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A Small and Passing Thing  by Lindelea 5 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 17 on 4/22/2023
Frodo's heard far worse lies mixed with terrible truths, after all. Out with Saruman's lies!

trishetteReviewed Chapter: 17 on 10/7/2003
I'm glad Freddy is finally seeing the light.

Author Reply: Yes, he's recovering remarkably quickly, but then, he is a hobbit after all. And I'm glad, too. I can only take so much angst before I have to write something light and cheery.

HaiReviewed Chapter: 17 on 10/7/2003
Poor Fatty! Good thing Frodo finally got everything out of him! Hopefully he will be a little more happy about the prospect of going home! He seems to be making wonderful progress! Pippin does seem to be in bad humor, what caused that? Looking forward to more, thank you!

Author Reply: Pippin's bad humour will come out, eventually, at least I think it will if I don't get sidetracked. Fatty is making remarkable progress but still has a few rough spots in the road ahead.

FantasyFanReviewed Chapter: 17 on 10/7/2003
Merry's still trying to deal with Pippin's troubles. When Rosa describes Paladin as Angry (and maybe she sees it a bit in Pip too) you can almost see Merry challenge Frodo to hear and understand. Frodo knows well the longstanding history of Pippin and his father, but Merry thinks something has to be done soon to keep Pip off the road Freddy envisions. Wonder where Pip went and what he's doing? I was glad to see that Odo did tell his wife about what happened when he went to get Stella. It would be too easy though, for them to discuss 'twig' while Merry was there to hear and interpret - not until we get to see a little more of Stell in her disguise, and I hope to see her managing her own freedom. She will have to realilze soon that it's safe for her to return home. She must know about Ferdi's injury, and she will most likely hear talk that Freddy is rescued, if not how ill he is, but she may not know where her family is staying.

I found myself holding my breath through the whole interview between Frodo and Freddy. Frodo was so close to unraveling the tangle Saruman had left in Freddy's mind, and I was afraid to hope he'd puzzle it all out. Every time Merry appeared with the tray, I wanted to shout at him and pull him out of the room, so he wouldn't derail Frodo's train of thought, or distract Freddy from finding answers to the questions. Frodo speaking to Freddy about the need to rebreak his fingers was enough to pull Freddy back into the real world, so he could remember all that was done to him and finally articulate his pain and fears. And at the end, I wanted to shout at Frodo, to make him believe what he had just told Freddy - the wizard's words are lies, and he must put them away! It is never far from the surface of my thoughts that this is just an interlude for Frodo: a brief period of relief and light, before the darkness becomes inescapable. You haven't written it that way at all, but that almost makes it worse and I cannot escape the thought of what is to come. But for today, Frodo's saved the Shire for one more hobbit, or saved one hobbit for the Shire, which is close enough to the same thing for me.

Author Reply: Another lovely, thoughtful review! How delightful!

You're right, it would be too easy and too quick for Merry to hear about Twig and say, 'O I know where "he" is!' Besides, I haven't decided just who is going to find Estella, yet... there are so many threads in this plot, and I am still untangling them.

You are right, in talking about Frodo, and what he said to Freddy, and what the wizard said to him. It is sheer pleasure to write Frodo happy and well, and if I wanted to make this an AU I would keep him that way. But I suspect this story is going to end shortly after he departs from the Havens--I have a very rough outline to that effect--so it will probably be not quite as joyful, but still quietly triumphant if all turns out as it ought.

MirielReviewed Chapter: 17 on 10/7/2003
Poor Freddy! Thank goodness that Frodo knows just how to touch that spot that no one else can. Now I know what "going home for Yule" means. (I wondered about that in hte last chapter, as it hasdn't been mentioned previously.) Poor Freddy. (Although I've said that many times before, it still holds true.)

Ah, so Merry now begins the Courtship of Rose Cotton. Heehee.

Author Reply: Yes, poor Freddy, but he has the wit and heart and courage to overcome, I think, with a little help from those who love him.

And yes, the courtship. *smile*
It is such fun to write a mischievous, carefree Merry.

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