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A Small and Passing Thing by Lindelea	11 Review(s)
Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/25/2023
Oh, but the perfect ending! I see how much stuck in my memory without my realization, to come out years later in my own writing, but with my own emphasis. I focused on Frodo's experiences rather than Fredegar's, and I represented the healers as insisting Freddy NOT regain all his former weight. I see the Hobbit tendency to speak lightly of serious matters reflected so well here, far better than I tend to manage. Thanks so for sparking my own writing, and for your friendship. It keeps me feeling youthful, as ancient and venerable as I'm growing, being nineteen years older than Frodo was when he left the Shire that last time. Eglerio, Frodo Baggins! A laity te! Author Reply: I just now saw this, almost a year later! (I dunno about that. I think you manage just fine. More than fine, actually.) You are more than welcome, for all those things, and in return, I must thank you for your friendship and the gift of your writing, so rich and deep and layered and thought-provoking. I'm honored to have played a part in encouraging you to explore your own visions of the Professor's world.

Antane	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 9/3/2011
Done at last! Thank you for writing this jewel! How nice that Frodo and Sam were reunited as we all hope. :) You wrote Frodo very well especially in the chapters regarding the illnesses and onward from there. I loved the way you described what he could have indeed felt during those times. Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Thank you for these good words, and beg pardon for this much belated reply. I don't know that I saw this before today, when I was in search of a bit of "comfort food" and so read through part of this story again.

Celeritas	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 1/21/2009
After engaging in many discussions concerning Frodo with a various authors (and I believe you were party to the GFIC comm one) I was pretty much informed that I HAD to read this fic (which I had not done, even in my early lurksome days) if I wanted to know anything. And so I have. I really enjoyed your innocuous introduction of the "physically ailing" Frodo, and I also loved that he 1). once had a genuine hope of recovery, and 2). always fought and was never emo about the whole thing. He has to be one of the most British fandom Frodo's I've come across, and is not too different from mine (not having an eyecolor described helps, as I am firmly and obstinately in the brown-eyed camp). As for those darker aspects of the Lockholes and the Troubles: wow! Not entirely sure if I agree with you about the hangings and the torture, etc., largely because it didn't make it into the book (which you explained, but whenever authors try to do "excised from the Red Book" texts I get wary) but it was really well done, and it worked. The idea of Saruman still having a working spell on Fatty, even after he's dead--marvelous! chills And I liked the relationship between him and Frodo that you outlined, and the fact that Fatty actually did heal and get married. And good for you to end on a note of hope as well (I'm a sucker for well-written reunion-fic, and that gave me just the right taste). So thank you for managing to write (and write so well!) such an influential story, and making it so easy for me to enjoy! ~Celeritas Author Reply: Thanks for the good words! I wrote this story because I was dissatisfied with the idea that Frodo left because he was depressed or emotionally distressed. It just didn't make sense to me, and I so admired Frodo (from the book; I'm not as thrilled with the movie portrayal--EW might be ethereal-looking but the movie Frodo was weak and cowardly, among other things) that I couldn't see him sailing West because he just couldn't cope. A physical reason seemed more likely, and though not stated outright if it were carefully managed it could fit in with the portrayal of Frodo in "The Grey Havens". You have a good point about the Lockholes. JRRT only shows the hobbits as starved to weakness, though he also says that the ruffians, as things grew worse in the Shire, were beaten as they were taken to the Lockholes, and that is where the idea of beatings came from. Hangings are less likely, obviously. I think there I was influenced by the RL reading I was doing regarding occupation by hostile forces, shell shock, internment/concentration/prisoner/work/death camps; memory of a visit to Dachau; and close association with someone studying Middle Ages law and enforcement (something new learned every time we got together for coffee shudder). I did not make the Lockholes quite as awful as Dachau or (reportedly) common practices during medieval times, but I did have in mind that the ruffians might have seen hobbits as not quite human (something Saruman would probably have encouraged), and treated them accordingly. I have to write toward a satisfying (for me) ending, which usually means upbeat, or I would suffer terminal writer's block. As it is, it can be difficult to write through the difficult parts of a story, and only looking to joy at the end keeps the story going. I'd really rather write fluff, I think, but it would not be half so satisfying in the area of character development, which fascinates me. ...only to find, reading JRRT's Letters shortly after completing this story, that he really did mean for Frodo to have to leave Middle-earth because of psychic wounds, not physical. Aargh. So in writing, despite staying just as close to canon as I could, this story ends up, in the strictest sense, AU. Ah, well. It was interesting to write, anyhow, and generated some stimulating conversations with readers. I tell myself that it might have happened this way. I am looking forward to becoming acquainted with your stories, especially if Frodo as you write him is more book- than movie-version. (I admit, "my" Frodo is not necessarily blue-eyed, though I leave it open in my stories for the sake of readers who do see him thus. When I write of him, I don't see EW but rather Frodo as I imagined him years before the films came out.) Whew, this is turning into a chapter. Thanks! Author Reply: oops, not that the ruffians were beaten as they were taken off to the Lockholes, but that the ruffians beat the hobbits they were taking off to the Lockholes! (who knows how many such mis-steps I've taken in this lengthy reply, as I was interrupted three times in the writing... ah well, if there are any more gaffes, I don't have time to find them now and be distressed by them) Hope this finds you well.

