News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Arwen's Heart by Bodkin | 15 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Bejai | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/12/2006 |
| Wow! Another great chapter. The appearance of children :) The moments of parting ... but Elrond's assurance that they will meet again some day. I'm so glad that you put that in! It's just too heartbreaking otherwise. I must say, though, that the most breaktaking part was Faramir's words. His insight about the way of the elves, never to put their burdens onto their children, but to continue in their roles forever without relief. It makes it easier to see the gift of men as a gift for all of us. To change, to give our world to our children, to move on. What a wonderful, profound insight. That's one of the best things about Tolkien's universe -- the chance to see ourselves better. In awe, Bodkin! Author Reply: Thank you - glad you liked it. A century or so in a chapter! I do think Elrond would have had a greater understanding of all this than anyone really. Including Galadriel. He has experienced nearly all of this before - except that this time it is his daughter. Yet Elrond couldn't have coped with what he has without a powerful conviction that things happen for a reason - and that reunion will come. Faramir is a man who is happy with his humanity - and he is a deep enough thinker to have come to terms with its advantages and limitations, so I think he is the one who would have the best understanding of the gift. Aragorn - and Faramir has been watching him for 80 years - grew up as a cuckoo in an elven nest, and, no matter how hard Gilraen and Elrond tried to make him value his own nature, he is bound to have absorbed some elven attitudes. That is partly what made him attractive to Arwen, after all! Aragorn and Arwen, too, probably did their best to ignore the thought of death - at least over the first 50 years or so, until the deaths of all their friends from old age rather than battle began to remind them of the brevity of life. And Faramir was probably the one best suited to help them understand - as far as anyone can. This chapter had some opportunities for lightness - the next is, I am afraid, a bit unrelieved. | |
| Elflingimp | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/12/2006 |
| That was a beautiful chapter,I liked the way Faramer looked at death it was very moving. You have such insight! Well I will be waiting for more, again thanks for sharing your writing. Author Reply: Thank you. If there is any Man who is going to have a good understanding of what the gift involves - and who is prepared to accept it in humility and love - it is going to be Faramir. And, since he died some 40 years before Aragorn, his insights will have time to make themselves part of Arwen's perception of death. There will be more soon - it's written now and just needs revising. | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/12/2006 |
| Such a happy/sad chapter! I enjoyed seeing the way that the tragic was somewhat balanced by the joy. Arwen receiving letters from her family at the birth of Eldarion was very moving; I teared up just thinking how her father, mother and grandmother had planned so far ahead just so she would feel closer to them. There were really too many good parts - the twins continue to amuse and amaze, Elrond and Arwen saying goodbye *sniff* *gulp*, Celeborn's discussion with Mithrandir about staying (I could see both of their points!), the King chasing his Queen and the way Arwen was able to get her husband to "loosen up" (I LOVED that part!!!!), the letters and the birth of Eldarion and his marriage later on, Faramir's words of advice and wisdom to Arwen....This story just FLOOOOWWWWWWWSSSS! A wonderful addition to the whole, Bodkin. (But it's going to get really, really sad isn't it? I know it does, but now you're going to fill in lots of the details and gaps and it is going to get even worse! *starts a new pile of Kleenex boxes*....I can't wait!) linda (the killer squirrels have graduated, and I am inundated this year with a swarm of killer bees, most of which are female...I don't know whether to laugh or cry most of the time...or go out and buy some bug spray! LOL) Author Reply: Thank you, Linda. And you are, sadly, right. This chapter had the potential for moments of joy - but the next one .... It's a bit hard to think of anything that could make the twins laugh in the next chapter. In my head, Celebrian and Arwen knew that Arwen would never sail - and probably why - so I could see Celebrian leaving all kinds of messages. With Glorfindel, probably. And Elrond and Galadriel just would leave congratulations with the twins to bring to Arwen and Aragorn. I enjoyed being able to balance sad moments with happy ones. Elrond's departure was hard - but I think he is above being bitter and twisted about it. He has a better understanding of sacrifice and duty than almost anyone. And, to a degree, what are several ages of separation? He, if anyone, is going to trust that there will be an eventual reunion beyond the bounds of Arda. And I can see Mithrandir's point about being surrounded by elven family as you approach death - but, on the other hand, how can they