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Eclipse (novel)
Encyclopedia
Eclipse is the third novel in the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
. It continues the story of Bella Swan
and her vampire love, Edward Cullen
. The novel explores Bella's choice between her love for Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black
, along with her dilemma of leaving mortality behind in a terrorized atmosphere, a result of mysterious vampire attacks in Seattle.
Eclipse is preceded by New Moon
and followed by Breaking Dawn
. The book was released on August 7, 2007 with an initial print run of one million copies, and sold more than 150,000 copies in the first 24 hours alone. Eclipse was the fourth bestselling book of 2008, only behind Twilight, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn, and was also ranked #1 on Publishers Weekly
s list of "Bestselling Hardcover Backlist Children's Books" in 2008 with over 4.5 million copies sold. A film adaptation of the novel was released on June 30, 2010.
Critics and reviewers found the novel engaging and romantic, and said that it explored more mature themes than its predecessors. It gained much praise for its well-written love triangle and character development, along with an exciting and suspenseful ending.
is being plagued by a string of murders, which Edward suspects is caused by a new vampire that is unable to control its thirst for human blood. As Edward and Bella apply to colleges, Bella explains to Edward her desire to see her friend, Jacob Black
, a werewolf. Although Edward fears for her safety, Bella insists that neither Jacob nor his wolf pack would ever harm her, and she begins visiting him occasionally. On one of these visits, Jacob tells Bella that he is in love with her and wants her to choose him instead of Edward, but Bella says she just sees him as a friend. To that, Jacob forcibly kisses her and she reacts by punching him in the face, breaking her hand while not even leaving a scratch on him. Meanwhile, Alice Cullen has a vision that Victoria, a vampire who is hunting Bella for revenge, has returned to Forks. A few days later, Edward proposes to Bella and, despite harboring an aversion to marriage, she accepts.
Bella and the Cullens soon realize that the Seattle murders are being committed by an "army" of newborn vampires, controlled by Victoria. The Cullens join forces with the wolf pack to combat this threat. As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward, Bella and Jacob camp in the mountains, hidden during the battle, where they are later joined by Seth Clearwater, a young wolf pack member, to wait out the fight.
In the morning, Jacob becomes upset when he overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and threatens to join the fight and get himself killed. Bella stops Jacob by kissing him, and she comes to realize that she is in love with him as well. During the battle, Victoria tracks Edward's scent to Bella's forest hiding place, and Edward is forced to fight. Edward manages to kill Victoria and her vampire army is destroyed. Afterwards, Bella explains to Jacob that while she loves him, her love for Edward is greater. After receiving a wedding invitation from Edward, Jacob runs away in his wolf form to escape his heartbreak over Bella's rejection.
. Meyer stated that the events of Eclipse are centered on Bella's choice to become a vampire and fully comprehending the price she has to pay to undergo the transformation, which she didn't understand in Twilight and New Moon. She said that "every aspect of the novel revolves around this point, every back story, every relationship, every moment of action."
According to Meyer, the book was inspired and influenced by Wuthering Heights
by Emily Brontë
, although she does not like the book. She said that characters of the book fascinate her and she enjoys reading certain parts, but does not enjoy the book as a whole because she finds it very depressing—an opinion expressed through Edward's tongue in Eclipse. When comparing Edward
and Jacob
to Heathcliff
and Edgar Linton
of Wuthering Heights, she said, "You could look at Edward and Jacob from one perspective and say: Okay, this one is Heathcliff and this one is Edgar. And someone else might say: No, wait a second. Because of this reason and that reason, that one is Heathcliff and the other one is Edgar...I like that confusion, because that's how life is." In August 2009, The Telegraph
reported that HarperCollins
' Wuthering Heights edition—which has a "gothic" cover similar to the Twilight covers—has sold more than 10,000 copies since May of that year, more than twice as many as the traditional Penguin
Classics edition, and topped the newspaper's classic books chart for the first time due to Meyer referencing the novel.
and Meyer's official website premiered the newly released cover in March 2007, along with a preview summary of the book's plot.
