This might seem obvious since it bugs so many people, but since we also have Twilight fans here I'd be interested to hear their viewpoint on his behaviour.

My new way of explaining my opinion to Twi-hards (I actually convinced one Edward was abusive with this argument *proud*) is to ask 'would you still find it romantic if an ugly guy did it?' as Twi-hards seem willing to excuse anything Edward does based on his looks.

Thing is, if something's ok, if it's romantic, it is no matter who does it. Like an invite to a candlelit dinner. That's a romantic notion whether it's from a hottie or an obese spotty cross eyed guy. The idea is still romantic even if the advances of the ugly guy are rejected/unwelcome. But if a fat, cross eyed, spotty guy sat outside your window watching you sleep for months would you find it romantic? no, you'd freak out and call the cops. But it is when Edward does it? And if Edward was described in the books looking more like Quasimodo than Robert Pattison would there be as many people willing to rabidly defend his behaviour as romantic?
Well, looks aren't what decide if something like that is ok, and if the only thing keeping you from considering someone a stalker is thinking 'they're soooo hot' then really, how they're acting is creepy isn't it?

Excellent point about the looks I never thought of it that way. Also some of the lines are way weird i.e the ‘personal heroin’ remark.

I always wondered what Edward would do if Bella ever outgrew him and tried to leave him... Or vice versa. And I mean genuinely trying to leave, none of the "for your own good, I have to leave you" crap. Like "I just realized that we're not good for each other" leaving.

Im i twilight fan and I have it disturbing!!!Its nt really love its awkward!!

The only thing is if I had powers like Edward, I would probably use them for some things that I wouldn't be proud of. I mean YES, he is a stalker but if I was infatuated with someone I might watch them, as bad as that sounds ;) I agree with Mermaid-Tail. Without Edward's looks would a relationship have even developed?

Leaning more towards 'creepy stalker' behavior, but...

Mermaid-Tail's comment made me laugh, bad time to be laughing though because people are sleeping.. BUT you had a great point to it

I totally agree Mermaid-Tail! It is only romantic because Robert is attractive. But if it was anyone else you would freak out.
I don't care how hot the guy is. Watching someone sleep is not really something a mentally heathly person does.....just saying.

thank you mermaid-tail!!

good point but i do have to say. if he wasnt cute then there would be no book
it doesnt mater to me about RPatz
im Team Jacob teehee

in 'Twilight', very creepy, very 'stalkerish'... especially in the movie when she askes him if he watches her all the time and he says, 'only a few months' OMG HELP!!

The point isn't that a very good-looking guy acts the way he does but that the boy you are insanely in love with acts that way.And I don't always fall fir the really good-looking ones but still find it romantic

creepy abusive stalker.

Well, I'm not a real expert on romance..but I honestly don't think that Edward is abusive! I mean, c'mon people? Abusive boyfriend? He's a vampire, he's not going to treat a girl like all human guys do! I just think this one assumption is highly ridiculous, not to offend anyone on this spot who thinks this assumption is true.

I have to ask, just because so many people excuse his behavior by saying 'well he's a vampire' what difference does that make? abuse is abuse. It doesn't matter if the character is written as a vampire. Or a werewolf, alien or anything. If the assumption is he's not going to treat a girl like humans do because that's how all vampires treat women that doesn't mean Edward isn't abusive, it implies all vampires are abusive. There is even a list of things that constitue abuse and Edward fits almost every single one. If he beat the hell out of Bella would that be ok because he's a vampire? or if he started calling her horrible names all the time? The fact that he's written as a vampire doesn't mean the same rules don't apply to him when it comes to relationships, abusing your partnaer doesn't become ok. Watching a girl sleep without her say so (especially before you are even dating her) controlling her actions, dragging her around and stopping her seeing her friends, these are all abuse, whether it's done by John Doe, Dracula or Frankenstein.
Just my opinion, not meant to insult yours

For a list of the 'abuse signs' Edward fits here's an article written by Cinders:

link

He watched Bella sleep without her knowing
He took the engines out of her car so she couldnt see Jacob
Told his sister to "kidnap" her she she wong see Jacob
Forced her to go to prom

Enough said.

sorry but it's just my opinion X)

and I do think the *creepy* things are like that because he's a vampire!
and IT DOES MAKES A DIFFERENCE.. I mean, do you hate old vampires because they kill people?? NO YOU DON'T.. and why is that? because they are vampires!........ XD

and being completely serious about this.. in the whole story Edward never did ANYTHING an abusive boyfriend would do..
on the contrary, he always protected her and was constantly trying to save her..

oh and (still talking about VAMPIRES IN THE STORY right? 'cause in real life a guy watching me from my window when I sleep.. I don't care if he is matthew mcconaughey I'll still shoot him)
yes, if Edward was an ugly guy, a cute guy, a stupid guy.. I still think it is romantic.. he loves her, and the way he protects her from anything for me is just.. lovely ^^

Er, yes I do think it's wrong when vampires kill people in stories. In the old vampire things killing isn't treated like something people should hope for, but Edward's behaviour is treated as great romantic behaviour. Besides, You don't find lots of young women going 'boy, I wish a vampire would kill me' but you do get lots of young women say they wish they were in a relationship like the Bella/Edward one. The killing is treated like a scary, dramatic event, the Edward behaviour is treated like something wonderful, that's the difference. I've never read a vampire book where the humans considered the vampire killing someone a good thing. About the thing you said about him never doing anything an abusive boyfriend would do, he has done things that are considered by psychologists abusive behaviour. I recommend reading Cinder's article that I linked, it's very well written.

