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| Fallow by Ariel | 48 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Inkling | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/19/2006 |
| Well! Frodo is behaving rather badly, isn't he? The scene at his door is very atmospheric...reminds me of something out of "Letter from an Unknown Woman" with Joan Fontaine and Louis Jourdan (have you seen it? Great flick!) Author Reply: Hmmm... sounds like a film I would like, but I haven't seen it yet! (makes note for Netflix). Frodo's a bit put out, yes, but it's mainly the ring causing him to do it. I had hoped I had gotten that across effectively, but I might have been too subtle. His behavior is going to bother him though, and that, along with what Paladin tells him, will spur him to play detective and come to Pearl's aid after all! ;) | |
| White Gull | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/19/2006 |
| Guess I'll leave a review here, as well as on your lj. I knew this fic would have angst, but didn't expect my confusion. I certainly didn't expect Frodo to jump into bed with Pearl, but I did expect more compassion. 1401, was that the date? Bilbo's been gone 3 months? I can't blame Frodo's reaction on the ring, then. I've always imagined that Frodo & Pearl's paths crossed quite often, being the relatives they were. I can adjust my thinking on that, but it takes a bit more to get used to the idea that Frodo took Pearl's vow so lightly. I suppose it goes along with the rather cavalier attitude he had at the beginning, what with teaching her a lesson, and all. Poor Pearl. To be so broken I wonder if she's "pushed" Lailia down the stairs. You are a master story weaver, Ariel, so I'm looking forward to Frodo's redemption. Odd to say that, considering the grip of the ring will certainly be stronger in the coming chapters! You have your work cut out for you! :) But, you are up to the task. WG Author Reply: Why could you not blame Frodo's reaction on the ring? Bilbo may have just left, but didn't the ring have an effect on him almost the moment he found it in Gollum's cave? Remember how cagey he was to the dwarves concerning the way he actually got it? And the fact that he kept the ring a secret from his companions for so long? I think it would be affecting Frodo, at least in some subtle way, as soon as it came to him, and possibly even before that while Bilbo had it in the same house. Anyway, I am assuming that. ;) It is necessary for Frodo to be so abrupt with her now so that he will feel compelled to investigate what is really going on in Great Smials! | |
| SurgicalSteel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/19/2006 |
| Well. That was certainly interesting - now you've got me curious. What made Pearl so desperate that she'd come to Frodo alone, insist that he not let anyone else into the smial - and leave before morning when she realized he wasn't interested in marrying her? Curious, and looking forward to more! Author Reply: You are absolutely right. And in the next chapter you will learn what has made Pearl so desperate that she would come to Frodo in such a way, after not speaking to him for years, despite the way her family and former friends have come to view her. She's been fighting a lonely battle thinking Frodo would someday give her a way to escape, but it is (and always was) a battle she can only win by defeating Lalia. *rubs hands eagerly* | |
| Cuthalion | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/19/2006 |
| Oh dear - poor Pearl. I like the social structure you portray here, and the most understandable doubts that make Frodo react as he does, at least in the beginning. And the effect of the ring on his heart and soul (and I guess a good part of his attitude towards the desperate, stubborn damsel is caused by the influence of the ring) is frightening and saddening at the same time... a kind of sneaking change of his character. Again, poor Peaarl. But poor Frodo, too. Author Reply: Indeed. He's already feeling its effects but doesn't realize it, and there's no way Pearl can understand why he's so absolute in turning her down. Poor Pearl and poor Frodo - they are both victims of the ring's evil power already. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/18/2006 |
| What a vow to accept from her, and I'm glad he has, for it may keep her from simply tumbling to the next lad who responds to her beauty. And she could do worse.... Author Reply: Well, he probably shouldn't have, but he's barely more than a kid himself here. I figure 26 to be the human equivalent of 17, and I know I wasn't always making good decisions at 17. And yes, she could do a lot worse. ;) | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 9/18/2006 |
| So--this is how the heir to Bag End falls--not to machinations but to guilelessness and uncoached loveliness. A worthy match, if it had ever come to pass. Author Reply: She would have been, I think. In the end they will see this, but that end is not for a very long time. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/18/2006 |
| Poor Pearl, able to run free and now expected to become a lady. I, too, want a gander at the contract and wonder about the motives of both Pearl and Lalia at this point. Author Reply: Well, I am afraid Pearl is the one being duped - but then I am afraid Lalia is a very persuasive lady. Stay tuned. The next chapter will explore Pearl's side of the situation. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/18/2006 |
| This is a very unhappy chapter. Poor Pearl, I really feel sorry for her. She must think Frodo was toying with her all those years ago, to so thoroughly reject her now. It is going to be hard for her to come to terms with how much he has changed, especially when she cann't know why. It sounds like she is a virtual prisoner under Lalia, though somehow she has managed to escape. It doesn't sound to me like she plans to go back - she's disguised herself, and left no trace. I wonder if she went as far as to cut her hair? If things werw so bad at the Smials, that she couldn't write and she couldn't get away, I imagine that thoughts of Frodo rescuing her must have been very much in the forefront of her mind. Was she counting the time until he came of age? What a horrible disappointment to find she had been forgotten, dismissed, rejected. Frodo, on the other hand, I'm trying hard to be charitable toward and not succeeding too well. He rationalized his way through their whole last encounter, but he did seem at the end to grasp the idea that she would honor her vow. Yes, he only said they would talk at the end of it, and he was careful not to promise her anything. Nevrtheless, I am disappointed in him, that he made no effort all this time to see how she was, to show her any of the care that was implicit in their earlier meeting. Maybe he doesn't know much about young girls, but he did see something of Pearly's spirit, and he ought to have known he would break her heart. Regardless of all that, now that she is there, he not only has disappointed her, he doesn't seem to care all that much about it. Yes, he spent a sleepless night, and yes, some of it is the ring talking (ok, maybe a lot of it is the poison of the ring), but he hasn't had it all that long, and there is no excuse for his lack of attention over the last years to something that obviously was very important to her. The ring is a powerful influence. I wonder if Pearl can overcome any of it? It's not an auspicious start (restart) to their relationship: but it does make an interesting story. I'll be looking forward to the next chapter. Author Reply: *sigh* Yes, it is an unhappy chapter and under the ring's influence, Frodo's actions may seem harsh, but he's not seen his cousin in more than passing and has heard no good tales of her in all this time. I hope you give the story (and both characters) a chance to redeem themselves. I may provide angst, but I always give a happy (or at least resolved) ending. | |
| SurgicalSteel | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/11/2006 |
| Wow, that was amazing - her reaction to him pulling away was completely believable, and Frodo rationalizing his own bad judgment? Amazing. Author Reply: *Preens* I have such a good time writing this story and it's really rewarding to see that others enjoy it too! Thanks for letting me know. | |
| Cuthalion | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/11/2006 |
| Ahhhh... I know I left a review when you published this first, but I simply have to tell you again how much I love it... wonderfully skilled writing, an utterly believable plot and a marvelous, female character as the heroine. And I'm really looking forward to read more! Cúthalion Author Reply: I am having a really good time writing this. I am delighted you are enjoying reading it too. More soon! | |