The broken ribbon represents choice, as in the book Bella must choose between her love for the vampire Edward Cullen
and her friendship with the werewolf Jacob Black
. Meyer also stated that the ribbon represents the idea that Bella is unable to completely break away from her human life. Movie tie-in covers featuring Kristen Stewart
, Robert Pattinson
, and Taylor Lautner as Bella, Edward, and Jacob, respectively, were released in May 2010.
with the help of a local bookstore and ASU's English department. The tickets sold out in seven hours, resulting in Meyer holding a second prom on the same day for which tickets sold out within four hours. At the event, Meyer read the first chapter of Eclipse, which was released in the special edition of New Moon
that same day. In addition, Meyer embarked on a 15-city tour to promote the book. She also released the first chapter on her website and posted a "Quote of the Day" from the novel on each of the 37 days leading up to its release.
Prior to the book's release, Meyer also made an appearance on Good Morning America
.
To prevent any spoilers from popping up online, many fansite forums for the Twilight series were shut down, such as the Twilight Lexicon. Stephenie Meyer also locked her MySpace comments in an attempt to avoid spoilers. In an open letter to the fansite the Twilight Lexicon, Meyer pleaded with these "lucky readers" to keep the ending to themselves until the rest of the Twilight fans had the chance to read and enjoy Eclipse as well.
An early book release also occurred with the release of the Eclipse special edition, which included the first chapter and cover art of the subsequent novel, Breaking Dawn
. The special edition was to hit store shelves on May 31, 2008, but multiple copies were released up to a whole week early. Meyer knew that some copies had been leaked, and released the following statement:
s top 150 best sellers list and went on to spend over 100 weeks on the list, and was later ranked #45 on their list of the best-selling books of the last 15 years in October 2008. Eclipse was the fourth bestselling book of 2008, only behind Twilight, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn, and the second bestselling of 2009 behind New Moon. It also ranked #1 on Publishers Weeklys list of "Bestselling Hardcover Backlist Children's Books" in 2008 with over 4.5 million copies sold.
gave the novel a positive review and said that, "Meyer knows what her fans want: thrills, chills, and a lot of romance, and she delivers on all counts." Rouyer also thought that as in the two previous installments, "it is Meyer's effective and intense portrayal of first love in all its urgency, passion, and confusion that drives the story along with the supernatural elements coming in a close second", and said that the "injection of heightened sexual tension and sensuality that hasn't been present in the series before" contributed well to the emotional atmosphere of the novel. However, she found that the werewolves' and vampires' histories slowed the book's pace and called the newborn army's story a "convoluted add-in", while noting that they "contribute in some way to Bella's epiphanies about her future." Katie Trattner of Blogcritics
praised the characters and their development throughout the novel, particularly the histories of Rosalie and Jasper—contradicting Rouyer—stating, "The history that formed them and their reactions towards Bella become clear and the characters much more solid because of this knowledge. I think that is part of the appeal of these books—the fact that you do become so wrapped up in the characters, that they touch places deep inside yourself." She commended Meyer for painting a good emotional image, as well as Bella's emotional growth, and went on to say that she "writes so fluidly and propels the reader forward so effortlessly." Selby Gibson-Boyce of Tulsa World
wrote, "I read without stopping until I finished. Meyer's book would not detach itself from my hand. Exactly the same thing happened with Twilight and New Moon." Publishers Weekly
wrote, "The legions of readers who are hooked on the romantic struggles of Bella and the vampire Edward will ecstatically devour this third installment of the story", while noting that, "it's unlikely to win over any newcomers." Kirkus Reviews
concluded its review stating that the book's "unsettling racially charged characterizations are offset by messages of overcoming difference and working together. Fans of Bella's angst-drenched love triangle will gobble this entry up, and the open-ended conclusion paves the way for Jake's story to come."
Laura Buhl of About.com
gave the novel a more mixed review, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. She found "the first several chapters stifled by issues of jealousy which are slow to develop", and said "Meyer's new sources of conflict feel heavy-handed at some points and over-the-top at others." Despite praising Meyer for uncannily understanding and writing the workings of the teenage mind, she noted that Bella is slow on the uptake of some obvious aspects of the plot. However, she went on to praise the final climatic battle for bringing plenty of thrills and excitement. Novelist Elizabeth Hand wrote a negative review of the book for The Washington Post
, calling it a "disappointment" and criticizing it for "never delivering an epic werewolf-bloodsucker smackdown", as well as for Bella remaining "an insufferable bore".
