i thought the book was good. : ] The twilight series is one of my favorites. I would borrow it from a friend. That's a really long waiting list, and then if you buy it and don't like it, it would be a waste of money.
You are absolutely right about the movie. READ THE BOOKS FIRST. The movie will have multiple books in it, so you want to read them at least for the first three. I'm not sure how much of them are in the movie, but I wouldn't risk it.
Definitely worth buying. I read the books within two days, all four. I couldn't put them down. I can assure you, I had absolutely no sleep for two days straight. It is an incredible series, SO worth buying.
I would NOT buy it. Wait to get it from the library, or borrow it from a friend. That's what I did, and I'm sooo glad. And then if you like it you can buy it. I thought it was crappy, but that's just me.