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| GamgeeFest's Keepsakes by GamgeeFest | 12 Review(s) |
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| mews1945 | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 7/6/2010 |
| I love all the different theories the children come up with, and how they bicker over them. It's so typical of a group of youngsters. And poor Sam, trying to come up with a final answer to a question that had more than one answer. Author Reply: I imagine, as Sam has more children, this will be a conversation they will have multiple times, just as us fans do! Sam will have plenty of time to refine his answer to this one, though his initial attempt wasn't too far off the mark. | |
| Antane | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 5/2/2010 |
| A lot of interesting theories of what could have happened, but I deem the Ring would have overwhelmed the eagles as well and they knew it. There were things Frodo had to learn also that he couldn't have except through suffering. A fun story though and a valid question and a lot more ideas in an attempt to answer it than I thought of. Like Sam saying his scars are worth having. Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: As Sam said, the Eagles are no more immune to the Ring than Gandalf would have been. As Sam has more children and nieces and nephews, I'm sure they'll be having this discussion numerous more times. It'll be interesting to see what ideas the next batch of kids come up with, or it will all be the same. :) I'm glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the review. :D | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 4/7/2010 |
| Thank you for the birthday wishes. I just now saw them. LOL Seems I'm late too. I really enjoyed reading this one. Every time someone mentions the Eagles taking the RING to Mordor, for some odd reason, I always see the rock band, The Eagles trudging up to Mount Doom and Don Henley always winds up losing his guitar when they throw the Ring in...but that's another story. I love the way one idea leads to another in this and how each one thinks they have it figured out until the next child speaks up. I think Frodo would have enjoyed these discussions a great deal. Maybe Sam will tell him all about them when they are together again. : ) And I think Rose has a point: (“If you call showing up late for your meeting with him just fine. Honestly, they could have brought Gandalf to the Shire instead of that horse-place,” Rose said. ) hehehe Author Reply: Seems we're all late. At least we're late together. :D The Eagles wouldn't be able to get the Ring to Mordor. They couldn't even get out of the Hotel California! lol! Conversations are so fluid, especially with children, who are so easily distracted - this was bound to go off tangent after just a few moments. I can see Sam reenacting some of these convos with Frodo, and I bet Frodo would get a kick out of their logic, especially on this subject! ;) Leave it to Rose to get straight to the heart of the matter. Perhaps if they had agreed to take Frodo, they would have ended up at the Grey Havens! ;) | |
| Aunt Dora | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 4/4/2010 |
| What a joy. You make it easy to feel what it would have been like sitting there with the children as they asked their splendid questions. Author Reply: Thank you! I always enjoy writing the Gamgees, Sam's children in particular. I had fun trying to figure out what they would make of this particular argument. Glad you enjoyed it as well! | |
| Claudia | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/30/2010 |
| Hee! This is really cute! Author Reply: Thank you, dear! I'm glad you enjoyed it! | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/30/2010 |
| Like Wizards, the Great Eagles arrive exactly at the time they consider as right. So they might very well be Maiar! Frodo tried more than once to persuade others to take the Ring! He did not succeed, for it was his task to bring the Ring to Mount Doom. And it was Gollum's task to destroy it (unwillingly). Children's questions can sometimes be hard to answer. But Sam was not alone. He had help from his older children who already understood more about Frodo's quest than he might have guessed. Author Reply: They are at least akin to Maiar, so they may have inherited the ability arrive precisely when they mean to. ;) Frodo certainly did attempt it, but upon each time, was turned down or discovered that he was the only one who could carry it. That's what everyone who makes this argument seems to forget. Elanor especially would be well-versed in the story, but all Sam's children, having grown up with its telling, would understand it much better than their cousins or others, who only hear snippets of the tale. Thanks for the review! | |
| Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/30/2010 | |
| Oh very well done. This has always been a question I have pondered. I am not a religious person really by nature, but I think Tolkien paralled Frodo's fate with Christs, and by his example, we were to be more appreciative of what our lot is in life. But that doesn't answer the question does it? I think the one answer about the Eagles being Maia is the best answer. I does make one wonder tho'. Author Reply: Story external, certainly, that would be an explanation. But for those living within the world, they need to find more practical ways of explaining it! Sam is of course correct, but his children all make valid points. Thanks for the review! | |
