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| Midwinter by Bodkin | 23 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 12/27/2005 |
| Ah, more beautiful glimpses of snow from different perspectives. That of the orc is most chilling; that of the slow thought of the Entwife is very sad; that of Elwing somehow reassuring; that of Eowyn wonderfully warm for she who is no longer frozen by reserve and despair. So wonderful to see her run to play, and to perdition with protocol expected of a princess! Love that she and her family all were playing in the snow! Author Reply: I found it harder to come up with the fluffier ones here - there are only so many ways of having fun in the snow and yet, sadly, there are a lot of people who would have less joyful experiences. I felt very sorry for the orc - and was glad to end with Eowyn's happiness. Elwing's experience is actually quite happy, but coloured by the knowledge of how little time she had with her children. Thank you - I think this is now it for experiences of snowy winters! I'm glad you liked them. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/25/2005 |
| I just read the other reviews: 315 words--even more cool. :-) And I would love to see a Rohan one, but believe it or not, I would also love to see an Ent one. Ent must have a very unique view of snow. Author Reply: And they are 315 words, too. I don't know why 315 seemed to be a relatively easy number of words to write, but it was! I only ever ended up needing to add or reduce by about 10 words. And there is now an Ent one. And a Rohan one. And a few more. | |
| elliska | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/25/2005 |
| This is really cool...erm, no pun intended. Having not seen snow in 10 years, I enjoyed seeing everyone's perception of it. I'm not sure which I enjoyed the most--the serious views of Galadriel, Haleth and the hobbit or the playful views of the elflings and Arwen. It was fun to see so many different reactions. This was a really clever idea. :-) Author Reply: We had six flakes of snow yesterday! It was really exciting - I don't think we saw any last year, although there might have been a little the year before. We really don't get very much experience of it here - which is why the whole region seizes up at the sight of it. I liked trying to mix the wonder with the dread - snow is wonderful if your store cupboards are full and the heating is efficient and you can snuggle away from it when you want, but it's not so good if you are unprotected. Thank you - I'm glad you liked it. I immediately realised Eowyn's point of view was missing and Redheredh suggested some other viewpoints, so there are now a few more, but I think that's enough snow! | |
| ellie | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/25/2005 |
| this is excellent. so much feeling and so many visions an interpretations and perceptions of a simple snowy tome. exquisite. Author Reply: Thank you, I am glad you enjoyed it. I will admit it was easier to be angsty than fluffy! There are only so many times you can have young ones building snowmen! But it was great fun to do. | |
| Rose Sared | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/24/2005 |
| ‘We will visit the North Kingdom,’ he promised. ‘And spend a winter there.’ He looked at her appreciatively. ‘You can dance in the snow as much as you like.’ Arwen touched his cheek with her cold hand. She missed white winters, but some things were more important Winter through the ages - which is funny as I am sitting here nice and hot in the middle of summer -hah - antipodes rule! Lovely writing Bod - Merry Christmas - Rose Author Reply: Ha, but when we're having summer, you are having winter in July! We actually had six flakes of snow yesterday - it was quite exciting. Snow here has rarity value. I just had this sudden urge to be seasonal - and this emerged. And then I realised I'd forgotten Eowyn and Redheredh mentioned Orcs, Ents and Dwarves - and part 2 followed. But now the seasonal excitement has died down, I must try to finish a few things! Thank you. A Happy New Year to you - and may it be as productive as it is joyful. | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2005 |
| This really is wonderful - the ways you have captured winter - the bleakness, the glory, the fun, the dread - times to play and times it led to a fight for survival. Winter is something to be enjoyed, but only after its been conquered. We can glory in it only when the hope of spring is near and food and warmth are near. Nice to see all the perspectives, from Maiar to elf to human to hobbit, ancient to child. But... no Eowyn? :D Author Reply: Thank you - they just jumped into my head when I was thinking 'seasonal'. Winter is a hard season - I think it toughened Galadriel a lot and made her grow up. And I noticed that she wasn't playing in the snow with Celebrian. The hobbit was right - together with whoever said that being protected from winter is what we enjoy about it - sledging and snowballing are great if you can go back into the warmth and feast. No Eowyn. I did realise that afterwards. And no Dwarf, Ent or Orc perspectives. I'm not sure about Orc, but I think I can see a rather displeased Dwarf mother after Smaug had evicted them from the Lonely Mountain... When I get a moment to myself, I might just have to produce a few more of these to include Eowyn and the Dwarf at least. I'll see. | |
| Redheredh | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2005 |
