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| The Understanding of a Father by Ellie | 12 Review(s) |
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| Galathil | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/19/2022 |
| Hi Ellie. I hope you get my review. I have just come across your wonderful story.I miss your stories and hope some day. You and your muse will come back. Galathil | |
| Gwidhiel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/3/2008 |
| Wow, this is a very interesting depiction of Glorfindel, and I'm amazed at how closely it parallels some of the ideas I've had about him. I think it was especially insightful to realize that the Elves would need to be explicitly shown that they could not rely upon courtesies when fighting Morgoth's minions. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/22/2007 |
| Yes, this is the love Glorfindel needs at the moment to more completely heal, as the two fathers who have been bereaved hold one another, the son who now fully appreciates the grief his father has known because he has felt it, too, reassured that it is natural, the very grief he himself is knowing, and that grief itself is understood as he now understands that of his father. Author Reply: There were many understandings which came to pass in this story as father and son came to realise many things. I really like Glorfindel's father. I hope the muse strikes again with another tale about him. Thanks for reading and reviewing! | |
| Fiondil | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2007 |
| Hi Ellie, Wow! What a powerful piece. Glorfindel and Finrod teaching the Amaneldi how to fight — wish I'd thought of that! *grin*. A very poignant look at the effects of war on all parties, even when that war has yet to be fought. And very timely given the state of Arda today. Thank you for sharing such a wonderfully hopeful story of reconciliation between a parent and child. Author Reply: Thanks! I'm glad you didn't think of this since I wrote this story in November and had to wait until the contest was over before I could post it anywhere other than the contest location. The effects of war on all parties are very difficult to cope with and difficult to understand. I'm fascinated by the relationship between famous sons and little heard of fathers of late so this story just begged to be written. Thanks for reading, enjoying, and reviewing! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/12/2007 |
| It's interesting to see Glorfindel with a family - and not only a wife and children and brothers, but also parents! And seen from his father's point of view. And it would be so hard to prepare the Valar's host to confront the abominations of Morgoth - how can they possibly understand what awaits them? So many must have been killed in their first skirmishes, before they really began to understand the difference between tournaments and war. It's odd when the roles of parent and child change round - but that's part of gaining experience. Glorfindel's father can see shared experience in his son - as well as knowledge from which his son would like to shield him. I hope the father returns physically whole. He will not be unchanged. Author Reply: I enjoy writing about characters who are not often explored. I imagined that Glorfindel's father would have been a very loving and charismatic elf to have sired and raised such a wonderful son. I agree that the troops of Valinor were totally unprepared for the realities of life in Middle-earth away from the protection of the Valar and smack in the middle of a vicious war. Thanks for commenting on the twisting around of roles between father and son:-) I tried very hard to show how this helped each to finally understand the other and his feelings more fully. The father would be changed when he returned, but he will definintely be closer to his sons and even more understanding of them. Thanks for reading and reviewing! | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2007 |
| I like this look at Glorfindel and the family you've given him - brothers, wife, children, nieces and nephews, and parents who clearly love him very much, but are bewildered by how changed he is since last they saw him. The four elves training the others for the War of Wrath is really eye-opening. For Glorfindel to willingly hurt his father in the hopes of helping him survive the real battles to come speaks much to his strength of character. There is no fighting fair or honor when dealing with the forces of evil. The insight at the end -the sudden understanding - was well done. Author Reply: I think that so many of the characters in the Silmarillion who are just mentioned here and there had a great depth of history about them just waiting to be explored. I also think that it must have been incredibly frustrating for the returned sesoned warriors to have to try to make the green troops in Valinor see reason and understand the unthinkable. This is esecially brought out if you think about how Feanor was banished for drawing a sword on his brother in anger - and here Glorfindel punched his father in front of everyone and he meant to do it. Thansk for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed my little tale. | |
| Redheredh | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2007 |
| Nice to see this story here and a 'well done' for you! Author Reply: Thank you for all of your help! I was unable to rally the energy to continue making changes much beyond the last time we talked and you beta-ed due to health issues on my part and a resulting total lack of energy (I'm still not well and probably won't be until August when the cause of all of this finally shows up:-) ). I hope you are pleased with the final version of this story - especially since your name is attached to it. Thanks for your time and wonderful efforts as my beta! Hugs, Ellie | |
| Klose | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2007 |
| Very nice! I admit that I was a bit skeptical when I began reading, but you've very skillfully weaved all sorts of emotional threads into this story, gently leading us to the rather depressing (but touching) conversation between Glorfindel and his father. Great writing, as usual; "Then slowly, in deep humiliation that my son had struck me so and in the presence of others, I turned my back on the assembly and spat on the ground." The above line made me sit up - it's just so *right*. A simple description of his (understandable) reaction that shows many things without telling, it's just brilliant. The idea of the Finrod, Glorfindel and the others 'teaching' the rest of the Eldar the nitty gritties of war is quite intriguing, especially in the context of the lesson that they used to drive home that message of 'dirty' battle - well, ouch, but powerful stuff there. This is certainly one of the most emotive and striking depictions of the grief and sorrow that must have been the way of those who remained in Tirion, and the painful healing that must have come even with the return/re-bodiment of their exiled loved ones. Author Reply: I've long held in my mind that someone had to come back and train the troops of Valinor for the War of Wrath or it wouldn't have taken 10 years for them to muster and finally march. I think the Valar would have had full knowledge of what the army of light would face and would have at least tried to train them accordingly. I really do think that Finrod and Glorfindel among others would have been excellent choices. I'm pleased you enjoyed my story and that you commented on the line that you did. For the contest for which this story was written, I had to incorporate words/phrases from two different lists of words/phrases and make them seem like a natural part of the story. "Spat on the ground" was one of the phrases and seemed to be a fitting response to being decked by one's son. Surprisingly, this story wrote itself as far as the phrases were concerned and I do find the close realtionship between a father and son to be deeply moving and a beautiful thing. Hope I didn't ramble too much. Thank you so very much for reading and reviewing! | |
| ponypetter | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2007 |
| This is a lovely story, a wonderful glimpse into two characters we know very little about. Author Reply: I'm glad you enjoyed this tale. For some reason I have found the father/son relationship to be an attractive one to explore of late. I figure that all of the powerful and amazing elf sons who we know about in Middle-earth must have had some pretty amazing fathers who they left behind and who missed them dearly. Thank you for reading and reviewing! | |
| Alassiel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 2/11/2007 |
| Hello Ellie, The horror of war is not only in the battles themselves, but also in what it does to its participants and to their families. I think you have captured this admirably in your tale. Of course Glorfindel and his fellow warriors would be changed by their experiences in Middle-earth. How could they not? I am glad that at least, as your title suggests, his father came to some understanding of his son's plight. Blessings, Alassiel Author Reply: THe father did come to understand his son much better as the son came to understand the father. The cruel realities of life in Middle-earth were hard for the son to face and are doomed to beequally difficult for the father to face as well - even with the foreknowledge his son tries to provide him. Thank you so very much for reading and reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed my story! | |