Stephenie Meyer has become the newest hottest best-selling author since the debut of her vampire storyline in the Twilight Saga. Personally I would have never picked up the books if it was not for the hype that it was given by my friends at work. After the first book, the entire office staff was hooked! But how do authors like Stephenie Meyer, J.K. Rowling and Charles Dickens get so popular? Why do kids and adults get so obsessed with these particular sequels? Is there any comparison at all? What do you think?
According to the New York Times, “Ms. Meyer’s contribution to the vampire chronicles, the trick that transformed her into a best-selling brand, has been to stanch this sanguineous emission, turning a hot human flow into something less threatening and morally sticky”(Dargis). Basically, Meyers has been able to provide some new blood to an old topic, sorry for the pun. I have included some reviews written on the movie adaptation. I would have to agree with the last person’s statement. I enjoyed the books, but the filming is terrible, but that’s not going to keep me from watching the second movie, which opened in theatres November 20th!
• the director makes the movie but not this one – ny4pep , Virginia Beach, VA
• The Worst Movie I've Seen This Year – Charles J , San Fransicso
• Ah young love with a twist that goes sour – M. Jan , Ottawa
• Good book, Awful movie – CAgurl33 , Carmel
Then you have headlines such as this, “Preteen girls -- and their grown-up moms -- are sinking their teeth into Stephenie Meyer's gothic "Twilight" books by the millions. Move over, J.K. Rowling”(Miller). The report at salon.com by publisher Laura Miller states, “No wonder the media has heralded Twilight as the next Harry Potter and Meyer as the second coming of J.K. The similarities, however, are largely commercial. It's hard to see how Twilight could ever approach Harry Potter as a cultural phenomenon for one simple reason: the series' fan base is almost exclusively female”(Miller). I would have to agree with her statement that yes the majority of Meyer’s readers are female but I do know of some male highschoolers who have read the books and watched the movie. As far as I could tell they were just as excited for the new book and the new movie to come out as I was. They each had their favorite character and are passionate about who should be the female character's love interest. It has been a great experience being able to converse with them on this particular literary writer.
As for J.K. Rowling, she has proved her success in every aspect of the literary world and in Hollywood. I would have to say that my kids would probably agree! They have been Harry Potter fanatics since the beginning but they are also great fans of the Twilight series. Perhaps this is due to their age. Harry Potter was starting to hit big when they were about 8 and now that they are teenagers Stephenie Meyer has been at the top of their list.
Everywhere you look there is Harry Potter and Twilight merchandise; games, clothing, posters, etc. Their websites are incredible, I have to say that the Harry Potter website is the funnest and most interactive. With young people being so technically inclined and computer savy this is also a great marketing tool for these authors. Movies, music and merchandise have definitely brought in the bucks and has helped these two authors grow as a business as well as their popularity.
Dicken’s is someone I can honestly say that I know very little about, sad as that may be, he is a well-known literary figure. You can ask anyone if they know the name Charles Dickens and they will know who you are referring to. I think that this is mainly due to the commercialization of his stories. Cartoons have been made based on his writings which is probably the best way to introduce a historic writer to youngsters. That is most likely where I first learned of Charles Dickens. The other way is obviously in school. English and reading classes have always taught us the history of literary giants such as Dickens and Shakespeare.
"Dickens's genius, his obsession with work, his life-long love affair with his public, and his deep humanity all helped to make him a literary phenomenon. Because his works appealed to people of all conditions, and because he could take advantage of new technological developments, he reached, from the publication of the Pickwick Papers on, an audience of unprecedented size —an audience which he was able to influence emotionally to an extent never equalled" (Cody).
Will writers such as Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling become as infamous as Charles Dickens? Only time will tell. Personally, I don’t foresee Meyer’s current fame to last, unless she can continue to write bestselling novels. J.K. Rowling on the other hand I think will be remembered for years to come. She may still not reach the greatness of Charles Dickens but really, how can you even compare?
