Bella’s problems continue in Eclipse. Edward has returned to her, and that heals one hole in her heart. But it’s caused a seemingly insurmountable rift between her and Jacob, which opens a whole new one up. On top of that, a vampire seems to be hunting her again, and Alice’s powers aren’t being as helpful as they usually are. And there’s the threat of the Volturi hanging over her head if she doesn’t become a vampire soon. Stephenie Meyer doesn’t make it easy for her.
[ Warning: My review of Eclipse contains some spoilers!]
Problems on top of problems in Eclipse
For months, Bella thought that her world had ended. She was certain that if Edward just came back, then everything would be fine. But it turns out that it just brought a whole bunch of new problems for Bella. Charlie doesn’t want Edward around, Bella is confined to the house, Jacob won’t speak to Bella, there is an unknown vampire hunting Bella, and the Volturi have given a soft deadline to Bella’s transformation (or death, they’re not picky). It’s a lot for any one girl to deal with.
Bella wants everyone in her life to just play nice. She thinks that because she loves Edward and Jacob, they should love each other too. For some reason, she doesn’t seem to really get that two guys fighting over the same girl are not going to get along. And that’s before you add in the vampire-werewolf feud. I understand her point, the Cullens aren’t that kind of vampire, and the werewolves just want to protect their people, but some prejudices run too deep to just snap your fingers and get over. Luckily, common enemies can often bridge gaps that seem impossible to cross. So when an unknown vampire continues to hunt Bella, both the Cullens and the Quileute manage to put aside their differences, if uneasily, to destroy the greater evil. Their cooperation might be enough to overcome the vampire threat, but can Bella manage to reconcile all her personal relationships, too, or will she forever be pulled apart by those she loves?
The love triangle continues
In Twilight, we watched Bella and Edward fall in love. In New Moon, we watched Bella fall apart when Edward left, and we watched Jacob put her back together. In Eclipse, we get to watch as Bella is pulled between the two. Both love her intensely, and both intend on fighting for her (and neither intends to fight fair). What makes it so hard is that Bella doesn’t realize that she is actually in love with both of them, too. She believes there is no real choice, but there is, and that is what drives all the romance and action in Eclipse.
Everyone who was conscious in the late 00’s and early 10’s was aware of the biggest divide our nation has ever seen, Team Jacob vs Team Edward. Both sides were extremely passionate and felt that the other side was completely insane. To be fair, both sides had valid points for their chosen champion and valid points against the other guy. Half the world wonders why it took so long for Bella to get it right. Half the world still thinks she chose wrong. It was a fascinating and emotional battleground that destroyed friendships and tore families apart.
The emotional pain that Meyer puts her character through is almost sadistic. Bella is completely torn apart by the pull she feels towards both Jacob and Edward. Even under normal circumstances, this would be a difficult situation for a teenage girl, but throw in the supernatural, vampire versus werewolf tension, and it’s just a ridiculous level of pain and confusion for Bella. And while we focus on Bella because the story is mostly from her point of view, it isn’t exactly easy for either of the boys. Jacob is only 16 after all. He might look like a full-grown adult thanks to being a werewolf, and he may have matured in some ways by the end of Eclipse, but he’s still a teenager in love under it all, watching the girl he loves choose a literal monster and death over him. That’s rough. We get the least insight into what’s going on in Edward’s mind, but he tried to kill himself when he thought Bella was dead in New Moon so watching her struggle with feelings towards someone who also very obviously has feelings for her, and who can give her everything that Edward can’t, cannot be an easy situation for him to be in either. A part of him wants her to choose Jacob because he thinks Jacob is better for her. But most of him wants her to choose him because he loves her too. It’s one big mess, but that’s what makes it so fascinating to read.
Does Bella choose right?
The debate still rages on today, if in a somewhat more subdued manner. Even with things arguably wrapped up with a neat little bow in Breaking Dawn, there are still those who imagine what Bella’s life could have been and think she chose wrong. That’s the thing about love: there isn’t actually a right or wrong answer; there are just paths taken and paths not taken. Bella is happy with the course she chose, and in the end, that’s all that matters with love. If you read Eclipse back in the day, revisit it and see if you’re still on the same team. If you’ve never read Eclipse, check it out today and see if you agree with Bella’s choice.
Rating: 9/10
Eclipse is now available to purchase at your retailer of choice.
Learn more about the book at the official website for the title.
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