The New York Times
picked the book as an Editor's Choice.
and 2009's New Moon. Summit Entertainment
greenlit
the film in February 2009. Since New Moon director Chris Weitz
was in post-production for New Moon when Eclipse began shooting, he did not direct the third film. Instead, Eclipse was helmed by director David Slade
, with Melissa Rosenberg
returning as screenwriter. Filming ran between August 17 and October 29, 2009 at Vancouver Film Studios
. It was the first Twilight film to be shot in IMAX.
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
. It continues the story of Bella Swan
Bella Swan
Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella's point of view...
and her vampire love, Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen is one of the main characters of the Twilight book series and film.Edward Cullen is also the name of:*Ed Cullen , features writer for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate...
. The novel explores Bella's choice between her love for Edward and her friendship with werewolf Jacob Black
Jacob Black
Jacob "Jake" Black is a fictional character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is described as a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. In the second book of the series, he undergoes a transformation that allows him to morph into a wolf. For the...
, along with her dilemma of leaving mortality behind in a terrorized atmosphere, a result of mysterious vampire attacks in Seattle.
Eclipse is preceded by New Moon
New Moon (novel)
New Moon is a romantic fantasy novel by author Stephenie Meyer, and is the second novel in the Twilight series. The novel continues the story of Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen's relationship. When Edward leaves Bella after his brother attacks her, she is left heartbroken and depressed for...
and followed by Breaking Dawn
Breaking Dawn
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in the The Twilight Saga by American author Stephenie Meyer. Divided into three parts, the first and third sections are written from Bella Swan's perspective and the second is written from the perspective of Jacob Black...
. The book was released on August 7, 2007 with an initial print run of one million copies, and sold more than 150,000 copies in the first 24 hours alone. Eclipse was the fourth bestselling book of 2008, only behind Twilight, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn, and was also ranked #1 on Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
s list of "Bestselling Hardcover Backlist Children's Books" in 2008 with over 4.5 million copies sold. A film adaptation of the novel was released on June 30, 2010.
Critics and reviewers found the novel engaging and romantic, and said that it explored more mature themes than its predecessors. It gained much praise for its well-written love triangle and character development, along with an exciting and suspenseful ending.
Plot summary
The story opens with the revelation that Seattle, WashingtonSeattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
is being plagued by a string of murders, which Edward suspects is caused by a new vampire that is unable to control its thirst for human blood. As Edward and Bella apply to colleges, Bella explains to Edward her desire to see her friend, Jacob Black
Jacob Black
Jacob "Jake" Black is a fictional character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is described as a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. In the second book of the series, he undergoes a transformation that allows him to morph into a wolf. For the...
, a werewolf. Although Edward fears for her safety, Bella insists that neither Jacob nor his wolf pack would ever harm her, and she begins visiting him occasionally. On one of these visits, Jacob tells Bella that he is in love with her and wants her to choose him instead of Edward, but Bella says she just sees him as a friend. To that, Jacob forcibly kisses her and she reacts by punching him in the face, breaking her hand while not even leaving a scratch on him. Meanwhile, Alice Cullen has a vision that Victoria, a vampire who is hunting Bella for revenge, has returned to Forks. A few days later, Edward proposes to Bella and, despite harboring an aversion to marriage, she accepts.
Bella and the Cullens soon realize that the Seattle murders are being committed by an "army" of newborn vampires, controlled by Victoria. The Cullens join forces with the wolf pack to combat this threat. As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward, Bella and Jacob camp in the mountains, hidden during the battle, where they are later joined by Seth Clearwater, a young wolf pack member, to wait out the fight.
