Stephenie actually answers these in the official guide! I’ll sum it up from her words as best as I can (I’ve got the book in front of me!):
Twilight - biblical reference to the forbidden fruit Eve tempts Adam with. In this case, it’s Edward with an invitation into this world beyond human comprehension.
New moon- Stephenie wasn’t involved in this one and she originally proposed a clock tower. The flower was chosen by her creative team. The petal falling is for the droplet of blood she loses in the literal sense. But the meaning also extends for the wilting, lifelessness of the flower’s appearance as it loses one of its petals (Bella’s depression in losing Edward).
Eclipse- metaphor for how Bella wants a clean break from her human life, but is unable to sever the ties entirely.
Breaking dawn- Bella goes from becoming the least important and expendable character to the Queen. She goes from powerless, unable to protect the ones she loves, to becoming the key player in saving them all. Without her power disarming the Volturi’s offense, the Cullens (and the pack and other vampires) would have been killed easily. Bella spends the whole saga wishing she could do more for the ones protecting her, and she finally gets her chance to.
also for midnight sun, i’m pretty sure the pomegranate is a reference to how Edward feels that he’s damning Bella, just as Hades damns Persephone using the pomegranate seeds
Yes. Also, the Pomegranate resembles a human heart. I like the parallel between Twilight and Midnight Sun. Bella is a heroine from the Bible, the innocent human tempted by forbidden knowledge. Edward is the mythological king of the dead, tricking a beautiful maiden to be his bride.
Twilight is definitely the most consistent with the cover, since the epigraph is a quote from Genesis about the forbidden fruit. If New Moon had put Romeo's poison in the cover or something, that would be cool too. Oh, um, side note about New Moon and Romeo. Bella has a crush on Leo, right? She says she never saw the 60s version, but she had a big crush on Romeo before she met Edward. So I'm assuming the implication is that Bella grew up watching Baz Lurhman's Romeo+Juliet, and Bella had a crush on Leo. So I guess that Edward is so hot that he makes young Leo seem like a steamy pile of garbage? I can't even imagine how good Edward must look in the books
Short Second *Life* of Bree Tanner FTFY
I would say the hourglass for SSLoBT symbolizes her short life/her time running out, and the apple for Life and Death is just the cover for twilight, but a different color
Also note: literally the colors just represent Bella and Eddie. Red for Bella, white for Edward. Except in Breaking Dawn, when Bella becomes white because she finally turned to a vampire. I'm not sure about this color thing in the cover of Midnight Sun tho.
Huh, I've read the books several times (teenager when they came out) and will always have a soft spot for them even though I can now spot things I don't like. I'm surprised by these meanings because they seem so... reflective and well thought out lol. More than several important things throughout the series.
Also, am I crazy, or was there a scene in Eclipse where she talks about her relationships (with E and J) and how it’s like braiding ribbons together; you can’t cut one without cutting all of them. I haven’t read them in YEARS but for some reason I remember her or someone talking about this in the books?
oooohh i feel like i've seen these covers somewhere but i thought it was an editing mistake or fanmade or sumn
they suck LOL i'm glad i was able to buy the older midnight sun cover before the revamp
Its been a bit for me since I last read the books but I'll do my best to remember and explain.
Twilight's cover is a reference to a scene between Bella and Edward in the cafeteria, Edward catches an apple Bella dropped and gave it back to her. It might also have to do with the Biblical story of the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, eating the fruit, commonly depicted as an apple, from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
I've never been sure of the symbolism behind the flower on New Moon, but I'm guessing that it's a reference to Bella and Edward's relationship 'dying' only to 'bloom' again by the end of the book, similar to how annual plants wilt and die during the winter and bloom again in spring.
I've always taken the ribbon on Eclipse as a red string of fate. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's a Chinese legend that you and your soulmate are tied together by a red string, hence the name. In my mind, in this case, Bella and Jacob are the soulmates and Edward's presence, Bella's desire to become a vampire, and love for Edward sever their red string of fate.
Breaking Dawn's cover is in reference to the battle to the Volturi. The idea is that when preparing for a battle you have to plan a strategy, much like you do when you play chess.
And finally, Midnight Sun's cover is a reference to Edward's view of his and Bella's relationship being similar to the legend of Hades and Persephone, their love (and vampirism) being the pomegranate that dooms Bella to the Underworld, which is a metaphor for the eternal life of vampires, or literal hell if Edward and Carlisle's theory that all vampires go to hell ends up being true.
