Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Shire: Beginnings  by Lindelea 2 Review(s)
InklingReviewed Chapter: 10 on 2/4/2005
I love these hobbits! Sharkey’s ruffians would have had a hard time pushing THEM around! Brave, smart, selfless, generous, resourceful, pragmatic, adaptable. No self-pity, resentment, vengefulness. (Why can’t people be more like hobbits?) Now, granted, these are Fallohides, and Fallohides in their pure, undiluted form at that, so a pretty special breed. But still, makes me wonder about the first Harfoots and Stoors. They must have been pretty tough, too, to make the great “a-journey.”

Some bits in chapters 5-10 I especially liked:

We’ll make it into a song,’ her brother said soothingly. ‘Then it won’t seem so unnatural.’ Ah, the Fallohides’ love of song, that survived all the way to Bilbo’s time! Would be fun to hear the song they made…

“…for Thorn seemed to know what to do, and Beech seemed to know where to go.”
That’s as good a definition of a leader as I’ve heard!

“…a wrong decision would fill the pot with hobbits. That would never do.” That sort of dry understatement and morbid humor are so very hobbity!

“No thanks are needed, Grand-alf.” This IS like ‘The Just So Stories’: “How Gandalf Got His Name.” Very clever! And set up so naturally and logically, starting with the hobbits’ attempt to say elf coming out alf! I really enjoy your attention to language, and the origins of words and names…very much in the spirit of Tolkien!

What a lovely idea that the Lady of the Woods is, perhaps a Vala (Yavanna?) who once walked in ME…and what a sweet, touching moment when the hobbits all kneel before Arwen thinking she is the Lady.

Looking forward to more!


Author Reply: Thanks for hitting the high points! You're right, Fallohides are pretty special. I've had a reviewer or two tell me that my hobbits are "unhobbity", but I don't know about that, seeing what the Travellers accomplished. And Samwise wasn't even a Fallohide, so far as I can tell.

It was fun to give Gandalf his name--we were playing with Just So Stories at the time and making up our own stories. I did a lot of research though, to make sure I wasn't stepping out of canon. Couldn't find any provenance for the Wizard's name, though, so as far as I know this *could* be the way Gandalf got his name... LOL

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 10 on 10/1/2004
Oh, this is great! Your Elves are lovely, and have just as much personality as your hobbits! Very nice!

Return to Chapter List