In the morning, Jacob becomes upset when he overhears Edward and Bella discussing their engagement and threatens to join the fight and get himself killed. Bella stops Jacob by kissing him, and she comes to realize that she is in love with him as well. During the battle, Victoria tracks Edward's scent to Bella's forest hiding place, and Edward is forced to fight. Edward manages to kill Victoria and her vampire army is destroyed. Afterwards, Bella explains to Jacob that while she loves him, her love for Edward is greater. After receiving a wedding invitation from Edward, Jacob runs away in his wolf form to escape his heartbreak over Bella's rejection.
Development, inspirations and influences
Meyer finished the rough draft of Eclipse before the release of Twilight in October 2005; however, she said that the final manuscript did not differ much from the rough draft. Originally, the book had a different ending when Eclipse was intended to be the final book in the series, as Meyer was signed to a three-book deal with Little, Brown and CompanyLittle, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
. Meyer stated that the events of Eclipse are centered on Bella's choice to become a vampire and fully comprehending the price she has to pay to undergo the transformation, which she didn't understand in Twilight and New Moon. She said that "every aspect of the novel revolves around this point, every back story, every relationship, every moment of action."
According to Meyer, the book was inspired and influenced by Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights
Wuthering Heights is a novel by Emily Brontë published in 1847. It was her only novel and written between December 1845 and July 1846. It remained unpublished until July 1847 and was not printed until December after the success of her sister Charlotte Brontë's novel Jane Eyre...
by Emily Brontë
Emily Brontë
Emily Jane Brontë 30 July 1818 – 19 December 1848) was an English novelist and poet, best remembered for her only novel, Wuthering Heights, now considered a classic of English literature. Emily was the third eldest of the four surviving Brontë siblings, between the youngest Anne and her brother...
, although she does not like the book. She said that characters of the book fascinate her and she enjoys reading certain parts, but does not enjoy the book as a whole because she finds it very depressing—an opinion expressed through Edward's tongue in Eclipse. When comparing Edward
Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen is one of the main characters of the Twilight book series and film.Edward Cullen is also the name of:*Ed Cullen , features writer for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate...
and Jacob
Jacob Black
Jacob "Jake" Black is a fictional character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is described as a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. In the second book of the series, he undergoes a transformation that allows him to morph into a wolf. For the...
to Heathcliff
Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights)
Heathcliff is a fictional character in the novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Owing to the novel's enduring fame and popularity, he is often regarded as an archetype of the tortured Romantic hero whose all-consuming passions destroy both himself and those around him.Legend has stereotyped...
and Edgar Linton
Edgar Linton
Edgar Linton is a character in Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights. His role in the story is that of Catherine Earnshaw's husband. He resides at Thrushcross Grange and falls prey to Heathcliff's schemes for revenge against his family....
of Wuthering Heights, she said, "You could look at Edward and Jacob from one perspective and say: Okay, this one is Heathcliff and this one is Edgar. And someone else might say: No, wait a second. Because of this reason and that reason, that one is Heathcliff and the other one is Edgar...I like that confusion, because that's how life is." In August 2009, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
' Wuthering Heights edition—which has a "gothic" cover similar to the Twilight covers—has sold more than 10,000 copies since May of that year, more than twice as many as the traditional Penguin
Penguin Group
The Penguin Group is a trade book publisher, the largest in the world , having overtaken Random House in 2009. The Penguin Group is the name of the incorporated division of parent Pearson PLC that oversees these publishing operations...
Classics edition, and topped the newspaper's classic books chart for the first time due to Meyer referencing the novel.
Cover
The book jacket features a torn red ribbon. Although it was supposed to be disclosed to the public in May 2007 at the Eclipse Prom, Barnes & NobleBarnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
and Meyer's official website premiered the newly released cover in March 2007, along with a preview summary of the book's plot.
The broken ribbon represents choice, as in the book Bella must choose between her love for the vampire Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen
Edward Cullen is one of the main characters of the Twilight book series and film.Edward Cullen is also the name of:*Ed Cullen , features writer for the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate...
and her friendship with the werewolf Jacob Black
Jacob Black
Jacob "Jake" Black is a fictional character in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. He is described as a Native American of the Quileute tribe in La Push, near Forks, Washington. In the second book of the series, he undergoes a transformation that allows him to morph into a wolf. For the...
