Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has spoken up about that big battle scene in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, and she wants her fans to know that she totally approved of the story alteration. In fact, in a lengthy and detailed letter to Twilight readers, she cited a passage from her book to justify the deviations.
Obviously, the details are filled with spoilers, so proceed with caution.
On where the battle scene came from in the book:
A few of the reporters I talked to wanted to know where in the book this moment was hidden. The answer is page 738, fourth paragraph down: "Aro stared into my eyes for a long, tense moment. I had no idea what he was searching for, or what he found, but after he had measured me for that moment, something in his face changed, a faint shift in the set of his mouth and eyes, and I knew that Aro had made his decision."
In this short analysis, after Bella has revealed the depth of her power, Aro plays out in his head the probable outcome of a battle with the Cullens. Much like what we see in the movie, Aro foresees a more evenly matched fight than he had expected, the loss of too many of his key players, and—most unacceptable—the likelihood of his own death. Though odds are that the Volturi would have come out on top in the end, Aro wouldn't have lived to see it and the unassailable nature of the Volturi's authority would have been broken, possibly forever. It is this vision of the future—though imperfect guesswork on his part—that motivates his retreat.
On what she'd have done differently:
A few reporters asked me if I would have done anything different in the battle if I had written it; the answer is yes. Mainly, I would have killed more Cullens. I do think the Volturi would have won the day; as the talented players were taken out, in the end it would be brute strength that would determine the victor, and the Volturi have more soldiers and more experience. Of course, if we had offed Edward or something, it might have been too obvious that it was a vision sequence. In the end, when the vision was revealed, the reaction I heard in the two unsuspecting audiences I viewed it with was nothing but relief and enthusiasm. Kudos to Bill C for creating the perfect emotional response! He plays our heartstrings like a virtuoso.
Meyer closed things out with a heartfelt thank you to fans, who she said "have made this whole ten-year experience into something unbelievable and amazing."
Read the full note at StephenieMeyer.com.
Meyer's note follows one written by director Bill Condon earlier this week. It's the first time Meyer has address the fan community directly since April, when she confirmed the news of her involvement with Down A Dark Hall.
Twilight Examiner
