Oh, I know, and I don't cut the editors out of the blame, but when I'm reading, I visualize the story unfolding. So I focus more on plot and character development than the writing itself. This is probably why I didn't notice the horrible "thesaurus" word-usage that a lot of people say is in the book--stuff that just didn't flow. When reading, I got what she meant, and continued on without really thinking about the words. But there wasn't a plot until almost 2/3 the way through the book. And the character development is practically non-existent.
The editors could've said, "Hey, put some more plot in here," but I think SM should've known that books are plot-based and she should've cut out a good portion of the "Edward's body is so gorgeous and he smells so nice....Oh, and he SPARKLES!!! How pretty," crap and expanded the plot and the suspense. Because when I got to that part in the book, it was good. I liked it. But there wasn't enough of it.
I'd be willing to forget about it, and pass it off as being the problems of a debut novel, except that she did the EXACT same thing with New Moon....Again, the plot doesn't start until 2/3 the way through the book...And as good of a plot as it is, the idea of it is rather pathetic. So we've got two characters who have been established as independent people. And then they fall so deeply in love (which more resembles lust than it does love) that both of them have suicidal attempts? And both of these suicidal attempts are after they've practically died from the loss of the other? What? Where is the sense in that? Where is the literary value of that?
