Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

If I had a Hammer  by Grey Wonderer 11 Review(s)
DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/20/2005
Ah, the delights of growing pangs. *sigh* Poor Pip! Miserable Merry! and Frazzled Frodo, from having to deal with it. At least Sagacious Sam gets to escape for a while.

You know of course that you've pushed one of my favorite buttons here: how a Shire education was a family affair? I loved seeing Frodo giving Pippin his lessons.

And the story about Merry was just icing on the cake.

*grin*

Author Reply: Yes Merry and Pippin are both having trouble adjusting at this point. Frodo may just wish he could send both cousins back home before too much longer. I always think that Frodo would have stepped into the role of teacher after all of his time with Bilbo. I also think it might have taken lots of patiences to keep Pippin focused and Frodo and Sam would both have been ideal for that.
The Merry story was a surprise. I usually don't get to write Merry small because I always put Pip into the story. LOL Glad you enjoyed it!

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/17/2005
What a clever little Pip!! We used to "detour" our English teacher in high school. One question about his family and he was off on a tangent. ;-) Which explains all my grammatical errors! lol

“Very well,” Merry said. “It sometimes seems to me that I don’t fit anywhere around here. Pippin isn’t speaking to me because I’m older and you won’t let me handle Mister Tunnely because I’m not old enough! There ought to be something that I’m the proper age for.”

“There is,” Frodo said. “You are old enough to follow my instructions and you are old enough to fix your own snack while I finish with Pippin’s lesson.”

Loved it! I really do love your world of hobbits. :-)

Pippinfan

Author Reply: I think Merry is having a bit of middle child problems even though he's an only child. I had several teachers that could be taken away from the lesson with the right words. It was wonderful! Was someone supposed to teach me grammer? Oops!

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/17/2005
Uh oh . . . Is Merry about to put his foot in it? Frodo has done a good job with Pippin, he and Sam are a good pair to have around :)

Author Reply: Who Merry? LOL
Yes Frodo is doing quite well with all of this and once again, it is a very good thing that he has Sam around.

AuntiemeeshReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/12/2005
Poor Pippin, being the youngest really is a drag (says one who knows the feeling all too well). I love Merry's complaint too, that he's too old for Pippin but not really old enough to be an adult yet. He's in another awkward middle ground.

You've done a great job with the characterizations here (as you always do). I'm looking forward to seeing how everything works itself out. :)

Author Reply: Thank you! I hope to have more of this one up by the middle of the week anyway. Work is just getting in the way big time, but gotta eat so I am guessing that quitting to write is out of the question. LOL Thank you for the lovely review!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
Probably a very good idea Frodo handles Tunnely, I think.

Lovely story about the shelves--I could see it well!

Author Reply: Yes, I don't think Merry should be the one to handle Tunnely. Frodo has the cooler head to this point. Glad you enjoyed the shelving story. Pippin isn't the only one who is less than successful with carpentry. Thanks for reviewing!

pipspebbleReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
Aha, and the wheels are turning! I can't wait to see how Frodo handles the situation, and it will be fun to see Merry chomping at the bit to give Mister Tunnely a piece of his mind but forbidden to do so. Poor Pippin! It is so hard to be on the cusp of adulthood yet not that far from being a child. Such an awkward age. You're portraying it very well indeed. Love this story!

Author Reply: Thank you! Glad that you like this one. So far, it has been fun to write. Frodo's visit to Tunnely is coming up soon. Thank you for reviewing!

SlightlyTookishReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
Another great chapter, GW! I loved Frodo's story about his carpentry lessons, and also about baby Merry's adventures! And Pippin feeling sorry for himself seems very realistic. It can't be easy being the youngest and also not very skilled yet in anything he's learning.

Author Reply: Glad you enjoyed little Merry and Frodo's carpentry. There may be more about Frodo's attempts at carpentry in later chapters and perhaps a mention of Bilbo. Pippin is sulking a bit right now. I do think he has been loaded down with things that he can't quite do and it is starting to get to him. Thanks so much for reading!

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
What a darling story! Wee!Merry is so adorable here, though if I were Esmeralda, I think I'd be slipping a bit of ale into his milk at bedtime, lol. And if Frodo had used as many nails on the shelves as Pippin did on his shirt, the shelves might have held. ;)

I'm glad Sam was able to talk Merry out of marching up to Tunnely's. I do feel sorry for Merry though, having to deal with a jealous Pippin, and very sorry for Frodo, having to deal with them both. Adolescence is hard to go through, even for hobbits.

Can't wait for more carpentry lessons, and for Frodo to verbally bash Tunnely.

Author Reply: Frodo has his hands full at this point. He is expected to handle Tunnely, Merry and Pippin. As always, I am very sure that he is grateful for Sam Gamgee. More soon if all goes well. Thanks for reading!

melilot hillReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
There are just one or two (can't even remember, lol) sentenses with a very small font, so don't worry about that :-)

Another wonderful chapter. I think, that once Pippin's project is finished, he's going to like carpentry better than writing letters ;-) I can't wait till Frodo goes to see Mister Tunnely and tells him off for his behavior towards Pip. It's porbably a good thing Merry didn't get there first!

Author Reply: More with Frodo and Mister Tunnely is coming and thank you for letting me know that you were able to read this. I had such a time posting last night. Thanks for the review and I am looking forward to more of your story. It is such fun to read it again.

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/11/2005
Merry is suffering from growing pains too - not a teen, not an adult - expected to act grown up yet keey his mouth shut. Still that's more a Merry problem. Hiding his light under a bushel is not his strength.

I'm feeling sorry for Frodo here. One or the other of them would be fine. The two together - elven diplomacy required.

I - like Pippin - enjoyed the Frodo's shelves story. And Pippin's subsequent exhaustion. Sam must be tearing his hair out - and wondering if there is something about being a gentlehobbit that turns tweens into big kids.

It's interesting to see Merry and Pippin growling at each other - they are usually so joined-at-the-hip, but it's actually delightful to see them having to work at parts of their relationship.

Excellent chapter - now get Pippin and Sam back working on that secret project!

Author Reply: Not to worry there is more carpentry in the next chapter so Sam will have plenty of time to pull out most of his hair. I do think that even Merry and Pippin had times when they weren't completely in agreement and it seems to me that they must have gone through a rough spot or two on the way to adulthood. I am glad you are enjoying this and thank you for your email re the format problems. I hope things are fixed now but I won't bet on it just yet.

First Page | Previous Page | Next Page | Last Page

Return to Chapter List