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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	8 Review(s)
hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 8/5/2014
Of everything I've read so far, this completely rewrote my notions of judgement. "For love, not hate, was the motivating factor in all that the Valar did there." I particularly loved this paragraph, and that part in particular is, for me, was eye opening. I get the impression that judgement, while painful, is really healing. I also thought it was interesting that while motivated by love, you describe the Valar in the beginning as implacable. It almost seems like they are setting themselves up, or to use another expression, are setting themselves 'like a flint' to see this done. It's almost as if this is a part of their job they don't thoroughly enjoy. Perhaps I'm reading more into it than is intended. Another thing that stood out to me was that they did not leave Glorfindel to suffer alone, and that Estë stayed with him through most of it. Despite the fact that this is judgement, that Glorfindel did do wrong, yet he still is not forsaken, nor is he alone. This I think, more than anything, is a testament to the goodness of the Valar. I thought it was significant that Manwë was a channel Ilúvatar's light. A lot of what the Valar do seem to be manifestations of Ilúvatar working through them. The sifting of Glorfindel's memories was interesting. In terms of judgement, I had more the picture of a trial in my mind, but I like this idea much better. I am curious though, does this mean that he's being "judged" by all the Valar instead of just Námo? In some ways I think that would be more terrifying. I enjoyed this chapter a lot. It was thought provoking and comforting to see how well Glorfindel was treated. Thanks for sharing :) Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. People have a skewed sense of what judgment truly is and I wanted to address that misconception here. You're right that the implacable nature of the Valar is due primarily to the fact that, whether they like it or not, this is a duty they cannot ignore or dismiss. It is a necessity in order to restore the balance between them and those who rebelled against them. The actions of the Valar here show their love for even the most wayward of Elf, though I wouldn't categorize Glorfindel that way. And Manwë is Eru's vice-gerent or regent here in Arda, so it stands to reason that he would channel His light and love and all that he and the other Valar do is done in Eru's Name. And let's face it: we are our own worse judges and this is borne out by the sifting of Glorfindel's memories. In Glorfindel's case (and this is addressed later within the story) because he rebelled against the Valar as a whole, he is being judged by them all. A Sinda who dies and ends up in Mandos would only be judged by Námo (same process but on a smaller scale) because that Elf is not guilty of rebellion. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

Celeth	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/12/2013
Poor Glorfindel, still battle-weary and they had to rush him thru judgment. Others who died before him took all the time they needed to rest, but not Glorfindel… The judgment puzzles me a bit. No reward or punishment as a result? Or is it enough punishment to have all one's deeds and motives laid bare and sifted by the Valar themselves? And the reward is the rest afterwards, and the return to life? Or maybe I am just mixed up because of my own preconceptions based on what we mortals know of judgment. Nevertheless, I still love this tale and the way you handled it. Author Reply: Hi Celeth. Well, there is a reason for the rush, as we will see. At any rate, as I often have Námo and others point out, judgment has nothing to do with punishment (or reward) but everything to do with justice, which is what Glorfindel is receiving here, along with mercy, which flows from justice (and not the other way round). At any rate, I'm glad you are enjoying the tale and how I handle it. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it very much.

Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/26/2008
Ah, ten years on, Judgement comes... I liked how the Valar lingered on Glorfi's good memories more so than the bad ones, and how they considered all his memories of Earendil with such satisfaction. I admit to being surprised that it was Este and not Vaire who 'adopted' the role of emme in the Ring for Glorfi, but on second thought it makes sense. She brings rest and comfort to the Children and so it was only natural, I think. smiles I'm glad she was there to watch out for him. Manwe's giving Glorfi 'ecstasy beyond the sexual'...powerful, very powerful. The Love of Iluvatar is a wonderful thing. :) I'm glad Glorfi was cleansed and healed of his guilt. Now he can rest more peacefully...you decide if that was a pun or not. grin ~Kaylee! Author Reply: Glorfindel's judgment is much like the judgment of other Noldor rebels although it is also unique to itself. I think Namo would have preferred that he sleep a few more decades before facing judgment but events are moving in the outer world that require him awake sooner rather than later. Of course that has its own consequences as we see later in the story.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/12/2008
And he in the end knows judgment as he judges himself; yet I doubt they find him as wanting as he finds himself. And now he has earned rest and reawakening as he prepares for what will come in time. Author Reply: The hard part is over... now there's only healing left.

