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The Only Love-Gods  by Melyanna 4 Review(s)
maya_arReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/21/2004
Hmm: Much Ado About Nothing meets Middle Earth. It's an interesting premise to base a story on, and it's made for interesting reading. But I do think that combining the Beatrice/Hero roles for Lothiriel and Benedict/Claudio for Eomer has weakened the structure of the story. For one thing, the characters are so widely divergent that it takes away from from their plausibility. Secondly, the extreme immaturity of Claudio's behaviour in the play makes him the least admirable character in it. Even Don John had a sort of dignity in his venality: "I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace,", etc. The events as they play out in _Much Ado_ lead to a very less satisfying love story for Hero and Claudio- the couple who did not truly know each other, and failed each other at the first test. Does anyone really believe they had ever felt anything greater than infatuation, by the end?
Grafting this couple's behaviour on to Eomer and Lothiriel has not helped the characters, in my opinion. On the other hand, I have strong fellings about the original play, so perhaps you should discount my feelings a bit on that account.
I do understand the need to introduce conflict between the characters at this stage; but perhaps this could be managed without reducing Eomer and Lothiriel to the adolescent irrationality that Shakespeare's characters displayed?
On a related note, the sudden introduction of a villain was incongruous. Some earlier hints and background development would add to the dramatic tension.
best wishes,
Maya



eokatReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/16/2004
Oh this is just so sad, I hope they will get together again, but I feel words have been spoken that may be hard to forgive and forget, still I feel that love will conquer over all. Looking forward to the next one, Eokat.

Author Reply: Yes, Lothíriel's going to have a hard time of it. She's going to be rather conflicted on the matter. Éomer said some things that are going to be difficult to forgive.

Hisie LomeReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/15/2004
What a surprising twist...I like this departure from the orginal. Such a complicated relationship. However to state she was no better than a whore, Eomer will certainly need to find some major means to correct that statement.

Author Reply: Yes, Éomer has a LOT of work cut out for him. Here's hoping. ;)

daw the minstrelReviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/14/2004
OK. Imho, Eomer crossed a line there. If I were Lothiriel, I would not have him now. Seriously. But I'm not so sure what I think of her good sense either, riding such a distance by herself. She's a grown woman, not a child.

Author Reply: Yeah, I'm not sure if I'd bother with him either. Éomer said some things that he shouldn't have even been thinking. Still, she's not exactly acting like a paragon of maturity there, riding home by herself.

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