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| The Jewels of his Existence by Orophins Dottir | 7 Review(s) |
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| bryn | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/6/2004 |
| Orophins Dottir, I'm not even three paragraphs into the first chapter and I can't stop snickering. First, because the opening line: "Somehow, and never did he figure out how, Gimli had found himself in charge of Legolas’ baths." took me by absolute surprise. The kind that leaves me blinking for a few seconds and then dissolving into undignified snorts. Secondly, I now have visions of Gimli attempting to comfort Legolas by "elvish" means... and crooning Dwarves--ESPECIALLY Gimli--are a thing no person should envision. ;) Oh, you've done a great job winding down to the end of the chapter. It ends on a beautifully delicate note. Author Reply: *bows low* It means a lot to me to have you review my stories. 'Tis a burden you may wish to throw back, but you ARE the person responsible for my starting to write these stories! I love Gimli. I always had the idea that elves in the aggregate would make him very uncomfortable. He may be comfortable with HIS elf, but collectively? *dwarven shudder* I thought he would make an awkward attempt to comfort Legolas at this point in the story. I could not make him go all "kissy face" but I thought the battlescarred hand on the head might be in keeping. Glad you approved. Humble Scribe to his Majesty Thranduil | |
| Lindorien | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/2/2004 |
| This is really, really beautiful. What a lovely portrayal of a friendship! I can see where people might think this slashy, but not me, coming as I do from a large family where bedsharing was the norm, rather than the exception. When people visited, they shared beds -- and complained about the other snoring! beautifully written. Author Reply: Thank you. I was a little nervous posting this, but should have known that the intelligent readers here would see it for what it was meant, a story of friendship. Your review is appreciated! | |
| Patty | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/2/2003 |
| Very nice! There's nothing quite so heartwarming as a true friendship. Author Reply: Uh, oh! I have offended against elven courtesy. We are pleading vacation, upcoming holiday and general insanity in addition to the constant fight against evil. A MUCH belated thank you for your review. The story continues if you care to join us. | |
| Tinnuial | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/1/2003 |
| That was so very beautiful...it truly goes beyond all the other Gimli-Legolas friendship fics I've read. I also love the natural affection displayed between the elves. Please do say you will continue with this story? Thanks for posting this. Tinnuial Author Reply: Thank you. I had some concerns posting this as it treats of a friendship so deep that I worried it might be misinterpreted. I am currently not a little caught up in my "Revenge of the Wood-Elf" and the wonderments of its paths. (I have no idea where this particular story is going to take me, but it sure is fune!) However, the friendship between one of the beautiful ones of Tolkien's Weltanschau and that world's seeming misbegotten ones, the dwarves, fascinates me. I believe that I cannot help but continue this tale in some way. For I, as well as Legolas, love Gimli the Dwarf. | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/1/2003 |
| Oh, my - and I thought I might cry over roses? Or over an elf and a dwarf? I love how you show their differences - and the respect they have for those differences - and the willingness to go beyond what makes them comfortable to what makes their friend comfortable and happy. Beautiful vignette. Author Reply: The friendship between a member of the most beautiful of Tolkien's folk and a dwarf, one which Tolkien allows not to even leave the Halls of Mandos if they be allowed in at all, has always fascinated me. At times one gets the impression that dwarves are considered as but a half-step beyond orcs and then Tolkien hits you with the fact that the one being that his beautiful elf must bring with him when he sails is Gimli, the Dwarf. A creature of air and light cannot exist without his friend of the earth and the caves' darkness. It is utterly captivating to me. | |
| daw the minstrel | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/1/2003 |
| This was quite beautiful. We don't often see the friendship between Legolas and Gimli so vividly portrayed. Writers seem not to believe in it and to prefer to think that Legolas and Aragorn were life long close friends. A nice effect of seeing through Gimli's eyes is that Legolas is very elfy in this, very fey and foreign. Author Reply: Thank you. To me, the friendship of the elf and the dwarf has always seemed extremely important to understanding Tolkien. I've always been moved by the fact that the one that Tolkien seemed to say Legolas could not lose, the one he took with him when he sailed was Gimli, the dwarf. As I said to the Karenator, I feel that Gimli would somehow be unsettled by the idea that one of the beautiful ones should so love him, a dwarf. | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/1/2003 |
| What a sweet and intimate glimpse into the solid relationship of these two friends. Tolkien's world of nearly an all male cast has left many grappling for an explanation as to how men can be so close and it not have a sexual aspect. I think his world and his view was quite different than how the present mainstream public view closeness among same sex people. Certainly, homosexuality was around then as it has been since the beginning of time and it was often kept very quiet, but, I don't think the close relationships of men was so suspect as it is now. It was a different era with different definitions of acceptable displays of friendships. The Elves were, it seems, a touch feely group and in reality it is probably a much healthier way to live. Think about the studies done with infants and how the physical relationship with their caretaker was important to development. Babies that were not "handled' were failure to thrive. I think that's true of any of us. We fail to thrive when all physical sensory input is denied by absence of touch or by society labeling it as somehow perverted. What a sick society that holds such displays in contempt. (Of course, the rampant abuse in our society makes it even harder. Maybe if touching wasn't so taboo, then there might be a lessening of abusive people. I don't know. I imagine it's far more complicated than just that.) This was a bit different than your other stories, but still well done and it did get me to thinking....so that's what all this smoke in here is! BTW...what was Legolas recovering from? What happened? Very good, my Lady and Scribe. I'm off to read more...for a few minutes...I'm Halloweened out and it's late. My last little chick is back in the coop for the night and I can go to bed.....:>) Karen Author Reply: Curse Halloween! The Dottir is sitting here with a major sugar rush and inability to sleep. You mirror my thoughts when I was writing this. I've changed the story description to be very spare with the idea that readers should be given an idea to understand on their own. I'll be interested to see if I get any reaction. Elf Boy's injuries are probably due to his rescue of a child although I haven't written that yet. I'm quite tired of his always having to pull Aragorn out of the fire! I seem to be drawn to the idea of the relationship between the elves and the innocent, as children. I also was always struck with the idea that one of the "beautiful people" of Tolkien's world would choose as his best friend a dwarf (metaphorical outcast as it were) and the dwarf's struggle almost to accept that someone like that would love him. | |