Nienor Niniel	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 8/29/2006
Ah, fantastic! I fear you are getting used to my praise, but what else shall I say? There are so many things I like about this: more Good!Lobelia (in a canonically possible way, too), an insight in Frodo's suffering from the aftereffects of the Ring, more of Freddy (Saruman's curse made me shudder, as did the Nazgul nightmare), Sam and Rosie getting together... the list is much longer. The insight you give us on Hobbit society are fantastic: they have different classes and observe them, yet in times of need things might well be the other way round, but when the trouble is over, all is back to normal. The notion that not all should be recorded in the Red Book to keep the hobbits' innocence is a very good idea, too. If Butterbur had forgotten this letter for too long... just imagine! I rather like the ending: A proper goodbye for Sam, and even a reunion. I really enjoyed this! Nienor Author Reply: Funny thing about praise. I fear one never does get used to it. In fact, the welcome mat is invariably out. It is nice to hear what you took away from the story, and food for thought you found chewy. Glad to hear you enjoyed it!

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 4/16/2005
I liked this one. Very nice. Author Reply: Huh, funny, I never got this review in my email box, last year when you wrote it! Just now saw it! hug

Saoirse	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 8/13/2004
Oh, how beautiful. This story is a wonder, the seams where sewn with flourish. I loved your Frodo. Freddy was endearing. The entire thing was poignant and lovely. What a wonderful piece of work! There was one thing that particularly struck me as saddening while I read this, it was in the chapter of Freddy and Mellie's wedding, when Pippin had to stand in for Merry, because he took off to Rohan, and Freddy told Estella that Merry was still mourning the loss of his true love. Then we find out she died on the eve of his wedding, and I think you said this, when she was washed away "so were Merry's dreams". How sad! V. good job! Author Reply: Thank you for taking time to leave a review! I just now saw it, when re-reading this story as "background" for another that's in the works. The story of Merry's lost love is in "Jewels", which is in revision, but I hope to be posting here in the next months. Anyhow, glad you dropped by.

Dreamflower	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 3/28/2004
I read your story a few weeks ago, before I figured out how to leave reviews. (I'm a bit slow in the computer dept.) But I have to say that in spite of its length, it has to be one of the best takes on Frodo's leaving I have seen yet. Although you don't say it, it seems clear that he suffered from congestive heart failure; my mother-in-law, who lived with us until she died, suffered from that, and the symptoms sound very familiar. Do you have a medical background? As Frodo was relatively young for that, I can only assume it was something congenital, that had been staved off by the Ring's life-preserving effects; or that his sufferings and illnesses on the quest somehow brought it about. I like the idea that Frodo was not leaving just because he was emotionally miserable; he was too courageous for that. But if he was leaving to preserve his life, that puts a whole new spin on it. I really enjoy your stories; they are among the many that have kept me hooked on fanfic and are of very high quality. Author Reply: Thanks for this review! Would you believe I just now saw it? Funny, I usually get reviews in my mailbox, but every once in awhile they don't get sent out, it seems, or I miss them in the glut of "special offers". Yes, you were right about congestive heart failure. That was the malady that emerged from my research for something that would slowly and gradually affect Frodo and force his decision to leave. Appreciate your stopping by and returning to leave a note.

