Twilight, Chapter Two: Radialize Radishes Greenly (p. 47-50)

In a story, the meeting between two (or more) important characters who will become romantically involved is something you have to get right. There are lots of ways to do this, and your writing doesn't have to be perfect, but the meeting of these characters must be interesting. It's an opportunity to show who they are and what obstacles they will face in their relationship. Ginny's too shy to talk to Harry; Mr. Darcy thinks Lizzy isn't pretty enough to dance with; Mr. Rochester pretends to believe Jane is a fairy; Aral points a weapon at Cordelia while she vomits; Rinoa teaches Squall how to dance. 

When Bella and Edward met, he acted like he hated her for no reason. That could work, but Meyer gave herself an uphill battle to make Edward anything but repugnant. Mr. Darcy was proud, vain, and not good with strangers, but Edward was frightening and hateful. Meyer has created an expectation within the reader that she will deal with this. But I feel jerked around, because there's no payoff for that setup. Edward lies about his vileness and Bella doesn't bring it up. They do reveal who they are in their interaction with each other, and neither of them is likable in the smallest degree. I don't know why I should care about this lying jerk and this everything-hating coward. I guess the fact that Edward's pretty is supposed to carry the entire story. 

( No sense these people make )