I need a detailed summary of this introduction! Thank you :) Since the publication of the first novel of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga in 2005, millions of readers
all over the world, the majority of whom are teenage girls and women, have fallen for the love story of
Bella and Edward. Furthered by the release of the movie adaptations of the first three volumes in
2009 and 2010, critics have started to wonder about the foundation of Twilight-mania, especially
concerning the basic theme of the story, namely the vampire myth, which, throughout its literary
history, is rather a reflection of "adolescent male fantasy" (Twitchell, Living 6). Still, the indisputably
kitsny story of an inconspicuous teenager who falls in love with the vampire next door fascinates
today's emancipated and independent females and thus can be regarded as an essential part of the
success. It would seem that the attraction derives from Meyer's unique interweaving of different
generic elements, a strategy which can be found in other late 20th- and 21st-century popular
literature. Thus, for instance, the "Harry Potter books have been received with manic enthusiasm"
because they, too, "uniquely combine several kinds of appeal" (O'Keefe 176), such as the mixture of
public school story and fantasy. In the Twilight Saga, we find a similar amalgamation of various
different literary genres - fantasy fiction for young adults, vampire story, gothic romance, and
Arthurian legend. It is a medley, a generic crossing that is - not least due to its focus on an active
young heroine - bound to entice a primarily female readership.
Through an analysis of the figure of the vampire in literature as well as in folklore it will be observed
to what extent Edward differs from the folkloric blood-sucking revenant and also from the master of all
literary vampires, Dracula. Furthermore, it will be investigated how his knightly behaviour towards
Bella contributes to the impression of a romantic transformation of the gothic form. Special attention
will also be paid to the figure of Bella, who, on the one hand seems to be presented as the femme
fragile or damsel in distress concerning her physicality, but, on the other hand, represents a figure of
identification for female readers as the independent, strong-willed hero of young adult fiction. The
analysis seeks to prove that the combination of these various aspects of different genres and
traditions allows Meyer to create a new kind of vampire love story.