News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Of Denethor and Finduilas by Loremaster of Anorien | 2 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/13/2005 |
| Denethor is one of those puzzling characters who has several sides to his personality, and it's possible to go wrong so easily by choosing only one of them. I think you balance him pretty well (for a guy who is eventually unbalanced -- but because he went to extremes out of devotion to this country, so go figure) Author Reply: Thank you. I've always seen Denethor having extreme emotions so I imagined him loving Finduilas with everything he has. After all, Tolkien did say he loved Finduilas more than any other except for Boromir, and you know how extreme his love for Boromir was in the end. Thanks! Namarie! Loremaster | |
| mirthor | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 5/10/2005 |
| OOC? Does that mean out of character? One of the many wonderful things Tolkien brought to fanfic writers is his lack of character development. And so we each flesh them out as we ourselves see them. I don't think this is entirely off, because I don't think you've necessarily contradicted anything. You haven't provided many of his typically 'stern' moments, yet we've all seen that before anyway & isn't this series about his love for Finduilas? Granted, he does seem a bit soft here(other than the words to Faramir), but I don't think it's impossible that he was loving in his rare private life, especially before Faramir was born. Not overly loving, mind you - while we don't know he couldn't have received a Father of the Year award, we do know him well enough to remember he'd never have others see those personal moments. I also find it very hard to believe that he was ever abusive to Faramir, or really neglectful, not sure where you're going with that topic. His harsh exchange with Faramir during the siege of Minas Tirith has been blown way out of proportion in so many different ways that many fans have no idea who Denethor really is. My favorite Denethor writers are those that blend his moments of caring for his family & his people, with his keen knowledge and expertise of running a country; those who remember that even with his vast intelligence and diplomacy, he is just a man & he is not an uncontrollable lunatic. He's the most intriguing character in the book & is certainly far from one-dimensional. Sorry for the soapbox here. Carry on! Author Reply: Thanks for the reviews, mirthor. Yes, I'm starting to hate Finduilas A (the Finduilas from Unrequited, Hope, Wisdom, Shame, and Lessons) for being so mean to poor, poor Denethor. I actually only respected not liked Denethor until I started writing this and now applaud Tolkien for creating such a fascinating character. Thanks for your opinion on whether Denethor is out-of-character. I was starting to wonder if he was a little too soft and mushy for the powerful, wise leader to be found in LotR (that is, before he went crazy). I tried to make references to his public appearance in the drabbles so everyone (and I) wouldn't forget he's still grim, strong old Denethor, but hey, he must have had a different personality for private life, too. At least, I do, but whether anyone else does is beyond me. I don't believe he was abusive, either, but as for what kind of father he was is a bit of a mystery. The only thing Tolkien really says is that's he's grim and favored Boromir over Faramir, but I don't really believe he beat up Faramir and locked him in a rat-infested broom closet every night like some *cough* allude to. Thank you! Namarie! Loremaster P. S. No fuss, I write long replies as well! | |