FantasyFan	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 11/17/2003
Sorry I didn't get to this last chapter until now, weekends are full of obligations for me. How long is the hobbit gestation period, anyway? If Rose is announcing her pregnancy in late September, and the babe is due late June, that's just about nine months, so she must be barely pregnant - or do I have the dates of Sam's leaving wrong, or midsummer? I wondered with Budgie and Viola as well - they hadn't told Freddy yet, on March 25 when Elanor was born, so if Viola was say, two months pregnant at that point, Amaryllis would be born near the end of October, yet Budgie goes off with Freddy without a concern on October 3. - I would think hobbit gestation would be shorter than us Big Folk, if there was any difference...I've never tried to calculate it before. I am intrigued by the thought of Freddy taking his family, and Budgie's, to Gondor to live. You've mentioned Ferdi's trip, and of course Pippin and Sam visit Gondor, and eventually Merry and Pip are buried there. But it seems that these aren't isolated visits, that there is actually a little hobbit colony in Gondor. Who else would have been adventurous enough to travel there - Bucklanders and Tooks? Are there enough hobbits there for the group to be self-sustaining (ie., who will Amaryllis marry?) Though Fastred mentions the White City, hobbits wouldn't live in Minas Tirith, in a city of stone, would they? Ithillien would suit the hobbit sensibility much better, I would guess, but what made them decide to stay? This opens up all kinds of possibilities. So Sam's final decision was whether or not to remove and burn the final pages. I'm glad he decided to leave them. Even if they're only in one copy, and not the 'official' one at that, the story will be passed on by word of mouth, from Elanor's and Rose's family. History will become legend and myth, but not all will be forgotten. A nice compromise. I forgot to mention earlier, I enjoyed the idea of Frodo illustrating the Red Book with drawings of his companions, more than just the few maps we have. I didn't know Frodo could draw, and too bad all the archivists were'nt as talented as Tolman, to reproduce them. Sam's goodbye to his family was sweet, but perfectly understated. At this point, very few words are needed between him and Ellie, and he slips away as Bilbo did, as Frodo tried to do many years before. We don't need more tears here, because Sam's going to be happy. small sniffle anyway And happy he is, and so is Frodo, and the story really doesn't stop, but goes on. Very lovely. It's going to take forever to post all of this on ff.n! It'll give you time to write a lot more (hurray!) Author Reply: Thanks for the review! I know about weekends, I got no writing done at all on this one! Does it say somewhere that Sam left in late September? I'll have to look that up. My recollection was that Rose died in mid-summer and Sam left after her death (time unspecified). If he left Bag End on Frodo's birthday, he might have visited a few sons and daughters on the way to Undertowers. Postulate he spent a month there, reading the story... I was thinking he left Middle-earth in late November, but as I said, it has been a long time since I checked dates (this story's been in the works over a month!) I am figuring a gestation period of 10 months, which my midwife told me was realistic for Big Folk as well as Little. She told me once she thought that labor gets induced too early for most women, and that many who are declared "late" are actually right on time, delivering, giving the babe a little longer to develop in utero. All mine were "late" as a matter of fact! I must admit that gestation periods have tripped me up in past stories. "At the End of His Rope" comes to mind, had to do some rewriting in that one or Diamond would have been pregnant forever. Anyhow, this would put Rose's announcement in late November, making her about 3 months along, I think. Viola was due in late October or early November, I think, and since she was having a trouble-free pregnancy, I'm sure Finch reassured Budgie that "most first babes are late" and he'd send for his son poste-haste if anything to the contrary started happening. I have a little one behind me telling me to "hurry up" so I must go now. Thanks again for reviewing!

Hai	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 11/15/2003
A tear for your story! So wonderful to see Sam and Frodo together again! How hard it must have been for Sam to leave all his family though! I wonder what all Freddy did when he traveled to Gondor! He probably wanted to visit everything that Frodo wrote about. He missed a lot but did wonderfully for the Shire against the ruffians! Thank you for such and wonderful story! Author Reply: Thank you! It was fun to write, and only gave me occasional fits. I'm not sure what Freddy did in Gondor, that story has not yet come to mind. I am pretty sure he went to Ithilien, though, and very probably made a side trip to Lorien to see a whole forest of mallorn trees.

Tim the Enchanter	Reviewed Chapter: 70 on 11/13/2003
I love this chapter, even if it is the end. Sam took after Bilbo in slipping away quietly! I adored the reunion between Sam and Frodo! I especially love how you portray Freddy stepping in as a sort of honarary traveller, not filling Frodo's shoes, but keeping his remory fresh and making his absense easier to deal with. Author Reply: Thank you for your faithful reviews; you may not know how encouraging they are, but really, they are quite helpful. My biggest problem with writing is that I get sick of a story at about the 2/3 point and I have to confess that the reviews keep me writing to the end. Without them, I'd probably have a raft of unfinished stories floating around, just like the partly done afghan in the basket, and the quilt squares waiting to be sewn together... Whew, managed to pull off the happy ending! (Wiping sweat from brow). Thanks for coming along for the ride.

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