| Wow, this is marvelous! Just the perfect seasonal treat! I liked your choosing a lady from several different species for each segment. (double-drabbles!) Noldor(Caliquendi), Maiar, Human, Sindar(Moriquendi), Silvan(Avari),Hobbit,and Peredhil. All you had left were Ent, Orc, and Dwarf. But, these viewpoints would be more difficult, I guess. And I suppose then there are Balrogs and the various races of men as well. But, your choices were perfect for these realizations about winter. The connection between segments was brilliant. White has such significance in Tolkien's depictions. They are also chronological too. The opening segment, A Darkened Sky, was excellent in every aspect. Visions had a perfect difference of perception, white light being of all the colors. Haleth's segment was so much like Galadriel's and the Hobbit's. Almost like they were made less fortunate by their own natures, but made greater for facing what is for them a greater challenge. Which contrasted nicely with Celebrian's and Laerwen's in Playing with Ada and Tucked In. Theirs were more like Melian thoughts; intrigued by the contrast, knowing what was actually below the surface - capable of experiencing nature as itself and not as a punishment or test. I like that Wolf Winter and The Courts of Kings were beside each other. Warm and chill, white and colorful, fear and hope. Both were Third Age and connected by Aragorn's decision and Arwen's choice of summer colors to white. And the whole piece is just about Nature and our place in it. About how we must make a safe place within it to survive it and also to be fulfilled by it. As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed this. ;) Especially the last segment. Partly because I have heard Elond saying the same sort of thing as Arwen about the warm weather in Aman and then there was Arwen dancing. Endurance and now this! Please just keep it coming! Author Reply: A double-drabble is 200 words, isn't it? So they would be treble-drabbles and a bit - because they are all 315 words. I realised afterwards that there is no Eowyn - and I have an itch about a Dwarf female that might demand 315 words if I ever escape from the kitchen, so I might just have to put together a few more thoughts on snow. Some turned out to be quite bleak - but the fluffy ones were more than sweet enough, I thought! (I quite enjoyed Celeborn shaking snow from his hair!) Winter is fun - when the store cupboards are full, you are bundled up in warm clothing and you have a comfortable place to retreat from the cold - but it can be very cruel. I am so pleased you endoyed this - it was fun to do. And there just might be a few more to complete the set. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2005 |
| So many ways to receive, perceive, conceive of, and reject the snow, as each sees it as it has touched them--in terms of blankness, colors, light and shadows, the bringer of the cold which brings death, that which hides the path, the delight of play, and the delight of dancing in the weather. And I DEARLY love the King poking his head into the courtyard, and the Queen responding from the midst of her delight. Thank you, Bodkin. Author Reply: Winter can be a dangerous time as well as a time of pleasure - and so much of how you see it depends on how safe you are from its depredations. I noticed later that Galadriel wasn't out in the snow - and concluded that it probably brought back memories she would prefer to bury. Arwen - barefoot and in her petticoats, dancing in the snow! Shock, horror - I don't know how Gondor would cope! But Aragorn understands - and sees the elleth who resembles her ancestress Luthien and promises to take her home to the north for a while. I think he would want to give her anything he could - and this is well within his power. And they have a moment of delight to themselves. Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2005 |
| What a fascinating series! Truly, everything (even snow) can only be experienced through the eyes and memory of those who perceive it. How lovely, and thank you for ending this with joy and love. Author Reply: Snow - (well, most things really) - can seem so different depending on what else is happening in your life. Some of these are rather bleak, but there are moments of joy and wonder. Thank you - I am glad you enjoyed these. | |
| meckinock | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 12/23/2005 |
| See, this is why review replies are so great. So they're all 315 words exactly? Another thing I saw in a review reply was the observation that we don't so much love winter as we love being protected from it. That's true, isn't it? Winter wouldn't be quite so fun if we didn't have a nice, warm house to retreat to when it gets awful outside. It's interesting to think about how snow can be both beautiful and brutal. I'm very glad you told us who the players were in the summary; otherwise I'd still be working it out! Brilliant work; using the experience of snow to draw together women from disparate races and ages. You really brought each of them to life; from Melian's other-wordliness to the hobbit's determined pragmatism. Of course my favorite was the last segment, with the banter between Aragorn and Arwen - the queen gone mad, LOL. Author Reply: I really enjoy reading reviews and replies! Why 315 you might ask - and the answer is 'duh'. (The first one was 315. And then the second was 319 - so I cut four words - and then the rest had to be as well.) I came up with a rationale, though! A guinea was one pound one shilling - or 105p. So that make them three guineas. OK. Stupid. And winter is great fun when you have warm clothes and hot food and comfortable shelter - but not so good if you are trying to survive. I was going to put the names at the top - but then the hobbit didn't have a name - and if had made one up it wouldn't have been a known character. Some of the segments were rather bleak - so I was pleased to have the fluffy elfling parts, and I was glad to see Arwen shed the controlled queen and dance in her petticoats in the snow. And I suspect Aragorn was, too! Thank you - I'm glad you liked them. They were fun. Although a little niggle has been telling me that a Rohan one would work nicely. | |