Also, to me part of love is wanting someone to evolve and reach their full potentail. You love them so you want them to achieve and be all they can. With Edward I always got the impression he wanted Bella to never evolve or acheive, just to stay exactly where she was both literally and emotionally. You can't protect someone from the whole world, it stops them living to their fullest.

You're entitled to your opinion, I'm not trying to undermine what you said or change your mind, just responding with how I feel on the subject :)

Definately not my idea of romantic. If I ever had a boyfriend like that he'd have two options: get his crap in line real fast or get a new girlfriend.

I have to go with Mermaid Tail on this one. It's romantic if the guys good looking, but if he's not, then all my god, we'll freak out. Shows just how balanced everyone really is. Let's face it, everything is based on looks, good looking ppl can get away with anything they want, but no one else can and that's just about what Twilight tels everyone. That and how to be a defensless little girl who is nothing without a man in her life...ll.

Because Bella's just as in love with Edward as Edward is with her(obssessed if you want to use that word instead ;P) She likes the fact that he's that obssessed with her - if she told him to go away and he didn't then he would be creepy. I'm not saying i would be cool with this behaviour but they both are so eh...whatever.

I personally don't see anything about Edward that is abusive. On the other hand, I don't see a lot of romance. Just a lot of..well, clingliness.

Yes he is the creepy stalker quite often but she doesn't seem to mind. He does some sweet not-yet-stalker things too. I just can't believe she still needs convincing how in love with her he is. She doesn't believe for what? The first three books? SERIOUS self esteem problems!

I completely agree with SG1-090. I think if it was the other way round, and Bella was the vampire, she would do exactly the same.

Anyway, some of his behavious is creepy, that's undeniable. Watching people sleep without their knowledge or permission, following your girlfriend round after she 'escaped' from your sister who was 'keeping her hostage'... All very creepy. But he is also romantic at times too. So it would depend on what part of Edward's behaviour we're talking about. :)

I completely agree with Mermaid-Tail

Im gonna have to go with Mermaid-Tail and I also feel like katie has a point too.

CREEPY!!

Not to mention hes too OBSESSED about Bella!!

I'm sorry but this is the year 2009. Forcing someone to marry you before you'll sleep with them...HE CONTROLS HER. And having guy friends is perfectly normal btw. If my boyfriend ever forbade me from seeing my friends, his ass'ed be dumped. In fact, I have dumped boyfriends for that before. I refused to be controlled by a man.

I think he is romantic, but he can be a bit controlling. I think he is more obsessed with keeping her safe and whatnot, rather than being obsessed with Bella herself.

like popping up in her room at night to watch her sleep?? sorry but that's creepy....

He watched her sleep BEFORE she gave him the all clear. If he was that desperate to protect her, he could do it from outside the house. Besides, he's completely controlling. Who blackmails their girlfriend into marriage? Come on!

Don't get me wrong, I love a good fictional stalker (Sylar, Leoben, Henry Dunn, Sanctuary's Nikola Tesla, the Huntsman from The Company of Wolves...the list goes on), but all of those are portrayed as bad and creepy, not romantic. THAT'S why I love them, 'cause the other characters are perfectly aware that the stalker is being...well, a stalker, unlike in Twilight, where Bella is just flattered and thinks she's so lucky to have found such a dreamboat stalker boyfriend.

Agreed with jacksonrain on this....

I THINK ITS ROMANTIC!!!! <3 i wish i was bella...............


TEAM EDWARD 4 LIFEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just find his behavior to be kind of creepy. I mean, how many normal, romantic boyfriends watch their girlfriends sleep. It's usually creepy, rapist stalkers that do that. If I were Bella, I'd freak out. In this one storyline I made for a certain cartoon, this is also a situation, this guy is supposedly stalking this childhood friend that he's obsessed with. He follows her around, sneaks into her house to watch her sleep and do stuff to her computer, screws up her car when he doesn't want her to go to a certain place, and when she tries to object or find a way to still see friends and not have the guy hover, he freaks out and goes insane. Why does that sound so familiar? Hmmm.

But hot.

who else watches his girlfriend sleep???doesnt he evn think how embarrassed she would feel wen she finds out especially because she talks in her sleep??

It's Edward Matschkartoffel (mashed or word for word mud-potato) not Edward Masen :P

Let's see why I chose "Stalker Related" shall we?

1) He watches her SLEEP. What kind of sane, healthy person watches their girlfriend SLEEP?
2) He watches her everywhere she goes, like a hovering ghost or something, which gets really annoying.
3) It's only romantic because he's all "Sparkly Vampire" and Bella is all like, "Oh Edward! I love you so! I don't care what my friends say, or what my Dad says! I love you! But I love Jacob! But I love you as well!"

Creepy is romantic.

No it isn't dude

To me, it is.

Everyone has their different view on what they do and don't find romantic. You can't tell them otherwise, that's their opinion.

In all honesty I don't find any relationships in those books well written enough to be considered romantic and as for Edward, since we don't know where his love for someone as plain and boring as Belle even came from, it is hard for me personally to see his great feelings for her as romantic. That being said I don't think he is abusive or a stalker either because he actually tried his best to prevent hurting Bella in any shape or form (that coming from a vampire who basically had to constantly strugglewith his nature) and he always put her health and well being first, he made it clear she has all the rights to choose whether she wants to risk and be with him or not and if she doesn't he was willing to sacrifice his love and leave her alone.

I can't sleep at night knowing there's a guy watching me. Regardless if he's my boyfriend or not :/

Watching someone sleep when you barely know them is always creepy and stalkerish. Most of the time afterwards when they're dating, he variates between over the top romance and hypocritical controllingness.