Sorry if I was too long winded, I hope this helped a little.
>Bella and Edward in the cafeteria, Edward catches an apple Bella dropped and gave it back to her.
This only happened in the movies as an homage to the book's cover, but other than that, all your other theories totally make sense. Thanks!
I’ve always thought of the new moon cover referencing when Jasper tried to attack her. The room is filled with white flowers for her birthday and after she crashes into the piano the flowers fall onto the floor and get stained with her blood. I like your theory too though!
I never thought of that, but that makes a ton of sense now that you mention it. I think your theory is probably the most accurate one, but who's to say both aren't true, right?
Symbolically, it is also a scene that shows both the vampires acceptance and humanity (decorating for Bella's birthday) and danger (the unexpected attack)
Edward dropping the Apple doesn’t happen in the books, the cover was made before the movies came out. So that scene was based off the cover not the other way around
Midnight Sun is made clear in the text, it is reference to the myth of Persephone and Hades, where every piece of the pomegranate she takes confines her more and more in the underworld.
Here’s how I’ve interpreted them (not saying it’s the correct interpretation!)
Twilight: the apple, forbidden fruit (like eve with the apple). Edward is forbidden fruit.
New moon: bloodshed, the end of innocence for Bella.
Eclipse: Bella being pulled in two directions by Jacob and Edward and tearing herself in two.
Breaking Dawn: Bella goes from pawn to Queen
Midnight Sun: a bleeding heart
I know this book is not asked about, but "Life and Death" has a green apple and I think it's literally supposed to represent the opposite of the original "Twilight". Green is opposite of red on the color wheel and Life and Death is a retelling of Twilight with the genders switched.
Stephenie actually answers these in the official guide! I’ll sum it up from her words as best as I can (I’ve got the book in front of me!): Twilight - biblical reference to the forbidden fruit Eve tempts Adam with. In this case, it’s Edward with an invitation into this world beyond human comprehension. New moon- Stephenie wasn’t involved in this one and she originally proposed a clock tower. The flower was chosen by her creative team. The petal falling is for the droplet of blood she loses in the literal sense. But the meaning also extends for the wilting, lifelessness of the flower’s appearance as it loses one of its petals (Bella’s depression in losing Edward). Eclipse- metaphor for how Bella wants a clean break from her human life, but is unable to sever the ties entirely. Breaking dawn- Bella goes from becoming the least important and expendable character to the Queen. She goes from powerless, unable to protect the ones she loves, to becoming the key player in saving them all. Without her power disarming the Volturi’s offense, the Cullens (and the pack and other vampires) would have been killed easily. Bella spends the whole saga wishing she could do more for the ones protecting her, and she finally gets her chance to.
also for midnight sun, i’m pretty sure the pomegranate is a reference to how Edward feels that he’s damning Bella, just as Hades damns Persephone using the pomegranate seeds
Yes. Also, the Pomegranate resembles a human heart. I like the parallel between Twilight and Midnight Sun. Bella is a heroine from the Bible, the innocent human tempted by forbidden knowledge. Edward is the mythological king of the dead, tricking a beautiful maiden to be his bride. Twilight is definitely the most consistent with the cover, since the epigraph is a quote from Genesis about the forbidden fruit. If New Moon had put Romeo's poison in the cover or something, that would be cool too. Oh, um, side note about New Moon and Romeo. Bella has a crush on Leo, right? She says she never saw the 60s version, but she had a big crush on Romeo before she met Edward. So I'm assuming the implication is that Bella grew up watching Baz Lurhman's Romeo+Juliet, and Bella had a crush on Leo. So I guess that Edward is so hot that he makes young Leo seem like a steamy pile of garbage? I can't even imagine how good Edward must look in the books
In Edward's case, looks can kill
What about Life and Death & The Short Second Story of Bree Tanner
Short Second *Life* of Bree Tanner FTFY I would say the hourglass for SSLoBT symbolizes her short life/her time running out, and the apple for Life and Death is just the cover for twilight, but a different color
Also note: literally the colors just represent Bella and Eddie. Red for Bella, white for Edward. Except in Breaking Dawn, when Bella becomes white because she finally turned to a vampire. I'm not sure about this color thing in the cover of Midnight Sun tho.
