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| Someone As You Can Trust by Lindelea | 47 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/21/2006 |
| None was as he was before; all were scarred. And the enormity of it will indeed hit Frodo eventually, poor lad. Beautiful to bring it back full circle to Sam again. Poor Sam--forget the rest of it for the moment, and wonder once more about the growth! Heh! Author Reply: Poor Sam, to be comic relief. But he carries it off well. (*g*) Thanks! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 8/21/2006 |
| Trying not to let disturbing details out is more than they can manage, I fear; but I note Legolas has a good idea of what happened between Frodo and Boromir in spite of Frodo's own attempt to spare others. Poor Frodo--all muddled; and Sam is catching the small details that at the moment evade his Master. Love him, I do. Author Reply: I think Elves must be very perceptive on the whole, if only for their years and years of life experience. Thanks! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/21/2006 |
| Finally Frodo guesses part of the truth, and learns most of the rest. And what fun that Sam is so single-minded in his wonderment about Ents and the height of his companions that, to him, it's the only mystery that really needs solving! Yes, he was shocked that a troll had fallen on Pippin, but no, he really hadn’t had time to absorb the information. Later on that night the realisation would waken him from a sound sleep, and he’d sit bolt upright, exclaiming, “Pippin!” and would have to be soothed back to sleep by a startled Aragorn. Awwww. :D Author Reply: Very belated reply; thought I'd answered the reviews for this chapter already! I love having Frodo work it out himself, it seems like him, somehow. And I can see the realisation hitting him in little bits and stages, over the next few hours or days... Though they likely couldn't credit it, I'll bet he's just as proud of his cousins (prouder, even) as they are of him. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/21/2006 |
| What a delight to find this finished! There is so much to love about this: Frodo in deductive mode; tipsy Sam; Merry and Pippin, still valiantly trying to "protect" Frodo, even though it's clearly a lost cause; Gimli's ham-fisted attempts to help; Legolas' amusement at the efforts; Gandalf's *seeming* detachment. I think the moment Frodo realizes just what must have happened--that Merry nearly "lost* Pippin, and vice-versa--simply by the looks on their faces, was beautifully done. Except for one another, *no one* reads these two like Frodo, and he knows now *exactly* what happened--even if not all the details. Gimli's description of Pippin-- He was buried until I hauled the troll off him, and squashed flatter than a spider after a lass has finished screaming and taken action...’ shows that hobbits are not the only creatures who try to hide their feelings behind light words--I am quite sure he must have been reliving that horrible moment when *he* was convinced they had "lost" Pippin as well. And Legolas and Gandalf between them brought the most touching moment, the one which finally broke down Merry's defenses--I so dearly loved seeing Frodo taking his cousin in his arms to comfort him! I really liked your little interpolations of his dreams later in the night, and how it is then that he has finally processed the information, to be soothed to sleep again by Aragorn. This has been a delightful story, beginning to end, Lin! Thanks for sharing it with us! Author Reply: Did I answer this before? I thought I answered all the reviews to this story, and some of them do indeed have author replies, but some don't. Thanks so much for your thoughtful feedback! I love the way you hit the highlights; it's a way of re-living the story somehow, to see it through your eyes. And I'm glad you noticed some of the things I put in quite deliberately! (LOL) But I am muddled with Christmas wine (yes, this review reply is *way* too delayed) and so I'll stop babbling now. Thanks again! | |
| Elemmírë | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/21/2006 |
| Merry and Pippin certainly underestimated their cousin's deductive reasoning when they decided to spare him the details of their adventures. And Legolas and Gimli prodding them along! I love how Sam brings a bit of levity to the conversation. I think once they realize that Frodo is suffering nightmares due to the details and horrors of their own adventures, Merry and Pippin are going to regret in some way sharing with him the danger they were both in. They know that Frodo left the Fellowhip in part because he wanted them all to be safe, but especially the hobbits. Are you going to continue this with a sequel at all, perhaps showing how the cousins learn to deal with what they've been through or Frodo deciding to piece everyone's part together and write it down? Just wondering? Of course, this is a nice bunny to consider elaborating upon also: Just as that day, so long ago, when he was pleading with us to take him fishing, and I had a cold and wanted to curl up with a book, and so I left him in your charge. You took your eyes off him, and... :D Author Reply: Ah, yes, nice bunny! Down! Stop nibbling! I wonder if some other author might consider elaborating on it! I ought to bring it up to Shirebound, for her bunny hutch. Even though it's not an official JRRT bunny. I wonder if she accepts wild bunnies? As to the cousins learning how to deal with what they've been through, there's a conversation between Frodo and Merry in Jewels, and quite a thread running through A Small and Passing Thing, which deals with how *all* the conspirators, including Fatty Bolger, learning to come to terms in the aftermath. Of course, that is a very long story, because there's lots to deal with... but if you decide to tackle it, I'll welcome your thoughts. Thanks! | |
| storyfish | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 8/20/2006 |