| cookiefleck | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/29/2010 |
| There are so many lovely things about this story. The powerful opening lines from ROTK (aka the Red Book) and Sam's reaction after reading them. The amusing banter/debate among the children and also Sam's replies and comments. The tone you struck is very close to Tolkien's Epilogues, which made it even more enjoyable to read. And I always like subtle references to deeper topics such as when Sam deferred the question about Gandalf. Best of all, though, was Tom's growing awareness of the events of the quest. I really like stories that show an awakening of understanding among those who did not participate and didn't get the full story... of course, given my own bias, I am glad that Sam's accomplishments are known and appreciated. And in general, I like the way you portray the Tom and Sam friendship here; it's not something generally explored in fan fiction and I would love to read more stories in which the two of them interact. Thank you for the birthday wishes! Author Reply: I enjoy the Epilogues so much, and could have read much more of that if Tolkien had felt the desire to write it. These little scenes are my attempts of expanding upon those. Sam would feel sad upon reading that passage, and especially today, but his children are there to lift his spirits, as always. As for Gandalf - he might eventually have that conversation with Elanor, and possibly Frodo-lad, but they're too young yet to understand the subtleties of why Gandalf could return and Frodo couldn't. Tom will be making more trips up to Bag End now, I think, and having many long discussions with Sam. He might not be able to wrap his head around everything, but he will make the effort now, out of his friendship to Sam. I too wish more people would explore Sam's other friendships, especially in pre-Quest fics. He would have run about with Tom, Jolly and Robin far more than he would have with Frodo, Merry and Pippin. You're welcome, dear! Glad you enjoyed the story! | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/29/2010 |
| I love it when Sam's children (and in this case, niece and nephew) debate the finer points of the Quest. (Though this is not quite as funny as color-coordinating the Nazgul and their horses...*cough*cough*grin*) The whole question, of course, about why didn't the Eagles drop the Ring in (and variants thereof) are always brought up by those who are concerned only with the physical logistics of the Ring's destruction. Elanor and Frodo-lad were able to defuse most of the argumants, but the most powerful one, of course is: “The Eagles now though, they were Maia, like Gandalf. Seeing as Gandalf didn’t dare to carry the Ring, then I’d guess the Eagles would feel the same.” This is Sam's statement, and it's more than true enough. I once read a short and very scary AU, in which exactly that happened-- the Eagle claimed the Ring, and now death reigned from the skies with all the birds in the world under his control. Scary, scary, scary. *shudder* I imagine sooner or later, Elanor or Frodo-lad will think of *that* answer, and put an end to the argument. Quick thinking about Gandalf being naked by the way, though I suppose he could also have said that all his clothes were destroyed fighting the Balrog... but Sam might not have wanted to frighten them too much with details about the Balrog... But what I like most is Tom's reaction to hearing some of this finally. He's known enough for years to realize that *something* more than just camping out and boating happened to Sam and Frodo, but to finally *hear* what that might be is quite a revelation. I really liked this a lot! Author Reply: It's going to be hard to top color-coordinating the Nazgul and their ponies! lol! It amazes me how many people - clearly unfamiliar with the finer points of Tolkien's mythology - assume the Eagles are just there to do whatever anyone asks of them rather than being lords, and creatures of thought, in their own right. That AU sounds like something HItchcock would have directed! lol! Terrifying indeed. Elanor and Frodo might think about it, but the others wouldn't - it's far too dark a thought for a hobbit to entertain. I did actually consider having Sam use the excuse of the Balrog burning off Gandalf's robes, but more than having to explain what a Balrog is, he would have been more concerned about the children worrying about Gandalf likewise being burned. I think Tom is going to be visiting Bag End more often, and having some long discussions with his friend, cousin and brother-in-law about what exactly did happen - and why more of the lighter happier times couldn't be recorded in the Red Book as well! lol! Thank you for reading, dear! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 39 on 3/29/2010 |
| What a debate! If those children had been at the Council of Elrond, events might have taken quite a different -- and hilarious -- turn. And I agree with Lilah. I'm sure even Eagles like to have a bit of fun now and then. Thank you for this delightful tale, my friend! I just love it. I rarely start my mornings with such a huge grin as this one. *hugs you* Author Reply: Ok, now you have to write the children holding their own version of the Council of Elrond! I think Lilah is right too! They would have fun from time to time. Frodo just didn't think it would be while they were hauling people about. ;) Glad you enjoyed this! **hugs** | |