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| Soap Bubbles by Le Rouret | 12 Review(s) |
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| TithenFeredir | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 6/5/2008 |
| I just read the whole story at one sitting. The premise was intriguing as I have also wondered what moved Legolas to sing for the funeral they gave Boromir. I think you capture Legolas as Tolkien wrote him, and with his musings you illuminate the characteristics that Tolkien gave him in a wonderfully delicate balance. His relative age and relative youth, his capacity for joy and deep wells of grief, his curiosity and willingness to serve and his loneliness and longing for home and kin all came across beautifully. There was just so much depth hinted at in the way you wrote him, his presence on the Quest felt like an interval in the much larger context of is long life. And though you wrote him as mostly gentle and self-effacing, I really enjoyed this bit where his temper flares: “Abase me not, impudent child! Think you I have not coveted some magical token for mine own Lord Father to battle Dol Guldur’s stinking minions? Alone and ringless does my sire hold back evil from his kingdom, for his power and lineage is of Doriath and he has stood firm ere the Necromancer came to his kingdom. Had he one of the Three he could stand upon the ramparts of your city, to throw it down and build thereupon an Elven realm to rival Gondolin! Go to Minas Tirith alone then, and ask no more help of the Elves, for we have fought Morgoth’s slave since before the first stone was laid in your city!” That was nicely put, and Boromir had it coming. Talk about royal indignation! I also loved your Boromir. He oozed nobility and commitment to his warrior's discipline and yet he just couldn't "unbend" even when he tried. All of the characters were distinctly themselves. Although this story is mostly about the interaction with the characters you do some wonderful descriptive prose. For example I was amazed at how you were able to describe so many soap bubbles ~~ all of them different and drawn in vivid detail. "I place the mouthpiece of the pipe to my lips. I taste tar, smoke. I ease a glistening ball from the bowl; its iridescent swirls roll and undulate. It separates; I breathe out upon it and it rises slowly into the damp air. But I have put too much extra liquid on it; it sinks, and I am constrained to lay the pipe aside. I place my hands beneath it, stroking the air upward; it rises, floats, drifts toward the larch leaves rustling over my head." Wow. These descriptions engage all of the senses and make it very real. This story was a neat idea, the characters were beautifully done and the writing ~~~just really, really good writing. This was a pleasure to read. Thanks for sharing it. ~TF Author Reply: Thank you, Tithen Feredir - what a splendid review! I was shocked to find that someone had read "Soap Bubbles" (I wrote it so long ago) and had taken the time to explain why exactly it had been so enjoyable. It was a pleasure to write, and I'm very thankful you found it a pleasure to read. Le Rouret | |
| eyesofsky | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 6/14/2007 |
| Ah, this is a truly beautiful story, dealing so gently and skilfully with all the emotions. My heart is also full. Author Reply: Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. | |
| Wimsey | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 4/4/2007 |
| This was absolutely lovely. It captured the very essence of Legolas from the book. I loved the juxtaposition between his innocence, joy and gaiety against his strength, determination and wisdom. This was a joy to read, thank you for it. Author Reply: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! It was fun to get that deep into Legolas' psyche; only "Pottymouth" went so far (pardon the pun). | |
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 4/1/2007 |
| But he is unlike Boromir enough that our exchange was easy and unstrained; he does not seem to be as fettered with esteem as was my old brother-in-arms. Truly a great way of noting the greatest difference between the two brothers. Faramir is a proud man too, but he doesn't let that pride inhibit him to the same extent as Boromir; it is more a function of who he is and his own confidence than in his fondness for his rank and station. And what a great foundation for the friendship between Legolas and Faramir in your other stories! Author Reply: I've been criticized for not putting Aragorn in more of my fics, and shifting focus from Legolas' friendship with the King of Gondor to the Prince of Emyn Arnen. But in my mind, not only was Faramir the more interesting of the two men, but also logically speaking Legolas would have spent more time with him, as their demesnes were so close. Therefore I decided to make Faramir and Legolas' friendship a higher priority. Besides which ... Legolas has been "slashed" so often with Aragorn I wanted to avoid any hints of that! I had enough trouble with people thinking I was "slashing" Bandobras. Ick! | |
| Raikana | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/19/2006 |
