Yes, I admit it, I am one of those people. I am a person that can quote abstract lines from the books about teenage wizards and sparkly vampires, that spends countless hours reading both the Harry Potter series and the Twilight Saga over and over again, and who goes to mush every time I hear Edward Cullen ask his precious Bella “Isn’t it enough just to have a long and full life with me?” I’m not alone by any means; there are millions of fans of both fictional worlds, many that obsess about both. But for every devoted fan, there are just as many people that don’t understand the attraction-- The muggles and non twihards that wonder and question the deep pull of the two series and why so many of us are hopelessly devoted.
I try hard not to force the subject of my obsessions on others. If someone asks about my love with the two series I try to explain, although more and more I find my typical response to be “you either get it, or you don’t”, unless I recognize a kindred book mate. Never have I seriously and deeply considered what it is about these books that pull me in and keep me wrapped up in their worlds. So, in a fit of early morning retrospection as the release of Deathly Hallows part one quickly approaches, I decided to find the answer to my obsessions. Why do these stories and characters pull on me more the way they do?
A big part of the answer is a connection to my inner writer. It’s a very little known fact that I have created my own fictional world full of characters. It was during the summer before my 7th grade year that my cousin and I thought it would be fun to create a book about two girls and their friends. Pam had a very vivid imagination that fed off of daytime soap operas, older friends, and the occasional Harlequin romance. Two years my senior, I reveled in her ideas and knowledge (no matter how convoluted) of life, love and relationships. As soon as she spouted a story idea, I would quickly set pen to paper to write about our creations.
The characters soon became real to me, my first literary obsession. My stories became my escape, my life’s journal, and soon I began to weave my dreams and desires into the storylines; my real life experiences forever became woven into the lives of my characters. Feeding off my words and experiences, it became the characters that dictated and controlled the way the adventures developed.
What began as a silly and fun way to bond with my cousin had became a real and important part of me. In writing I was able to deal with high school dramas, relive the important things, and examine teen age mysteries about life. My characters would jump into my thoughts at the weirdest times demanding attention or offering a solution of some real life crisis. I continued to write in college and into my first years of marriage as a way to deal with stress and more importantly because I couldn’t bear to let the world I created go into a box. To have it packed away like so many other childhood memories. Not that it ever really has been packed away. Even now, my main character (my alter ego if you will) pops in for a conversation. She is still evolving and growing and very much a part of my life; even if her adventures will never be known by the rest of the world.
I believe that my love for the fictional world I created results in my obsession for other literary creations. My characters are the reason I can read a book and there is a recognition of the author’s love and devotion to her characters and the world they live in. Sometimes I stay immersed in that connection just for the length of the book. When it’s finished, I can place it on my bookshelf and be content. But sometimes there are the books that suck me in so completely that I feel like I am meant to discover all of the mysteries hidden in the pages. I am strongly compelled to understand the characters and the way they interact with one another; why the story develops the way it does. Someone else’s creation leads me the same way mine did (and to an extent still does) and I am eager to go along for the ride.
When I was first introduced to an orphaned Harry, the twins were 3 and Haybug barely one. I used to read Harry’s adventures to them at bedtime. Immediately I fell in love with the characters, their interactions and the mysteries of it all. Potter was a constant at a time when Wayne was living and working in Auburn and the rest of us were still in Monroeville trying to sell our house. Lots of things had changed and we were heading down an unknown and unplanned path towards the future. Harry was a faithful companion for all of us when so much uncertainty was surrounding us. Over the years, Harry has grown up with my children. He has evolved from being a character in a story I used to read out loud, into being a literary friend that we enjoy visiting over and over again. His adventures were a tie that bound us during a dark and confusing time. My respect and awe for the Universe J.K. Rowling created and the bond it created in turn for our family is the reason Harry Potter will always hold a special place in our hearts.
As for Edward, Bella and the rest of Forks? Well, first I do have to admit that there was no earth shattering events occurring at the time of introductions. I finally read Twilight after hearing for the thousandth time that I really need to give it a chance.(It actually set on my bedside table for 2 months before I opened to the first page.) Once again, I had that recognition of a commitment to characters and the world in which they lived. I understood immediately that this wasn’t a creation that Meyer’s could just box up when the last book was finished. Most importantly though, I completely understand Bella and her struggles to the point that I can recognize some of her in me----her sense of not fitting in, unsure of her worth and abilities when surrounded by others that seem to have a better hold on life. I revel in watching as she finds her self worth and when she finally understands how much she deserves Edward’s love and devotion.
In Edward, well, I recognize a lot of my husband. Not so much in the ooey-gooey romantic side (although Wayne has his moments), but in Edwards’s mannerisms, his mood swings, and his own ignorance in how deserving he is to be blessed. Edward also embodies a dream guy I created at a tender age of 12 that developed and evolved into the ideals that a boyfriend should be a protector, defender and maybe even sometimes a bit domineering when he knows what is right. When I met Wayne, some of these ideals shifted and changed, but surprisingly at his core (and right down to the red hair) he was very much what I had created in my minds eye. I can see all of that in Edward Cullen.
So, it would seem my obsessions all began with childhood expectations of romance and relationships; the tender and innocent idea of finding true friends, your soul mate, your reason for living. To some it may seem silly. I know some will read this and still think I’m a nut for my devotion to HP and Twilight, but that’s okay. When the movies and the hype for HP and Twilight wrap up, when the fervor dies down to a warm glow, these books will still play an important role for me. They will always be comfort food for my mind and soul. Their connections to my life are very important and go beyond the fanaticism surrounding the franchises. I respect the fact that everyone finds a piece of themselves in different passions, events, stories. It is a small portion of what makes us unique, that special something that gives us individuality and it is what makes life so fascinating.
And all thru the South,