| *does a very very happy dance* Yaaaaaay, Lin! This couldn't have come at a better time! I should have gone to bed as soon as I finished the assignment that was due at midnight tonight, but instead I stayed up to read this--I consider it my reward for being a very diligent and steadily working hobbit...er, girl...all day. :-) A satisfying end, this was! And although I'd have loved for you to stretch this on and on, as is true with any good tale, and have Frodo freak out about the Orcs and Troll and Witch-King right there on the page, it was much more realistic this way. And a wonderful characterization of Frodo's wisdom. Like any good older-cousin, he had to get to the meat of the matter, and it's no good overreacting, because that'd just make them clam up faster. He's kind enough to save that for later, when they won't feel guilt or be hurt by his fear for them. And the hints you gave about how Frodo will process all this later were really powerful--very small descriptions that are some of the most hard-hitting in the story.... ‘Well I’m glad we’ve cleared all that up,’ Frodo said, dusting his hands of the matter. Yes, he was shocked that a troll had fallen on Pippin, but no, he really hadn’t had time to absorb the information. Later on that night the realisation would waken him from a sound sleep, and he’d sit bolt upright, exclaiming, “Pippin!” and would have to be soothed back to sleep by a startled Aragorn. <---*sniff!* My favorite part.... *hugs Frodo* Author Reply: Good storyfish, good lass, finishing your midnight assignment. (My usual midnight assignment, these days, is to rendezvous with my pillow.) Bless you for lingering long enough to drop me a note! I know, I have a tendency to go on, and on, and on (just see A Matter of Appearances--no, don't, it's nasty and gory and if it weren't a birthday present it probably wouldn't have been written at all). But it seemed likely to me that once Frodo had got hold of the main thread he'd pull the tale to pieces pretty quickly, too quickly, even, for it all to sink in until later. Yep. Gotta clamp down on that overreacting, if you want the story to come out. Astute observation. | |
| Elemmírë | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 8/20/2006 |
| Eeek! I think I missed this chapter! Poor Merry and Pippin. They are trying so very hard not to dispell all the hardship they underwent when first separated from their cousin and Sam. It's strange how one can sometimes refrain from telling another the whole truth, thinking it for the sake and well-being of the the other ... when sometimes it is the entire truth that needs to be heard. And Gandalf's caught in the middle, of all things. It's good to see Frodo make the connection that Boromir redeemed himself by defending Merry and Pippin to his death, so they might be spared. Author Reply: Eeek! I think I missed this review! (Don't know how that happens, I do so love reviews and the give-and-take they offer.) I liked having Frodo work things out for himself rather than having to have it told to him, blow by blow. Perhaps that's why it was so difficult (for the writer) to get the cousins to tell much, if anything, of their experiences... Thanks! | |
| storyfish | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 7/31/2006 |
| Oh my! I can't believe I didn't review the newest chapter of this fic! I just want to let you know i'm still eagerly awaiting the next chapter, even though it seems this fic is simmering on your backburner now. I'm very impressed with it so far, because it's just this sort of story that's the hardest for me to write--a lot of talking, not much action, lots of little details to tell and how to get each character to tell them in a way that maximizes angst and drama even when all they're doing is sitting around statically and parsing out things that happened already?? But so far you've managed to make the retelling of Merry and Pippin's story, a tale we're all very familiar with, both new and dramatic--almost nail-bitingly so!--because we're seeing it through the eyes of Frodo and Sam, who haven't heard it yet. So if you're feeling frustrated with the fic (okay, maybe I'm projecting here, because the fic I'm working on is currently stagnant in a similar "sitting around and talking through your angst" point) I just want to say I'm rooting for you and I can't can't can't can't wait to find out what's going to happen next! :-) Author Reply: Don't worry! It's in the line-up. I'm just writing whatever comes to mind, at the moment, and this one hasn't, yet. But I'm sure it will, as it's been ripening for some time now. Keep thinking good thoughts! (Sorry about your fic, hope it gets well soon! Am looking forward to seeing it!) The current "Ferdi angst" story has really seized me by the brain and I want to get it over with as soon as possible. But you never know what fancy will strike the Muse next. Will ply her with pina coladas and dark chocolate and see what happens. Author Reply: Hah. Had three lovely hours for writing today, and now am getting around to posting the last of the chapters I got done. And so you get your wish, and I manage to finish a WIP. Of course, I didn't get any reading done at all, but one must write while the Muse is amiable. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/23/2006 |
| Poor Frodo. Trying to untangle this version of the story will take every bit of his experience of his cousins! And he's not really in prime condition at the moment to work out all the nuances. Author Reply: He's not in the best shape of his life, true, but it's all coming back to him (his knack for ferreting out the truth from his cousins, that is). Thanks! | |
| Pearl Took | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/20/2006 |
| What a tangled web we weave . . . I hope they just tell Frodo and quit confusing the poor hobbit. Chances are good that if they leave things too his imagination, they will rapidly be worse than the truth of the matter. Hope you are able to write more soon :) Author Reply: Thanks! Had three lovely hours to write today, and now am getting around to posting the last of the three chapters I wrote. | |