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A Small and Passing Thing by Lindelea	7 Review(s)
Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 11/6/2005
Lindelea! What a wonderful, beautiful, fabulous, sweet story!!!!!!! Yes, I'm still here, and I'll never joke about the length again, because just now I feel a strong inclination to complain that it's too short! LOL! I won't though, because I can sympathise with the feeling of having a story wrung from me (see "The Last Days). Not yet, Chapter 1 needs a LOT of work yet. But really, this is one of the best post-quest stories I've ever read, and now I see how Larner connected her little network of stories with this. The language is superb, the characterization wonderful, and the whole story just perfect. I love, love, love Estella! We share a stubborn streak and the desire to do the opposite of what we're told :-). I do think the "class" system is most unfair, and I pity her from having to turn from the lively Tilly to a "fashionable young lady." I also like the insight into Freddie's character. He's so often overlooked. Very, very good work! Bravo!!! Namarie, and God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: My goodness, you made it all the way through! Congratulations! (Sorry, here I am joking about the length again.) Thank you for your encouraging comments!

Elwen	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 1/3/2004
Does it tell you how impressed I was with this tale to say that I sat down and read it in one sitting? (It's 2.30a.m. here.) An amazing work. For a while there I thought you realy were going to kill Frodo off and my own heart was in my mouth. You are wasted writing fanfic. BRAVO for a wonderful and rivetting read. Author Reply: Well, what a wonderful review; thanks! One sitting! How long did it take? I know I have been trying to re-read the thing prior to sitting down with my editor to finish the editing, and it has taken me three days to get halfway through... Wasted writing fanfic... hmmm. D'you suppose some publisher's rep will show up one of these days with a fat advance to entice me away from the fanfic world? Gee, that would be nice. I heard publishers are cutting back on authors: now they are emphasising people who have already written blockbusters, and "new authors who are good-looking" or something to that effect (as reported today on "Paul Harvey News") In the meantime, the Muse enjoys the hobby, and keeps coming up with new material, so I will enjoy it as long as it lasts. I am in the final chapters of two stories, have two more outlined and ready to write, and a few more lined up behind them begging to be given life, so hopefully I will be able to continue to "practice" and "hone my writing skills" and all that for near future. Anyhow, I appreciate the encouragement. I think I'd keep writing if there were no reviews at all, but don't know that I would go through the effort of typing them in to post online if I thought I was only talking to myself. Glad to have heard from you!

??????	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 11/12/2003
Yes, I think you should include that last chapter. You've wrapped up the inside story quite nicely, but the framework of this framework story still needs an ending, unless you want to give up the framework altogether. You said in an earlier chapter that the rest of the story from that point on wasn't written by Frodo, and you still need to tell us who it is. Author Reply: Well, am writing the last chapter, or trying to. Managed to stave off Sam and Ellie's farewell by writing one more "Freddy" chapter--isn't procrastination wonderful? Thanks for the review. I will try to tie up the loose ends, and instead of implying the author I will reveal the author. Whew.

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 11/12/2003
Very briefly (sitting here eating pork fried rice and getting my fanfic fix for the working day): It's Freddy's story, more than anyone's, I think (maybe I should re-read the whole thing before I say that?). It's all very nice to end with a Sam and Elanor moment, but why not have Freddy's wedding? Or if not Freddy's wedding, another milestone occasion (large or small) where Freddy is thinking of Frodo. The whole crowd can be there, or be mentioned (depending on the scene). Lovely story, as always. Freddy was one of Frodo's closest friends. We don't see enough of him in tLotR to understand their friendship well. Your Freddy is entirely believable as someone who would have been Frodo's close friend. Author Reply: mmmm, Chinese take-out, I wish. Very well, you get a glimpse into the wedding festivities, though they weren't on the original outline. It is a "Freddy" story, you're right, but it's the filling in a Sam-and-Ellie sandwich. So I really ought to add the top slice of bread to finish it off. Thanks for the encouragement! JRRT wrote so little about Freddy, and yet if he was part of the original conspiracy there had to be a great deal more to him than we saw. Well, now there is a great deal more to him. g

Hai	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 10/20/2003
What a disappointment for Estella, to find her brother is wasting away again! I hope everything will turn out well! The Cotton's have a house full again so it seems. I think you should leave 38 and 39 a little background info never hurt anyone! I didn't know this was a rough draft! I guess that is why I haven't seen it on ff.net. Looking forward to more, thank you! Author Reply: You're welcome! You're exactly right, this will only appear on ff.net when my editor gets done with it, and perhaps a beta reader, though these are rare and hard to come by, being busy people, you know. Thanks for reviewing, and for letting me know what you think about chapters 38 and 39. So far it's 4 "keep" and 0 "toss". Interesting!