Nieriel Raina	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/21/2007
I see why your beta loves your descriptions of the Valar. I've never been fond of Namo, but now, I just adore him! Thank you for changing that for me! This is a great story, btw. I am enjoying it immensly. NiRi Author Reply: Thanks for letting me know how much you are enjoying this story. I'm glad I have been able to change your views on Námo. That is very gratifying to me. He's really not so bad once you get to know him. grin

Edlyn	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/6/2007
On to Chapter Two... Hmmmm, so Glorfindel's judgment is long overdue? Was Estë chiding her brother for allowing Glorfindel's fëa to rest for so long? Ten solar years seems like a long time to me but, of course, I look on such things as a mortal instead of an immortal. Then again, perhaps the Valar need him to get through this now so he will have the time to be ready for the things he will need to do in his Reborn life when they need him. I gather that different fëa need different amounts of time to be capable of dealing with being judged. I'm not surprised at Glorfindel's immediate panic upon truly waking, given that unless one remembers their dreams, subjective time seems to not pass when one sleeps. It's essentially a continuation of his initial panic upon realizing he was in the Hall of Mandos and perfectly understandable, in my opinion. I found it interesting that Námo soothed him (even if his face was stern I think he was still more in his Aspect of the Comforter/Consoler here) by reminding him of his earthly identity, particularly his title. It was an affirmation that he was still himself as well as a reminder that certain behaviours are expected of that identity. Considering that Glorfindel's self-esteem, pride and reason for existing at this time in his afterlife are tied to his identity as the Lord of the house of the Golden Flower, it allowed him to pull himself together enough to obey the summons. Hmmmm, was the implacability of the silence of the Valar merely Glorfindel's impression because of his predisposition to see judgment as a punishment or were they truly implacable? I've always used the term implacable as a synonym for merciless, intolerant or impossible to please with no sense of compassion. I just cannot think of the Valar as merciless or uncompassionate. They must be equitable, fair and do their work with conviction in accordance with the will of Ilúvatar but everything they do (even when they must chastise) they do with compassion. Unfortunately, I cannot think of another adjective that might convey the sense you want to achieve by this part of the chapter. I personally see the judgment of the Valar as (per the Mirriam-Webster dictionary definition 4a) "the process of forming an opinion or evaluation by discerning and comparing" instead of condemnation, which many people (including Glorfindel, it appears) seem to equate with judgment. Condemnation may indeed result from judgment but is not the only possible result as Glorfindel has discovered by the time he is returned to his couch in the halls of Mandos. The process is painful but like the lancing of an infected wound, the end result (if all goes as it should) is healing. Also, I would think that the Valar would be a bit tired of the pre-conception that the Ring of Doom is a place of condemnation and punishment after all these millenia. Hmmm. Manwë refers to Glorfindel as "the Balrog-Slayer," a new identity that Glorfindel is going to have to accept. A new identity for a new life, perhaps? Speaking of identities again, it appears that Glorfindel, while proud of being the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, was insecure in his new identity and that was what engendered the feeling that his counsel would be unwelcome to Turgon. I can understand this completely as most, if not all, of your readers likely do. Life is made up of change and our identities shift with the changes in our lives no matter that we were perfectly comfortable with safety and familiarity of our previous identity and now things are unstable and frightening (I kept thinking of my shift from a civilian bank teller in my home town to becoming an Air Force radio technician stationed thousands of miles away from where I grew up and then the transition from Air Force staff sergeant to disabled veteran as I read through this and other chapters where Glorfindel is struggling to accept his new life). Again, you have reflected the experience of human beings in the character of Glorfindel, making him even more someone that I can see myself in as I read. We humans are just as capable (if not more so) as elves to delude ourselves in order to make the consequences of our decisions more palatable. It makes sense to me that you have to look at what is written on the slate of your life with those excuses and self-delusions stripped away so that you can understand yourself and be able to truly accept forgiveness for your errors. But best of all is that you showed us that once judgment has been completed, Glorfindel (and therefore us) is still (and has always been) unconditionally beloved of the Valar and Ilúvatar. It seems that Glorfindel will still need to go through a purgatory of sorts to get to the point where he truly believes this, having to unlearn much of the behaviours that he's used for millenia to cope with his guilt and confusion, but at the end of this chapter, I feel assured that he will manage to forgive himself for what he perceives as his failures. Ah, I have grown long-winded, I fear. This is a fascinating story and I truly like looking at each chapter in depth and seeing what I can pull from the waters. May you live blessed, Edlyn Author Reply: In my version of Tolkien's universe, I see different fëar needing different amounts of time to heal from the traumas of their lives. In my short story "Lord Námo's Yule Gift", for instance, Námo, Pippin and Merry spend Yule watching over Turgon's fëa, who has yet to come to judgment. Námo tells the hobbits, though, that that time is soon, for Turgon is now strong enough to face judgment without being destroyed by it. Even the length of time a fëa sleeps after judgment as memory of one's former life is (temporarily) suppressed differs from one fëa to another. Námo would have liked to have had Glorfindel sleep for longer, but you are right that the Valar need him sooner rather than later, so his healing sleep is interrupted. Perhaps that's why he's such an erratic elfling grin. "Implacable" while it does have the primary meanings you list, has a secondary connotation of "unmoveable determination". A person with an implacable will, for instance, is not necessarily being merciless (except perhaps towards himself) but is exhibiting that quality of character that says "I have set my course and will be unmoved by circumstances or sentiment in pursuit of my goals". In Glorfindel's case, it's a combination of his own misconceptions of what 'judgment' means and the Valar's own determination to see this particular judgment through. It must be wearying at times to have to go through this process with the Exilic Noldor whenever they come to Mandos and so the Valar must "gird themselves up" to the task. The only saving grace I think is that what they do is out of love rather than out of a need for revenge against those who defied their Authority. Tolkien does state that the elves are humans as they were meant to be (according to Christian theology), so it stands to reason that Glorfindel would exhibit human qualities that we would recognize and to which we can all relate. And being a created being, he is still flawed, his perceptions limited by being incarnate and within Time, as are we all. One problem I have with some writers is that they don't make their characters "human" enough for me to care about them. Even "bad" characters have to have more going for them than just their badness. That just makes them two dimensional and uninteresting (and that goes also for "good" characters — they are only interesting because their goodness is flawed, yet in that flaw lies the seed of their own redemption). There always has to be something to which the reader can relate in any character they encounter for them to want to know what happens to these characters, whether good or bad. If I don't care about the characters, especially the main ones, why should I even bother reading the story?

