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| Flooding and Glamours by Larner | 20 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Soledad | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/18/2008 |
| So much sadness. Poor Primula. :( Author Reply: Indeed--the loss of this child must have been very difficult. But it's such a common thing--and I know from first-hand experience how difficult it can be. | |
| Soledad | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/18/2008 |
| It's nice to se them all in their young years. What a terrible thing such a flood can be, though. (Sorry for the double post... dratted touchpad is too sensitive.) Author Reply: It was fun to imagine those early years, too--until the flood hit and Primula ended up losing the baby. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/8/2006 |
| I’m not sure it was good for Primula to help to clean up the smial. She seemed to have some little problems before and should have stayed sitting somewhere, maybe then she wouldn’t have catched the cold and lost the baby ... *sigh* I’m so sorry for all of them. So Bard saw Bilbo and later Sam as they truly were? You know, it’s intriguing how this disc works! Useful thing. I wonder how it would’ve showed Saruman when nobody knew of his treachery. This was an interesting look back at the time when Frodo, Bard and Brendi were children. Author Reply: Whether the exposure to the mold and dampness caused a cold or an allergic reaction or just an upper respiratory infection, the result is the same. The rest tried to keep her calm and quiet; but she's insistent on helping clean up her OWN smial, after all. And now the sneezing appears to bring on the event not even the fright of the flood could cause. Yes, both Bard and Brendi saw Sam and Bilbo (and perhaps Frodo) as they truly were. I'd intended to write later about using the fairy stone, but was moved to do it more quickly when I read "Coraline." After reading that I HAD to write this story now! As for the question of what it would have shown of Saruman--that's indeed an interesting one, and one I may explore. I do have one Nuzgul with Saruman's long talons nagging at me, after all, and we've even done some preliminary plotting of it. Now, to add in the fairy stone somehow.... | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 5/8/2006 |
| Ah, I love the first ‚official despatch’ for Mayor Samwise! Aragorn knows what is truly important *grin* It’s fascinating what memories this little stone brought up. Sam is probably glad to know it belonged to Frodo. As for Frodo, it is sweet how much he anticipated the visit of Bilbo. I loved his exchange with Bilbo about startling the ponies – not popping up, but leaping down. Question box is a wonderful name – Frodo must have driven the adults to distraction, at least sometimes, with all his questions. Save his abilities as actor, I suspect it were his eyes why Peter Jackson chosed Elijah for the role of Frodo. If even Bard noted his eyelashes *grin* It’s sad to know Primula will loose this child, too. The excitement and anxiety about the flooding was probably not helping, either. I am so *very* sorry to hear you had viruses and all that on top of your other computer problems! Sadly I can do nothing more than to cross my fingers and hope it will be over soon! Author Reply: Well, Aragorn is sending something as a father to a fellow-father, one who will understand the need to share just how precocious small children are. Of course he knows what's important! I think that Sam is finding the stone increasingly important as he learns more of its history, and I find myself wondering if he'll ask Elladan and Elrohir about it one day, or perhaps Glorfindel. Glad you appreciated Frodo insisting on accuracy, and agree he was probably one to ask frequent questions of any he thought able to answer them. As Gandalf himself commented on Frodo's "bright eyes" I do think that the choice of EW to play the role was an excellent one, for he had all the requisite traits save "taller than some"--IF "some" is pretty much limited to Bilbo! Heh! Yes, it is sad to know ahead of time that Primula will lose this child, but such, unfortunately, is life. As for the viruses--I HATE hackers! Truly would like to gather them all up and force them into a room with the most unreasonable idiots on the planet. I, too, hope this is an end to it for a time. | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/7/2006 |
| “What’s a glamour?” Frodo immediately asked. “A sort of spell to make something appear to be somewhat different than it actually is,” Bilbo explained. I must say, Bilbo's explanation is far the best I've ever heard! As we all know, Primula's miscarriage and Frodo's fainting were the beginning of a very sad story. Sad for Frodo, because everyone wanted to protect him and to look after him and so his life was not as free as before. When Bilbo took him to Bag End as his heir, his life changed completely. So I think it's quite understandable that he wanted his "Brandybuck life" to come to an end. Therefore he put the stone where it belonged, into the mill. Maybe, when he really came to meet Lord Elrond, he regretted that decision! I liked your description of little Brendi, who looked much the same as Frodo and seemed to have the same interests. They must have been close friends in their childhood. Brendi looked through the hole in the stone disk first at Bilbo and then Frodo, then paused and pulled it away. He rather quickly handed it back to his younger Baggins cousin ... What did Brendi see, I wonder? Author Reply: Thanks for the feedback. I think that Frodo might indeed have wished to show the stone to Elrond, but at the same time when he's with Elrond pre-quest he's quite distracted, and afterward is more concerned with making it home than with answering questions as to who might have once carried the aventurine fairy stone or why. So glad you felt Bilbo's explanation was well done--enough information to explain without bogging a small child down with technicalities, I thought personally. And I certainly agree with you on why Frodo in my version would seek to leave part of his Brandybuck persona behind him. As to what Brendi might have seen, I wouldn't be averse to seeing your own vision of that, you know. | |
| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/6/2006 |
| At last - a minute to review! A very short tale from you Larner but I enjoyed it very much, especially as it opens up possibilities for more to come! If Frodo's mother blames herself for being the cause of this miscarrage, as seems likely, it is very sad and untrue but, at least, we get to see where Frodo gets the tendancy to blame himself for what can't be helped from. (Woah! Grammar police needed on that sentence!) I got quite a shiver when people started looking through the stone. I think images of the ring and the Eye came to mind. Having them see the truth of a person is great. I like the way that you have turned around the dictionary definition of ' a spell of the eyes that make things seem fairer than they really are,' (Chambers) My own offering of a plot bunny is that I want to know who Frodo looked at through the stone and what he saw! Great stuff Larner and I loved the notes too. Author Reply: It was fun indeed to turn the definition around, so that those looking through the fairy stone in this case were looking at True Shapes rather than physical seemings. The idea of having Frodo look through the stone and seeing the True Shapes of others is an interesting one, and I'll have to think on that one. A couple of people have noted that the fairy stone turns the purpose of the Ring inside out, as it were, and they are right. Yes, we can certainly see in Primula's situation the source of Frodo's own tendency to take unto himself guilt that isn't truly his. And am glad you appreciated the Author's notes. | |
| Armariel | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/5/2006 |
| Ohhh...so THAT's what a glamour is...I didn't even look it up in the dictionary because I wanted to find out through the story...and I don't even know where the heck my dictionary is anyway...tut tut! LOL I was hoping against hope she wouldn't lose that baby but of course I knew better...that's just so sad! The stone is a lovely idea though...sort of an anti-Ring, what? Showing the truth instead of lies? It's the One Ring that makes glamours. But the truth makes free. Thanks for a lovely little piece! ~~~{~@ Author Reply: In writing this I hadn't considered the idea of the fairy stone as an anti-Ring, but I can certainly understand how you and others have made the connection. Yes, the works of the Dunedain in this case are far more useful than the Ring itself. I agree it was hard not to want to root for Primula carrying the child full-term in this case, but that's life, unfortunately. I do wish Frodo had had the chance to know true brothers and sisters. Thank you for appreciating the story. | |
| Antane | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/5/2006 |
| “When I looked at Sam through it I seemed to see a great lord, his eyes keen and discerning.” Bard nodded. “I saw the same.” Interesting - bet they were surprised! Sorry to hear of the miscarriage. Namarie, God bless, Antane :) Author Reply: Yes, through the fairy stone both Sam and Bilbo have been revealed as they are. Glad you find it interesting. And I, too, wish Frodo might have grown up with proper brothers and sisters, as I'm certain he'd wished as well. But miscarriages do happen. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/5/2006 |
| I have to tell you that your description of the flood-damaged hole was all too accurate. In fact, they were lucky to save as much as they were able to. And the getting sick afterward--well, black mold is just endemic to a flooded structure after the water has receded, and it definitely can cause people to have cold/flu-like symptoms. It's so horrible that it caused Primula to lose the baby. Poor Prim is going to blame herself--if she had not insisted on remaining, and then returning--she might not have become sick. It must have made things so horrid for her afterward. Bilbo was marvelous in this. The idea that he might appear as a mighty lord when seen through the hole...just wonderful, for Bilbo is so often underappreciated, yet his true nature was so much more noble than many would ever guess to look at him, or to listen to his often self-deprecating humor. I really enjoyed Bard in this, getting to know him as a lad. I'd love to see a few more stories perhaps with little Brendilac and Frodo--they clearly already had a firm friendship. I wonder how Brendi felt when little Merry showed up, and monopolized Frodo's attention? Author Reply: I tried to write the flood and its aftermath as realistically as possible. It must have been devastating for all of them. And having had floods in the basement of a former home, I've had to deal with black mold and its aftermath and trying to get it cleaned up properly. Yes, in this case it's very likely Primula would end up blaming herself for the child's loss. So glad you appreciated that both Sam and Bilbo were seen through the fairy stone as more than they appeared. I, too, like the glimpses we have from time to time what Bilbo might have been like had he been born to a different race. As for the plotbunny you've just turned loose in my direction--my heavens, but I may get to it one day, after I take care of the several fuzzy critters and nuzguls intent on being put down on the computer! Heh! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 5/5/2006 |
| Poor Primula. Far enough along to hope this pregnancy would go well - and to know that she has lost a daughter. I love the use of the fairy stone to see Sam and Bilbo as they really are. Very different from the Ring - which made things be what they were not. I seems a very appropriate thing for Sam to carry in his pocket. Author Reply: Yes, far more appropriate that Sam Gamgee carry the fairy stone than the Ring; and love the comparison you've made here. So right on! Thank you, Bodkin! | |