Thousands of people have either read Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, or both; but not everyone has noticed the similarities and differences between the two. They are both hugely popular franchises and the question “Is Stephenie Meyer the next J.K. Rowling?” has been asked several times. The novels are extremely well-known and of the fantasy genre, but have numerous differences- from themes and content to writing style and structure. Harry Potter already has five movies with the sixth to be released later this year while the Twilight movie comes out in December. The books are of the same genre and have related themes, but have attracted a vast difference in readers.
The two novels are similar in many ways, but are quite diverse in plot and theme. Twilight is a romance, fantasy novel about a girl (Bella), who moves to a new town and ends up falling in love with a vampire named Edward, while Harry Potter is the tale of a boy who lives with horrid relatives and finds out he’s really a famous wizard in a secret, magical world unknown to non-magic folk (muggles). One of the few similarities the two books have in plot is that there is a hidden world of magic or fantastical creatures concealed from the rest of humanity. An equally important difference is that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a complex tale in which minor characters and small objects have just as big an impact on the plot as the main characters and major events, whereas Twilight is simplistic with no major twists or surprises. Furthermore, both novels have different, albeit related themes. The theme of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is good triumphing over evil whilst Twilight’s theme is love overcoming all obstacles. The themes are similar in that the ‘love’ in the theme of Twilight is equal to the ‘good’ in Harry Potter and the ‘obstacles’ can be viewed as congruous to the ‘evil.’
The novels have several similarities in that they are both series and attract a number of readers, although there is much diversity between them. Twilight is a four book series with the last to be released in August and Harry Potter is a seven book cycle that was finished off in the summer of 2007. Also, Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have both captivated thousands of readers and been translated into several languages. However, the books are more different than similar. Whilst Harry Potter appeals to audiences of all ages and genders, Twilight is read more by teenagers- mostly females- and younger to middle-aged mothers and women. Another difference is that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows centers on Harry and his friends’ struggles with adolescence and the re-rising of powerful, dark wizards; yet Twilight is about Bella and Edward’s relationship, their feelings for each other, and the complications caused by Edward’s thirst for her blood and conflicting desire to protect her. Lastly, Harry Potter is about the magic and problems Harry and his friends face, whereas Twilight focuses on the romance between the two main characters and the complications caused by it.
As far as content goes, Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are as similar as they are different; nevertheless the discrepancies far outweigh the likenesses for the writing style and structure. Twilight is simple and straightforward, without any major twists; however Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is complicated with dozens of plot twists and shocking surprises. In addition, Twilight concentrates on the characters’ actions and emotions with characterization as the key literary element, meanwhile Harry Potter zeroes in on the events and characters with the plot as the key element. Thirdly, Harry Potter is written in 3rd Person Ltd. while Twilight is in 1st Person so that in Twilight the reader knows more about Bella’s feelings and thoughts, but in the former you get a broader spectrum on what’s happening outside of Harry’s perspective and the feelings of other characters. Finally, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Twilight share one component in common which is that the books become more serious and dark as the series progress.
In conclusion, Twilight and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are two very distinctive, yet similar novels. They’re hugely popular, but have more discrepancies than likenesses in plot, theme, writing style and structure, and content. While Twilight is about the Romeo and Juliette –like romance between Edward and Bella, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows revolves around Harry and his friends’ fight against the rise of evil wizards with a sub-plot of romance. Additionally, the two novels have similar themes, yet differ greatly in writing style and structure in that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is complicated with numerous twists and turns in which nothing is as it seems whilst Twilight is straightforward and simple with very few twists or surprises at all. Both are splendid and wonderfully well-written tales, but differentiate greatly while at the same time attracting much of the same crowd of readers.