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| The Choice of Healing by Larner | 121 Review(s) |
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| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/29/2005 |
| Wow! This already promises to be as good as "The King's Commission". I am so impressed with the way you handle Frodo. The descriptions of all that they found in the Shire in this latest chapter, and of how they dealt with it is so completely canon, it's like you are just restoring parts that might have been cut for length, from the original! Author Reply: Again, I am happy to find my stories are seen as consistent with Tolkien's own writings. Thank you for the vote of confidence! Thank you, Dreamflower. | |
| Ariel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/29/2005 |
| This is a wonderfully fulfilling and delightful story! Like a page from the book we didn't get to read. These are my favorite types of stories - the ones I can get lost in and just read... Thank you for sharing this with us! Author Reply: I hope you continue to find it delightful--a lot of it is pretty sad, I fear. But I am glad you find it a consistent gap filler. | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/29/2005 |
| Oh Larner, thank you so much! I have just come back from a few days with my parents. Computerless and suffering withdrawal symptoms. My Mum has M.S, is severely disabled and is prone to nodding off too. So to come back to two chapters of your story was wonderful. I often suspect her of the same habit of eavesdropping. You had me smiling through my tears. Author Reply: I am sure my mother-in-law did this, too. I sorrow she has MS, and hope it is not too terrific a burden for her. | |
| Armariel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/29/2005 |
| Lovely, sweet....Bilbo especially......keep going, please! Anxious to see the next part soon. I don't usually read serials until they're done with because so often the authors take forever to get to the next part and leave me hanging until I've forgotten what happened in the last...but, well, I just had to dive into this one! cheers Armariel~~~{~@ Author Reply: Thank you for giving this one a try, at least. Hope you continue to enjoy it. Bilbo does return to the story, of course, as he seeks to help Frodo fully accept, but the next parts are focused more on Frodo and Sam. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/29/2005 |
| This is a wonderful beginning for your new story. It was quite interesting to see it from Bilbo's POV. He is truly a dear old Hobbit, it is touching how he tries to held out a bit longer not so much to pass the Old Took but to help Frodo. And it is touching as well that Elrond and Gandalf now will stay longer for Frodo's sake. By the way, I was happy to see your reason for Elladan and Elrohir to staying in Middle-Earth over the departure of their father. After all the fanfictions I've read about them I love them quite much and I had always thought it must have been something like this, to be there for Arwen and Aragorn. Tolkien said it not absolutely clear, and I can't stand the thought they chose mortality. It would be much too cruel to their father to lose all his children after all he has done and suffered over the years. In another point you have exactly written what I thought - it had to be Gandalf to contact the Valar about the fate of the twins and the ringbearers. After all he is a Maia. Can't wait for more! Author Reply: From here on the POV changes, is more Frodo- and Sam-centric. I doubt that the twins would have chosen mortality, but I suspect they'd have considered it a time or two. I have them on the very last ship with Cirdan himself, btw, in my other fics. But I think, if you will, that Gandalf learning about the decision regarding the mortal Ringbearers would be the result of an incoming call, where he was temporarily drawn into his true self by the news needing to be delivered. Tolkien left a lot of details unstated in his work, which is why we are all here, reading and writing so many alternatives from this group's imaginations. | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/28/2005 |
| *sniff* I'll jump right into my favorite parts of this chapter. Sam and athelas and Elrond's complete surprise at Sam's ability - "...he has an affinity for plants...plants will give him what he needs of them." How very Sam that statement is! Bilbo's comment that the Creator prepared Sam for Frodo and the Quest and the comment "I suspect he's been intended as the staff to Frodo's feet from the beginning." How true is that and what an apt comparison! The 3 brothers of the heart - enough said! And the part that seriously made me cry - Gandalf's communication with that in himself that came from the Blessed Realm, Elrond's awe in seeing it, and the news he received...all three Ringbearers may come and the sons of Elrond may linger as long as they will to comfort Arwen, choosing their own time to take ship. Wonderful! "Yet the decision came from beyond the Valar. HE filled them with HIS Light. HE would have them back in HIS presence, but not with that Light wavering or weakened." If I didn't already love this story, I would love it for that statement alone! Lastly, Bilbo the 'possum! I would imagine he would hear all manner of interesting tidbits while "dozing"! :-) I love also how Elrond, Gandalf and Galadriel will delay taking ship for Frodo's sake! (and I caught Gandalf refering to the fact he can't stay any longer for Aragorn or risk becoming like his brother...Saruman, if I remember correctly.????) Lovely, lovely chapter, Larner! linda Author Reply: Actually, the brother I've always envisioned Gandalf as grieving for was Sauron. Manwe and Melkor became the opposite ends of the spectrum among the Ainur and Valar; I see Olorin and Sauron in the same relationship among the Maiar. The stronger the being, the greater the fall if and when it comes. Just think of what Melkor or Sauron might have done had they not fallen to the craze for power over others. And I believe that the Creator would have His creatures fulfilled before they return to Him, not have them still remembering primarily the pain they'd just known. Sitting in a semi-dose and listening would be preferable for someone like Bilbo, I always felt, than falling into full sleep and missing out on great chunks of information and conversation. Not quite an opossum, more like the sloth slowly advancing on the unwary bug that mistakes slow movement for immobility. Glad this feels right to you. | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/28/2005 |
