Eclipse

Taut and tense, the opening of Stephenie Meyer’s third novel in her ‘Twilight’ series balances the continuing rift between Bella and her werewolf best-friend Jacob Black against a backdrop of repeated homicides in the Seattle region. Sparks of emotional electricity are charged within this relationship and reach their most intense voltage when Jacob reveals his feelings for Bella, thus establishing a love triangle between himself, Bella and her debonair vampire boyfriend, Edward. Comparison with the love-triangle existing between Edgar, Heathcliff and Catherine is posited by the not always subtle references drawn to Wuthering Heights. The success of this love-triangle is reliant upon Bella, whose petulant, often weak-willed and sometimes one-dimensional character does not always feel equal to the level of attention lavished upon her by the two suitors. The premise for this novel is strong but its impact is considerably diluted by the protracted nature of its execution.