The song for this chapter is Rainy Monday by Shiny Toy Guns:
[audio:https://twilightguy.com/music/rainymonday.mp3]
In light of yesterday’s confession which nearly got me a noosing (and plenty of emails referring me to St. Brigotti’s Hospital for the Mentally Deranged), I decided to take drastic measures so I’d never again forget to bring The Book.
So there, I can’t miss it. Tell the sisters at St. Brigotti to cease and desist fitting me for an abbot habit.
Anyhow, I was so eager to get on to Chapter 2 that I stayed up late reading it, even after flying back in from my rather eventful weekend. Right off Stephenie’s got me back to this Edward fellow, and the fact that suddenly he’s not at school was a twist I hadn’t expected.
The reason I didn’t expect it is because my brain is still mentally stereotyping this book as a traditional vampire romance. But in traditional romances, twists don’t happen. Princess Wilhelminabonk swoons into the arms of Prince Dashingbunk, he drains her blood and she becomes his corpsish bride for an eternity of bliss and bloody good dinners (British pun intended). Twilight, luckily, is different already.
I finally get to hear Edward say some stuff, and right off I am getting hints of why the girls love him. He’s extremely polite for one thing, and when he talks there’s a flourish to it. But something that leaps out at me right off is that he is a professional listener. Guys especially, take heed of what I say next: you must learn this from Edward Cullen.
I don’t know if Stephenie did research on this, but in radio and interviewing I learned a way of how to make conversation with people who might as well be brick walls. And when Edward first talks to Bella, she’s the brickiest wall I’ve ever seen. So to keep Bella talking, Edward uses a technique of repeating what she says back to her, reworded, to show he is listening, and to keep her talking so that she will open up. For example (paraphrased):
Edward: “It’s too bad about the snow, isn’t it?”
Bella: “Not really.”
Edward: “You don’t like the cold.”
Notice how sharp Bella is, and how he simply repeats what she told him, in a way making her embellish on it and say more, and to become positive by agreeing with him by saying something like “yes, you’re right, this cold is abysmal” next. This is a very professional technique that Edward uses all throughout this chapter. Another example:
Bella: “(My mom) stayed with me at first, but she missed him… it made her unhappy…so I decided it was time to spend some quality time with Charlie”
Edward: “But now you’re unhappy.”
Bella: “And?”
Edward: “That doesn’t seem fair.”
Notice how Edward is keeping the conversation going, showing openly that he is listening to her, and gently keeping her talking to (and agreeing with) him, while showing that he cares. I am literally surprised! He is a pro at this like nothing I’ve seen before.
However, I do feel pretty bad for Mike. That poor guy’s trying everything he can to get Bella’s attention, but she’s stuck on a vampire. What’s a guy to do when the girl you’re after is more interested in Edward Cullen? Since you all know much more about me on this, something may happen later and I just don’t realize that Mike’s a serial vampire slayer in sheep’s clothing, so bear with me.
But back onto the cars again. Bella’s suddenly reminds me of an old truck we were fixing up back at home. Namely, this line:
I gunned my deafening engine to life…trying to pretend that the earsplitting rumble was coming from someone else’s car…
Deafening and earsplitting are key words here. The truck back home quite literally starts off like a cannon, with the enormous BOOM and smoke like Medusa‘s Swampmobile, before settling out to a very even rumbling that resembles what would happen if two mountains started scratching each other’s backs. My mom said that it makes so much noise, she doesn’t care where we go in it, because all she has to do is listen outside and she’ll know where we are in town.
Twilighters punish me for leaving The Book at home while I traveled
Overall, I’m still really liking it, and I’ll be onto the next chapter as soon as I possibly can. I skipped work on my college final essay to read Twilight, so I shall read the next as soon as I get it turned in.
120 Responses
More boys need to read Twilight. I’m ten, and in love with Edward.
LOL i like you! it’s nice the read someone else’s POV of the book for a change.
