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| Number Three, Bagshot Row by GamgeeFest | 7 Review(s) |
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| nancylea57 | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/4/2008 |
| i like your take on sams background i had never seen his fathers courting days and now i wish there was more. Author Reply: There is next to no Hamfast/Bell stories out there, which is unfortunate. They're such a loving and affectionate couple, to have raised such wonderful children. | |
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/28/2006 |
| Even after all these years, if he closed his eyes while outside in the rain and concentrated hard enough, he could almost think he was back in that long ago day, looking down at his Bell as she smiled up at him, reaching out to catch her parasol that, even to this day, leaned against the wall beside the chair in his bedroom, just in case he needed it. *wipes eyes* Beautiful. You portray this family so beautiful, and I've come to love them all more deeply, for all I've only been reading for maybe a little less than an hour. And I think maybe I don't mind Bell having died while the children were so young after all. :) God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: The Gaffer is a big soft teddy bear beneath his rough and gruff exterior, and he's always sure to show it to his children. He has to be both mother and father to them, and that would have made him softer and more open during these quiet moments at home. And of course, any time the kids can hear stories of their mother, they'll listen, even if they've heard it a hundred times before. Thanks for reading and for the lovely review! | |
| RenaissanceGrrl | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/13/2006 |
| Oh, the SAP! The WaFF! I loved it. Author Reply: And I remember what WaFF means! It's so nice to see the grouchy old Gaffer being sweet and mushy for a change. Thanks for the review! | |
| Isilhen Daegol | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/31/2005 |
| Oh, how sweet. Bell seems so happy and carefree. That's such a nice story. And I love how Sam wanted to hear about his mother, and how they all know the story by heart. It's just beautiful. Author Reply: Bell was a good match for steadfast Hamfast. Where he's strict, she's more lenient. Where he's practical, she's whimsical. All the children love hearing stories about their mother, hence why they know the story so well. It's unfortunate that the Fates took Bell away from her family so soon, but her memory will live on for many more years to come. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/11/2005 |
| What a sweet, dear story! I just adore your Gaffer--he's such a lovely person, and such a good father! And I could just imagine young Bell as he described her. “Oh, I’m sure she regretted it plenty,” Gaffer laughed, “but she put up with me anyway. Remember that lads, when you start courting. Romance and passion are all well and good, but if ‘ee want to be happy into yer elder years, ‘ee’d be better off marrying a lass as can tolerate you. Adoration only goes so far.” A very wise and excellent bit of matrimonial advice. Really, it goes both ways, and marriages these days would last a lot longer if people paid heed to it. Author Reply: The image of the Gaffer in love and so nervous around his lass is an appealing one, as is the image of him indulging his children in one of their favorite stories for what is possibly the thousandth time. A good father, and a good husband, is Hamfast Gamgee. :) Yes, that advice does go both ways, as does the advice he gives his daughters. While you do need to think about yourself, in a marriage its much more important to do what is best for the relationship. We've lost track of that somehow. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/11/2005 |
| Beloved, blessed Bell, whom we know only through her impact on her husband and son in the Master's works. Lovely she sounds in this, and a worthy mother of her son. Author Reply: Bell would have been proud of her son had she lived to see the day of his return from the Quest. Of course, she would have been proud of Sam had he done nothing more than tend the gardens his entire life. How unfortunate that she was taken away from her family so soon, before her youngest children could really know her. I imagine that Sam inherited many of her qualities, most especially his loyalty and protectiveness. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 12/11/2005 |
| How lovely! You beautifully capture a child's need to hear the same story over and over, and enjoy it every single time. And you bring such "humanity" to the Gaffer! These are my two favorite passages: “Oh, I’m sure she regretted it plenty,” Gaffer laughed, “but she put up with me anyway. Remember that lads, when you start courting. Romance and passion are all well and good, but if ‘ee want to be happy into yer elder years, ‘ee’d be better off marrying a lass as can tolerate you. Adoration only goes so far.” “For 'ee girls, I tell 'ee this: find a lad who’ll do everything he can to make 'ee happy, even if he ain’t always successful.” Author Reply: I'm bound and determined to bring humanity to the Gaffer. He's too often portrayed as a mean, even abusive, father, and I don't see him like that at all. He clearly loves Sam, and by extension the rest of his children, and if he ever does have "harsh words" to say to them, that's no different than any other parent scolding a child when its needed. So my Gaffer is a big fluffy teddy bear underneath that somewhat gruff exterior. ^_^ Children do love to hear the same stories, as do all hobbits in general. Any story about their mother they would especially love, and this one is far and above their favorite to hear, even if the boys do tease from time to time. | |