In a new interview on MTV.com Stephenie Meyer, the author of the popular “Twilight” novels, discusses Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling along with the similarities she finds between the “Twilight” and “Harry Potter” series. While Mrs. Meyer notes she has not yet had the opportunity to meet her fellow author, she does say she “would love to sit down and talk with her.” She continues, noting the fact that while both series are hugely popular among younger readers, comparing one series to the other is something she finds difficult to do. She states:
“The interesting thing about the comparison is that I think you can compare my fans to her fans more easily [than me to her]. I do think that we both have people who are just really really enthusiastic, and will come miles to see you and be involved, and everybody really cares about our characters. But the [’Harry Potter’ and ‘Twilight’] stories are just so different.”
“J.K. Rowling’s audience is everybody, so that means we all have a piece of her audience,” Meyer laughed. “It’s terribly flattering to be compared to her, but there’s never going to be another J.K. Rowling; that’s a phenomenon that’s not gonna happen again.”
Finally, Mrs. Meyer goes on to talk more on topics she would like to speak with J. K. Rowling about if given the opportunity, including Jo’s thoughts of the Harry Potter films, her fans, and her experience of being a popular writer. As readers will remember, actor Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory) has been cast as leading man Edward Cullen in the upcoming “Twilight” film. All three previously released novels in the “Twilight” series are available for purchase in our Cauldron Shop.
oh, and I think that Bella is a really stupid main character, as someone commented killing herself just to see her boyfriend and getting married at eighteen because she just can’t wait is just so shallow, egoistic and stupid!
admittedly never as good as Harry Potter and I’m glad Stephanie Meyer is aware. But for those wondering about whether or not to pick it up, I’d advise you to do so ASAP.
It was nice to hear another author acknowledge how amazing Rowling is and not sound bitter or petty about it. But I’ve never heard of Meyer or the Twilight books. After reading the synopsis for all three, I’ll pass this one up. As someone else said, it’s not my cup of tea. A little vampirism goes a long way with me. And the teen romance angle is not interesting to me either. (I didn’t mind it in HBP because Rowling interjected a lot of humor with it, and it was mainly confined to one book.
I don’t even know why the Twilight Fandom is so big. Meyer’s writing is so poor, she needs to repeat a high school creative writing class. There is absolutely no depth to her plot, characters, or themes. It’s just a book written for a movie. Artless. Shallow.
To compare Twilight to Harry Potter is just embarrassing. So I’ll give credit to Meyer for acknowledging that fact.
I have never heard of this author or her series but after reading some of the posts I dont think its really my cup of tea. Is it even out in England? But I dont understand why some people can be so negative towards another author just because some JKR fans like her books? Particually as this author appears so gracious and modest. Whats the big deal? Even JKR herself encourages people to read other works. I find it ‘embarrassing’ that so many Hp fans can be so mean and childish.
it’s not about being mean and childish, tintantonks, it’s just that the twilght books aren’t that good, and people are expressing their opinion they’re books aimed at teenage girls who like cheesy romances. I read the first two books and they were really awful, like cheap romance book, with cheesy lines and a lot of bad teenage drama.
i think that some of the people here are being a bit too extreme with their comments, it’s not that either of the books are in general better than the other, but are more appealing to different sorts of people. There’s no shame for either books to be compared, it’s not like HP is any less of a series for being compared to another, and Twilight isn’t any better than it was before just because it’s being compared to HP. BUT it is unfair to compare such ‘different’ books, just because they have similarities doesn’t mean you can compare them fairly, apples and oranges.
I’ve never heard of Twilight in the uk but all the americans keep talkin about it, I bought it in Waterstones yesterday and I’m gonna start readin it later, but to be honest from the blurb (and yes I am just judging it on this I will read it later) it just seems like a teenage angsty love in an O.C. style crap… I WILL read it don’t worry and get back to you. I REALLY don’t think though that this could be described as an amazing love story on par with like the Age of Innocence, or even something like His Dark Materials
To someone who said J.K Rowling wrote a classic. The HP books are hugely popular and a phenomena but they are not classics..yet. Classics are distinguish by popularity and time.
loonyluna – twilight isn’t just a book for shallow teenage girls who want to attract boys. that doesnt even make sense – why would reading twilight attract boys? most boys my age don’t even read!
And it isn’t cheesy. It’s a beautiful romance story with amazing characters. It doesn’t compare to hp, but it is still a really great series.
Twilight is cliched and poorly written (Meyer’s REALLY needs to learn how to properly used adjectives…Particularly when it comes to dialog).
While HP isn’t flawless literature by any means, the difference is that JKR’s imagination makes up for any weaknesses she has as a writer. She tells a fantastic story and the world she created sucks people in and provokes thought. Where as Twilight is glorified fan fiction about a bunch of whiny teenagers…It’s like Harry’s emo!angst from OotP magnified x 10000000 on every page. Sprinkle in some serious Mary Sue and there you go. You’ve got Twilight.
I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t a middle aged romance novel fan or a teenage girl who’s enjoyed it. I suppose it just annoys me because there are so many fantastic, well written stories for young adults out there that don’t get the time of day because they’re not piggy-backing off the “super natural creatures mixing with humans” theme that’s so popular now thanks in part to HP and the resurgence of LotR and Narnia.
I’m on page 233 of Twilight, and I like it so far. Stephenie Meyer writes well, and Bella is really likeable. I like how she builds up Bella’s unhealthy obsession with Edward, and I also really enjoyed the alternate first chapter of Twilight from Edward’s point of view- his lust for her blood is rather disturbing.
Twilight and HP are VERY different- Twilight is a romance novel, while HP has a lot of different themes, and, I’m almost afraid to say it, JK’s romances are not the most subtle or well-written. Ginny/Harry came completely out of the blue, and Ron and Hermione’s was a lot more built up.
The people in my class (I’m 13) are obsessed with Twilight, and when I took it out of my bag at school, the girls in my class all went “I LOVE that book!” and started talking about how hot Edward was. Haha.
BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS[br]Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach.[br][i]The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-six.
oh, and I think that Bella is a really stupid main character, as someone commented killing herself just to see her boyfriend and getting married at eighteen because she just can’t wait is just so shallow, egoistic and stupid!