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/28/2007
I got the impression that Namo really didn't want Glorfindel to face Judgment quite yet, but, as always, he obeys the Elder King. I did smile at the bit about "You can open your eyes now." Nothing gets past the Lord of Mandos! :) The mental images that his judgment and cleansing bring forth in my mind make me wish I were a better artist. I could never do the scene justice. I had such sympathy for Glorfindel as he was made to remember everything. There certainly are things in my memories of my life that I prefer not to recognize that I've done, things of which I am ashamed. Being forced to see oneself for what one truly is and not what one thinks one to be is incredibly traumatic... but so necessary to begin again. I can picture our Balrog Slayer, cradled in Este's arms, and being raised up by Namo when it was all over to stand before Manwe. The description of Manwe channeling the pure love of Eru Iluvatar was, I think the thing I loved best in this chapter. It's not something that I can easily articulate, so I'll just leave it at that... It's my favorite part. Author Reply: >The description of Manwe channeling the pure love of Eru Iluvatar was, I think the thing I loved best in this chapter. Me too. As Námo continually reminds his charges, "With Judgment comes Forgiveness and Reconciliation and the Renewal of Hope. Love there is, and Mercy as well."

Aglarendis	Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 11/21/2006
Suilie nildinya! I know I've been bad about reviewing your other stories, but my goal is to say at least a little something about every chapter in this one. I'm not quite sure what I think of this chapter except that I certainly would not have wanted to be in poor Glorfindel's place. To have every memory, every thought examined by anyone other than Eru himself would be unbearable to me. It was called an interrogation, yet it was more of a probing. What was its purpose meant to be? Was it so that Glorfindel could understand his own motives without the benefit of coverups? Was he supposed to be admonished as well as encouraged? If so, why was there no dialogue between him and the valar? Was this supposed to be a judgment of innocence or guilt, or was this more of a sentencing? If so, what kind of sentence was it? One other thin. It is said that only Namo makes judgments, and yet all the valar were involved in this judging. I guess what I am asking is, how does judgment work here? Again, a wonderful portrayal of Namo, and you also had Manwe behaving just as I think he would. There is one king I would love to talk with for several hundred years! Author Reply: I explore the theme of "judgment" throughout this story. I think judgment is different for the Eldar than it is for Men. Man's judgment is reserved for Eru alone because mortals do not remain within the "jurisdiction" of the Powers after death; they leave the circles of Arda. That is not the case for elves, so any judgment to be rendered is done by the Valar and it varies from elf to elf. In Glorfindel's case, he fell under the Doom of Mandos, and therefore his offense is against all of the Valar. Indeed, it is a probing, rather than an interrogation, but this is from Glorfindel's POV and he is only half-aware of what is really happening. His fëa needs to be purified before it can be re-embodied, a process that will take centuries to complete; the judgment he suffers is only the first step and it is meant to reveal to Glorfindel the truth behind all the coverups, the falsehoods and half-truths by which he has been living. Dialogue at this point is beyond Glorfindel's capacities. Dialogue will come later when his fëa is strong enough to hear the words. For now his soul has been washed clean and his innocence restored. Healing has begun.

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