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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	11 Review(s)
hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/5/2014
Hi Fiondil :) Glorfindel's sense of duty has always amazed me. Even after dying, he seems more concerned about those in his care and the trust placed in him than in anything else. At least until Lord Námo scared him, and even then he still wants to go back for them. Interesting perspective on "arriving" in the Halls of Mandos. Námo doesn't behave as much like the "judge" here as Glorfindel was expecting, nor does he seem particularly dreadful or even angry. The doom of the Valar was a bit creepy though. Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. Glorfindel is obsessed with duty and as you continue reading this story you will see how that obsession lands him in trouble time and again. I hope you enjoy the story. Happy reading!

AmazingWriter123	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/20/2013
The way you write Namo has made him my favorite!!!! Author Reply: I'm glad to hear that, AmazingWriter. Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.

Celeth	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/11/2013
This will be my third time to read this story. The first time around I was so happy and excited to actually find a story all about Glorfindel that I simply gobbled everything up as fast as I could go. I have to admit I skipped the chapters about Finrod and Sador and everyone else that time, concentrating only on one of my favorite LOTR heroes and soaking up as much of his story as I could as fast as possible. Later on I went back over the story and read everything again, and this time around taking the time to read everything and enjoying the whole story. I first read the Lord of the Rings trilogy when an uncle gifted me with an unabridged book when I was 11 years old. I enjoyed the book thoroughly and read it over and over again until it was literally in pieces. I practically lived in Middle Earth (just the third age) for most of my teenage years; boys in school could never measure to the likes of Glorfindel and Elrond and Aragorn (shakes head). It was only when The Hobbit movie came out that I remembered to revisit the fantasy world of my teenage years (I liked the LOTR movies, but I was very disappointed because they left out Glorfindel. Then again I suppose its not that easy to find someone to play him...Brad Pitt in his Achilles character in Troy would have done nicely with a few tweaks here and there, but with the budget PJ reportedly worked with...and considering that Glorfindel only appears in a few scenes, I guess its just not possible). Anyway, I only discovered the world of fanfiction when the The Hobbit came out. So for the last four months I've been scouring the internet for fanfiction stories as well as the other LOTR books (I never thought there were so many!). I was terribly dismayed at all the slash stories :( Why can't they just find other names to work with? Still, that was how I found Elf Interrupted, so its not too bad after all. And this is getting to be very long, but I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate this story. I can see that it must have taken a lot of background research, thought, and yes, lots of love and respect for Tolkien's creations. Thank you so much for this one. And for the other stories too. Author Reply: Hi Celeth. I could certainly do without the slash stories, too, especially since most of them are just plain ludicrous and nothing more than these writers' wet dreams, as far as I'm concerned. At any rate, I was upset that PJ didn't have Glorfindel in the movie, too, so you're not the only one. grin I'm glad you have found Tolkien fanfic and are enjoying my stories (and hopefully other people's stories; there are many fine writers here on SoA and on other fanfic sites). I am grateful for you taking the time to leave a review. Enjoy your third time round with Glorfindel and his mates.

Kaylee	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
Well, meldonya, I know you've either left on your trip or will be going soon, so here it is...my beginning the re-read of EI1, with my promise to review every single chapter. So here is Glorfindel's journey...its ending and literally a new beginning...with the Consoler at his side to see him through it. And Namo does a wonderful job at that. smiles I'm glad he'll be such a support for our Balrog-slayer. Glorfi needs all the help he can get. wry grin Onward to Chapter Two! ~Kaylee!! Author Reply: It will be interesting to see how far you get before I end my journey. LOL Namo is indeed the Consoler before he is the Judge. It's his favorite role. grin

Soledad	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/19/2008
Finally found my way to this tale - took me some time, but, well, better late than never, right? It will be interesting to read about a Glorfindel who's so much younger than in my interpretation. I like your image of Námo. Looking forward how the other Valar will present themselves. Author Reply: Hi Soldedad. I'm glad you finally found this. It's never too late to read about Glorfindel! Each of the Valar will be featured over the course of the tale to one degree or another. I'm glad you like my image of Námo. He's my favorite Vala so I enjoy writing about him. Have fun reading and thanks for reviewing.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2008
I actually read the first few chapters some time ago, and am now rereading in order to post now. I'd downloaded the first few chapters during one of the moments when Hughes let me online, and then it went down for six days and I couldn't respond. Poor Glorfindel--thinking he's failed his charge; but he DOES need to rest and heal now. Author Reply: Glad you're finally reading this epic tale, Larner. grin Yes, Glorfindel does need rest and healing now, though not for as long as he really needs as we find out in the next chapter.