| Aw!! This was so cool! I love Legolas, and the way you wrote this was perfect, so easy to get into to the flow of the way he speaks and thinks. I just can't write like that and simply adore those who can. Soap bubbles! I love the little memories that you've added in about blowing soap bubbles with his Mom when he was little and that he still does it whenever he comes home. I almost started crying when I read that Legolas' last words to Boromir were angry, and then again when he finally made friends with Faramir. Simply wonderful, Le Rouret. I have a new favorite bedtime story, now. ^_^ -Raikana (I think I might try writing a LotR fanfic sometime soon... You've inspired me!) | |
| Dairwendan | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/9/2006 |
| What beautiful writing! I love this story! I've been interested in the relationship between Legolas and Boromir as well and you've illustrated it wonderfully! Thank you! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/28/2006 |
| I love Legolas's tendency to go off and blow soap bubbles when he's stressed! And Faramir seems to have inherited all the family's imagination - he is much better suited to friendship with an elf than poor Boromir. Who was far too concerned with his city's survival to worry about frivolities, even before the Ring ate at his mind. Most enjoyable! Author Reply: Thank you, Bodkin! I had fun writing it. The differences between Faramir and Boromir always fascinated me in the books - I wish Jackson had put more of that tension in the movie. | |
| Camp6311 | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/26/2006 |
| This was a beautiful story. It was heartbreaking to see each of Legolas' attempts at friendship rebuffed, and at times it seemed they were so close to a conneciton too, and then to have their final words angry ones. What a memory to have until the end of Arda. I confess I love your angry Legolas. It reminds me of a passage from Ivanhoe when King Richard is compared to a lion's whelp who can suddenly unsheathe his claws and begin to roar. Your writing is so vivid I can just see the cloud of rage billowing around him. Then in the end heartbreak to joy when Faramir offers his friendship so unlooked for and spontaneous. Author Reply: Thanks for your review! Yes, I like Legolas when he's angry too - but I like him better when he's amusing and good-natured. I suppose that's why I classified this story as "angst" - I so rarely write him as Angry!Legolas that it was nice for a change. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/25/2006 |
| I read this story all at one go--it's amazingly lovely. First of all, I must confess, that like Legolas in your story, I am a soap bubble junkie. So I certainly found it very endearing that he had this habit. The voice you give him here is so dignified and full of depth of feeling. It reminds me in many ways of the archaic tone you use in your "Green Knight" universe, but at the same time, being in first person it is not so distant and high. I really feel for him, as he longs to make friends with all the Fellowship, yet finds only Boromir resists--due of course, to the pull of the Ring, we know. But Legolas is confused by his comrade's reluctance. I like the development of his other friendships, especially that with Gimli. And I feel so sorry for Boromir here: not only the Ring, but the sternness of his life at home and his father's unyielding sense of propriety and duty keeps him from understanding why Legolas should simply want to make others happy. That is so sad. And the end, where he begins to build his friendship with Faramir is just lovely. Author Reply: Thank you, DreamFlower! This little ficlet simply wouldn't leave me alone 'til I'd written it. I too pitied the sons of Denethor - what a harsh, unfair father he must've been! You can't really blame Boromir for how he turned out. I enjoyed writing from Legolas' point of view too. It was freeing not only to "hear" him speak, but to not have the constraint put on his letters in "My Dear Bandobras." The closest one ever got to really "hearing" Legolas was in his letters to Bandy. | |
| Agape4Gondor | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 8/19/2006 |
| Well, I finished this at work - printed it out and hid and read it - and almost sobbed over the beauty of the entire piece. I am writing the manager of this site to see if there is a way to put a 'final' comment or a 'story' comment. For my comments are on the entire piece. It is beautiful. I love the language - I wish I could emulate it! I love the characterizations - so very different for man, Dwarf, and Elf. Believable and readable. I love the concept and I love an author who can write like this. Thank you!!! PS - I've sent a link to two friends for their enjoyment and will continue to do so... now, I'm off to bookmark you as a favorite author... Then I have to go write some more Denethor before he disowns me!!! Author Reply: Wow, thanks for the review! You made me feel all warm and gushy inside. Emulating the language isn't that hard - it just takes practice. The difficulty is getting it out of one's system after the story is finished - my emails start sounding a little pompous! Enjoy Denethor! | |