Harry Potter vs Lord of the Rings
Let’s imagine that a team of Harry Potter fans and a team of Lord of the Rings fans had a heated debate about the merits of their stories.
HP Team:
Plot: Frodo carried a ring for literally 3,000 pages before tossing it into a volcano in the final paragraph. Harry faced mortal peril every damn year from age 11. Higher stakes!
Protagonist age: Harry starts at 11. Frodo is in his 50s. Rowling had to keep up with aging characters in real time. Tolkien’s hobbits didn’t hit puberty or get angsty hormonal teen side plots. Easier.
Villains: Voldemort is pure evil. Sauron is just kinda menacing because we never see him. Give us a face to hate, J.K.! One troll in the dungeon? Try battling werewolves, dementors, giants, and He Who Shall Not Be Named annually! Amped-up action.
Magic: Tolkien ripped off Norse mythology; Rowling created an original magic system from scratch. Potterverse has spells, potions, flying broomsticks, etc. LOTR’s magic is more subtle like the One Ring’s power. Potterverse is way more innovative and fun!
Plot pace: LOTR dragged on slower than watching paint dry while HP zips along, constantly raising the stakes with new twists. Never a dull moment!
Target Audience: LOTR books purport to be for everyone but only meth-heads can sit through descriptions of each meal. Potter appeals to children and adults alike due to its faster pace and humor.
Merchandising: Try finding a Gollum bedsheet. Potter World birthed an empire spanning theme parks, toys, and Oscar-winning films. No comparison in mainstream success. No merchandising pressure on Tolkien. Rowling birthed a billion-dollar multimedia juggernaut. Way more stress to deliver the goods!
Fandom: HP devotees are passionate. LOTR fans are more pretentious about the books’ deep lore and historical accuracy. Nerds.
Location: Tolkien explored two dimensions (Middle Earth). Rowling juggled magical realms in alternate timelines and mirror universes. More complex worldbuilding.
Endings: HP resolves nicely. LOTR just fades out after they throw the ring into the fire. And then it’s over? Lame.
Legacy: Tolkien focused on one story; Rowling crafted intricate multi-book narratives with satisfying payoffs for countless side characters. Much harder.
LORP Team:
Storytelling: Tolkien’s intricate world-building and attention to lore create an immersive experience. Both series spark imagination but Frodo’s battle with the ring resonates deeper into human psychology. Potter is just silly kid stuff.
Characters: Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn are richly developed protagonists. Harry is a whiny brat and his friends are one-dimensional.
Philosophy: LOTR tackles complex issues like the corrupting influence of power, good vs. evil, courage, and destiny. Hogwarts politics was just school drama like who is dating who that week amid exams and Quidditch.
Pacing: Two whole books were needed for the journey out of the Shire. Readers lap up the bountiful language and sensory experiences. Tolkien takes his time for meaningful character arcs and descriptions. Rowling rushes through for the latest tick-tock plot point.
Realism: Magic is grounded in Middle Earth’s logic. Frodo having to ration his Lembas bread over many pages is far more believable than wizards pulling magic from thin air. Hogwarts is hogwash that never could have fooled muggles for centuries.
Legendary History: Tolkien literally founded an entire scholarly field by creating 3,000 years of Elvish history. What has Rowling done besides get rich?
Literary Merit: Only true intellectuals can appreciate Tolkien’s lyrical descriptions of scenery and meals. Potter is just a flashy potion-making theme park.
Cinematic Prowess: Peter Jackson’s films are high art for thinkers while Potter remains lightweight potboiler fluff. Elves and ents tower above talking hats any day! The Potter movies were silly color schemes and overproduced schlock.
Ending: The Scouring of the Shire brought realness and poetry. Potter wraps on a schmaltzy note to sell more toys.
Legacy: No fandom compares to hardcore LOTR super-fans who attend conventions in full costume. Tolkien inspired whole genres and developers of Dungeons & Dragons. Potter is a brief YA trend that died off quickly.
Well, whose side are you on now?))
