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| Jewels by Lindelea | 6 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/20/2025 |
| Lindelea! What a wonderful idea for a story! Never thought what might the Master of Buckland and the Thain of Great Smials might have felt at the disappearance of their offspring. " When his son stood before him, at first he had not recognized him, clad in shining mail and green cloak, taller than he remembered, more grim." A sobering thought and telling about how much Merry had changed. "Yet he had not come back, not the Merry who had left. Saradoc thought of the long solitary rides, the dark moods, the times he caught his son staring at nothing. He thought of the countless nights he found Meriadoc pacing the floor, unable to sleep. He missed his son's voice raised in song. And though Esmeralda tempted him with all his favorite foods, the lad was too thin." Of course Saradoc would worry. His son has came back from war. It changes you. Frodo a bad influence! LOL. Love the different perspective of a father. A lovely bit of realistic writing. Not everyone is going to have the same opinion and good writing understands! Yay! "because young Peregrin had come too. That was a relief, for Merry seldom fell into one of his silences with young Took along. The rascal had a gift for pulling Merry out of himself." NEWSFLASH: Pippin is finally recognized for his qualities. Again Yay! "He stood a long time gazing into the face of his sleeping son." Of course he did. :-)) Wonderful depiction of what those on the home front suffered! Love it! Must dash off to work. thanks for the chapter! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! Your reviews always bring a smile, and this one is no exception. How I love revisiting a story through a reader's eyes! From my earliest fanfic days, it made sense to me that Merry and Pippin didn't simply go back to "normal life" after returning to the Shire. I think even Tolkien would have admitted as such from his own experiences (and from how he decided that Frodo was too damaged to remain in the Shire but had to sail into the West to find healing). And though JRRT gave us almost no glimpses into the home front, I often find myself pondering the hobbits who were left behind, both during the year the Travellers were gone and their thoughts and feelings after the Travellers returned. Did friends and family members experience pure relief and joy? Were they inexplicably angry? Did any of the Travellers' loved ones yell at them and burst into tears and then hug them as if they'd never let them go again? How are things with you, by the way? I'm remembering that you were avoiding angst, so I must warn you that the story is a little angsty in Chapters 13 and 14 (when Frodo begins to fail and eventually sails from the Havens) and then, after a joyful stretch of narrative, the story falls off a cliff in Chapters 19 and 20, followed by gradually resolving angst (with a few ups and downs) until Chapter 34 or so, when Merry *finally* realizes what Estella means to him. I can add an "angst warning" to the story summary when I post a new chapter, but I don't think it's not possible for the chapters that are already there. Thanks for reading and for pausing to share your thoughts so generously! (((hugs))) Hope this finds you well, Lin | |
| Periantari | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/9/2025 |
| It's nice to hear Esme and Saradoc's point of views as they welcome Merry back into their lives. It must've been worrisome for them as their only son went out to the wide world but i'm glad for the last scene in which they had a good meal and some pipeweed and brandy. As adults looking over adult children they may always worry for them . Nice scenes in here -great gapfilling. Author Reply: So true that parents still worry about their adult children even though the relationship has changed and they have to respect them as fellow adults! I've long found the "home front" intriguing, though the Professor only dropped hints about what happened back home and didn't even mention how Merry and Pippin's families responded to their disappearance or reappearance! (We just got a glimpse of the Gaffer and Rosie Cotton and Freddy's reaction to seeing Pippin as he was carried out of the Lockholes.) Thanks for reading and taking time to share your thoughts! I appreciate hearing your perspective. | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 2/23/2025 |
| This is a great chapter. I’m sure it is hard for the families to adjust to the changes in their loved ones - and I don’t know how much Hobbits would even know about this kind of thing, being peace-loving as they are. I’m sure it’s good to know that even if hey can’t help him, he’s got Pippin… Author Reply: I've always seen Saradoc and Esmeralda as intuitive and empathetic. While they may not understand what their loved ones have gone through, they can see how much better Merry is when Pippin is around. (In contrast, I'm of two minds about Paladin. In one timeline, his relationship with Pippin is strained, and he's a critical father, so that his relationship with Pippin mirrors on a smaller scale Denethor's critical attitude towards Faramir; in contrast, in my alternate timeline, they have a warm, loving relationship.) Thanks for reading and pausing to share your thoughts! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/29/2006 |
| The changes must have been difficult to accept, much less appreciate. They want their sons, but what they have back are much changed and have been tried by fire. That they would bear some of the soot of the forge as yet is perhaps to be expected, I suppose. Author Reply: "much changed and tried by fire" is an insightful description, and "soot of the forge" is such an amazing word picture! Thanks! (((hugs))) | |
| Pearl Took | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 7/30/2006 |
| "He stood a long time gazing into the face of his sleeping son." This whole chapter has a very beautiful, haunting quality to it - hard to describe, and this last sentence is just perfect. Wonderfully done, Lin. Artistry. Author Reply: Thank you so very much, Pearl. (Takes one to know one.) | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 7/30/2006 |
| 'The fruit never falls far from the tree.' and 'Like father, like son.!' You can definitely see Merry's parentage in this chapter. It is awful loving so much and not being able to do anything but stand by and watch. No nightmares and sleepwalking is an excellent sign that things are slowly getting better. Author Reply: Things are getting better. I think Frodo's little talk with Merry has set him on the right path. Too bad Frodo couldn't do as much for himself. *sigh* | |