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| I Entulessë (The Return) by MJ | 10 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 11/6/2015 |
| What a wonderful story -- this was amazing, and I soaked in every bit of it. So much to think about ... Thanks so much for writing! | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 10/3/2010 |
| I've enjoyed this greatly, and found Olorin's final reward to be most fitting, one that would please him beyond telling and would discomfit all others. And love the idea of Shadowfax's decision to forgive Olorin while punishing Vanyalos! How fitting. I'm glad that in your-verse Frodo was free to visit the mainland, although in mine he was not. And I'm glad that the story ends with the hymn to Elbereth. Thanks for a lovely visit to a land I have come to love deeply. Author Reply: And I thank you for all your comments. I'm not exactly back with us yet, as I'm on the road with my husband (currently in Tampa), and the Internet is spotty, but I wanted to give you at least one decent reply. I'm aware that Olórin isn't quite acting like himself throughout this story, and that, I fear, is something I ought to have explained to the readers at the start, or in my profile. I've been writing fiction of all kinds for over 40 years, and when I get involved in a particular universe, be it another's or one of my own creation, I tend to think in uber plots. My stories may stand alone in some ways, but they are often very heavily interconnected, especially in terms of their subplots and metaphysical underpinnings. The question of healing for Olórin was never one that I intended to fully resolve in this one tale. As it was 2000 years in the making, it is going to be some years in the unmaking — just as for us, issues that are impressed upon us over longer terms take time and work to be resolved. What is particularly an issue here is the matter of self-esteem, something that can be undermined in pernicious and often subtle ways. It will eventually be recognized and resolved (in the following novel, "Twice Blessed," and the novella (or perhaps novel) "No Greater Love." Perhaps I could have handled it a bit better, here, but I didn't want to overplay my hand, so to speak. Ah, well. There are probably as many different takes on Tolkien's world as there are fans, and I'm glad that it is so. Those differences can be interesting, and cherished. Thanks once again for your lovely comments! | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 10/3/2010 |
| I just finished reading this story, and I have to tell you I think it one of my best finds through the MEFAs this year! For me the heart of the story is the beautiful friendship you show between Gandalf/Olorin and Frodo. These two are truly kindred spirits, and have so much in common-- the parallels you show between them, most especially in the resolution to the story are striking and beautifully done. A Gandalf h/c is a rarity, but you make it so much more than a mere story of taking care of an ailing loved one. I have to say that normally I am not fond of the imposing of overt theology into JRRT's legendarium, as he himself preferred to use more covert and subtle means to convey his own faith within the story. Yet because it is set in Valinor and because the Valar themselves are main characters it makes it very natural that discussions of how the innocent can suffer for the evils of others, and the role of divine intervention, would of course be taking place much more openly than such things would ever be spoken in Middle-earth. Some of the things that especially delighted me were: Gandalf's role in the origins of hobbits (something that I find more than a little plausible!); the descriptions of Valinor, especially of the Shire-like Lorien; your completely spot-on characterization of Frodo, whose own nature is so like to that of his friend that it is no wonder both of them find self-sacrifice and humility the keys to their own well-being; and your resolution at the end, which I find completely captivating-- and as I see by your A/N a springboard to sequels, to which I am definitely looking forward! I thank you for sharing this story with us very much. It is one which I will re-read with pleasure and happily recommend to others!! Author Reply: You're most welcome, Dreamflower, and I thank you for your kind review! I readily admit that I'm not a fan of overt theology in this mythos, but when you're dealing with the "angels" on their home turf, the point of view is going to almost inevitably be different than it would be in Middle-earth, as you said. When I started writing this story, I didn't intend for Eru to put in a semi-personal appearance, but it just seemed to flow naturally from things as they evolved. Which, I think, is the way it ought to be. Things that are imposed deliberately to fulfill a preconceived authorial agenda too often don't feel right to the reader — and usually rightly so, I believe. Even Tolkien himself ran afoul of that issue when he kept trying to re-imagine the Orcs to fit more closely with his Catholic beliefs! :) There will certainly be more to come. Keep watching, and thanks again! | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/27/2010 |