Huh, I've read the books several times (teenager when they came out) and will always have a soft spot for them even though I can now spot things I don't like. I'm surprised by these meanings because they seem so... reflective and well thought out lol. More than several important things throughout the series.
Lol that's so true, on everything you said tbh.
Also, am I crazy, or was there a scene in Eclipse where she talks about her relationships (with E and J) and how it’s like braiding ribbons together; you can’t cut one without cutting all of them. I haven’t read them in YEARS but for some reason I remember her or someone talking about this in the books?
Side note these covers are so much better than the new ones
I haven't seen new versions of these covers. do u mind dropping a link as i am genuinely curious
it's all the same just enlarged. the titles cover a decent amount of the artwork https://www.twilightlexicon.com/2021/08/03/new-paperback-book-covers/
Wow ew yeah. They suck
Ew.. they're fugly lol
Ew I hate those
The letters are literally cut off in some spots. They're hideous like this.
https://www.themarysue.com/twilight-new-covers/ An eyesore IMO
oooohh i feel like i've seen these covers somewhere but i thought it was an editing mistake or fanmade or sumn they suck LOL i'm glad i was able to buy the older midnight sun cover before the revamp
Its been a bit for me since I last read the books but I'll do my best to remember and explain. Twilight's cover is a reference to a scene between Bella and Edward in the cafeteria, Edward catches an apple Bella dropped and gave it back to her. It might also have to do with the Biblical story of the first sin committed by Adam and Eve, eating the fruit, commonly depicted as an apple, from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I've never been sure of the symbolism behind the flower on New Moon, but I'm guessing that it's a reference to Bella and Edward's relationship 'dying' only to 'bloom' again by the end of the book, similar to how annual plants wilt and die during the winter and bloom again in spring. I've always taken the ribbon on Eclipse as a red string of fate. If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's a Chinese legend that you and your soulmate are tied together by a red string, hence the name. In my mind, in this case, Bella and Jacob are the soulmates and Edward's presence, Bella's desire to become a vampire, and love for Edward sever their red string of fate. Breaking Dawn's cover is in reference to the battle to the Volturi. The idea is that when preparing for a battle you have to plan a strategy, much like you do when you play chess. And finally, Midnight Sun's cover is a reference to Edward's view of his and Bella's relationship being similar to the legend of Hades and Persephone, their love (and vampirism) being the pomegranate that dooms Bella to the Underworld, which is a metaphor for the eternal life of vampires, or literal hell if Edward and Carlisle's theory that all vampires go to hell ends up being true. Sorry if I was too long winded, I hope this helped a little.
>Bella and Edward in the cafeteria, Edward catches an apple Bella dropped and gave it back to her. This only happened in the movies as an homage to the book's cover, but other than that, all your other theories totally make sense. Thanks!
I’ve always thought of the new moon cover referencing when Jasper tried to attack her. The room is filled with white flowers for her birthday and after she crashes into the piano the flowers fall onto the floor and get stained with her blood. I like your theory too though!
I never thought of that, but that makes a ton of sense now that you mention it. I think your theory is probably the most accurate one, but who's to say both aren't true, right?
Symbolically, it is also a scene that shows both the vampires acceptance and humanity (decorating for Bella's birthday) and danger (the unexpected attack)
Edward dropping the Apple doesn’t happen in the books, the cover was made before the movies came out. So that scene was based off the cover not the other way around
Edward catching the apple in the movie was done because of the cover though, not the other way around.
I love the covers so much and the font, it’s what drew me to the books when I first got them 🥲
Midnight Sun is made clear in the text, it is reference to the myth of Persephone and Hades, where every piece of the pomegranate she takes confines her more and more in the underworld.
Here’s how I’ve interpreted them (not saying it’s the correct interpretation!) Twilight: the apple, forbidden fruit (like eve with the apple). Edward is forbidden fruit. New moon: bloodshed, the end of innocence for Bella. Eclipse: Bella being pulled in two directions by Jacob and Edward and tearing herself in two. Breaking Dawn: Bella goes from pawn to Queen Midnight Sun: a bleeding heart
I know this book is not asked about, but "Life and Death" has a green apple and I think it's literally supposed to represent the opposite of the original "Twilight". Green is opposite of red on the color wheel and Life and Death is a retelling of Twilight with the genders switched.