Ann Onymous	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 10/19/2003
I think it would be a shame to take out chapters 38 and 39. If I was reading a story and the one of the main characters suddenly drastically change his/her attitude, I'd like to know why. I think that these chapters tell us why, and allow us to see Estella change without thinking less of her. I also think that you explained the way society in the Shire works very nicely, which is something many people probably don't understand. I think that many people who read this story and might gain a better understanding of this through these two chapters. It is something some of us understand right away, and something that needs to be explained to others. Anyway, I am liking this story. It is very well written for a draft! Keep up the good work, but don't let it get two long by adding on problem after problem. Sometimes you do this with your stories, and then I get bored. When you've wrapped up all the problems that have come about during the story, end it, don't make up something new to keep it going. Author Reply: You are right, sometimes I just keep writing when I really ought to have cut things off. It is a problem I have, not wanting to stop, and my editor doesn't always rein me in (though she does tell me when to leave a chapter out because it is too much background and not enough story). I bet you are referring to "At the End of His Rope", when you talk about adding problem after problem, or was it "Jewels"? I finally had to end "Jewels" and write additional material as stand-alone chapters. I got so tired of that story that my beta-reader told me it showed in the last chapters, which she said were too short and needed fleshing out. Haha, can't win for losing! I am hoping this story won't do the same. I have a definite goal in mind (The Havens) but somehow the chapters in between releasing the prisoners from the Lockholes and Frodo's leaving keep multiplying like rabbits. Still, the Freddy torture is about over, I am happy to say.

eiluj	Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 10/19/2003
I think I'm advising you to keep 38 and 39. Yes, 38 grated a bit -- but I'm reading it as an American, and of this era. I loved 39 (no grating there). My background is that of an omnivorous reader of children's fiction, one who was never afraid to tackle other cultures and other time periods. And an Anglophile. I've read a lot of history -- pretty much minored in it in college. As a teen and an adult, I read a lot of historical fiction before turning almost exclusively to mystery, fantasy, and scifi (though I read historical mysteries, and fantasy is mostly other time periods). And I'm 52. So I'm far from being the average fanfic reader. On the other hand, I spose few "average" fanfic readers would find their way to your stories; most would be reading -- well, let's not be depressing about what most fanfic consists of. But even if we're speaking of fanfic readers who love and appreciate canon-faithful stories and characters staying in character: the average fanfic reader does not have the understanding of the historical period on which Tolkien based the Shire. [Social classes? Women's role? Servants?] So 38 and 39 may fill a very needed role for most of your readers, because those chapters explain a bit about hobbit social stratification, including aspects that most readers won't pick up otherwise. It's already familiar to you, so you may not realize how necessary the explanation is for some readers? I have to apologize for not reviewing this story before [not that I've ever been consistent about who I review or when!]. I've been reading it mostly at work at lunch, and I don't seem to write reviews then -- something about eating and typing at the same time, I guess! I like your version of this part of the story (even if the Lockholes stuff gets a bit dark). And I like your Frodo (this is high praise). You are also to be congratulated for finding an entirely new part of the story to tell (Freddy's activities both pre- and post-Scouring), which I haven't seen any other writer do yet. Author Reply: Why, thank you for taking the time to write all that! I will consider yours and others' reviews recommending leaving 38 and 39 in, even though they read a little slow to me. OTOH, the latest chapter (Return to Bywater) ended up floating away, it was so light, but I needed the break after all the angst... don't know about the readers! Thanks for the praise. I admit I have not read much other fanfic, so my Frodo is not much coloured by others' impressions of him. I have heard the cliches, of course, but they don't appeal much to me. I hate writing depression and gloom. Angst, though... My Frodo in this story is going to be a bit like someone I knew and loved who died of cancer some years ago. He lived life to the fullest as long as he could, kept living as fully as he could even as his illness constrained him and drew the lines of his box ever smaller. He never denied what the outcome would inevitably be (life ends. it's a fact. we don't know when, but we know it will happen someday.), but he always (what is the line from the movie, that I haven't found in the book so don't know if it's a quote?) made the best of the time given to him. Since you know that I write as faithfully to "canon" as I can, I'm not giving away any plot points by telling you this. You are indeed far from being the average fanfic reader! I certainly appreciate your taking time to review!

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