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GamgeeFest's Keepsakes by GamgeeFest	10 Review(s)
Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 2/24/2007
To have carried that thing so very long as he did. What a great grief it must have been, to realize that with Its loss he had lost to much of his sense of self. Author Reply: Frodo truly is naked in every sense of the word following the destruction of the Ring. He might have been able to deny it for a while, but eventually the truth of it would be too burdensome for him to bear.

Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 11/30/2006
I was thinking about you today, and I remembered I'd missed some of these. This is oh! so sad! Beautiful and poignant imagery, and how well you show what Frodo must have felt. I think he must have had his moments of rare joy for a time after the Ring was destroyed, but as you said in replies to other reviews, the feelings of detachment, of not recognising himself, would increase. I kept expecting someon to come in, Sam or one of his cousins, and I guess I hoped they could comfort him. But what can anyone say? God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: I think at first his moments of joy would have outweighed him moments of detachment, but over time that would have flipped. While they were in Minas Tirith he could at least pretend to ignore the changes in himself. Once they returned to the Shire though and he was again surrounded by everything familiar and comfortable, he would have been immediately accosted by how alien and disquieting it now was, not only because of the Scouring but because he felt scoured within himself. The Shire was able to heal and prosper again but Frodo could not. He sees a glimpse of that in Minas Tirith, he's wise enough to understand what it means. When I intially wrote this, I wasn't sure where to place it, and I was still debating the matter when I posted it here. Now, I think I would place it concurrent with "A Humble Gift" so that this would take the place the same afternoon that Pippin gets his horn. In this way, Frodo can enjoy a little bit of healing, or at least comfort, when Pippin returns that night and blows the horn for them.

Antane	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 11/11/2006
Yes, indeed, this must have been what it was like. :( You bring up a lot of things I hadn't considered before in this light before, like the mirror that reflects nothing and the shard removed from near his heart, but then that other deadly thing placed right over it. He was chosen and no one else could have borne it, but what pain to be ground into dust and not have enough of himself left to return to at the end. No wonder he had to leave. Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Frodo may have survived the Quest but not by much. That he remained so long in Middle Earth after the Quest really shows his inner strength, even while his physical strength was diminished. He is feeling detached right now, which is only natural. Unfortunately, those feelings of detachment will continue to linger until he leaves for the Undying Lands. What he says when he returns to the Shire is so telling, that he sees everything around him as happening in a dream. To find the Shire scoured would only compound that feeling. He could never be at home there again.

Althea	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 11/6/2006
The last lines emhasize beautifully how much of himself Frodo has lost. Author Reply: It's not surprising, after everything he experienced and his lack of memory about the last days of the Quest, that Frodo would have feelings of detachment. He is removed from everything around him, including himself, and he has difficulty connecting with his friends and the strange City of Men he now finds himself in because of it. By the time he returns to the Shire, he is so lost in his disillusionments that he still cannot reenter the life he had left behind.

Bodkin	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/28/2006
Poor Frodo. It'll take until he gets to Tol Eressea before he begins to see that the essential him is still untouched, I think. All he can see at the moment is how much he has lost. Author Reply: And he has lost quite a lot. That coupled with the shell shock, it's no wonder he can hardly recognize himself at times and that the world around him appears to be dimmed somehow. He has a long road to recovery and he won't truly begin to heal until he sails West.

RenaissanceGrrl	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/21/2006
tear My poor sweet Frodo. (Should be for the Ring TO be placed so, BTW.) Author Reply: One of these days, I think I'll have to write a happy!Frodo story. I really do owe it to the little guy. :)

demeter d	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/21/2006
Indeed, at the end his eyes must have reflected the emptiness he felt. i liked the "atmosphere", the moods of the descriptions of the various rooms where he looked in mirrors. I felt like I was there. nicely done! Author Reply: That Frodo was able to remain in Middle Earth for so long after the Quest is in itself a miracle. The Ring took nearly everything from him and on his 'bad' days he would feel that emptiness more keenly than on his 'good' days. Thank you so much for commenting on the rooms! They are very much a part of the story, so as each room becomes more furnished and full, Frodo becomes more exposed and hollow. I'm so glad you enjoyed this and that you felt like you were there with Frodo! I love to hear that! :)

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/20/2006
Oh, I can indeed see Frodo going through all this thought and consideration, emptied by his quest and wondering if EVER he might look again at being refilled. Excellent imagery, and so very close to much of my own imaginings. Author Reply: The Ring took everything from Frodo over the course of the Quest and the closer they got to Mt. Doom. While he might have originally felt elated at waking up in Cormallen, it could not have been long before the feelings of emptiness and disorientation started to naw at him again. I'm glad you agree with this assessment of Frodo's state of mind at this point in his life.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/20/2006
I've never seen this before, and it is oh, so so sad! I love the way you describe the surroundings in such minute detail, as Frodo sees so clearly everything around him, and yet doesn't really see himself any longer. Beautiful job! Author Reply: Thank you Dreamflower! I'm glad you were able to pick up on the relation of Frodo's surroundings to himself. I thought that might be too vague. As Frodo's surrounding become more furnished and realized, Frodo loses more and more of himself. I do think that Frodo would have some sort of detachment syndrome along with his PTSD, and would not be able to recongnize himself or know who he is anymore.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 8/20/2006
Now that was brillant! I loved Frodo's thoughts and that last look in the mirror. Well done, again! Author Reply: What can I say, I've been feeling angsty lately and this story just sort of called to me. I was glad to have the chance to expand on it a little and get more into Frodo's head during this time in his life. Thank you for the lovely review!!

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