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A Took by Any Other Name by Lindelea	9 Review(s)
Ariel	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/11/2005
While I assume you wanted to get this lovely and very in character dialog into this scene, I found Pippin's very sudden (and strangely complete) recovery after being 'dead' to be a bit unrealistic. While I know you shy from really biting angst, I would suggest, if you ever tinker with this one, to put a bit of time in after he 'returns to life' to let his body rest and recover before he begins talking so coherently. After the fever, and especially after his heart stopped and then started again, he would be EXHAUSTED and would likely only be conscious for a brief time, if that. He'd need to sleep and build up the energy the fever, trauma and cold water would have sucked out of him. Just MHO, of course. Author Reply: Good point. Will consider it for the rewrite. Might even put back some background that was cut, for it might require spinning off another chapter. Upon consideration, I remember that enervating feeling of jumping in a cold lake after a steamy sauna. Thanks!

Anso the Hobbit	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/8/2005
Oh, such greif! The dream/conversatioin between Pippin and Merimac was highly interesting. It was interesting to see a Brandybuck getting to see the future, but it probably was just as he was dying. I am very glad he didn`t get the nes and stayed but I am sorry Merimac is dead now. You wrote him well. Please continue soon! Author Reply: Yes, Merimac was shown the future as he died, and a possible future as well (sort of like Galadriel's mirror, which I think she said showed things that might be? I forget). Thanks!

Hai Took	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
Poor Saradoc, to loose his brother although things were nearly a great deal worse! I can't imagine what Diamond must have been thinking, to be a widowed mother to be would be terrible! Pippin was a great deal like himself. It was interesting that his dream was about what Merimac had seen. Does he remember nothing then about speaking to Merimac? I do hope he remembers part of it at least! Looking forward to more! Hope it is soon! ;) Author Reply: Missed replying to this. Yes, things were nearly a great deal worse! And I was sad to lose Merimac as well, but his death in this year is at least consistent with JRRT's genealogy. Otherwise the story would have needed a great deal of re-writing and possibly amnesia on the part of some character(s)! (If only to keep Pippin ignorant of Ferdi's plight, since it's already well-established elsewhere). Thanks!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
Nice awakening, and glad to see Pippin back in his right mind, although that he forgot his vision is a bit troubling. He knows Merimac is gone, and will need to accept that and the rest of the implications soon. Author Reply: In this chapter he doesn't exactly realise that Merimac is gone... the revelation came fairly early, during the confusion, and they stopped talking about it quickly. I don't think he ever twigged, but of course they'll have to tell him. After you read the Epilogue (due to post next) let me know if you think more of the bridging material ought to be added, as an intermediate chapter between this and the Epilogue. We cut out quite a bit of stuff as "background" because it rather spoilt the balance of the story. (Anticlimactic, if I spelled that right).

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
So Pippin only remembers part of his dream then. I had thought that Faramir was getting his name thanks to a word from Merimac, but now, I wonder what you have in store. Loved Pippin complaining about the bath and coming out of his fever complaining. Loved this line. ‘Lost me? In a tub?’ Pippin said, amazed. ‘You weren’t looking very hard, then.’ Laughed out loud at that one and others as well but I really shouldn't copy and paste the entire chapter now should I? I felt so sorry for Merry and Saradoc having to be both sad and happy without letting Pippin see it. I do love this one! Author Reply: Well, you shall see in the Epilogue. Am trying to infuse a little bit of an air of mystery, as you'll see. Sort of a "just where did I hear that?" feeling. Glad you've enjoyed this story. Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. Think good thoughts if you don't mind. I'm sort of at a loss, with this story finishing. The notes and outline and draft chapters for "Thain" were lost, and we're having to re-create everything from memory, and it's a painful process. It's one reason why the updates on that story have been few and far between. I would almost rather write a whole new story than try to re-create something I already wrote.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
Well, no, he doesn't remember much, except the most important part. Though it would also be nice if he could remember his mother's message. I wonder what Paladin's and Eglantine's reaction to Merimac's passing will be? I loved the ending: seedcake and apple tart for breakfast (along with everything else, of course). How very hobbity! Author Reply: Well, we'll see about his mother's message... I like to have pumpkin pie for breakfast, the day after Thanksgiving. Had apple pie for breakfast once, but we don't often have apple pie left over. Still the Epilogue to come!

