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Dreamflower's Mathoms I  by Dreamflower 16 Review(s)
Anso the HobbitReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/12/2006
Oh. That is just so beautiful and sad. Those dear cousins! I couldn't help but laugh a bit at Merry's hasty letters though, lol! He's such an eager one. :D Lovely, dear! Just lovely.

Author Reply: It is so sad. Merry's only little when he writes them--he's always been an eager one, as you said. Thank you very much.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/9/2006
Lovely letters. I hope Frodo broke and took them with him. Such love shines through them. And he can reassure himself, perhaps, that Merry grew to understand why he left the first time and is even better equipped to understand why he is leaving this time. Poor Frodo. And, come to that, poor SamMerryPippin.

Author Reply: Well, we shall see about the letters. These came about because of a new WIP. But I was only supposed to do one or two of the letters, and I kept going and going and going...

I think post-Quest Merry will be more understanding than seven-year-old Merry. But it's not going to hurt any less, for him or for any of the others...

InklingReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/8/2006
A lovely, sensitive portrayal of the special bond between the two cousins. I especially liked the vignette at the end, when they are reunited. And the last line is heartbreaking. Life really is a series of partings...

Author Reply: Thank you very much!

The little vignette of their reunion for the summer holiday was necessary, believe me. Frodo had saved all Merry's letters, and I could have kept going indefinitely. It was the only way I could think of to end the story.

"Life really is a series of partings..." such an apt observation, very true for all our beloved characters, not to mention RL.

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/7/2006
On the comical side...Little Merry's spelling was hilarious...especially "beautiful". His initial feelings for Bilbo...poor Merry was understandably miserable.

On the more serious side...

I actually got teary-eyed at the end. Doesn't happen often, trust me. I really do love the relationship between Merry and Frodo. Thank you for a tender story.

Pippinfan

Author Reply: Yes, I thought that Merry might have a bit of trouble with his spelling--he wouldn't want his Mum to be helping him with something as special as a letter to Frodo, he'd want to do it all himself. And my Merry learned to read and write younger than usual, because of Frodo.

He didn't *really* hate Bilbo, as he was quick to realize, but he was very angry at having someone come along and take "his" Frodo away.

The relationship between those two is very special to me. Of course that goes for all their relationships--but that with Merry just has so much *depth* to it, given their history as being basically foster-brothers for the first seven years of Merry's life.

Grey WondererReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/7/2006
I loved Merry's letters. So sweet and so sad. Lovely story.

Author Reply: Thank you, GW.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/7/2006
Yes, it does seem that Frodo is ever leaving his Merry behind him.

Author Reply: It does keep happening. Poor Merry, who couldn't possibly have loved Frodo any more, any harder, if he tried.

IllyriaReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/7/2006
Awww... I love Merry's letter, every one of them, but the first one most especially. I love Merry counting the days to meet Frodo, I love him saying hello to Sam. I love his misspellings! :) And I love the meeting, the nickname, and while the bittersweet ending hurts, it's lovely. Thanks for this.

Author Reply: I'm so glad! The strongbox and the letters feature as a small part of a longer new WIP, but when I got to thinking about it, the bunny just kept growing and growing, until the little snippet turned into its own story.

Counting the days seemed to me the kind of thing a child like Merry would do; and he met and played with Sam in the spring, when he spent his first visit at Bag End. As to the misspellings, well, he's only little after all!

Every time I think of Frodo's cousins (and Sam) being left behind, it hurts.

You are most welcome! Thank you for stopping by to read and review!

Mum's the WordReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/6/2006
Lovely, lovely, lovely!

Sweet and sad and very loving!

Thank you for this mathom, dear Dreamflower!

Blessings,
Mum

Author Reply: *blushes*

*Thank you* for the kind words, and for reading and reviewing.

Frodo BagginsReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/6/2006
Aw, that is so sad, Dreamflower! But sweet, too. Poor Frodo, having to leave his dear cousin. I know how that feels! Especially a second time when everyone thought you would be back for good. I digress, I apologize. Keep writing. Namarie, mellon nin!
God Bless,
Frodo Baggins

Author Reply: I am glad you thought it sad and sweet, as that is just the mood I was hoping for.

Especially a second time when everyone thought you would be back for good.

Not really a digression. I think when Frodo returned to the Shire, he honestly thought he was finished with leaving his loved ones--how hard it must have been to realize he was not.

Baggins BabeReviewed Chapter: 97 on 3/6/2006
This was a funny, tender and bittersweet look at Frodo's departure - what are you and Larner trying to do to me?

Like many of your reviewers, this line made me chuckle. "He is butifal bueteful beuatifl very nice looking." How typical of a child struggling with spellings. I love Merry's disarming honesty, precocity, sweetness and sheer cheek! No wonder Frodo loved him so much. Poor Merry is going to be heart-broken all over again.

Author Reply: Oh dear! Are we overwhelming you with angst? I'm sorry. Maybe it's time for some more "Reunion-verse" *wink*wink*hint*hint*

Merry's a bit young to be writing letters, even, but Frodo was teaching him to read and write almost as soon as he was out of his faunthood, so it's no wonder spelling is hard for him. Honest, precocious, sweet and cheeky--a perfect description of our young Brandybuck.

Yes, another heart-break in store for him, the last one as far as Frodo is concerned. I was listening the other day to one of my favorite songs, an old Celtic folk-song "The Water is Wide" ("O Waly, Waly") that has always made me think of the Grey Havens. And it occurred to me that Merry was separated by water from Frodo *three* times, not two: by the Brandywine,as a child; by the Anduin, when Frodo went to Mordor, and then by the Sundering Sea.

It's really something that I'd not thought of before.

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