News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| The Tenant from Staddle by Larner | 11 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Queen Galadriel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 4/24/2007 |
| Well, I'm back, for this chapter at least. (Cramming reading time again. I should be finishing off my pile of homework or catching up on sleep so that I can actually stay awake in class tomorrow.) Bartolo still baffles me completely. He's such a sweet, wonderful father, and yet when it comes to Frodo, it's like he becomes a completely different person, almost. I, of course, find myself thinking of "Joy," and how things turned out there, and I wonder how it will all come about here. The account of the preparations and of the journey itself was very pleasant to read, especially at the end of a day that has dragged on and on forever. The Bracegirdles are a delightful family; just love the kids. :) Ooo! And they got to travel with an Elf who obviously has no misgivings about telling them just what's what. Very cool! Must stop for tonight. Maybe I'll get caught up...eventually. Just maybe not til summer, as fourth quarter in high school is obviously crazy and hectic and jam-packed with all kinds of long projects and review for the ever-approaching end-of-course exams. I really don't think I've fully appreciated that fact till now, having been homeschooled from fourth grade till the second semester of this year. I shall return ASAP. God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Barti is, after all, very much a Bracegirdle, and we haven't yet found out just what he has against Frodo--only the knowledge it probably goes back to that summer visit to Aunt Lilac's in the South Farthing. But I, too, find I like his family, especially Petunia and Persivo. I think you'll appreciate them even more as you go along. I've been working more on this story lately, and just got chapter eighteen posted, as you probably noticed. And I would think going from homeschooling to public school for second semester in high school must be culture shock of the worse sort. I admire you for your perseverence. I, too, need to get to bed soon--working all nights weekends throws off my sleep patterns all week long, it seems. And Gildor's son must have taken great delight in letting Bartolo know that Bilbo and Frodo are so honored outside the Shire. | |
| Radbooks | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/27/2007 |
| I enjoyed this chapter, it was nice to catch up with the characters again. (I've been holding off on reading until I finished writing my own chapter - which I finally did!) Anyway, I liked Bartolo getting his way with his wife... telling her he wanted to leave early when he really didn't plan to leave until after second breakfast... that was funny. I was surprised that they didn't meet a Ranger! Here I was expecting that and you introduced us to an elf, instead. I liked him and I was glad that the hobbits all got to meet him. Author Reply: Oh, I'm glad you liked Glorinlas. I introduced him in "Reunion," and felt he would in the end be the one who should begin to let Bartolo's family know Frodo isn't seen as just any Hobbit. And Bartolo does know his wife and family, after all. And now I guess I get to go to the other site and catch up on Thomas and Rebecca? Nice! | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 1/19/2007 |
| Bartolo's family is fantastic. They have such strong personalities, and it's great fun to see them all bustling around, working in the kitchen and on the farm, worrying about clothes and traveling food. Author Reply: So glad you like the family, French Pony. I find I rather like them, too, although at the moment both Begonia and Alyssa are a bit vacuous--although they ARE young yet, and haven't had to do much to deal with others as yet. | |
| Antane | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/16/2006 |
| “Then they are heroes, Frodo and Bilbo, and Frodo’s gardener friend?” The Elf smiled. “As are Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck. But the same is true of all who stood against Mordor’s might at the end, for all offered themselves as shield to the rest of Middle Earth. All are to be honored Exactly! There are so many heroes in that story. Merry Christmas if I don't talk to you before then! Christ is Born! Glorify Him! Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: It was the combination of the efforts of all who stood against the Shadow that brought it down in the end. Frodo and Sam couldn't have done it without the efforts of everyone else. And the Light ever returns to us at the darkest times. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/16/2006 |
| Finally enough time to write a proper review ... Was grinning a lot during the beginning of the chapter. It reminds me so much of some relatives who tend to pack much more clothes than necessary. My aunt once told me *after* the holidays she always knows *half* of the clothes would have been enough. She would be so upset if someone told her "only two very nice dresses for two weeks" *grin* Wonder if it is a female trait? (Though I am not as bad ...) My brother is the opposite - to go on a six week trip he started packing five hours before the beginning of the flight. Love to see Bartolo with his family - what a contrast to his behaviour with Frodo! His family and the way they're going along with each other are saying a lot about him. And even if Frodo didn't want Bartolo to know too much about the Quest, I see he will not