one million copies in its first week of publication.[17]
Future
At Books-A-Million's virtual live event in August 2020, Meyer announced that she has plans for two more Twilight books.[8][18]
References
- ^'Midnight Sun brings back the creepy, sublimated, wildly unhealthy eroticism of Twilight'. Vox.com.
- ^ abcStephenieMeyer.com | Twilight series | Other Projects. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008.
- ^Entertainment Weekly interview with Stephenie Meyer: Part 2
- ^Larry Carroll (April 15, 2008). ''Twilight' Set Visit Confirms Edward And Bella's Chemistry, Offers A 'Midnight Sun' Preview'. MTV. Retrieved August 17, 2008.
- ^'New Twilight book: 'Fans grew up with criticism of the originals''. BBC News. May 6, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^León, Concepción de (August 3, 2020). 'Stephenie Meyer Is Telling Edward's Story, Even if It Makes Her Anxious'. The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
- ^ abFlood, Alison (May 4, 2020). 'Stephenie Meyer announces new Twilight book Midnight Sun'. The Guardian. ISSN0261-3077. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^ abhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/aug/13/as-midnight-sun-hits-no-1-stephenie-meyer-plans-two-more-twilight-books
- ^StephenieMeyer.com | Twilight series | Midnight Sun partial draft. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009.
- ^ abKaren Valby (November 5, 2008). 'Stephenie Meyer Talks 'Twilight''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
- ^'Stephenie Meyer has no plans to release 'Midnight Sun' after EL James' 'Grey''. EW.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- ^'Book Marks reviews of Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer'. Book Marks. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
- ^Hunt, Elle (August 7, 2020). 'Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer review – dusk falls on Twilight saga'. The Guardian. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
- ^Lord, Annie (August 6, 2020). 'Midnight Sun review: Time's up for Twilight's twisted romance'. The Independent.
- ^'Midnight Sun'. Kirkus Reviews. August 4, 2020.
- ^Tanabe, Karin (August 9, 2020). ''Midnight Sun' gives 'Twilight' fans a new story to sink their teeth into — sort of'. Washington Post.
- ^Perez, Lexy (August 13, 2020). ''Twilight' Companion Novel 'Midnight Sun' Sells 1M Copies in First Week of Publication'. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
- ^https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2020/08/12/stephenie-meyer-twilight-midnight-sun-sells-million-copies-first-week/3343213001/
External links
- Midnight Sun Partial Draft. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009.
A dark and moody vampire is making quite an impression with readers this summer – more than a million impressions, to be exact.
Stephenie Meyer's 'Midnight Sun,' the long-anticipated retelling of 'Twilight' from vampire Edward Cullen's perspective, rather than Bella Swan's, claims the No. 1 spot this week on USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list, selling more than 1 million copies in its first week out. That number includes presales and all formats: print, e-books and audio.
'We're absolutely thrilled to bring people back to the Twilight Saga world and to celebrate this major achievement with Stephenie and the fans and booksellers who've supported her for the last fifteen years,' Megan Tingley, executive vice president and publisher of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, told USA TODAY in a statement. 'In addition to the breathtaking sales, it is profoundly gratifying to hear how much the fans are loving the novel. The resounding response to the read has been ‘it was definitely worth the wait!' '
Picasso video editor. 6 things to know about 'Midnight Sun': The new 'Twilight' book told from Edward Cullen's perspective
'It's definitely darker': Stephenie Meyer's new 'Twilight' book 'Midnight Sun' is coming Aug. 4
In May, when the book's release date was announced, the author promised USA TODAY that the fifth book in the young-adult series would be 'darker' and 'more desperate.'
It was no easy feat to retell an established story with established dialogue to align with the original novel, Meyer noted. 'Metaphorically, they were like prison bars,' Meyer said. 'By far the most exciting part of writing this, hands down, is the fourth act where Edward and Bella are separated, so then I'm free to do whatever I want.'
Meyer's first four books in the series spent more than four years on the Best-Selling Books list and spawned five blockbuster films and a legion of 'Twihard' fans. The saga in total has sold more than 160 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 49 languages.
Will there be a new second book in the retelling? Maybe, but don't expect it to be Edward-centric. There are other characters in the saga, after all. At Books-A-Million's virtual live event with the author on Monday, Meyer shared with fans what she knows for now.
'There are two more books I think in the world that I want to write. I have got them outlined and a chapter written I think of the first one, so I know it's there. I am not ready to do that right now, I want to do something brand new,' she said. 'For me, a lot of the joy of writing comes from creating and I really want to do a new world and new rules and new mythology. Mythology is kind of my thing.'
Contributing: Barbara VanDenburgh
Midnight Sun (meyer Novel) Book Review
