Why Edward the Vampire is Too Sexy for a Book

So, what can I say? I'm in love with Edward, the 17 year old vampire from Twilight. I haven't broken the news yet to my husband.

I'm still trying to figure it out. I haven't fallen for a book character, since, gee, I don't know, never! But Edward? Oh, man, why does he not exist in real life?

It's just killing me that he's not real.

So I'm wondering if any of you other moms have read the book and had the same impression? I blogged about the topic today at my regular blog Project Happily Ever After.

You can check it out if you want. Or just comment here: Why is Edward so sexy? Why? If I can nail it down, I just might be able to teach my husband to be more like Edward.

Actually: my site is down and will be for a while, so I'm pasting the post here. Curious to get reactions from others.

Why I Wish Edward the Vampire was My Husband

This month, my book club read Twilight, the young adult novel about a teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire.

Yes, that’s right, it’s a young adult novel. And, yes, my book club is composed of grown women.

But, I soon learned, we were not the only grown women reading this young book. When I am reading a book, I keep it in my purse. That way, I have it handy whenever I need to distract myself, say, when I’m sitting around waiting for an appointment. It seemed no matter where or when I pulled that book from my purse, another grown woman said, “Oh Twilight! I read that! Looooved it! Just looooved it.”

I heard this from female physicians. I heard it from receptionists. I heard it from waitresses. It was the must-read book for everywoman.

Why? It sure wasn’t the sentence structure. About 80 percent of the book’s sentences are either two or three words long. See Jane Run? Yep, just like that.

It also wasn’t the story line. Just in case you have not read, the story line is as young adult as a book gets:

I think he likes me.

No, he hates me!

Oh wait, he really likes me.

So hates me.

Likes me.

Really likes me.

Really, really, really likes me.

Looooves me.

Yep, that about sums it up. It’s your typical romance novel, with the exception that the object of affection happens to be a vampire. An, a-hem, extremely sexy vampire at that.

But Why is Edward Too Sexy for This Life?

This is the question I found myself asking over and over again as I, like Bella, found myself falling for Edward. As I continued to turn pages, I found myself becoming more and more dissatisfied with my husband and more and more enamored with Edward.

I wondered: Is it because he’s dangerous?

Is it the way she describes him, with his “silken, irresistible voice,” dazzling eyes, inhumanly beautiful face, pale skin, angular features, and muscular chest?

Is it because he’s mysterious?

Is it because he dotes on her, even watching her sleep?

Is it because he protects her? Well, that’s definitely part of it. The scene where he growls and bares his teeth to scare other vampires away from her? Oh, I was ready to jump into the book, pull my hair to one side and expose my neck to those fangs of his.

Is it because he’s chivalrous, offering her his jacket when she’s cold, sitting next to her in her hospital room as she recovers, denying his natural nature so he can be with her? That’s definitely part of it. My husband is his sexiest whenever he thinks to offer me his jacket. Note to self: remind husband to do this more often.
Is it because he’s only 17? Um, maaaaybe.

That he drives fast?

That he excels at everything he tries?

That he can read minds?

That he could be evil, but he’s chosen to be good?

That he falls so hopelessly in love with her at first sight?

That he adores the way she smells?

No matter how much I thought about it, I just kept coming up empty. As I drove to book club last night, I looked forward to hearing from the others, to finding out the answer to this question: Why is Edward so Sexy? Because, honestly, if I can figure it out, I might be able to teach my husband to be more like Edward, you know?

But the women at book club were just as stumped as I was. They all thought he was hot. There was no doubt about that. It was unanimous: People magazine should pick Edward as the sexiest man who is not really alive.
But why? We were clueless. Just clueless I tell you.

And so here I sit, thinking of Edward, a young man who does not really exist, and wondering, just wondering, if there’s a way to turn Mr. Strong and Silent into a vampire.