News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
| About Us News Resources
Login
Become a member
Help
Search
|
|
|
| Runaway by Lindelea | 3 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Eirinn Leigh | Reviewed Chapter: 21 on 11/22/2015 |
| at least some are seeing sense again though I'm still at loss as to how they lost it in the first place. Author Reply: Temporary insanity, at the very least. Blessings to you and yours. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 21 on 10/28/2003 |
| This chapter begins and ends with Merry and Pippin trying to come to grips with the fault in themselves that almost allowed a terrible thing to happen. Merry has seen it first - leaving the celebration and dragging Pippin with him, and in the process scaring the Escort back into silence. Pippin has two hard lessons to learn: his actions toward Ferdi and his actions toward his son have painful consequences. They touch on how contact with Men may have changed them, but really that's too much of an excuse, the responsibility lies much more with themselves and they know it. Merry's always been cocksure, and Pippin impulsive. Men didn't make them that way, and years of responsibility and accolade haven't cured them of their faults. I love Merry bringing up Aragorn's masterful judgement of Beregond, and the rememberance of Frodo's mercy. Justice tempered with mercy, judgement without vengance, openness replacing anger. Those are all difficult things to get one's head around, and even more difficult to put into practice. How will Merry and Pippin redress the wrong done to Tolly and Ferdi? Can they keep the escort from all resigning? And Regi and Berilac too? Merry hints Pippin may even be forced from the Thainship - it could happen if all have lost confidence in his judgement. Plus there's no certainty Pip and Diamond can rebuild a good relationship with Farry. There's much to do in your last few chapters. (Now I've got to go see if Pip has a pen on his desk during the judgements in Truth) Author Reply: Nope, the pen was Jo's idea and so I might go back and slip it into Truth at an appropriate moment, but it is not there now, unless I was psychic or something (hah, my hindsight is nearly 20-20 but my foresight? naw). Cannot recall such a thing... Excellent character analysis. Merry "cocksure" and Pippin "impulsive"--I knew the last but the Merry thing just now hit me between the eyes. Sure he is. I have been seeing him that way all along but never put a word to it. Or if I did, I've had a senile moment and forgotten. As far as redressing wrongs and such... there is still a surprise or two in the works, some things Jo and I worked out together. | |
| Tim the Enchanter | Reviewed Chapter: 21 on 10/28/2003 |
| That branding iron image is very unsettling. I assume the idea came from historical punishments? Interesting conversation between Merry and Pippin. Author Reply: Well, when kicking around the idea that punishments would reflect the social nature of hobbits, it seemed reasonable to punish small crimes with shunning (not talking, not being able to join hobbits gathered to eat, such a thing to suffer!) and larger crimes (involving malice and danger to others) or incorrigible hobbits (could there be such a thing?) with expulsion from the Shire--not that there would be that many instances, but it is possible for someone to be insane, quite possibly, and I don't see hobbits locking anyone up, even if he's dangerous. If you cast someone out, how do you keep him out? Trying to answer this question is the genesis of the brand. An obvious, permanent mark on the cheek would make it difficult to sneak back in. Author Reply: p.s. Answering this further, many years later, to say that Dreamflower, I think (though I might be remembering wrong), used a tattoo for a permanent mark to show that a hobbit had been expelled from the Shire. Probably much more civilized than branding... | |