. Meyer also stated that the ribbon represents the idea that Bella is unable to completely break away from her human life. Movie tie-in covers featuring Kristen Stewart
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in The Twilight Saga. She has also starred in films including Panic Room , Zathura , In the Land of Women , The Messengers , Adventureland and The Runaways .- Early life :Stewart was born and raised in Los...
, Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson
Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson is an English actor, model, musician, and producer. Born and raised in London, Pattinson started out his career by playing the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire...
, and Taylor Lautner as Bella, Edward, and Jacob, respectively, were released in May 2010.
Marketing campaigns
A few months prior to the release of Eclipse, Meyer hosted an "Eclipse Prom" event at Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
with the help of a local bookstore and ASU's English department. The tickets sold out in seven hours, resulting in Meyer holding a second prom on the same day for which tickets sold out within four hours. At the event, Meyer read the first chapter of Eclipse, which was released in the special edition of New Moon
New Moon (novel)
New Moon is a romantic fantasy novel by author Stephenie Meyer, and is the second novel in the Twilight series. The novel continues the story of Bella Swan and vampire Edward Cullen's relationship. When Edward leaves Bella after his brother attacks her, she is left heartbroken and depressed for...
that same day. In addition, Meyer embarked on a 15-city tour to promote the book. She also released the first chapter on her website and posted a "Quote of the Day" from the novel on each of the 37 days leading up to its release.
Prior to the book's release, Meyer also made an appearance on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
.
Early release
On July 25, an incident similar to the early release of the seventh Harry Potter book occurred with shipments of Eclipse. Barnes & Noble Booksellers accidentally shipped advance copies of Eclipse to some of the customers who had pre-ordered. Barnes & Noble said that it was a computer error, as their entire online store is computerized.To prevent any spoilers from popping up online, many fansite forums for the Twilight series were shut down, such as the Twilight Lexicon. Stephenie Meyer also locked her MySpace comments in an attempt to avoid spoilers. In an open letter to the fansite the Twilight Lexicon, Meyer pleaded with these "lucky readers" to keep the ending to themselves until the rest of the Twilight fans had the chance to read and enjoy Eclipse as well.
An early book release also occurred with the release of the Eclipse special edition, which included the first chapter and cover art of the subsequent novel, Breaking Dawn
Breaking Dawn
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final novel in the The Twilight Saga by American author Stephenie Meyer. Divided into three parts, the first and third sections are written from Bella Swan's perspective and the second is written from the perspective of Jacob Black...
. The special edition was to hit store shelves on May 31, 2008, but multiple copies were released up to a whole week early. Meyer knew that some copies had been leaked, and released the following statement:
There is a lot of speculation on the internet about possible covers, content and text of Breaking Dawn. I hope everybody knows that you shouldn't believe everything you see on the internet. The only way you will know what is real is when you have the book in your hands. Until then, people should really take everything they see with a grain of salt.
Sales
Eclipse was published with an initial run of one million copiesand sold 150,000 copies in its first day of release. The book replaced J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the top of bestseller lists around the globe, including The New York Times Best Seller list, even though Deathly Hallows had been released only two and a half weeks earlier. Eclipse peaked at #1 on USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
s top 150 best sellers list and went on to spend over 100 weeks on the list, and was later ranked #45 on their list of the best-selling books of the last 15 years in October 2008. Eclipse was the fourth bestselling book of 2008, only behind Twilight, New Moon, and Breaking Dawn, and the second bestselling of 2009 behind New Moon. It also ranked #1 on Publishers Weeklys list of "Bestselling Hardcover Backlist Children's Books" in 2008 with over 4.5 million copies sold.
