We don't hear as much about the Melanie/Jared relationship in the Host aside from Melanies memories at the begining. I have heard some talk comparing it to Ian and Wanderer , Wanderer and Jamie, Melanie and Jaime, and Edward and Bella (the most interesting for me likened Jared and Bella and Melanie and Wanderer to Jacob and Edward) What are everyone thoughts on these realtionships.

From the little that we did get from the beginning, I surmise that theirs was a very intense relationship, built upon the reality that there were so few humans left and they weren't going to lose each other as well. I have the feeling it grew from there given that they basically became a family (Melanie, Jared and Jamie) for approximately 3 years, before Melanie was captured. Even when they brought Wanderer into the caves in the beginning, it was easy to see through Jared's superficial hatred (although he would not admit it) of her. He would have killed her immediately if there was not a strong, deep rooted bond present. Although it disturbed me greatly, the violence that Jared exihibited onto Wanderer was in a way his anger and frustration coming forward with regard to Melanie getting captured. It was almost as if he abused Wanderer because he was not there to fight for Melanie and save her, so this was his way of releasing that pent up anger he felt in failing her. He would take it out on the next best thing, the soul that now possessed her and took her away from him.

Like Edward, he is another character I would be extremely interested in hearing his innermost thoughts, when he was fighting himself internally about Wanderer and Melanie.

Once Wanda became an accepted part of the human colony, I did think of Wanda/Mel and Jared and Ian in the same love triangle situation as Bella/Edward/Jacob. The difference being that, where Bella was one person torn between 2 men, Wanda and Melanie were 2 very distinct and sentient beings torn between 2 men that loved each of them seperately, each for themselves ( ), if that makes any sort of sense. I saw a lot of similarities between Wanda and Bella in that, they both would do anything to please the people that they love at the expense of their own happiness. I could also draw correlations between Wanda and Edward....each of them feeling as if they had no right to exist in the circumstances that they were given. I have to say that I was far more drawn to Ian than to Jared throughout the book, even towards the end when Jared redeemed himself and apologized for his treatment of Wanda when she was first found in the desert. I think I could say that, at least for me, Jared is my Jacob and Ian is my Edward.

I never felt like I got to fully know Melanie. I was glad that she and Wanda grew to love and care for one another and that, in the end, Melanie fought to keep Wanda's soul with them.

Queenofmycastle!!!! I was sitting here trying to think of how to put my thoughts into words and your post appears! Are you in my head??? Seriously!!! EXACTLY my thoughts!!! Ian is also my Edward! Just loved him!!!! And, I feel the same about Melanie also. I feel like I didn't really get to know her to well.

I bawled buckets when Wanda "discovered" she was in love with Ian. And, her "final" day... that just did me in. So many beautiful things about that. I don't know where to start. All the relationships were so intense really. Wow.... I need to emotionally recover and then read it again.

That's one of the things that I love about TMs....one person can say something and it's nearly precisely what we're all thinking! I cried and cried so many times throughout the book and the ending, when Wanda is walking back to Doc to sacrifice herself...I could barely see the words on the pages because my eyes were overflowing with tears....Gaah...when she asked to be buried next to Walter and Wes...I was literally sobbing out loud. I'm so glad the rest of my family was outside because they'd have thought I was loony.

My daughter caught me and said, "ARE YOU CRYING????" Yep... I think that they had inklings before, but now I am out of the closet CRAZY! And, PROUD I might add!!!

When Wanda is taking her final walk, that is also when I couldn't see the pages. It was so beautifully written. But, I was mad too at the end, (before I read the "post" chapters) that she had actually died. I was heartbroken for Ian! So... I am glad that I dried my eyes off and kept reading.

Here's something I mentioned on the other thread but I'll repeat it here.

Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 8:11 am Post subject:
I really wish that there were more memories of Mel and Jared. I think it would have made us fall in love with Jared a little more, therefore being a greater conflict when they actually find him. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

I agree 100%. This is exactly how I feel. I am looking forward to reading it again. Is The Host going to be series?

I agree!  I feel like we never really get to know Mel, and only have a few idea's of what Jared is like when they meet.  Then he is so mean to Wanderer that you end up not really liking him at first, instead of understanding why he's acting the way he is.  I had a hard time with the fact that he hit her.  Even if he thought Mel was gone.... how could he do that to the body of the woman that he loved?  Hum... just curious if anyone else found that disturbing..... I did end up loving Jared, in a way, but I think I would have had a stronger attachment if I'd known more about him, like you suggested.

On the dex (the host index) it says that SM isn't sure. she has about 2 chapters of the second one and if she does the it will be a trilogy with the next two titles being "The Soul" and "The Seeker". here's the link to the second page of the thread-some info is on pag. but the most up to date is on pg.2
http://thehostindexforum.net/phpBB3/vie ... a&start=15

I just finished the Host, stayed up all night reading it, and I was so taken aback by the whole story. I really loved the whole relationship triangle that Stephenie had going on. I was really rooting for Ian and Wanda to end up together and I really was happy to see them end up together. I just really loved the whole story and I probably will read it again.

I was so happy that SM included a mother/child type relationship in the host. the love of a mother as I know it is not included in Twilight as rene and bella seem to have a role reversal going on. It really helped me invest myself in wandas character because her love for Jamie was the most powerful love in the story, which is the way it is for my son and I.

I felt the same way. I am not a mother but I have a much younger little brother and I always compared Wanderers feelings for Jamie with mine to my bro. The parts with Wanderer and Jamie are the ones that touched me very deeply.

I think SM did a beautiful job portraying motherhood's true importance all throughout the story; how Wanda saw its value, even when she thought she understood it, then she had all of the emotions she experienced with Jamie and relized it was even more intense than she had realized.

I agree. S.M. did a great job with the love of a mother. I think it was strong with Jamie but I also feel that Wanda felt that way about most of the humans as well. Maybe not as strong as it was for Jamie but I feel she loved them all so deeply. She proved it several time just by putting herself in danger just to protect them. Then at the end when she was going to sacrifice herself so Mel could have her body back and she didn't want a new host because she cared about the humans to much to do that to another one. She was the most caring and loving of all of them.