not offer love and protection? And apart from being such a pleasure to show, things like the birth and marriage of Eldarion are so good for showing the passage of time! Killer bees sound worse than killer squirrels. More of a sting to them. Bug spray sounds a good idea. Something really sticky that keeps them in one place without increasing their sugar levels. Which are probably already far too high! Isn't is odd how some years groups are hugely disproportionate in their male/female ratio! One of my sons had double the number of boys to girls in his class. There will be more soon - I'm feeling better now this is written and I just have to go over it and decide if I like it or want to add bits. Glad you are looking forward to the Kleenex chapter! | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/12/2006 |
| Wow. A whirlwind tour through some great moments. I liked it. I like the way the shadow of death seems to stalk all the way through these even though the people are happy in the meantime. The poet Stevie Smith once said that what give the first part of life its intensity is the possibility of love, and what gives the second half of life its intensity is the possibility of death. Author Reply: Whirlwind, indeed. I really didn't want to have to write a dozen chapters of happy adventures. Well, not here, anyway. The shadow of death must, I think, have hung over Aragorn and Arwen. He is bound to have felt guilty - and she is bound to have been apprehensive. They would have needed to come to terms with it - and I think ignoring it would have been the first choice. But it would come so quickly. To a 3000 year old elf, anyway. I like the Stevie Smith reference - so true. And once Aragorn and Arwen had grown into their love, then came the prospect of death. Thank you. Glad you liked it. | |
| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/12/2006 |
| Dense and multi-layered, I´m going to reread it! but, before that, my comments: Firstt, that I so much like this vignette style in which you are building most of this story. It is very entertaining and engaging, to try and follow, and even guess where you shall leap next. Second, congratulations, for this alternates elven lightness and secondborn unavoidable graveness in a nice, easy-reading rythm. And third, The Moments! I loved the conversation between Aragorn and Elrond, and how Elrond is taking it all. It is true that he has seen so much, and that he has had time to come to terms with it all, and I bleieve that you are right in having him pointing it all out. Painful as it is for him, he´s so full of hope, of Estel, let´s say, that he´s very comforting to those surrounding him, those who are "causing" him that pain. That is a very Elrondish thing to me! The same when he talks to Arwen,. Maybe because I, too, tend to those kind of godbyes. Departures are decided, an experienced time before you say goodbye, so when the moment arrives there is little that can be said. Again, I love ELrond´s deep faith and hope that all is at is should be and that they shall reunite again. And then, how could he not? If he did not believe it he could have not survided such losses as he has experienced! And he so much needed to go to Celebrían! And then, Faramir. It was a great idea to have him instruct Arwen in the true nature of the gift, as experienced by one of such dignity! Very moving! The rest is wonderful, of course, Celeborn negotiationg with Mithrandir, Cúraniel´s lightness and her deep devotion to her friend... The letters... nice details spread around what was a long life indeed. Yet , above all, I love how you managed to make hope glitter throughout it all. Wonderful, Bodkin. Worth your pains, if I may say so... How's fourteen progressing? ;-) Author Reply: Thank you, perelleth! Fourteen is sad. And I don't see any way to stop it being sad - although I hope it's not too depressing. I decided the last bit had to be an epilogue - I'm not entirely sure if that's better or worse. The collection of moments was the only way, really, I felt able to assemble a story that covers so much - and I'm glad you think it works. I did, too, want to avoid bitter-and-twisted Elrond - because I'm sure that he wouldn't be. True he has never left a child to embrace mortality, but there isn't much else that hasn't happened to him, and if there is one character among the elves -(Celeborn might come second)- who has a genuine understanding of the path Arwen has chosen, it would be Elrond. And, too, they are elves. A parting of several ages is not the same to them as it would be to men. Elrond knows Arwen will still exist somewhere he can't be with her - just as, in a different way, Galadriel still existed but could not be with her family. And all of them can trust in their eventual reunion. Faramir is the man, I think, with the best grasp of the unseen and who is likely to be most accepting of the gift so he is the one most likely to be able to help Arwen understand the leap of faith involved. It was quite a nice chapter to do - in parts, anyway - although some of it was quite sad. This hundred years of happiness is over half Aragorn's life, but less that 5% of Arwen's. At times it must have seemed to pass so quickly. And the next chapter will be along soon! | |