Critical reception
Eclipse received generally positive reviews; however, some aspects of the novel were met with mixed opinions from critics. Anne Rouyer of School Library JournalSchool Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
gave the novel a positive review and said that, "Meyer knows what her fans want: thrills, chills, and a lot of romance, and she delivers on all counts." Rouyer also thought that as in the two previous installments, "it is Meyer's effective and intense portrayal of first love in all its urgency, passion, and confusion that drives the story along with the supernatural elements coming in a close second", and said that the "injection of heightened sexual tension and sensuality that hasn't been present in the series before" contributed well to the emotional atmosphere of the novel. However, she found that the werewolves' and vampires' histories slowed the book's pace and called the newborn army's story a "convoluted add-in", while noting that they "contribute in some way to Bella's epiphanies about her future." Katie Trattner of Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
praised the characters and their development throughout the novel, particularly the histories of Rosalie and Jasper—contradicting Rouyer—stating, "The history that formed them and their reactions towards Bella become clear and the characters much more solid because of this knowledge. I think that is part of the appeal of these books—the fact that you do become so wrapped up in the characters, that they touch places deep inside yourself." She commended Meyer for painting a good emotional image, as well as Bella's emotional growth, and went on to say that she "writes so fluidly and propels the reader forward so effortlessly." Selby Gibson-Boyce of Tulsa World
Tulsa World
Tulsa World is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma, and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman. It was founded in 1905 and remains an independent newspaper,...
wrote, "I read without stopping until I finished. Meyer's book would not detach itself from my hand. Exactly the same thing happened with Twilight and New Moon." Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
wrote, "The legions of readers who are hooked on the romantic struggles of Bella and the vampire Edward will ecstatically devour this third installment of the story", while noting that, "it's unlikely to win over any newcomers." Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
concluded its review stating that the book's "unsettling racially charged characterizations are offset by messages of overcoming difference and working together. Fans of Bella's angst-drenched love triangle will gobble this entry up, and the open-ended conclusion paves the way for Jake's story to come."
Laura Buhl of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
gave the novel a more mixed review, giving it 3.5 stars out of 5. She found "the first several chapters stifled by issues of jealousy which are slow to develop", and said "Meyer's new sources of conflict feel heavy-handed at some points and over-the-top at others." Despite praising Meyer for uncannily understanding and writing the workings of the teenage mind, she noted that Bella is slow on the uptake of some obvious aspects of the plot. However, she went on to praise the final climatic battle for bringing plenty of thrills and excitement. Novelist Elizabeth Hand wrote a negative review of the book for The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, calling it a "disappointment" and criticizing it for "never delivering an epic werewolf-bloodsucker smackdown", as well as for Bella remaining "an insufferable bore".
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
picked the book as an Editor's Choice.
Film adaptation
A film adaptation of Eclipse was released on June 30, 2010. It is the third installment of the Twilight film series, following 2008's TwilightTwilight (2008 film)
Twilight is a 2008 American romantic vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer's popular novel of the same name. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke, the film stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. It is the first film in The Twilight Saga film series...
and 2009's New Moon. Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment
Summit Entertainment LLC is an independent film studio headquartered in Santa Monica, California with international offices in London.-History:...
greenlit
Greenlight
To green-light a project is to give permission or a go ahead to move forward with a project. In the context of the movie and TV businesses, to green-light something is to formally approve its production finance, thereby allowing the project to move forward from the development phase to...
the film in February 2009. Since New Moon director Chris Weitz
Chris Weitz
Christopher John "Chris" Weitz is an American producer, writer, director and actor. He is best known for his work with his brother, Paul Weitz, on the comedy films American Pie and About a Boy, as well as directing the film adaptation of the novel The Golden Compass and the film adaptation of New...
was in post-production for New Moon when Eclipse began shooting, he did not direct the third film. Instead, Eclipse was helmed by director David Slade
David Slade
David Aldrin Slade is a British film director who began his career making music videos. His work includes videos for artists such as Aphex Twin, Rob Dougan, System of a Down, Stone Temple Pilots, Tori Amos, and Muse.-Life and career:...
, with Melissa Rosenberg
Melissa Rosenberg
Melissa Anne Rosenberg is an American screenwriter. She has worked in both film and television and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards, and two Writers Guild of America Awards. She won a Peabody Award...
returning as screenwriter. Filming ran between August 17 and October 29, 2009 at Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios
Vancouver Film Studios is a film production centre located in Vancouver, British Columbia. It is the largest production facility outside of Los Angeles in North America and is operated by the McLean Group of Companies...
. It was the first Twilight film to be shot in IMAX.
External links
- Stephenie Meyer's Official Website
- The Twilight Series' Official website
- Eclipse on the Twilight Saga Wiki