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| The Prisoner and The Hobbit by Dreamflower | 43 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| pandemonium_213 | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 11/29/2011 |
| Thanks so much, Shemyaza and Alei, and my apologies for the belated response. My appreciation is no less sincere! Re: Shemyaza. On Sauron's redemption, say rather "rehabilitation." I don't think redemption is a possibility here, at least how I define the word. Bilbo is certainly a good, if altogether unexpected, influence. Re: Alei. Yep, Sauron's contempt for Gollum (as well as for the Witch-king) is an example of his highly compartmentalized thinking, which comes in handy to justify his actions. I expect examples of similar approaches can be found in our primary world, and not always for the "bad guys." And this... "And I'm curious- what type of creatures are the Maia (or atleast, Sauron and his sister) in Pandeverse? I read Light Over the Mountain on SWG, but I'm still a bit confused. How related/similar to the Valar are they (genetically or otherwise... if we can even talk genetically about partially physical/incorporeal beings...)?" Heh. Oh, this is a subject for a huge, goofy and scientifictitious discourse on my part so I'll spare you that, so for now I'll just say that the Valar and the Maiar of the Pandė!verse, although lumped into the category of Ainur generally, are distinct from one another and even have different origins. I extrapolated this bit (uh, extrapolated a lot) from Tolkien's notes on the root word *phan* in Parma Eldalmaberon 17. JRRT described the Valar as beings of light, when not in corporeal form, but the Maiar can be detected by their fragrance (as opposed to light). To me (a life scientist), that screams different species! Or in this case, different genera (VERY different genera), but with the common feature of a high degree of intelligence and self-awareness...like the Eruhini a.k.a. humans. I have a draft in progress on iLugburz that alludes to the Valar's original forms, which I'm sure will cause some eyebrows to be raised. :^D There's quite a bit more, but at the risk of a) being too pedantic and b) spoilers, I'll stop there. I'd be delighted to elaborate by email: docbushwell@gmail.com Thanks again, both of you! | |
| pandemonium_213 | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/29/2011 |
| Thanks, mews and Aiwen, for having a read and the compliments. Very much appreciated! I have no idea why Sauron is so entranced with golf and fly casting for that matter. It's certainly not self-insertion! | |
| mews1945 | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/28/2011 |
| A very intriguing chapter. It's enjoyable to imagine Sauron becoming fascinated with golf, and looking forward to Bilbo's letters. And I enjoyed reading about the hobbits' experiences through Bilbo's pov. Author Reply: Thanks so much, dear! We are having a lot of fun imagining how these two personalities might interact! | |
| Aiwen | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/27/2011 |
| This is wonderful. An extremely original idea that would not have occurred to me, well written, characterized and thought out. Author Reply: Truthfully, the idea would never have occurred to me, either, but when Pandemonium approached me with it, it seemed perfect! She has a very original mind, and it's quite fun to have the "back-and-forth" of the correspondence! | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 10/25/2011 |
| I had a few moments only, this morning, to sneak online and read, something I haven't done in weeks... but the announcement of this chapter in my email was so intriguing, and I so miss Middle-earth and hobbits and such. I had to carve more time out of the schedule than I meant to, but it was worth it. I love how Bilbo's good manners and pity shine forth. I laughed at some of your sly turns of phrase (a good walk spoiled, indeed -- sounds as if Bilbo might be able to write a book by that title, or perhaps he already has, under a pen name?) Sobering and encouraging by turns. Thank you for sharing the gift of words and mind-pictures. I do hope I can manage to get back soon to read more. (My own stories have been simmering quietly on the back burner for so long, I hope they've not boiled dry. sigh.) *hugs* and glad to see you keeping up the good work. Author Reply: Oh, my dear! How lovely to hear from you again! I'm sorry that RL is forcing you away from reading and writing, but as much as we may joke about priorities, life and family have to come first! I'm glad you like this! It's nothing like I've ever done before, and collaborating with Pandemonium is really stretching me! "Good manners and pity"-- how delightful that you pick up on the two cornerstones of my characterization of the elder Baggins! And I did get a giggle out of slipping that phrase in there, LOL! I'm sure they haven't boiled dry! They still delight me, and it's worth waiting for your occasional update-- quality trumps quantity, in my book! (((hugs back))) Hobbits will always be my One True Fandom! | |
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/24/2011 |
| I loved Bilbo's confusion as to how to address a letter to Sauron. Dear Mr. Sauron indeed! And Bilbo's comparison of addressing Sauron to addressing Lobelia is priceless! I couldn't remember which language the Dunedain spoke at home; did Tolkien clarify that they too used Westron as their primary language? I'm not disputing it; just too lazy to check out the appendices. The idea that the Elves of Rivendell had a Sindarin primer for the instruction of their Dunedain fosterlings makes sense, too. And I love the bit where Bilbo confesses that he is the author of that early incarnation - very early - of the Earendil saga. I always liked that early version, it's got such a jolly rhythm; and one could definitely say a hobbity style. And I don't believe for one second that Sauron is as harmless as an old toothless cat! This is the guy who let himself come to Numenor as a chained captive and ended up co-ruling the place. Of course, the Valar are supposedly less corruptible than the Numenoreans, but there was Melkor, and all those Maiar who followed him...Still, I think that Sauron is trying to reform, repend, make amends, at least as much as he is capable of doing so. Only time, and probably lots of it, will tell how far that repentance will go... Author Reply: That's Bilbo for you! *grin* I am not sure what JRRT said about the languages the Dunedain used at home, perhaps I am influenced by fanon, but I imagine them as using Westron and perhaps Adunaic among themselves as "speaking" languages (and if they were traveling among and trading with people like those of Bree, Westron would be quite necessary) but learning Sindarin during their schooling as a language that an educated person should know. I'm glad you liked that little confession, LOL! I don't believe he's harmless either, although he may feel that way sometimes. But I've no idea what he will come up with next, for that's Pande's part of the story and I will be as surprised as the next person! | |
