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| On Solid Ground by Lindelea | 97 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2004 |
| I'm finally getting a chance to read this story, and what a great start! I have to print out the rest to read at lunch today, but I'll report back when I've devoured the next chapters... Author Reply: What a treat! Looking forward to hearing more... | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/11/2004 |
| Berilac knows what's going on, and he's smart enough to put them under the sturdy desk. This is quite an earthquake, if it's that violent in both Tuckborough and Buckland. Some of the poorer hobbits in simple holes are going to have collapses, for sure. And there'll be flooding to deal with once the Brandywine sorts itself out. It's like Merry to think of Pippin right away. He's notifying the Thain, but just like when sickness came over the shire years ago, he doesn't think that other areas may be affected as well. At the Smials, Meliloc is certainly hurt, and the image of bodies tumbling through the air from the upper levels amid shards of glass is very disquieting. Pip's study is up there. (Hey, maybe you can get rid of the stairs to the main door this way! Nothing like an earthquake to rearrange the architecture. That's a joke, by the way, like the comment about earthquake season. I have to tell people when I'm making a joke, cause I'm not very good at them and nobody ever gets them and then I look stupid.) Author Reply: You and I fit well together--you say you cannot tell a joke and I am terrible at hearing one (my dh is now in the habit of saying "That was a joke" after telling one... poor dear). But then, he has that dry British humour... Yes, it was quite an earthquake. The epicentre was between Tuckborough and the Brandywine, rather closer to Tuckborough. I don't think I'm giving away a plot point, saying this... Berilac knows what is going on, having been trained as an engineer before he was tapped to become steward. I figure any professional delvers among hobbits would at least *know* about earthquakes, as part of their training, even if there had been no perceptible earthquakes in the Shire for hundreds of years. | |
| Cuthalion | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 2/11/2004 |
| Great story, lindelea! And thrilling - I can't wait to see what happens next! (Do you have any idea how many chapters will follow? I would be more than happy to put this on my long translation-list! Author Reply: Oh, that would be lovely! It is much easier to practice my German-reading when I'm already familiar with the material! I have no idea how many chapters, sorry. I have an outline (really more of a timeline) but it is not broken into chapters, simply events. Will let you know once the draft is finished. | |
| Hai | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/10/2004 |
| Wow! An earth shake! I hope there wasn't too much damage! That coule be really bad! I hope all the engineers are okay, I suppose they got the worst of it! Looking forward to more, and it is wonderful to see Gimli and Legolas enter the story! Thank you! Author Reply: Now that I have posted chapter 5 I can answer this without giving away plot points. Yes, the engineers are okay as they were all outside the diggings to be safe from the blast. No, they didn't get the worst of it. Gimli and Legolas are fun, aren't they? I used to be so afraid of writing them, but they're getting easier the oftener we take tea together. Thanks for reviewing! | |
| Lyta Padfoot | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/10/2004 |
| Nice to see Legolas and Gimli in the Shire. I've been in several minor earthquakes, the word "quivered" certainly described what the ground was doing! So next are the aftershocks - both literal and metaphorical. As everyone who has ever been in an earthquake knows, they actually do the most damage since everything has been "softened up" already. Author Reply: Have only been in minor earthquakes (thankfully) and have only read about big ones, or seen them on television, so please let me know if I make a gaffe. I knew that rivers could run backwards, but little more than that... that lake that was formed when the Mississippi ran backwards, was it a permanent lake or a temporary one? What happened to boat traffic that was on the river at the time? And it really ran backwards for a whole day? Fascinating. I'd love to find more information on this, but haven't as yet. Got any suggestions? Haven't quite got to the aftershocks yet, as the quake is happening differently in different places in the Shire, depending on how far people are from the epicenter. I could have made one huge chapter five times as big as one of my usual chapters, but such is so difficult to edit... takes such time to load... I split it into several parts instead. Thanks for reviewing! | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 2/10/2004 |
| This is the second quake; the first being noticed by none but Ferdi. Clearly it was stronger at the new diggings than in the Southfarthing where Legolas and Gimli were. Is it likely that the blast had anything to do with the quake, or was it just coincidence of timing? I hope there were no hobbits caught in collapses. And I hope that Gimli helps somebody rethink the wisdom of digging during earthquake season. But I did like the farmer finding the bit of good in the quake. It's wonderful to see Gimli and Legolas again. Are they expected for the wedding or is it a surprise visit? Legoals and Gimli are perfect examples of the way hobbits and their gentle ways just get under your skin. Of course, they were noble beings to start with, but Elves can tend towards aloofness, and dwarves towards truculence. Association with hobbits has such a mellowing effect! Legoals and Gimli have become very hobbity indeed, stopping for elevenses and worrying about arriving before tea. I don't know if you have brought them here