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| The Acceptable Sacrifice by Larner | 14 Review(s) |
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| demeter d | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 12/19/2005 |
| You and LindaHoyland fascinate me. A day or two ago when I reviewed your chapter 48, it was pretty close to midnight here, Mountain Standard Time, U.S.A. Yet, just a very few minutes later, here came the replies to your review and hers. i am guessing that unless you are writing from Britain, and it is already the next day, you are up as late at this addicting pasttime as I am! And now tonight, just as I was about to log off and actually go to sleep,(imagine that!) here came a new update. Chapter 50 is wonderful. It starts out quietly enough as we follow Frodo on his visits to the Houses of Healing, grieving with him over the death of the burned soldier. But it slowly builds in anticipation as those around Aragorn become more aware that something is going to happen. So many lovely touches. Frodo's little "spy". Perhaps after things have settled down in a few days, and before he leaves for home, Frodo can introduce the lad to his hero the Lord Steward. He could see for himself that there are many kinds of strength. Your people are beautifully true to character. There is gimli, watching every ones growing excitement. There is pippin and his "mushroom dinner," complete with mushroom whipped cream. Only Pippin! There is Sam and his " cat in a room full of rocking chairs". I thought it was so lovely that the first elven messenger to arrive was Gildor Inglorion. When he and Frodo last met, Frodo was fleeing the Ringwraiths, and Gildor could do very little to aid him. Now, for Gildor to see that Frodo had indeed come through his trials, and for Frodo to recieve Gildor's much deserved praise. I suspect praise from him could go far to help Frodo overcome his feelings of not deserving honor. I also liked the touch of Aragorn paying for his own wedding not from the royal treasury, but with his own earnings from his holdings and investments. Having mostly just lain and drawn interest for probably forty years, there must have been a generous account. In the book, Tolkien has Aragorn tell Frodo that something is about to happen which he has waited for all of his adult life, and when it does he would like to have his friends with him. with bright brush strokes you have painted in the corners of the outline which Tolkien created. As he wrote about the same party returning north to take Theoden home, such a riding of fair folk had surely never been seen before, and, sadly, would not be seen again in Middle Earth. Well, once again I was about to log out when a late night up-date arrived. Thank you for filling my evenings with wonder. Good night! Author Reply: I am a night owl living on the Pacific coast, so am on much of a par with you, while LindaHoyland is British. I follow her stories, of course, much during the evenings our time. This may explain it! The story of the mushroom meal and of three others that followed were told in "The Ties of Family," so had to work the first one into this story. I, too, felt Gildor would be one who would very much wish to be at this wedding and would delight to be the first of the true Elven Lords to offer his thanks and respects to the Ringbearer. And certainly his respect would carry a great deal of weight for Frodo, I would think. Part of the joy of LOTR has been that in many cases we are free to exercise our own imaginations in filling in the details; and doing so is a work of sheer joy, particularly when so many appear to appreciate it so much. Thanks so much for the compliments! | |
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 12/19/2005 |
| Oh, Larner! This just gets better. Let's see, I'd better start from the beginning. The cute little nursery rhyme is very hobbity, and I can just imagine Frodo standing by that little girl's bed and singing it softly to her, teaching it to her line by line. And Pippin has proven himself brilliant, as always! Oh, that *was* so funny! But the best was when the fair folk at last arrived! I got a very vivid image of Aragorn assisting Arwen from her steed at the last, and in my mind she was more beautiful than she is shone to be in the movies. And now the wedding is just around the corner and I'm fit to burst, as Sam so eloquently puts it! Oooooo, I can't wait! God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: I try to fit humor in with joy and the pathos, and am so glad it moves so many. Trying to figure out a Hobbit nursery rhyme was interesting, trying to make it both familiar and yet truly from the Shire. But counting rhymes are pretty universal, so this one just worked itself out. As for the image in your mind surpassing the scene from the movie--I am honored you found it so! The wedding has JUST been posted. Enjoy! | |
| Tigger | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 12/19/2005 |
| "He's getting married in the morning..." Wouldn't you know it. I managed to catch the last half of My Fair Lady today and I couldn't resist the temptation to put the above bit from the one song here, as it's such a perfect fit. :oD It's a good thing Aragorn's such an accomplished healer, because it looks like Galador's going to need him before all of this is over. :oD I've read of Masters of Protocol being such sticklers, but goodness!! Then again, considering he was also Denethor's Master of Protocol and Denethor took such things to such an extreme... I love seeing how you sneak in things from your other stories into this one. Like Frodo's gift to Aragorn and Arwen. That bowl sounds positively stunning BTW. Pippin's Plan (You just know when it comes to Pippin, the word *P*lan is a capitol. ;o) ) worked to perfection. You do have to wonder if what Frodo was trying to get across to that little boy did sink in. That there's more to being a soldier than just getting to kill evil things and have a shiny sword. Then again, little boys think of nothing else too when it comes to that subject. I always say I look forward to the next chapter, and I also mean it, but I am *really* looking forward to the next chapter. :oD Just don't take too long in posting it otherwise I think you might have to defend yourself from a mob here. :oD ;oD Author Reply: "Ding Dong, the bells are gonna chime!" Yes, I know, and now you have ME singing it, too! Very apropos! Yes, I tie my stories together, and am glad you approve. The not eating sparking the mushroom meal, the volcano glass bowl, the preparation for a wedding, and spying children. As for the next chapter--well, it's posted already. Enjoy! | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 50 on 12/19/2005 |
| I just loved the way you ddescribed how the wedding feast was arranged,as it must have happened something like this !I loved the scene with the banker and also Frodo's conversation with the boy. Author Reply: Yes, and am so glad someone appreciated the interchange with the Banker. I love doing King recognition scenes and Thorongil recognition scenes, as you know. And for someone who's been playing his marriage so close to the chest, I think that this would be precisely how Aragorn would do it, as surreptitiously but as thoroughly as possible! So glad you like it! | |