| Shemyaza | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/21/2011 |
| I am thoroughly enjoying this. I love your insights into what might be going through Sauron's mind now he is incarcerated and presumably working towards redemption. I am equally enjoying Bilbo's responses to him. I look forward to reading more. Author Reply: I'm so glad you are enjoying this! It's a lot of fun for Pandemonium and myself as well. We never know what will happen next! | |
| AleiTheLeaf | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 10/20/2011 |
| Hello again, I must say that I am incredibly delighted to see a new chapter posted here so quickly! And now for a proper review! (And since it's my first proper review, I must warn you, it's a bit long... and a little haphazard... ok, really haphazard.) "I wonder, though, do the hobbits notice the difference in the sun's light here?....How would they feel if they knew the particulars? He dashed the thought.... and really, did he want to destroy any cherished notions the old hobbit and his kinsman held? No, that would not do. What would be the point?" I like how you keep Sauron's train of thought consistent with his characteristic orderly-ness and logic with his personality you've already set up (here and in other stories). Yet in the second part, you show him being a bit more thoughtful about Bilbo's feelings. That has me wondering if Sauron is beginning to learn (or relearn) empathy. It makes me smile to think that Bilbo's good influence might be rubbing off on him. On the other hand, I find it ironic that Sauron finds Gollum to be the lowest sort of murderer, and yet, he's caused the death of thousands (if not millions) of people. Granted, he thought it was for a good cause at the time, but still... "Bilbo stopped writing. He was breathless and had palpitations, as though he had only just then escaped from those darksome holes of his memory. This was not the lighthearted account he had given to the children of the Shire for generations-the Ring never entered those stories. And it was not even the account he'd later given at the Council of Elrond. This felt like reliving the whole thing." Hmmm, I wonder if reliving the memory had some hidden effects, since later on he's feeling better.... By the way, the interactions between Frodo and Bilbo were incredibly sweet and believable. And I wonder what Gandalf has to say about some of the more dubious comments Sauron makes? And I'm curious- what type of creatures are the Maia (or atleast, Sauron and his sister) in Pandeverse? I read Light Over the Mountain on SWG, but I'm still a bit confused. How related/similar to the Valar are they (genetically or otherwise... if we can even talk genetically about partially physical/incorporeal beings...)? Oh,and I can't wait to see how Sam plays into the conversation between Bilbo and Sauron. The curiosity Sauron displays toward Pippin and Bilbo's responses were very amusing. Yours, ~AleiTheLeaf p.s. And who is the women that brings his food to Sauron...? I'm looking forward to finding out by the end. :D Author Reply: OK. The internet ate my reply! I'm not sure I can remember everything I said before but... You are right that Bilbo relating his encounter with Gollum helped him to feel better; it's why he slept so well afterwards. And I am glad you like the relationship I show between Frodo and Bilbo; those two have a many-layered relationship. Bilbo and Frodo definitely have a parent/son relationship, but they are also friends as well, and add to that the fact that they have only one another as the only hobbits in the West, and it's important to both of them that they remain respectful of one another's feelings. I am very curious about what will happen from the Sauron end of things myself. Pandemonium is entirely in charge of that! I never know what will happen next! | |
| pandemonium_213 | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 10/19/2011 |
| UTfrog, Lynda, Raksha and Alei, Thanks a million for the kind words! It was a wild hair of a notion to have these two monumental characters correspond with one another, and as Dreamflower aptly notes, it's an organic process. I love Dreamflower's version of Bilbo Baggins, Esq. and have been following her stories for quite some time. I am so tickled to see Adamanta and Trotter get mentioned (also two of my favorites). Her hobbits really resonate with me. Bilbo's voice is wonderful in the series, very authentic, I think, and the way she handles his conflict is so well done. It also takes a lot of courage to step into the Pande!verse with a more humanized villain. My Dark Muse never knows what Bilbo will say and conversely, I think that Mr. Sauron provokes Bilbo in any number of ways. It's tremendously entertaining. Alei, I am wildly flattered that we drew you out of lurkdom. Lynda and UTfrog, you are familiar "faces" to me from Serinde's saga, so it's a pleasure you're following Dreamflower's and my experiment. Raksha, you sly dickens, you! :^D If I elaborate more on D.L. Sauron and his feelings toward the Holocaust, that takes me into late 20th century territory of the Pande!verse and would be a *significant* spoiler. Maybe you can wheedle a clue or two out of me during our next perambulation. On Sauron's withholding his true name from Gandalf, that's a nod back to Light Over the Mountain. Keeping his real name to himself is something of a neurotic thing, probably linked to early trauma. Thanks again, everyone! | |
| AleiTheLeaf | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2011 |
| Hi, I'm usually a lurker, but I just couldn't contain myself when I saw this! This is amazing! Seriously, two of my favorite writers are writing together!!! This is fantastic!!! I can't wait to read the rest! (Love the metaphor with the kitten and silmaril, by the way.) Sorry, I'm so excited right now that I can barely type a coherent sentence! Yours, ~AleiTheLeaf, a longtime lurker who made an account just to tell you how happy I am!!! This is awesome!!!!!! Author Reply: Hello, Alei! How nice to see something luring you out of lurkerdom! (I loved that metaphor, too, BTW!) Now that you've made acquaintance, don't be a stranger! *grin* | |