***This contains Breaking Dawn Spoilers. DO NOT READ if you have not read it and do not want to be spoiled***
If you haven't already heard, Stephenie Meyer is being sued by one Jordan Scott, a widely unknown and unpopular author, for copyright infringement. Ms. Scott claims that Stephenie Meyer's novel, Breaking Dawn, bores a suspiciously striking resemblance to her novel that was published in 2006, The Nocturne (which, oddly enough, I could not find on Amazon, the Chapters/Indigo/Coles website, the Borders website and the Barnes and Noble website).
Ms. Jordan Scott's argument is that both novels contain a wedding, sex on the beach after said wedding, a woman who is sick from a child with 'evil powers', a scene with the death of the main character's wife and a similar description of the transformation from human to vampire. Ms. Scott says that pages and even whole chapter of her book were made available on her website in 2005, prior to her book's release. Now, at first look, it does seem that Ms. Scott may have some merit to her claim, but if you read the very long and very detailed letter sent to Stephenie Meyer's publisher (which can be found here), you will find she has little proof.
Firstly, many of the quotes from Breaking Dawn are taken out of context. They would seem as though the two were very similar, had one not read Breaking Dawn. For example, one of the comparisons used was that the main character of Ms. Scott's novel, Rainier, had no 'pull' towards his dead wife, much like Jacob had no 'pull' towards Bella after Renesmee had been removed. If you had not read Breaking Dawn it would seem like they were very similar, but those of us who have know that the reason is not because Bella is dead, but because all along the 'pull' was coming from Renesmee, not Bella.
Second, Ms. Scott says the descriptions of the wedding and sex on the beach are too similar (because we know there are tons of ways to describe sex), when in truth, both are very traditional. The weddings are both described in a very traditional way. Both have flowers hanging from every imaginable spot (because it is so rare to have flowers at a wedding. Who does that?), use traditional words ("Those are MY words that people have been saying at weddings for centuries!") and describe the significant other as being very stunning and beautiful ("I am marrying you even though I find your appearance repulsive!"). And as for the sex, well let's face it, there's really only one way to describe such activities. The beach was just a coincidence. Honeymooning on beaches are very popular, and I'm sure that Ms. Scott was not the first one to ever have the idea that they would be a good place for sex (I know of another book in which two characters have sex on the beach, to you want to sue that author, too?).
The list continues on and on with more pointless comparisons. Yeah, truthfully speaking, they are close, but only when the quotes from Breaking Dawn are pulled out of the whole story like that. I've found that Stephenie Meyer writes in such a fashion that the whole story is intricately threaded together. A great deal of the events are key for future events (like she really thinks her stories through), nothing in her novels happens without a reason. If you think of Stephenie Meyer's entire story, and not just the quotes, the two stories are not very alike.
Plus, Ms. Jordan Scott is forgetting about the all too important rough draft for Breaking Dawn, Forever Dawn, which would have been written sometime around when Twilight was finished in 2003, if I am not mistaken. Once Stephenie Meyer slaps that down on the table, it pretty much diminishes all claims Ms. Jordan Scott has conjured.
However, I would like to know that you think. Do you think Ms. Jordan Scott has any merit to her claim? Or is this just a publicity stunt for her widely unknown novel? Do you think Stephenie Meyer wrote Breaking Dawn using scandalous means? What do you think. I would like to know. And Breaking Dawn has been released for over a year, why did Jordan Scott take so long to make her claim?
If you haven't already heard, Stephenie Meyer is being sued by one Jordan Scott, a widely unknown and unpopular author, for copyright infringement. Ms. Scott claims that Stephenie Meyer's novel, Breaking Dawn, bores a suspiciously striking resemblance to her novel that was published in 2006, The Nocturne (which, oddly enough, I could not find on Amazon, the Chapters/Indigo/Coles website, the Borders website and the Barnes and Noble website).
Ms. Jordan Scott's argument is that both novels contain a wedding, sex on the beach after said wedding, a woman who is sick from a child with 'evil powers', a scene with the death of the main character's wife and a similar description of the transformation from human to vampire. Ms. Scott says that pages and even whole chapter of her book were made available on her website in 2005, prior to her book's release. Now, at first look, it does seem that Ms. Scott may have some merit to her claim, but if you read the very long and very detailed letter sent to Stephenie Meyer's publisher (which can be found here), you will find she has little proof.
Firstly, many of the quotes from Breaking Dawn are taken out of context. They would seem as though the two were very similar, had one not read Breaking Dawn. For example, one of the comparisons used was that the main character of Ms. Scott's novel, Rainier, had no 'pull' towards his dead wife, much like Jacob had no 'pull' towards Bella after Renesmee had been removed. If you had not read Breaking Dawn it would seem like they were very similar, but those of us who have know that the reason is not because Bella is dead, but because all along the 'pull' was coming from Renesmee, not Bella.
Second, Ms. Scott says the descriptions of the wedding and sex on the beach are too similar (because we know there are tons of ways to describe sex), when in truth, both are very traditional. The weddings are both described in a very traditional way. Both have flowers hanging from every imaginable spot (because it is so rare to have flowers at a wedding. Who does that?), use traditional words ("Those are MY words that people have been saying at weddings for centuries!") and describe the significant other as being very stunning and beautiful ("I am marrying you even though I find your appearance repulsive!"). And as for the sex, well let's face it, there's really only one way to describe such activities. The beach was just a coincidence. Honeymooning on beaches are very popular, and I'm sure that Ms. Scott was not the first one to ever have the idea that they would be a good place for sex (I know of another book in which two characters have sex on the beach, to you want to sue that author, too?).
The list continues on and on with more pointless comparisons. Yeah, truthfully speaking, they are close, but only when the quotes from Breaking Dawn are pulled out of the whole story like that. I've found that Stephenie Meyer writes in such a fashion that the whole story is intricately threaded together. A great deal of the events are key for future events (like she really thinks her stories through), nothing in her novels happens without a reason. If you think of Stephenie Meyer's entire story, and not just the quotes, the two stories are not very alike.
Plus, Ms. Jordan Scott is forgetting about the all too important rough draft for Breaking Dawn, Forever Dawn, which would have been written sometime around when Twilight was finished in 2003, if I am not mistaken. Once Stephenie Meyer slaps that down on the table, it pretty much diminishes all claims Ms. Jordan Scott has conjured.
However, I would like to know that you think. Do you think Ms. Jordan Scott has any merit to her claim? Or is this just a publicity stunt for her widely unknown novel? Do you think Stephenie Meyer wrote Breaking Dawn using scandalous means? What do you think. I would like to know. And Breaking Dawn has been released for over a year, why did Jordan Scott take so long to make her claim?
