I think it's because of the very nature of Twilight -- as someone above me said, Bella's a cardboard figure specifically so that the reader (or Stephanie Meyer, as it were) can put themselves in Bella's place. Harry Potter, while a character that you can relate with, isn't one that you necessarily replace with yourself. If that makes sense.
Moreover, the plot of Twilight centers around the Most Idealized Romance Ever, which I think that a lot of girls -- especially naive, impressionable teen ones -- will take and run with. I've heard a lot of comments from teens looking for "my Edward" or "my Jacob", and in that sense, the books become much more personal. HP has a much more defined plot; it's a lot weirder to be going around saying that you're looking for "my Ginny," because Ginny is a person, not an ideal of a person. Most people can recognize that the HP books are fiction, but Twilight appeals at a different level. It encourages fans to look for their version of the idealized, uber-Disney happily-ever-after, and to insult the books might be to insult their dream of happiness. Twilight isn't just a book with a plot and normal characters; it's their dream or vision or something. So I think that the books themselves tend to lead to rather more rabidity in its fanbase.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-07-22 04:19 pm (UTC)Moreover, the plot of Twilight centers around the Most Idealized Romance Ever, which I think that a lot of girls -- especially naive, impressionable teen ones -- will take and run with. I've heard a lot of comments from teens looking for "my Edward" or "my Jacob", and in that sense, the books become much more personal. HP has a much more defined plot; it's a lot weirder to be going around saying that you're looking for "my Ginny," because Ginny is a person, not an ideal of a person. Most people can recognize that the HP books are fiction, but Twilight appeals at a different level. It encourages fans to look for their version of the idealized, uber-Disney happily-ever-after, and to insult the books might be to insult their dream of happiness. Twilight isn't just a book with a plot and normal characters; it's their dream or vision or something. So I think that the books themselves tend to lead to rather more rabidity in its fanbase.
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