| A very satisfying story - thank you. Well written, full of emotion and imagination and great characterization. I enjoyed it fully. By the end of it, I did remember having read it long ago, but the details were very fuzzy in my mind, and it was like a new story to me as I was going through it. I hope there will be more adventures to come? I remember you having a large unfinished WIP on your website. I hope that we will be able to read that in entirety, someday. One last thought I had, reading this epilogue. The one thing I don't think Olorin can fully teach the Valar about is how humans percieve death. Yes, he can describe the process from the inside-out, so to speak, a valuable and unique perspective. But he's not a good representative for the sorrow, the loneliness, the fear and the burden that death, and sometimes even life, becomes to mortals. Perhaps some things are meant to be a mystery, even to the gods. Author Reply: I hope you'll be able to read it, too — and finished. That's part of the plan. :) I don't think that anyone can ever teach another person how to grieve, how to live, how to understand fully what it is to be something you are not, but I think that the fact that Olórin experienced actual death with no apparent certainty of what lay beyond it for him personally gives him a better understanding of mortality than he would have had, had he been sent as a Maia in a self-incarnate fana. He surely knew the sorrow of loss, as he had many friends who were mortal, but at best, he can share with the Valar his memories of all those things via ósanwë. Whether or not they understand it... He can but try. And as you say, some things are meant to be a mystery. But if he can help them gain a better perspective, and greater compassion for the human condition, then the effort will have been worth it. Thank you again for all of your comments! | |
| Siiw | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/26/2010 |
| This must be one of the most impressive stories I have read here. Everything is described so lively, it was almost as if I was looking out through Frodo's eyes, sharing both the awesome, joyful and the tragic with him. Some passages were plain painful to read, because they were described so vividly that it felt like i witnessed them myself. Especially when Olorin leaped off the mountain, i wanted to stop reading, what were you doing to some of my favourite characters! You write of the unconditional, cosmic love of the Ainur for the Children in a way that brings tears to my eyes. I have read this in stories from other authors here as well, but it was unusually strong and hopeful in this one. It takes up a note from the original stories, in how the small and insignificant can prove to be more successful in the end than the big and powerful. I hope that you will continue posting on this site. It is stories like this that makes this site so unique. Author Reply: I will indeed continue posting (though perhaps not in such an intense frenzy!). How could I not when someone calls my work impressive!?! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, despite the tragic parts (and I have been told by others that the "cliffhanger" you mention was a nasty place to end a chapter ;). But then, I have always felt that if you're going to send your heroes through the depths of hell as part of their Journey, the heights of heaven should naturally follow, and vice-versa. The reward should be commeasurate to the suffering, and the difficulty of reaching the reward equal to the reward received. A personal visit from Eru is a pretty big reward, as well as the gifts of healing he offered to Olórin and the hobbits. It is indeed great and cosmic love, greater than even that of the Ainur. Thanks for your review! | |
| curiouswombat | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/25/2010 |
| What a wonderful story, full of deep, thinky themes, all bound so beautifully together - and how wonderful that it should be the hobbits' love of riddles and puzzles that led to Olórin's healing. Author Reply: "Thinky themes" — an amusing way to put it! I'm glad you found it so, since I do tend to think a lot about the things I write, and it's always a pleasure to know that the effort was appreciated by the readers. Having a Hobbit be the one to solve the puzzle was something I'd had in mind from the start, as it sort of brought things full-circle (pun only partially intended). Thanks for the review! | |
| jgmsccc | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/25/2010 |
| Thank you for this story. I never realized it, but I loved reading about Gandalf. Your story had just the right amount of detail to make Aman real. Author Reply: Thank you, jgmsccc. Given that I'm a tremendous fan of Gandalf, that's great praise indeed! | |
| Matt | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/25/2010 |
| what a wonderful story. I greatly enjoy the sub-sub-genre of stories that this one so wonderfully encapsulates. The learning of lessons during healing in The West. Your characters are well drawn, deep, and grow over time. Their interactions feel natural and unforced in a way that too many authors struggle to achieve. I will definitely look forward to reading more of your work as you post it and sincerely thank you for your efforts. Matt Author Reply: You're most welcome, Matt, and I thank you for taking the time to review. I hope that the natural and unforced quality of my style is the result of 40 years of working on it (a work that will always continue to be in progress). Hopefully, as I recover from the past month of traveling, there will be more for you and others to read soon. | |
| Erulisse (one L) | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/25/2010 |
| MJ - Every day I would sign on to SOA and look to see if you had added the next chapters in the tale. Now that I have read all of it, all that I can say is - MAGNIFICANT. Truly a joy to read. I look forward to reading through it again at a more leisurely pace. - Erulisse (one L) Author Reply: What more can an author wish than that their work be called magnificent? | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 19 on 9/24/2010 |
| A lovely end to a marvelous story. It leaves me feeling very hopeful and peaceful. What a lot Frodo will have to tell Sam when he arrives! Author Reply: Thank you, shirebound. I was going for hopeful and peaceful, so it appears I succeeded. | |