If Stephanie had been one of us, there is no way this thread would've gone the way it had. The overall tone is negative, dismissive, and critical of her writing, with some folks saying negative things without even reading the books. Not at all related to the question.
Thanks for weighing in, Maggie.
I do think the responses are related to the original question, since the OP is reluctant to read the Twilight books due to negative press about the quality of the writing. As with any question posed to the BB public, you'll find a variety of opinions, but I don't feel that anyone is bashing the author personally, which is where we draw the line as administrators and moderators.
That said, I agree with you that most of those who posted negative comments about Stephenie Meyer's writing may not have if she were a member here--not because they wouldn't have been *allowed* to, but simply because that's the nature of getting to know people via message boards such as this one.
Back to the original question...
I flew through TWILIGHT and stayed up late finishing it.
I, too, had been curious as to why the book appeals to so many people from so many different walks of life. Some of the writing flaws were akin to speedbumps throughout the story for me, yet, at the end, I couldn't put the book down for fear of leaving Bella in the lurch.
Although the romance seems to be the part the draws many readers through these pages, I'll admit that I didn't see what the initial attraction was between the two. It felt like they just sort of fell madly in love when I blinked and I missed it.
I haven't read the other books, although I still would like to after reading the teaser first chapter of NEW MOON at the end of TWILIGHT. I will check them out from the library, however, vs. buying them at the bookstore.