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Climbing high by Nesta	9 Review(s)
Darkover	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/11/2011
Dear Nesta: You won't get much dissent from me. Much as I enjoyed Sean Bean's portrayal of Boromir in the PJ movies, the Boromir of Tolkien's books was a lot closer to that which you have portrayed here. The bookverse Boromir had his virtues as well as his faults--he had great strength and endurance, a great deal of determination, and according to Tolkien, was always the protector of Faramir. But the Boromir of the bookverse was also quite full of himself, as an adult as well as (undoubtedly) when he was a child. And as Faramir of the bookverse told Frodo and Sam, "Always it bothered [Boromir] that his father was not king." If that isn't the exact quote, it is very close. I think you did a good job of writing this rather prophetic story. Faramir's comment at the end that their father did not really seem angry at Boromir was quite perceptive, especially for a child, and definitely in-character for him. Thank you for writing and posting this story. Sincerely, Darkover Author Reply: I always had a soft spot for Boromir, Darkover, despite being a raving Faramir fan. He's ambitious and proud, but he's got a kindly nature and he is no fool. I think that if things had worked out differently, he might indeed have made a great captain of his people, so long as he had the sense to listen to Faramir's advice. I wonder if he'd have married Eowyn...?

Rian Steelsheen	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2011
Faramir is such a cute kid! Quite the dreamer, isn’t he? It’s fun to hear him speak of the silver crown and return of the long lost king. I really imagine him like that, always marveling at things! And somehow I found Boromir’s pragmatism endearing too, in a different way than his brother is (actually I can’t help being all with Boromir this once, even if I know it is wrong. ‘Gondor has no King, Gondor needs no king’: the Stewards did do an amazing job. I’m still having troubles gulping Aragorn down. It’s so unfair!). If I had been the one in that room with my little sister, I would surely have felt tempted to sit on the throne and play queen too, just because it would be scary and thrilling and a fun game. Don’t know if I would have dared though! :) “No sound announced the avenging wrath of the Valar. No wave swept over them, not one image stirred in its stone.” I loved this line! I really don’t think Boromir is out of character. Boys do play this games and Boromir especially would be like that, I think, from how he acts when his older and from what Faramir tells us about him. Denethor with his two words appearance was just so very much Denethor! Précis, powerful, authoritative… Do you think he might have wished to be king and sit on the great throne? That’s not improbable, though I see him rather as someone who would (and does) take pride in his humility. I’ve always though the scene when we first see him, sitting in that low chair in a great hall of kings, with the magnificent throne left vacant, was very impressive and let him make a powerful first impression. On the other hand being king would assure him his position of control, which he would know is in danger if he guessed Thorongil’s identity. And perhaps he would like the recognition, particularly since he had been deprived of this by his father and people in favour of Thorongil in those days. Well, I will think more about this! :) Thanks for a beautiful little story anyway! (But still, Faramir would have made a wonderful king nonetheless. Magnificent, impressive, clever, eloquent, charismatic, just, wise, respectable, efficient. Less full of himself than Mister IamIsildursHeirEverythingBelongsToMe, more devoted to Gondor than a ranger from Arnor could ever be, and more handsome! Broods) Author Reply: Thanks for this discerning and appreciative review! As an ardent Stewardist I agree with everything you say about Faramir being kingly. He wdoesn't need a crown and a lot of pomp and circumstance to be so, either. I think 'takes pride in his humility' sums Denethor up precisely. He obviously doesn't in the least want the King to return (as Gandalf realises), and he must be well aware that the ostentatiously simple way he sits on his low chair under an empty throne has a colossal visual impact. Doubtless the Stewards always sat that way, but I bet Denethor gloried in it - as he does in wearing armoured underwear, a sort of Steward equivalent of the hair shirt. Pride - the wrong sort of pride - is his besetting sin. Boromir certainly aspired to be a king, and frankly, with Faramir to advise him I think he'd have been quite a good one: he's good-hearted, no fool though not half as brainy as his brother, and devoted to Gondor. If he likes to swagger a bit, so what? People like kings to swagger and be colourful, and Aragorn certainly enjoys it, so why shouldn't Boromir? Pity the latter wasn't born the heir of Rohan, really. He'd have loved that and played the part superbly.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/28/2006
Oh yes, definitely canonical--given the question we are told he once asked his father. But also not necessarily reflecting ill on him. He is young here, and will outgrow the youth. Sadly he doesn't really outgrow the rashness and pride. It didn't keep him from being a noble man anyway--it just made him a flawed one. Author Reply: I think that's absolutely right. Boromir was noble, but like all tragic heroes had a fatal flaw. But he paid for it in the end, and redeemed himself.

Laura	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/28/2006
Interesting. I especially like the implication of what truly lies deep in Denethor's heart. Good job. Author Reply: You fixed on the really interesting detail! Just as Faramir did, being a bright lad, and understanding his father rather better than his father would like him to. Of course, D. wouldn't let Boromir get away with such outrageous behaviour - but deep down, I think he'd feel a sneaking sympathy. Both D. and B. are chockful of pride. It isn't that they don't have a lot to be proud of, it's just that they go too far.

Linda Hoyland	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/28/2006
A wonderful insight into the differing personalities of the two boys and a chilling glimpse of the pride which will eventually destroy Boromir. Author Reply: Thanks, Linda! Sadly, Boromir does seem to have that hubris, as I think you can call it - the hubris which leads him to think he can handle the Ring. That's why I boggled so much when I was told (on EA) that themovie-makers saw Boromiw as lacking in self-confidence. Boromir?????