for a specific plot point, but having non-hobbits in the Shire certainly creates a nice mirror for hobbit culture. Author Reply: Actually, I don't think there is an earthquake season in England. My research turned up a handful of powerful earthquakes, widely scattered in history, which is why I could write the hobbits being bewildered as to what was happening. Everard with his training by the dwarves will know, of course, and those of the engineers who have been to the Lonely Mountain. Though I doubt the Lonely Mountain dwarves have experienced earthquakes themselves, their kindred in the South undoubtedly have told them about such things. Gimli and Legolas are invited for the wedding. I'd imagine Arwen and Elessar and Prince Faramir might be invited as well (at least a ceremonious invitation), but not sure the King would break his Edict so casually, not to mention the Thain who is in full agreement. Sorry, I'm very distracted this morning, don't know if I'm making sense. Author Reply: p.s. forgot to mention that the timing of the earthquake and the blast was mere coincidence | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 2/8/2004 |
| It's nice to see all the old gang getting together again. Rose and Leotred, Elanor and Fastred, and all the kids. And Merry's and Pippin's broods as well - other than Ferry, we don't see much of them. I had to laugh when Miri wants to sit by the window -- is there a family anywhere that doesn't have this argument? There's just a little worry about having all the pople who are important to us together in the same place at the same time, in case something happens to them. And of couse, worry about Ferdi's health. Fastred will be upset to see how ill Ferdi has become, if Ferdi is able to attend the wedding at all. Anticipation is building, for the great day isn't far off. Author Reply: Ah, yes, just like the standard disaster-movie opening. Get to know all the characters and bring them together into one place, then spring some sort of disaster, either natural or man-made, on them. Irwin Allen, where are you when I need you? Actually, hoping to avoid the worst of the cliches. Still sorting out the fates of all the differing characters. What does this mean? You are not the only one wondering about the outcome! I know, of course, what'll happen to the major characters but all the supporting roles are still up in the air. | |
| Hai | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 2/7/2004 |
| Maybe Leotred will be able to help find something wrong with Ferdi that can be cured! I liked Pippin's sons going to study! Looking forward to more, thank you! Author Reply: There's a thought! Leotred to the rescue once more! | |
| Lyta Padfoot | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 2/7/2004 |
| Here I was... getting ready to leave work (I am employed babysitting a campus computer lab which is why I get to read and write on the job :) when my 'new story/chapter antenae' popped up and told me to check SoA... and low and behold a new chapter of one of Lindelea's story. Loved the children, Miri sounds like my sister, hope we'll see more of her. Translating Elvish poetry? Is that the Shire equivalent of conjugating Latin verbs? Faramir sounded very adult, but he is quite a few years older than his next sibling and is the one being groomed for the Thainship. Plus he's had those experiences chronicled in 'Runaway' etc. So Robin Bolger is the steward-in-training? Good choice on Pippin and Regi's part. How many children do the Tooks and Brandybucks have? Pippin and Diamond have several, but I only recall reading about 2 for the Brandybucks. Author Reply: Faramir is about to turn 33 and assume all the responsibilites of an adult. You're right, the next two in the family (Forget-me-not/Ruby and Merigrin) are eight years younger, I think. (Notes are not in front of me and I don't remember for sure) Robin Bolger is the steward in training. I am not sure just what Merry is going to do... perhaps one of the Bolger girls turned out to be a truth-sifter. Pippin and Diamond have Faramir, Ruby and Merigrin (born at the beginning of "At the End of His Rope"), Jonquil (Joy, born near the end of "Rope"), Borogrin and Beregrin (born during "Merlin"), and... there's another set of twins (born after "Truth", not sure if they are mentioned in the "Merrys" story or not as I haven't written that far) but I don't remember, they're pretty new on the timeline. Merry and Estella have two, Saradoc (how original, but Merry dearly loved his father--he was born in "Jewels") and Miri (short for something elvish that means star-bright jewel, or something like that; she was born in "Rope"). I found out recently that it is common in fanfiction to write Estella as having difficulty having children. I didn't know, I just got that impression myself from the fact that JRRT mentions a son but no name... I have afflicted her with some sort of problem like rH incompatability, though I have not defined it yet in my own mind and have done little research into the matter. Do I sound vague? The antibiotic I'm on says not to operate heavy machinery. Good thing the computer is fairly light... | |
| Hai | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 2/5/2004 |
| I kind of guessed you weren't going to let the wedding go off with out a hitch. Poor, Ferdi! I hope Mardi is ablet i figure out what is wrong with him! Something that will go away or can be fixed I hope! Looking forward to finding out what goes on next! No matter what you put readers through we can generally count on a happy ending from you (I hope you aren't about to change it any time soon ;) Thanks! Author Reply: No wedding ever goes off without a hitch, at least none I've ever heard of. I am a sucker for happy endings. A sad ending would depress me for days afterwards, I'm afraid. I only hope it doesn't make my stories too predictable. I would hate to be thought of as a writer of cliches or warmed-over plots. | |