I finally decided to get with the program and read your blog… so here I am, near the beginning. I love that you’re picking songs to go with each chapter. When I saw “Rainy Monday”, I was like, “And he’s got great taste in music!” I love that song…
I also really appreciate your thoughts on how Edward uses tried techniques to keep a conversation going. I need to try doing this more often… 😉
I’m also very impressed that you’re not afraid to admit you’re reading the books. My husband read them, but he won’t talk about them with me at all… no matter how un-obsessed I try to act……
Love the Medusa reference! I love that movie (Miiiiiine ooooll miiiiine!)
wow.. I wish all guys would read twilight. It would be wonderful having a guy who’s a good listener and exceptionally polite. all guys should have Edward Cullen as a role model
twilight is awsome and you def have some great comments to the chapters, cant wait to here whats next boyo, ciao
Lol. No mike is not some super-killer vampire slayer man. But some1 is ^_^
omg!! i love tge fact that you are like the book so far/ it only gets better.
i have just started reading the book twilight, who is charlie? is it her dad?
who is charlie in the book? sorry i acidentally typed in my wrong email addresss
AH! You know shiny toy guns!!
Wowza. A guy, reading the twilight series, who knows shiny toy guns… amazing.
the fact that most of your readers are girls is such a shame because most guys i know wont read twilight, and are consequently terrible listeners unless you’ve got a sports game on the radio. And i want to buy that cannon from you. It could come in handy. 🙂
the fact that most of your readers are girls is such a shame because most guys i know wont read twilight, and are consequently terrible listeners unless you’ve got a sports game on the radio. And i want to buy that cannon from you. It could come in handy. 🙂
Ahh c’est trop biien se film et j’aimerais biien voir le chapitre 2 lol =D
coooooooooooooooooooolllll!
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that's what i tell guys all the time! i, personally, am not on Team Edward, but i do agree that guys should learn a little bit about LISTENING. sometimes i'm talking to my guy friends and they don't seem to listen. you know how i know? they go…”What?” or “Huh?”
guys…learn from Edward Cullen, and you could possibly get the girl of your dreams. i know its definitely worked on me. :]
<3 M3LiSS4
just started the book a little while ago and know im on chapter 15 of twilight
seriously just starting wow i am slow
It took me less than a week to finish the book. I kept waking up at quarter after three to read it.
holy crow how did you do that well now i am on eclipse so i guess its ok
holy crow how did you do that well now i am on eclipse so i guess its ok
I confuse my dad like that… and make him agree to buy me stuffs….. 🙂
Lol He should be a professional listener by now with his abilities =P
Still loving you for this Kaleb <3
–Mickey
http://www.cafepress.com/werewolves1
I wish my dad could learn from you or Edward on how to be a professional listener. He's a talker, not a listener at all. Even my mom and the counslor couldn't help him see that.
I spent about an hour each day reading Twilight. It was enough time for me to read one chapter each day.
http://www.cafepress.com/vampires1
I never realised how great Edward is, simply at conversation, till I just read that! It is a very good tecnique! Yes, reasons why girls like him (besides the obvious fact that he is simply gorgeous and perfect looking, of sourse!) are that he is a great listener and very polite! (For the guys that are reading this – those two characteristics are not old fashioned!)
Thanks for your funny comments and taking time to read the novels. It has improved my vocabulary being english as our second languageI am a mum of 2 adults, 28 and 25 yo. Both of my kids are very accomodating and thoughtful and has given me anything and everything about Twilight. I have considered Rob as my second son and my 3rd child. I never had this kind of affiliation with any books, as i never read any, that is why i only got a reading glass when i started to read the 5 books. I read them over and over again and watched the movies whenever i can. I dont think i will ever be disinterested to the novels, my husband even laminated 2 posters of Rob and Kristen and another with Taylor in the side of my bed in our bedroom. Iwill read your comments and looks forward for more. Thanks
I noticed that Edward repeated Bella's answers back to himself in Twilight I found it very interesting
Edward is an old, old man while Bella is a young High School girl… wow, kinda weird… well to some anyway.
Oh for those who enjoy people who listen. There is this…. we'll just call it a subject for now… but it's called Nero linguistics…check it out. Linguistics in general is a fascinating subject, if you're into that kind of thing
Man i love the way you done this sign or wat ever jennier mcvay
A good listener, perhaps, but many view him as an abusive boyfriend and/or a stalker. ;D
I think, based on your automatic liking to Edward and your pointing out his “professional listener” skill, you may end up being Team Edward (not just saying this because I am, haha).
It would have been super ultra awesome if Mike Newton was a vampire slayer. I would definately read a book in which he, Buffy, and Abe Lincoln (yes, I know he’s not ACTUALLY a vampire hunter)shot the Cullens with a crossbow (not Carlisle or Alice, I like them).
I liked Edward and Bella in the first chapters too, it was only when I read until half of the book that I wanted to rip it up and set it on fire.
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