Tari	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/4/2008
I am FINALLy able to start reading you story and what a story it is. I already love the first chapter and can hardly wait to find out what follows. I will post a comment every two or three chapters so as not to be obnoxious. Tari Author Reply: Hi Tari! I'm glad you're able to finally begin reading this tale. Enjoy! And one can never be obnoxious posting a review (unless of course the review itself is obnoxious. grin). Review away.

Edlyn	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/6/2007
Well, now that I've read through everything you've written in this marvelous story so far by going straight through and hitting the "next" link because I just HAD to know what happened next, I'm re-reading it chapter by chapter and am going to review and offer my opinions on each. First of all, I want to tell you that I like the balanced way you describe the appearances of characters and places and things. Usually, I don't appreciate stand-alone descriptions because they tend to turn into "laundry lists" and do nothing to add to the story but your descriptions don't slow things down at all. Besides, since you are dealing with the Valar and Maiar who are only embodied when they wish to be, what they look like at a particular time seems to give clues as to their states of mind and what "job" they are doing at the time of embodiment. Now to the specifics: From the beginning of the chapter you make it clear that Glorfindel has his identity (almost) completely tied up in his ability and need to fulfil his duty to his sworn lord. His belief that he has failed in his duty because he couldn't see for himself that Idril and Eärendil made it to safety and the automatic assumption of guilt due to his "failure" makes this very apparent. I like it that Glorfindel isn't "perfect" that he's "human" with the misconceptions and purposeful self-adjusting of his personal image to allow him to deal with living with his decisions. I suspect that the extemity of his guilt response has developed because of how torn he was to have followed Turgon, caught between his need to obey the Valar and his need to obey his sworn lord. Since he decided (whether consciously or unconsciously) that his oath to his sworn lord was paramount he likely made the fulfillment of duty to his lord the proof that he was not a "bad elf." Any time he failed in what he saw as his duty the guilt he felt as he left Aman rebounded and likely increased. So the panic attack he had when he realized that Lord Námo was present is perfectly understandable. All of a sudden he "knows" that he made the wrong decision and therefore his entire identity is in question. No womder he shatters. His identity is breaking to pieces, he's terrified of the price he believes he'll have to pay for making the "wrong" choice to follow Turgon, and he only recognizes Námo as the Doomsman rather than the Comforter. The way Námo made his presence known (I can hear the gentleness and rueful amusement in his voice as I read his "Glorfindel, Glorfindel, what ever are we to do with you?") and his facing Glorfindel in his aspect of the Comforter was beautifully depicted. I can see that there would be some who he might have to greet first in his aspect of Doomsman of the Valar, but in this case and (I suspect most cases) the Comforter is what is needed more than anything else. The feeling of uncaring that washes over Glorfindel after the panic attack is over is one that I am unfortunately familiar with having been the victim of panic attacks myself from time to time. I personally have come to the conclusion that the "Nothing matters, I don't matter," aftermath is due mostly to the physical and psychological exhaustion a panic attack engenders and it's extremity of expression is a mirror of the intensity of the prior attack and the guilt that engendered it. I find I like the idea of the Fëa acting in the same manner as the body that it wore in life, especially given the centuries or even millenia that an elf was embodied. Habit is a marvelous thing, isn't it? Lastly, I was grabbed by the personality of Glorfindel from the first. I find that I truly care about him. This depiction is much more accessible to me than the "elf of garganuation power" that another author has used in her Glorfindel stories. It's much easier for me to identify with a protagonist who isn't perfect, who isn't flawless. I also decided to look up the meaning of the noun "doom" and was interested to find it doesn't necessarily mean death or ruin, but also judgment. And I know from personal experience that judgment isn't always painful but can be at it's best healing. Thank you for sharing your vision of Glorfindel's "intermezzo" between his two lives in Middle-Earth. May you lived blessed, Edlyn (Rhyselle's twin sister) Author Reply: Hi Edlyn, Thanks for this very insightful review. Of course, it helps to have read ahead to learn that Glorfndel's decision to leave Aman was not entirely his own, but certainly his personality (as I've depicted it) allows him to justify his following Turgon on the basis of his oath to him, and all else follows from this. I, too, do not like stories in which the elves are always right, always perfect and always powerful. Such characters are too two dimensional for my taste. No one, not even the Valar, is that perfect (at least I hope not g). "Doom" has lost its central meaning of 'judgment' in English, or rather the meaning has been extended to mean 'death/ruin' because judgment follows death, but 'judgment' is what the word originally meant in Old English and I prefer to use it with that meaning here. Judgment, to me, while it can be painful, or embarrassing, or even terrifying at times, is meant to be healing. I can't imagine a loving Creator allowing anything less for his Children's benefit. I am glad you like both my depiction of Glorfindel and Lord Námo. For some reason that only Eru knows (because I certainly don't), Námo has been the one Vala who has intrigued me the most. I always thought he had gotten a bad rap from the Exilic Noldor (and Tolkien). I cannot imagine any being (unless a fallen one) who has stood in the Timeless Halls before the Throne of Eru Ilúvatar and participated in the Ainulindalë not to be joyful and loving, whatever his "job". After all, what was he doing for all those countless eons before the Valar ever came to Arda to "set up shop" as it were? There was no Mandos because the Eruhíni had not yet been created. Even when the Valar first came to Arda Námo did not immediately start building the Halls of Waiting. So, what was he doing all that time? Such questions as these led me to believe that there was more to this particular Vala than meets the eye. That and the fact that he's married! I think most people tend to forget that. Can you imagine any self-respecting Valië putting up with a doom-and-gloom spouse for even one minute, much less for all of the Ages of Arda? lol

