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| The Acceptable Sacrifice by Larner | 14 Review(s) |
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| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 74 on 1/23/2006 |
| And of course, the nightmare gives the hobbits the last few pieces of the puzzle they need in order to figure it out. Bucca is obviously very intelligent and discerning--he's already tumbled to a number of things. I'm glad he was able to get Pippin to tell him the rest of it, and that he knows now and believes. There were so many more who loved Frodo in the Shire than he was ever able to make himself believe, and you have seen to it that there were also more who honored and respected him than he could ever bring himself to believe, as well. Thank you. Author Reply: I think that Frodo quite underrated how many were coming to care for him, to appreciate what he did manage to do, to understand his need for recognition and his weakness, and to love him for himself. I'm glad you appreciate my wanting to give Frodo a bigger support base than he ever realized was there; but this support base would help the Shire accept its new role in the world and to accept the coming Thain, Master, and Mayor. Thank you, Dreamflower. | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 74 on 1/22/2006 |
| Mina is such a good mother. I love how she steps in to take care of Frodo during his nightmare. It must be terribly frightening for her, but she just walks in and takes care of things as if she did this every day. She's a real trouper, and a lovely kind soul. I hope Frodo appreciates what she does for him. It's interesting to watch Bucca slowly figuring out what happened to the Travelers during the year they were away. Hobbits aren't stupid, just very isolated. It must be such a shock for them to realize that things they thought were just fairy tales turn out not only to be real, but very dangerous as well. “What caused the wound on his shoulder?” Bucca asked. Pippin explained about Weathertop, the Morgul knife, and getting Frodo to Rivendell. This is a nicely done transition. It covers the basics of the story without wasting too much time on retelling things we already know. Author Reply: As a mother of two until Fenton's death at 22, she must have done such things before, and now it's her cousin's son who needs mothering, and she just steps in for Primula, allowing Frodo a moment of imagination that his mother is there after all. Maybe he won't remember afterwards or will suppress it or realize what happened; but for the moment Primula was able to be with her son through Mina, and Mina is able to voice the mother's fury felt toward those who hurt her child. The three at the table are reasonably intelligent and openminded, and they are realizing that what Frodo went through was serious and needs to be understood, and that it was indeed dangerous--for EVERYONE. I try to summarize when necessary, but do get caught going over known material more than once, I know. Glad you felt I did that summary well. | |
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 74 on 1/22/2006 |
| Then Frodo whispered something which called to her heart. “Please, Mummy, make it stop! Make it stop hurting.” Mina sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He was pale in the light entering the room from the lantern she always left burning low in the passageway, and shivered as she held him. He looked at her, obviously not recognizing her. “I’m so cold, Mummy. It’s so hot, but I’m so cold. How can I be so cold when it’s so hot?” “Shh, Frodo lad, shh. It’s all right. Mummy’s here, sweet lad,” she said gently, holding him close. “It’s but a bad dream.” She looked up to catch Bucca’s eyes. “Get some water heating in the kitchen, as hot as you can stand to touch it,” she whispered... *wipes eyes* Oh, oh Larner, that came as a shock, even to me. How did you do it? I've thought of trying something similar before, but when the time came I just about lost my composure and ended up not going through with it; it's just so heartbreaking! But now I really, really love Mina. She handled the situation very well, but of course it seems natural to her to do just what she did. I hope I'd have presence of mind to do as much in such a situation, though, I must say, I hope I never have to see one I love that badly hurt. And I hope for his own sake that Frodo doesn't remember much of that-I imagine it might embarrass him. But goodness knows he deserves every ounce of TLC he gets. Again, glad to see the Shirefolk learning what Frodo and Sam did for them, for the world. I think they need to know that Frodo was the one to bear the Ring, even if he doesn't want to tell them. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: I almost decided to leave out this chapter in light of the one you wrote, but decided it was needed to show how there was a growing core of those who were coming to appreciate what Frodo had been through and who came to believe in him, even if the bulk of the Shire never appreciated his importance to all. Their belief in Frodo would in the end help bolster acceptance for what Pippin, Merry, and Sam would in the end become. As Primula's cousin, there was probably a resemblance between Mina and Frodo's mother; that half asleep he'd mistake her for his mother in the midst of a troubling dream once again and need simple mothering and accept it seemed logical. We all need mothering now and then, and Heaven knows there have been times, a grandmother myself, have wished my mom were here so I could sit in her lap and hold my ear to her chest and listen to her heartbeat again as I did when I was small. Having a core believing now in Frodo helps in the long run more of the Shire accepting the coming Thain, Master, and Mayor. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 74 on 1/22/2006 |
| I like how Bucca put all the pieces together, and the loving and gentle way Frodo is being cared for. The whole story of the Quest, and what Frodo and Sam did, really is a lot for any sheltered hobbit to believe, isn't it? Author Reply: Yes, Bucca is an intelligent Hobbit for all his lack of upperclass speech, and he is beginning to appreciate what these four--all of the four--have done. And Mina is stepping in for her lost cousin, offering Frodo what aid she can, in part for Primula's sake, in part for Fenton's, and more and more for Frodo's own. SOME Hobbits need to begin understanding, at least, for the past year has shown them they cannot afford to ignore the outer world. | |