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/27/2006
Bravo! I deem myself an avid Gondorian fan and rejoiced in this portrayal of the men of Gondor - sons of Hurin. I like that phrase too! I agree with the others - Boromir, from your tale, seems to be of the age of reckless youth, questioning. I loved it. I think Boromir might have been in that chair a number of times - playing if nothing else. Stewards and Kings maybe. I also very much liked Faramir's personality. I think it is perfect. He would have been concerned for his brother. And very true to the moral aspect of the throne. I hoped it was an accident that sent Faramir flying - but I absolutely loved what you did with Denethor - even though he was not about to give the throne to any but the rightful king and the line of succession would have to be proved to him inviolate - he still would have held the throne as sacred. To see his son playing on it - even the beloved Boromir - would definitely rankle. Great job! I am delighted. Hope there is more? Author Reply: Thanks, Agape! There's always more. I'm not sure Boromir would make a habit of climbing on the king's throne; I think the Gondorians had built up a considerable taboo around it. I think the scene at the beginning of RoTK where Gandalf and Pippin pace through that terrible empty hall and find Denethor squatting on his 'humble' chair is one of the most impressive in the whole book (hence my fic.). Ironically, Denethor's humbling himself that way strikes me as one of the supreme manifestations of his pride: in Gondor, a mere steward is worth ten times more than anybody else's king. (Gandalf virtually says as much to Pippin when comparing Denethor to Theoden, though of course it doesn't mean that Denethor is actually the better man.) As for Boromir, he might not actually sit on the king's throne again, but he'd certainly be convinced he'd look good on it.

Radbooks	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/27/2006
I enjoyed this little tale and I'm sure that those two boys might have snuck into the throne room many times to play. :) I like Boromir as a character and don't think I ever saw him as grasping for the throne, but I know that many other people have written him that way. I guess I don't think he would have been quite so willing to have Aragorn come with him to Minas Tirith if he himself wanted the throne. I think he would have kept the heir of Isildur as far away from his city as possible if he wanted to be king. However, that does not mean that as a boy you wouldn't have those dreams. To see an empty throne and wonder what it would be like to be the ruler as a king and not just a steward. As you grow older you realize those things aren't possible. Although, I did wonder how old he was because Faramir seems to be at least ten (I really liked Faramir!!!) which makes Boromir about fifteen and a little old to be just pretending. It was a very good story and I enjoyed it very much. I think even more so because your summary made me think about the characters being canon or not! :) Author Reply: I'm fond of Boromir too, despite being a rabid Faramir fan, or perhaps because of it. I don't think Faramir could have loved and admired someone who was fundamentally unworthy. It strikes me the Prof. rather skirts round the problem of what would have happened if Aragorn and Boromir had turned up in MT together. And by killing off Boromir he prevents it from ever actually happening. Personally I think that Boromir would find it very hard to accept Aragorn lording it in Boromir's own city. Though Boromir 'treats Aragorn with honour' during the Quest, you can feel a latent tension between them, I think. Faramir certainly thinks there would have been trouble, from what he says to Frodo in TT.

Rugi	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/27/2006
I don't think this portrayal of child-Boromir is unreal or uncanonical at all. I really like that you managed to write Boromir and Faramir in a way that is both true to their ages in the story and true to their grown-up personalities later. Children are so hard to write well and you do it nicely. Also a great little cameo by Denethor - I love a conflicted Denethor - and, even with only one line (line? One word!) he acted like Denethor. Author Reply: Thanks, Rugi! I wasn't trying to make Boromir unpleasant, just over-ambitious. Certainly not being deliberately nasty to his younger brother, whom he of course loves dearly. It's just that Boromir doesn't like to have his will thwarted. From what the Prof. wrote, both in LoTR and outside it, Faramir was accustomed to giving way to Boromir - most fatefully, when Boromir got to go to Rivendell - but I can't imagine this was because Faramir was the weaker character. I think it was because whenever the two clashed Denethor would always come down on Boromir's side. On this imagined occasion, for once he doesn't.

Raksha The Demon	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/27/2006
Well now we know what precipitated the Boromir/Denethor discussion of how many years it took to make a Steward a King, to which Faramir alluded in TTT. (answer: Denethor's "Ten thousand years would not suffice.") I don't see uncharacteristic behavior by Boromir, since he seems pre-adolescent and arrogant, rather than mature. I'm not sure he'd knock Faramir down the steps, though, but then again, to Boromir's POV, Faramir is being very annoying, ruining his lovely little fantasy. Interesting story! I love it that Faramir is close to Boromir, but tough enough to resist him when he went too far. Faramir's musing about how a lost King could really be out there somewhere and could come back were rather funny, as well as touching. Author Reply: I don't think Boromir is basically a violent person; but he is ready to use force against someone who opposes his will, as he shows when confronting Frodo. I don't think even then he wanted to do Frodo any bodily harm; being 'many times Frodo's match in strength' he could have pinioned him with one arm, got the Ring off him, but left Frodo without as much as a bruise. As for throwing Faramir down the stairs, in my experience boys do this sort of thing to one another all the time. I knew a chap who had three sons who spent their whole time throwing each other against walls, furniture, etc., but it never seemed to hurt them and they are all now handsome, upstanding young men without a trace of trauma!

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