| Well, Larner, I'm not sure why I am so overwhelmed with the "wonderfulness" of your new story, what with my experiences with Ruvemir and all...:-) ...but this is wonderful, and it's going to be very sad, I fear. Still, there were places of humor sprinkled throughout this first chapter, so about the time I teared up about something, you made me laugh about something Bilbo would say or do. Dear Bilbo...I am dealing with a sleepy mom right now in a nursing home (and hospital about every 3 weeks or so), so I know his frustrations! You ought to hear my mother complain! :-) His little run-ins with Elrond and Arwen were very funny, and threatening to tell Aragorn that Arwen had slept with him before making it to Aragorn's bed was priceless! Dear, naughty Bilbo! LOL I thought the quartz worry stone an interesting detail - you never stop to consider what the physical loss of the Ring would do to the Bearer...Bilbo or Frodo. It was terribly sad to think of Frodo constantly reaching for the Ring, and suffering with it gone. Arwen's Evenstar pendant provided a measure of relief for him...I'm so glad she gave it to him and started the process of his acceptance to the Undying Lands. I thought this line particularly wrenching..."With the power of Elrond's own ring cut by the destruction of It, there was little left in the air of Imladris which could get through the hollowness of Frodo's heart caused by the SCOURING of the Ring." There were several other places you noted how Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, and even Aragorn would effect some comfort for Frodo - but nothing ever lasted...it was always only temporary. Of course, this would drive Frodo into that helpless, hopeless, frustrated rage that made him say he wished he had died in Mordor. So much pain...and you write it so clearly, explaining (like I said before) the little details I never paused to think about before. I must say I love the idea of once more getting Frodo to relieve some of his anger by writing. And Master Tumnus...I loved it! THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE is the first novel I read my third graders every year! The next thing I do is make them write in journals (about 15 minutes every day) and you would be surprised (or maybe NOT) how many start out with "I can't think of anything to write. I can't think of anything to write"....although they get tired and draw before the 76 times! I'm glad Bilbo has thought of a way to to persuade Frodo to "write it out"...truly he knows his lad! A wonderful beginning! Thank you for sharing again! :-) linda Author Reply: Remember, I, too, teach, and have read some interesting journal entries--and did some very creative things to relieve my often self-imposed boredom as a child. And you are the second to note the origin of Tumnus--was tempted to change the name, but knew Lewis would love it, even if Tolkien would be affronted. It was heartbreaking watching both my own and my husband's mothers and then my husband as well as they went to their rests, the lack of coherence and all, the fighting of it, the relief when they did rest for a time. But we still found that their senses of humor would kick in in extremely quirky ways, which helped us accept that they were still there, if you understand what I mean. Have seen several ex-smokers with different kinds of cigarette substitutes, including worry stones of some sort to keep hands busy when no longer involved in lighting cigarettes, so adapted this to the Ring. The pebble in Bilbo's pocket I introduced in For Eyes to See as Can, by the way, so it's not exactly a new feature in this story. I find it's often the little details that I wonder about, which is why I suppose I tend to explore them in my own writing. Thanks again for the review. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 3/28/2005 |
| My goodness, what an amazing story. I was fascinated by your interpretation of what happened at the Ford, and how Gandalf communes "with that within himself that came from the Blessed Realm". And Sam's destiny, and... Just lovely. Author Reply: We aren't given much idea of what Frodo experienced at either the Ford or in the shadow of Weathertop on the return journey, so I let myself imagine what he might be perceiving, using Lindelea's perception that Frodo might be suffering from heart failure as a starting place, but also remembering he'd been spider-bit as well. The realizations on how a spider bite can lead to paralysis, some forms of neurological, skeleto-muscular and arthritic degenerative conditions and so on many years down the road have been eye-opening, and have helped spawned the Nuzgul I found under my bed. How would Elves be aware of the grace granted to the mortal Ringbearers as well? It seemed to me it would most likely be through either Gandalf or Glorfindel, who is also partways in the Blessed Realm already according to what Frodo was told after he described what he'd seen at the Ford. However, as the Maiar were created as servants and messengers, I truly felt that Olorin just might be rewarded for his service by being allowed to deliver this most wonderful of messages. As for Sam--he's always been destined to support Frodo, I thought. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/28/2005 |
| I love this Bilbo-centric view of Frodo. (And the way Frodo wrote 'I am writing in this journal.' seventy six times is great. As is the patience of Master Tumnus in giving him the time to start expressing himself in his journal.) (Master Tumnus, the faun?) Author Reply: Well, the two of them, Lewis and Tolkien, both sparked my own creativity and were friends. I only hope Tolkien isn't spinning in his grave to have a character in part sparked by Lewis's work, which he disparaged in life, after all, included in Middle Earth. As for the first journal entry, I was again remembering some of the absolutely inane things I myself did when I was younger when unwilling to follow directions and had bored myself silly. Glad you liked the idea. | |
| Ariel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/27/2005 |
| So many spot on characterizations! Beautiful! Wonderful to see! I am still reading but this one is good enough to take offline where I can devote my full attention to it. Thank you for writing such an engaging story! Oh, Sam knew it was true deep down in his heart, but he was consciously pushing down that knowledge, clinging to the belief that Frodo was fine, that he was healing nicely thank you very much, perhaps in hopes that the strength of his desire for Frodo to be well would make it so. This is just SO Sam… He’d realized that seeking to pass up the Old Took was as vain an ambition as had ever been devised by the minds of mortals of any kind; but he knew Frodo needed some sign of permanency, something to hang onto while his own person was still in turmoil. And this is exactly how I always thought Bilbo felt. Wonderful characterizations! Thank you again! Author Reply: Tolkien wrote these characters so well that so often we can see them in our imaginations as if they were having a dialogue with us, which is what I'd found myself dreaming of the night before I started writing this one. This particular Nuzgul is apparently rather happy to have found a home and expression. But I swear I will get the one who keeps putting them in the hollow beneath the bed. | |