REVIEW

THE BOOMING PHENOMENON OF FANTASY-FICTION NOVELS
THE TWILIGHT SAGA, THE HARRY POTTER SAGA, AND THE LORD OF THE RING TRYLOGY


In these recent years, fantasy-fiction novels have been sold over than billion copies. There are three most remarkable novels in this genre of this century which I would like to highlight. That is; Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer , Harry Potter saga by J.K Rowling and The Lord of the Ring trilogy by J.R.R Tolkien. Those novels have many its own fans-site in the web, and have been made to the white screen. The Lord of the Ring, for example, has been successfully made to movie by a talented director, Peter Jackson, this movie has won 17 out of 30 Academy Awards nominated in total, including Best Director, Best Picture and Best Visual Effects.

Start from 1997, Harry Potter fever has been spread around the world. Each new launching of these novels (from year one to year seven according to Harry’s year schoolings in Hogwarts) is always waited by its fans around the world. Since the night before the day it’s launching, the fans of Harry Potter have been waiting to get the first copy of that novel, running out of patient to read it. These fantastic novels also made into movies, which now still in progress. The fans are now waiting for the 6th movie of Harry Potter; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

And now, the recent phenomenon of fantasy-fiction novels is the Twilight saga. Has been sold over than 42 million copies, it is also made into movie. This far just one novel has been made yet to movie, from four novels sold. This Twilight novels also spread a fever around the world, especially the issue about vampire.

These three stories; Lord of The Ring, Harry Potter, and Twilight have precious moral messages to take. The Lord of The Ring tells us about being strong, brave and loyal to the land which we stand up for. The devotion from Samwise Gamgee towards Frodo Baggins teaches us about friendship and love. Harry Potter series have an issue about friendship. Togetherness among Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger explain about imperfection of a human that only can be solved by completing each other. The power and strength gained by believe and love. Twilight series tells about the worth of love and family, togetherness among families, loves each other are much precious than anything in this life, or in vampire language, “the most precious thing in ‘my existence’”.

But beside, these three novels, according to my opinion, are perhaps problematic. These stories are unrealistic. A fantasy. It is made by the imagination of human which many parts of these novels don’t exist in the real life. The Lord of The Ring describes the fictional land called Middle-earth where there are so many fantastic events occur, something like magic, the power of the darkness and lightness and also fantastic creatures who live there, such as elf, hobbit, wizard etc. In Harry Potter, the story’s core is in the school of witchcraft and wizardry, Hogwarts, where the place is hidden from the eye of humans. This world of magic also has its own government, hidden cities and even witches in other countries around the world. Fantastic creatures also exist, such as Dragon, Hiffogrif, Dementor, elf (which is very different with The Lord of The Ring’s version; in this version the elves described with full of honor, very gorgeous, calm and cool. In Harry Potter’s version elf described as ugly creatures, always cry and sob and punish himself badly if he is mistaken, and having the duty to serve their master--which one do you like the most? Let say; Legolas or Dobby? Well, remember, your decision reflects who you are, ;p) and so many other more. In Twilight story, you even can fall in love with a vampire who has sparkling skin under the sunlight. You can give a birth to a vampire’s baby who also has immortal life. There are also many vampire families around the world who need to drink human blood when they are thirsty. They hunt human every time they need to eat (oh, thanks God human race do not need contraception anymore to hold the increasing of human population). Thanks to Vampire.

Everything could happen in the world of imagination by the way.

These three novels, as far as I know, have fantastic selling (whether its novels or its movies). It can influence the world with its issues. And it is included in the same genre; fantasy-fiction. The booming phenomenon of fantasy-fiction novels make me questioning; since these novels full of imagination, unrealistic events and creatures, fantastic stories, and tell about wonderful, extraordinary power, are the people in the world have more trend to prefer fantasy story than realistic one (drama, comedy etc)? Is this phenomenon a sign of how people in these recent years think and feel, when they are so tired of the real world they face? Do they use this as an escape from the real world they should face everyday? Do they think this world is so bad so they wish the magic and wonderful trick turn it to the goodness? What is your opinion to those questions?

Well, whatever the answers are, these three stories are still precious to color the pop-literature genre.














By Noviana Melaningsih (0608278)