being able to prevent it, either. Being told by an elf about all that is going to make an impression on Bartolo, I believe, maybe even more so as he seems to have thought the elves don't exist. Not to mention the confirmation that Bilbo's tales aren't made up, but more likely a bit tuned down to not frighten his audience, and that Frodo *is* a Lord of all the Free People of Middle-earth. I have to admit, for me it is very satisfying to see that Bartolo is told more and more about all that and in the end probably forced to come to honour his cousin. Now I look forward to the meeting of the two lawyers. Author Reply: Barti is basically a decent fellow--just a bit too much a Bracegirdle and Lobelia's nephew to fully appreciate old Mad Baggins and his unpredictable "nephew," particularly when he had it in mind he might end up eventually with Bag End for his own family. He does love his family, after all. But when you're traveling by coach and have seven family members, SOME limits must be made to keep the lasses from filling the coach and leaving no room for the family. Barti will be learning more than either he or Frodo had intended he should learn. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/15/2006 |
| Rushing the packing! Limiting the number of dresses! Bartolo is a brave hobbit. One with good management skills. That first sight of an elf must have been rather disconcerting - and his attitude to the Travellers instructive. Bartolo might well end up having to respect Frodo - that'll go against the grain! Definitely a good thing to avoid those barrows, though. Author Reply: Well, they are going to have to do things quickly to arrive before the twenty-eighth, so things will have to be rushed. And I think that Bartolo is pretty capable, and has good and positive control over his family--when Delphie isn't managing him, at least. But he's being realistic, and the rest of the family recognizes it. Yep, their first Elf, and they are beginning to realize that what the Travellers did was considered very important to the outer world, and perhaps beyond what they know was done within the Shire. And in the end there will be good reason for Bartolo to respect Frodo, willy nilly, of course. Thanks so much for the feedback, Bodkin. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/13/2006 |
| So many Hobbits just don't seem to get it what Frodo and Sam did for them. Author Reply: Well, Tolkien indicated that few in the Shire wanted to know what the Travellers had done "out there," and honored Merry, Pippin, and Sam far more than they did Frodo. It's unlikely many really understood what they really did for all of Middle Earth. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/13/2006 |
| Wow! Frodo told Bartolo only a little about his journey and let him promise to keep it secret. I don't know how much the lawyer really believed of it then. But now he meets an Elf, not only some Elf, but the son of Gildor. And that Elf tells him about "Lord Frodo"! That must have been a real shock for Bartolo! However, he's just arrived in Bree. And I think, there will be much more surprises for him. I'm looking forward to reading more :) Author Reply: Bartolo is unwilling to think of his wife's cousin as a hero, and has had just enough hints to realize perhaps he doesn't want to know what the four Travellers did outside the Shire. But he's having to learn more. | |
| SurgicalSteel | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/13/2006 |
| This was nice - good to see Bartolo becoming aware of just how important the actions of Frodo and the others were, interesting trip through the Barrow Downs. And of course Bartolo's more likely to believe the story from an Elf than from a Ranger. Another excellent chapter! Author Reply: Yes, he's beginning to understand. And you and Dreamflower are right--it's harder to pass over the words of an Elf than a Man. Thanks for the review, SS. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 13 on 12/13/2006 |
| *grin* What a perfect encounter! Bartolo might have been able to pass over anything told him by a Ranger, but a real Elf? No, he's been given more than enough to chew on, even if he won't like it. And Persivo, I think, will have benefitted greatly from this encounter. And I am sure that it must have made Delphie feel good to hear her kin spoken of so highly. Learning that Bilbo's stories were, in fact, true, except perhaps for the old fellow downplaying his own part in things, would have meant a lot to her. And, yes, Bartolo can begin to see how hard it would have been for Frodo and the others to explain themselves to hobbits who were clueless! Author Reply: I'm certain many were convinced that most of Bilbo's stories of his journey to the Lonely Mountain were made up, or at least exaggerated. But now these know they weren't, and that there was a deeper significance to Bilbo's experiences than a mere adventure. Bilbo was named an Elf-friend as well as being honored by the Dwarves, and the word is finally trickling in that more important than the fooling and death of the dragon is the example of integrity shown by the Hobbit. And then to be told Frodo's own unreported adventures were even more important, and that all four are seen "out there" as great heroes, as great as the Men who reportedly fought in the not-understood war, would have been a bit of a shock, and will mean a great deal to Delphie and her children. And Bartolo needs to begin to realize there is a reason why the Travellers speak so little of what they actually did. | |