Rhyselle	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/28/2007
I've decided to go through each chapter again and tell you my feelings and thoughts on the ones I haven't reviewed before, so here goes! The thing that grabbed me first about this was Glorfindel's despair even before he was dead at having failed his charge to see Idril and Earendil to safety. He plea to go back to fulfil what he saw as his duty was heartbreaking. It's obvious that he has built his life around fulfilling his oaths and obligations, and the mental pain--the damage to his fea from what he sees as his failure is as bad, I think as what his body felt as the Balrog took him into death with it. The next thing that got me was his reaction to hearing and recognizing Namo's voice. I'd never before reading this story considered whether or not the people who followed Turgon and the other leaders to Middle Earth were doing it of their own free will. Someone with a lesser sense of duty and obligation would have turned back upon hearing the Doom of Mandos, even though their lord had forbidden it, but Glorfindel has already been shown to be the type of person that duty will come before personal preference. I love your interpretation of Namo the Consoler. In canon, we certainly don't see that aspect of him, but even as he told Glorfindel that his duty to Turgon's house was over with, he soothed and comforted him into healing sleep... an act of love that I'm sure that Glorfindel would not have expected. The parental feel of Namo's words and actions through this sequence gave me a feeling of comfort reassurance, even as they were meant to do for Glorfindel. After an introduction like this, there was no way I was not going to click the next chapter link! Author Reply: Glorfindel's character (at least in this story) hinges on his (perhaps, overdeveloped) sense of duty and obligation to oaths sworn. Yet, it isn't in the sense of "gee, I swore this oath and now I've got to fulfill it" but rather that in swearing such an oath he is free to enter into whatever duty is tied up with the oath with joy in being able to fulfill it. This is what he misses in Aman as a Reborn, the chance to live out the oaths he gave to Turgon. It's why he refuses to take oath with Arafinwë or any of the other kings of Aman. Námo's soothing and comforting Glorfindel, at the time, probably went unappreciated by the elf, but I'm sure the Lord of Mandos is used to that initial reaction from his charges by now anyway grin.

Agape4Gondor	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/15/2007
Well, I have now ready everything else you've posted here at SoA and now I am ready to read the one story that I came here to read... Elf Interrupted. Author Reply: And may you have joy in the reading.

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