Connie B.	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
So, Pippin doesn't remember his near-death experience? He did remember dreaming the events Merimac described though. Interesting. Now I curious to see what happens. Does it really take four more years for Pippin to make things right with Ferdi? I probably should know this, but my brain is not functioning well at all thanks to this cold/flu thing that I've picked up from my daughter. Thanks. Looking forward to more. Connie B. Author Reply: Poor thing! hugs It really does take four more years! All my stories spring from Tolkien's timeline: Pippin marries seven years after returning from the Quest, he has Faramir ten years after, and he becomes Thain fourteen years after (the year Farry turns four). And from "Flames" we know that Pippin sent birthday presents back to the Smials, and from "Jewels" we know that he had a cautious reconciliation with his father, though it appears his mother did not travel to see him (I will have to check that more carefully). In any event, it seems Paladin did not see fit to inform his son of Ferdi's circumstances; either he didn't want to use that to force Pippin back to the Smials, or he was deluded enough by that time not to think of Ferdi. (Have been working out things with editor-friend and we've pretty well decided that Paladin suffered a series of small strokes over the years, diminishing his decision-making ability and likely his ability to reason as well. You know how your blood pressure skyrockets when you lose your temper? Blood vessels in the brain can leak under such pressure, and such leaks do subtle damage.) In any event, it takes four more years... and Pippin is incredibly grieved when he finds out the damage he's done. Thanks.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
Poor Ossilan - I shouldn't think he knows whether he's coming or going. What with Merimac, Saradoc and Pippin - and then there's Diamond about to give birth. He must be rather wishing he'd taken on a quieter posting. Trust Pippin to rouse up in full form, though - not happy to wake up and moan gently, he has to revive in mid-jest. His remembered part of the NDE is enough to keep him going back to Tookland, which is probably to the good - except for Ferdi, of course, but it's a shame that he didn't remember the part about his mother loving him. (Speaking as one, of course.) I must say I could do without seedcake or apple tart for breakfast - but then, my hobbit credentials are definitely lacking. I'm happy to see a relieved, if sorrowful, Merry, Diamond and Estella. If one had to die, better it should be Uncle Badger than our hero, who has yet a lot to do. Author Reply: Poor Ossilan--he probably thought he dodged the bullet (what would a hobbity term be?) when he went to be healer to the Brandybucks rather than to the Tooks! Pippin never does things by halves, does he? We do so love to write him as "larger than life" even if he is little more than half-sized, by some measure. Poor Uncle Badger, I've grown quite fond of the cheerful curmudgeon.

Saoirse	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005
O, I just loved that metaphor with Paladin and the plough-pony -- excellent! And O, how sweet... Merry and Pippin do have lovely lasses to look after them (I'd like to find something written from their perspectives someplace, it would be quite interesting to see solely their lady-hobbit observations on their (sometimes) stubborn and silly husbands. :) Great job! And another thing... I love this: ' ‘Pippin!’ Diamond said again. Estella raised her head from Merry’s to look, and then she began to whisper urgently in her husband’s ear. Merry looked up slowly, his face ravaged by grief and self-blame, not daring to hope' It was from the last chapter but I remembered it and wanted to say I liked it. Keep up the wonderful work :) Author Reply: Thank you! It is always nice to hear what people love (or don't love, for that matter, though the latter is more helpful than "nice", really... LOL). I would love to write from their perspective, but I haven't heard their voices whispering in that way, yet. The closest I've come is from the narrator's point of view, in "A Small and Passing Thing", when Estella makes her transformation from "Tilly" back to "Estella" again.

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