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| A Place for Gandalf by Dreamflower | 13 Review(s) |
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| KathyG | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/27/2024 |
| Dora and Eglantine saw her, and laughed. From the front room, Bilbo called out “Who was it?” “No one important, Bilbo, dear. No one at all.” Surely, she told him later, when the party was over! I can't imagine that Esmeralda would deny Bilbo the satisfaction. | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 11/13/2016 |
| Another very nice story! I loved the whole bit about Gandalf's room, and how grateful he was for it. Also -- whew! Glad Bilbo didn't end up on that adventure w Balin... Thanks for writing! | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/14/2016 |
| There are several precious gifts being given by a number of people in this wonderful story. Some by providing a loving space to be or to grow. Some by letting go and accepting change and one by realising that his own needs must not intrude and disturb a fragile new balance that is being achieved. Loved every word. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 8/9/2008 |
| Ah, that would be a satisfaction, and to announce to Bilbo it was no one at the door! As for the fireworks--perfect for the evening! Absolutely perfect, and especially for Frodo! Author Reply: Since Esme didn't get to see Lotho's "splendid bloody nose" I just had to give her *some* satisfaction! LOL! "No one" indeed! Well, with Gandalf, I just had to have them. I salve my canon-conscience by telling myself that they are just not as spectacular as the ones at the Party, or that he used to do for the Old Took. I mean, one *could* interpret it that way, if one squints, ;-)! By the way, I couldn't sleep tonight, so it was great to find my inbox full of reviews in the wee hours! Thank you! | |
| Imhiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 8/28/2006 |
| More interesting as the plot for a new room for Gandalf is certainly the plot around Bilbo adopting Frodo as his heir. I find the way you have developed and showed this is very good. I first thought it a little odd that Bilbo seemed to first have thought about it mainly as a way of spiting the S.-B.'s, but in the further course it shows that it is about much more than that. Valid arguments, the genuince concern of Bilbo, Saradoc and Esmeralad for Frodo's wellfare, particularly taking into account his depression and his attachment to Merry. I'm also quite fond of that nice lawyer. This made me chuckle evilly: "It couldn’t be much longer to wait, he was ninety-nine after all, and then they could do as they wished. But if they antagonized him too much, he might do something drastic." Heh-heh, too late for that! "But he was ever and always a guest. But this--this was a place for *him*, made for him with love and care and a deal of thoughtfulness. This was as close to a home as he could know until his task was done and he returned across the Sea. Tears stood in his eyes." Well, in mine, too. Gandalf's thoughts mirror exactly what I thought at reading the description of the room. It's so sad that this will be the last time Bilbo will be seeing Balin before he goes to to Moria and dies there. Author Reply: Oh how nice to get a review for this! I love to get reviews for my older stories! Yes--spiting the S.-B.s was what spurred Bilbo to action, but as you see, not only was Frodo the only legal possibility, but Bilbo had many other reasons as well. He just needed something to make him move forward and *act*. I'm glad you like Mr. Grubb! He's an old sweetie, isn't he? And his grandson is Frodo's lawyer years later, and cut from the same cloth. Yes, Otho should have kept a better handle on Lobelia and Lotho, shouldn't he? All this came together for me in the idea that Gandalf and Balin might have visited that year Frodo was adopted. I got the notion when I realized that Frodo's grieved reaction at Balin's grave seemed a bit more personal than if he'd never met him. It is very sad--Balin should have listened to Gandalf... Thank you very much for reading and reviewing! You really made my evening! | |
| Endaewen | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 2/8/2006 |
| This is a beautiful story. Author Reply: Why, thank you! | |
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 2/8/2006 |
| Oh, I love this! Little Merry is *so* adorable, and I love your Saradoc and Esmeralda too-such wonderful parents! How thoughtful of Bilbo to fix up a room just for Gandalf. Yes, that would be greatly appreciated by the "Grey Pilgrim." And you do Frodo flawlessly here. I've seen him portrayed as being very weak and too vulnerable to have survived what he did. But you write him true to canon: the vulnerability is there, and still manages to get to my heart, but that's not all we see--there's also the caring, the joy in him, the brightness of soul, if you will. I don't know how to put it into words. I'm looking forward to reading "A Conspiracy of Hobbits" next. