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| Jewels by Lindelea | 3 Review(s) |
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| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/18/2007 |
| I read your response to Pearl's review - I agree the relationship between Pippin and his father is a sad one, but so true in real life that parents and children don't always understand each other. I noticed two edits in this chapter from the original that are pertinant to the discussion, the first being Saradoc's ruminations on how his friendship with Paladin foundered and died, victim of Paladin's response to the stress of the Thainship, a job he really never wanted, a job that came with more pressures than he was equipped to manage, and further destroyed by what I see as Saradoc's disapproval of how Paladin managed his rascal of a son. I don't know if you want to point Pearl to Knitting Socks, a very early story not on this site, where Pip and Paladin have given up on each other immediately prequest; it also speaks of Pip's relationship with Merry's parents. I think some of the things you've written since don't have exactly the same tone, but then this is an early story as well. (The other edit I noticed clarifies that Paladin did know that Merry and Pip were responsible for the missing teeth, and when not in their presence was able to rejoice in their prank. It's too bad we can say to others what we can't say to those closest to us.) Teach your children well, Their father's hell did slowly go by, And feed them on your dreams The one they picked, the one you'll know by. Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you would cry, So just look at them and sigh and know they love you. By the way, I am intrigued by the mention of new stories on the horizon, and totally tantalized by the thought of a whole folder of stories in a sort of Lindelea-AU universe, that might keep us reading for a long while more! Author Reply: True, this is one of the earliest, and Socks came not too long after. That's one reason why this one is being revised, and Socks in on the list for revision (why it's not posted here) to bring it more into line with the later stories. Ah, I love that song, bittersweet as it is. Lovely harmonies. Very sharp of you, to catch the edits! Ah, yes, "Farry and Ferdi go to Gondor" has been in the works a long time, along with a story of Marcho and Blanco, another of Bandobras, and the "new" story that popped up when I wasn't writing at all, but tantalised me when I was ill and exhausted, about Pippin's matchmaking on Nell and Ferdi's behalf. And I'd love to finish the story of Hally and Rosemary one of these days... As to that folder of possible AUs, it's there, waiting. However, some of the characters would be so very different, because of differences in other characters. I cannot quite imagine Ferdibrand, for example, or Reginard. In my brain they are the same people, only living in a parallel universe with a different history. Interesting problem. Author Reply: am rambling now, way too short on sleep. And then there's the story of Freddy and Mellie's move south, though I'd need a whole lot of medical advice/research for that one, to work out just what the Houses of Healing could do for a ticky heart that the local Shire healer couldn't do... | |
| Pearl Took | Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/17/2007 |
| *sigh* I oughtn't have read this. How can you bear to have them be this way? It takes all the joy out of being a Took. Ah well. We all have our different takes on the lives of our hobbits. And I haven't read your story where I think you said you explain why your Paladin is so horrid. *sigh* It just breaks my heart as I don't think you ever allow him any redemption. As I recall he dies with Pippin still hating him. You do write beautifully, dear Lin, I just wish I didn't take the subject to heart so badly. Author Reply: *sigh* Am on my way to bed but will try to append a couple of links. Pippin grows in wisdom and does not die hating his father, I'm glad to say, though he establishes firm boundaries and will not cross them; thus, he never goes back to the Tookland while his father is living, but they do meet and talk when Farry is about two years old, and make as much peace as they can. And yes, there is redemption, even for a stubborn old hobbit and an independent young one. But the link will have to wait for morning, for I have only one eye half-open. *hugs* Bless you for being brave enough to read, and bold enough to speak. Author Reply: p.s. if you were to read "A Healer's Tale" you'd see a young, unencumbered, and loving Paladin, before becoming Thain stole his joy. In "Pearl of Great Price" you see some of the strains on Paladin, and in "Thain" they become even clearer, though it is more Pippin's story than Paladin's; and "Thain" shows how Paladin loved his son even though he didn't always know what to do. I've talked about this with Marigold before, and in a folder I have an entirely different cycle of Shire stories where the Thainship is completely different, and Paladin and Pippin have a warm and loving relationship that doesn't change when Pippin is twenty-five, but continues to Paladin's death. Someday perhaps I'll be able to write those stories, but the Muse is sort of stuck in the current cycle until we reach some sort of finishing point. (Finishing "Thain", for one, and another story of Ferdi and Nell that drafted itself a few months ago, and "Ferdi and Farry go to Gondor" which is three-quarters written, and possibly the story of Ferdi's sister, which was started but laid gently on the shelf some time ago.) And just to let you know, it breaks my heart, too, and yet it gives great scope for exploring relationships and for character development, hard-hearted as that may sound. But a few specific links tomorrow, truly, if all goes well. (And if you haven't completely lost confidence in me. Yikes.) Author Reply: It seems I get most of my computer time these days when I can hardly keep my eyes open. Up past bedtime, and the alarm's due to ring in 5 hours. I've got to hit the pillow. It struck me that one of the links I was going to paste here is a later chapter in this very story. Another chapter I meant to link to--where Pippin looks in the Yellow Book on his first evening as Thain, and finds that his father has not only not crossed his name out of the Book, but wrote in Faramir's name to celebrate his grandson's birth; and in another scene speaks with joy to Eglantine about their son--is in a story that's been taken offline. That's not much help. But in short, Paladin was a loving father--perhaps too loving, unwise in indulging Pippin and allowing his wife and daughters to spoil him, making the lad difficult as a tween. And then Paladin never expected to be Thain. His grandfather had renounced the Thainship when he'd left the Great Smials, but somehow the paper was lost. It was a terrible surprise to Paladin to hear that he'd follow Ferumbras. And then when he took over the Tookland, he found that the Thain's fortune had disappeared, and he had next to no money to accomplish his duties. He got bad advice, to go on and pretend as if nothing was wrong, and it was a terrible strain. It didn't help that Pippin was not acting as his father's prop and stay, but rather getting into scrapes and generating gossip with his actions. And then the last straw: Paladin had hopes for Estella's dowry, to help the financial situation, and then Pippin had to fall in love with the daughter of a comfortable (but not wealthy) farmer! When Pippin refused to return to the Great Smials, it tore the heart out of him. Worse, he flew into a rage, and burst a small blood vessel. The resulting stroke changed him greatly. However, he never stopped loving his son; he just didn't know how to let Pippin be himself, and that's why Pippin maintained his distance for the rest of Paladin's Thainship. That probably doesn't help you much, but it's the storyline that runs through *this* version of Shire stories, though not the (unpublished as yet) alternate version. Author Reply: I got your email, and the Muse is chewing over the contents... no time for writing , the next day or two, but that'll give it time to percolate in the back of my brain. *hugs* | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 9/17/2007 |
| Having a grandmother who sought ever to keep us within the mold she thought we must fit, I can certainly appreciate Pippin's frustration with his father. Author Reply: Know what you mean. (wince) | |