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| Tell This Mortal by Chathol-linn | 51 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| TIMON | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/30/2004 |
| Well, I am weeping as I write this - moved beyond any feeble words of mine to explain how this story has touched me and transformed me. The beauty of bravery has always been a thing to wring my heart and fill my eyes, and that beauty is captured here in a way I have not seen equaled by other authors. The wildness of love and the selfless sacrifice of Willofain so vividly portrayed here I can only compare to that of the sinless Son of God "who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross" as He gave all of Himself for all of us. Of like richness and depth is Willofain's love for Legolas and his family. Ah, me, if only courage were contagious, how noble a race might we be. Thank you for this. Author Reply: Timon, it is rare to receive such words of high praise. I will always be grateful that you let me know. Willofain somehow understood the need to balance past wrongs and she acted with courage to achieve it. I'm reminded of such things whenever I contemplate the Great Goddess, She who gave birth to all that is, and is the sweet and loving mother of us all. Blessed be - Chathol-linn | |
| TIMON | Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 6/30/2004 |
| Well, I am weeping as I write this - moved beyond any feeble words of mine to explain how this story has touched me and transformed me. The beauty of bravery has always been a thing to wring my heart and fill my eyes, and that beauty is captured here in a way I have not seen equaled by other authors. The wildness of love and the selfless sacrifice of Willofain so vividly portrayed here I can only compare to that of the sinless Son of God "who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross" as He gave all of Himself for all of us. Of like richness and depth is Willofain's love for Legolas and his family. Ah, me, if only courage were contagious, how noble a race might we be. Thank you for this. Author Reply: Timon, it is rare to receive such words of high praise. I will always be grateful that you let me know. Willofain somehow understood the need to balance past wrongs and she acted with courage to achieve it. I'm reminded of such things whenever I contemplate the Great Goddess, She who gave birth to all that is, and is the sweet and loving mother of us all. Blessed be - Chathol-linn | |
| Elena Tiriel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/28/2004 |
| Oh, Chathol-linn, what a powerful story! I was moved to tears by Legolas' pain and by Willothain's sacrifice. Beautiful work! - Barbara Author Reply: Hi, Elena Tiriel. Thanks so much for your comment. I often think that we don't ascribe powerful enough motives to the Elves. They are immortal. They are different from us. They survive where Mortals would fold. JRRT tells us they get to experience the greater bliss and sorrow of the Children of Eru. So I speculate about what moves them when they approach the edge. That was one objective of this story, for how much closer to the edge can you get than leaving your beloved home knowing that your entire race's time has come. Much obliged to you for reading this to the end! Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/28/2004 |
| You know that I didn't mean the comment about the diamond-tipped arrow as a criticism, C-l. I envy your ability to write about Elves that are not of my mundane world. My own Elves always seem to come out like Men who are fond of trees. Author Reply: Thanks, I took your comment as positive feedback and it did alert me to a rough edge in the story. And your Elves do not seem like Men who are fond of trees! Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| Lamiel | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/28/2004 |
| This vision of the death of Legolas' mother and sister is just heart-breaking - all the more so because I remember them from your other stories. Thranduil's grief is terrible to see - what a concept of why he might have stayed. It's just so sad. Author Reply: Hi, Lamiel. I've read a lot of stories about why Thranduil might have stayed. Mostly, the motives did not seem convincing. I mean, Galadriel and Elrond stayed because they had rings of power and they stayed till it was clear the rings' time had come. I just couldn't see Thranduil staying to manage the forest with Celeborn, or because he liked the Great Greenwood better than Elvenhome. Especially since Legolas sailed. So I picked the most compelling reason I could think of, and strong motives often have horrendous roots. But - the canon is silent on this matter and one can imagine more cheerful reasons for Thranduil's delay. Many thanks for your provacative feedback! Regards - Chathol-linn. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 6/28/2004 |
| So you're not going to tell us what happened to her. Well, I guess that's right. How could you know? Author Reply: Well, you are right - Aerlinn / Willofain did not get more than a glimpse herself, before whatever happened to her, happened. Thanks for reading to the end! Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 6/28/2004 |
| I was struck by the little detail that Aerlinn comes from a family where the necklace has been passed down for thousands of years from mother to daughter and now she has no daughter. It's time for this to end, evidently. The details about the painting in her room were evocative. Author Reply: Thanks for picking up on that detail of the mother-daughter necklace; it is exactly right. It was this comment plus the other one about the diamond arrow that inspired me to use another mother-daughter necklace. Instead of a characterless diamond arrow, I have Elsila's gift to Elwen as the treasure in Part 10. I was sitting on a hotel balcony overlooking a beach when I wrote that painting passage. It seemed that the sea and sky were all around me. Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/28/2004 |
| Horrible story of the deaths and fascinating use of the idea of a fea that does not answer the call of Mandos. There are some nice unrealistic touches here that make this story seem part of epic or magic rather than our mundane world. I'm thinking of the arrow with the diamond tip. Author Reply: daw, the moment I read your critique of the diamond arrow, I thought, she is right. It was a standard motif that I plucked from my mental collection of motifs, so I wouldn't have to think. I have now replaced the arrow with a treasure that has actual parallels in other parts of the story. Not that I object to the story seeming part of an epic or magic. I suscribe to JRRT's theory in "On Fairy Tales" where he says that fairy tales are not about fairies but rather about the Land of Faerie, and its borders. I usually make a conscious effort to write as if I had visited a magical country, by accident as it were, and then returned to make a report. Even if my stories begin in the mundane world, they often end up back in Faerie. Thank you for the tip regarding the arrow. As always, I appreciate your insights. You are a good reader and writer. Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| Rose Sared | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 6/28/2004 |
| ooo, the plot thickens - they are such friends those two, nice to see a touch of it in this ch. Rose Author Reply: Thanks, Rose Sared. Yes, we need Legolas and Gimli to be ashore tonight. My heart goes out to the ancient Elf and the dying Dwarf. Tolkien's exploration of mortality has fascinated me like nothing else. The poignancy of the Elves, leaving Middle-earth forever - it gets me. Regards - Chathol-linn | |
| fan81981 | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 6/28/2004 |
| Words fail me - I do not know where to begin or end. This was/is a fantastic tale. Dark, a little bitter but there is still an unreal quality to it. By making Gimli tell it, by making it history instead of the present, you have added a sense of nostalgia which adds to the sorrow instead of diminishes it. Knowing that this happened a long time ago, knowing that there wasn't a more pleasant future - that THranduil still suffers his wife's loss, hurts. Hurts a lot. The hints you drop about Legolas' own tragic love with the mortal girl, his madness/sea-longing almost made me cry. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I am at work. I think I just blew off my co-worker though I cannot be sure because I was so engrossed with the story. I noticed that the sotry is listed as complete - I hope not. I have so many questions and a faint, if unrealistic hope that one day that Thranduil will sail one day. PLEASE tell me it is so. PLEASE. Or at least update soon. Author Reply: Hey, fan81981! Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. I share your hopes for Thranduil and believe that the final parts (which I have posted) will respond to your questions. I am blown away by your terrific review. Regards - Chathol-linn | |