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed this--it's one of my own favorites, and the first time I wrote young!Frodo and wee!Merry. I had a very good time fixing up Gandalf's room as well. I do appreciate that you like my portrayal of Frodo. I see him as anything *but* weak, ever. Vulnerable emotionally, yes, because of his great heart, and post-Quest, he gradually deteriorated physically. But he was *never* weak--he was made of stern stuff, the best genes of the Baggins, Brandybucks and Tooks mixed in him to create the perfect Fallohide. And I know exactly what you mean, and you put it into words very well. I like to portray him as mature and competent and capable and himself protective of his younger companions. It seems ironic to me that it is so very often certain authors who claim that Frodo is their favorite hobbit who are the worst offenders in making him weak and sickly and altogether dependent on others to get anything done--and I don't just mean post-Quest, for which there is *some* justification--I mean a Frodo who doesn't seem to know his head from a hole in the ground unless Sam, his cousins or Aragorn is there to tell him--and it's a miracle their version of Frodo ever gets to Mt. Doom. I always think that it comes from these writers wanting to coddle him and tend to him and baby him that makes them do him this injustice. | |
| Gryffinjack | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 10/13/2005 |
| *sigh* Now that was a fine story. It truly enriches the information given to us by Tolkien about how Bilbo had adopted Frodo. I am with Esme on this one - it was indeed good to see the S.-B.'s get their comeuppence. I daresay that most, if not all of the guests agreed. What a fine way to end the story, with Gandalf's fireworks! Author Reply: There are a lot of really good stories about the subject. This is just my take on it, because a remark Frodo made in Moria seemed to indicate he had met Balin. And I had long wanted to write about how Bilbo came to build Gandalf's room, so they rather came together. But some other great stories about it are Primsong's "Nothing of Note", Obelia Medusa's "Adrift" and Inkling's "The Terror of Buckland". I think the main things that make mine different are that Drogo left a will. (Why doesn't anyone else seem to think that was likely?) That Frodo had wealth of his own, and that Merry, Gandalf and Balin were all visiting Bag End at the time. I felt Esme deserved to be the one to deliver the "good news" to Lobelia, LOL! After all, she never did get to see Frodo's handiwork on Lotho's nose! And I couldn't have Gandalf there at a celebration without providing fireworks! | |
| Anso the Hobbit | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 9/30/2004 |
| What a delight of a story! I loved this so much! I think I read the whole story with a happy grin on my face, lol. I was thrilled to see Wee!Merry, something that always makes this hobbit bery happy. And the scene with Sam and Merry is just as i picture it - the two lads playing together in the garden. And you have put another of my favourite scenes in the story - Merry meeting Gandalf. I don´t think I´ve seen that before. Your hobbits are delightful and it´s so great to see Bilbo in the story too. He´s just as if you´ve taken him out of The Hobbit Poor Esme :) She want´s her Merry-lad with her(who woldn´t want him, lol) and he has so much fun with Frodo and Bilbo. But Lotho, that brute! I`m glad Merry wasn`t hur worse and that Frodo stood up to him. It was very nice to see a story about Bilbo`s preparations to adopt Frodo. It`s good thogh if Frodo has melancholy spells that he can stay at Bag End. You write all the hobbits with such love and respect and you are excellent with details that makes everything come to life. *happy sigh* Wonderful, just wonderful! :) Author Reply: Thank you so much! I love to get a review for a story that's been out a while! I would expect you to like this one, LOL! with so much of wee!Merry in it! He's such an adorable little fellow he just about writes himself. I had a lot of fun writing him with young!Frodo. I'm glad you like my Bilbo. I love to do him--he's just the kind of relative *everyone* wishes they had. I had fun doing the Merry with Gandalf--I always love Gandalf with little hobbits, don't you? Yes, Esme's little lad is growing up, isn't he? And as for the incident with Lotho, you'll be pleased to know that years later it's one of Merry's favorite memories: seeing Frodo give the wretch a bloody nose! Thank you for the delicious review. Wonderful, just wonderful! 8-D | |
| Hai Took | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Merry going to wake up Frodo! I like the way Frodo slowed down so that he could "win" in getting dressed first! I like how Balin is referred to as "Bilbo's dwarf"! I'm gald that Esmerelda was able to have a bit of fun with Lobelia! How wonderful for Frodo to be adopted! I'm glad that all went so well! Author Reply: I had a lot of fun with the young Frodo-little Merry interaction; the bit with the "race" to get dressed is from when my son was very small. I would often challenge him to race getting dressed, making the bed, etc., and I would usually take my time so he could "win". 8-) I think that's probably how most of the hobbits thought of the Dwarves that Bilbo journeyed with, as "his Dwarves". I thought Esme deserved to give Lobelia the lovely news, seeing as how she missed getting to see Lotho's bloody nose. I had a lot of fun with this story. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. | |