Works Cited
Cody, David. Associate Professor of English, Hartwick College http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/dickens/dickensbio4.html
Dargis, Manhohla. November 2008. New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/movies/21twil.html?xml:namespace
Meyer, Stephenie. Official Website. November 2009. http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/
Miller, Laura. Salon. July 2008. http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/07/30/Twilight/index.html#story_full_a861345952e065612a90d2f
Rowling, J.K. Official Website. November 2009. http://www.jkrowling.com/
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Hi, Shellye. I enjoyed your discussion about blockbuster writers. Based on your discussion, it seems like you might answer the question about why people get so hooked on these books in a few ways: 1) people can relate to the characters, 2) the authors have been savvy about publishing and merchandising, and 3) the books are taught or available in schools. Does that look about right? Did I miss anything?
ReplyDeleteI'm especially interested in children's buying power, which applies more to the modern books than to Dickens. Children also have a lot of power in spending on movies. Why are children such a big market today? Why does what they spend money on make SO MUCH money? Nancy
I love Twilight but not sure Meyers will be another Dickens just off the publication of the Twilight saga. Her books at the moment are just a trend not classics. However, ever classic was just a trend at one point. I believe that only the future will be able to tell whether or not she is put into that exclusive writer hall of fame. to answer your question no I don't think they are even comparable. Ever book and author are so different and bring something different to the literary world it would be hard to make an over all comparison.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your assesment about the longevity of Rowlings books, and wonder if she will be able to produce another series as popular. As far as the Vampire books I think you are also correct. I see this as a fad that will soon be grown out of. The "Harry Potter" movies I am not so sure about. True they have great special effects but as book makes there is no originality that will earn them a classic rating in my book. As far as series popularity I have been reading them for many years starting with The Hobbit, and Lords of the Rings and it is the depth of the character and story line development that draws me to them. The more pages the more detail.
ReplyDeleteGood topic.
Nancy - Yes, I think people, especially teens and young women can relate to the romance involved in the Twilight series. Being a teenager and having your first true love has a great impact on the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteThe author's main goal in writing best-sellers is the selling of their books. They employ many facets in order to keep it alive. Such as advertising, merchandise, and just getting the word out by doing various television shows. This has definitely helped the success of Meyers and Rowling.
Dicken's success can be contributed to his ability as an actor as well as a writer. Due to literary history in schools he remains popular and will always be a popular writer.
Sami - Yep, I agree that only time will tell on the overall success of the Stephenie Meyer's books. I think that it would also be in her best interest to publish another series to keep her name alive in the public world. Reminds me of everything that Tiger Woods is going through right now. Hopefully it won't be negative press; but as they say, there is no such thing as negative press!
ReplyDeleteRob - Cool! I have never read The Lord of The Rings but I have seen the movie. Not really my thing. I have never been into the "Hobbit Thing" either, but that is what I said about the vampires. My oldest daughter has read the same series as you. Perhaps I will give them a try one of these days. Thanks for reading my Blog!
ReplyDeleteI agree that things will reveal itself only through time. Charles Dickens are up there in terms of fame and writing revolution. I think the problem with modern author's is that people have already walked through that broad spectrum of the many different plots and genres available. One factor that catapulted authors in the past is the introduction of a new theme or plot or writing style. It's something new that the world haven't seen yet.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately for modern authors, I tend to be skeptical about cliche's and what not. The increasing media affection for vampire story plots, for example, seem to just ride-off the excess fame received from twilight. I guess part of being an author is finding the latest trend and giving the mass public what they want.
As oppose to the longevity of Twilight or Harry Potter(which i did read), I doubt that they will stand the test of time. But who knows right? Time could prove me wrong
Angelic - I have to agree that it definitely seems that authors are running out of new subjects to write about. Seems that way in a lot of areas around us, like movies and even the styles of cars. I think that's why automakers in particular are coming out with renditions of older makes and models. Which doesn't really bother me. I have a Mustang and love how they incorporated the older body style. So really, how much more can be written that isn't already published? I suppose that as long as we evolve as humans we will always have something to say.
ReplyDelete