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One Who Sticks Closer than a Brother  by Lindelea 4 Review(s)
BodkinReviewed Chapter: 18 on 6/2/2007
Did any of Annie's family survive the Troubles, I wonder - or did some of them end up adorning a tree outside the Shire. Poor Tolly - there's enough trouble in his past to ensure he's less sure of his black/white than Ferdi - to whom big = bad.

Mind you, it seems as if the family gathering is there to see him out of the world rather than take him home ... except in the 'to bury' sense. Brother Freddy seems a little intellectually challenged over anything that isn't edible. Unless it's drinkable. But the rest of the family ... Worrying times.

Author Reply: Hmm, good question.

It's interesting to have Tolly and Ferdi best... what would it be, in British idiom? "Best mates" sounds Australian or modern to me, and dh isn't here to ask. Ferdi was "best man" at Tolly's wedding, as Tolly would have been at Ferdi's if not for needing to accomodate Nell's little ones. What with their differing views of black, white and grey, I mean. Though I don't think either of them is the type to carry on long, philosophical discussions.

The family gathering is not quite funereal in nature, not quite yet, as will come out in the next chapter, I think.

Have been out of town for a week so it's been a while since I've had time to think about this story or any other. However, I'm hoping to sneak in a little writing time this week.

Brother Freddy is a simple soul. I suspect he had a high fever as a faunt, though his brothers sometimes joke (a bit grimly, and he all unknowing laughs right along with them) that he was dropped on his head as an infant.

Worrying times, indeed, but the plot is taking shape.

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 18 on 5/28/2007
And so the family come to fetch him home. I am glad. But, in what dark dreams is he wandering?

Author Reply: Yes, home again. But your question deserves serious consideration.

Had wanted to get another chapter in last weekend, but it looks as if it'll have to wait until the next weekend. Thanks so much for staying the course!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 18 on 5/24/2007
I pray the fever breaks and soon--hopefully very soon.

Hope to be down in two weeks. Love to you and the hubby and the Hobbitlings.

Author Reply: Oh, hope to see you then! You can meet my new writing partner (the Giant Schnauzer, that is).

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 18 on 5/24/2007
Have we met Fredebold before? I don't remember him--how old is he? He seems a particularly oblivious hobbit, which could only be explained by either stupidity--unlikely given his family--or youth.

I don't blame Hilly for wanting to smack him one.

And poor Tolly, both the flashback Tolly and the current one...

Author Reply: Fredebold appears briefly in a few places, but not many. He has popped up as early as the writing of Flames (Chapter 50, "Abedding"). He also appears briefly in a parallel chapter of Striking Sparks (though his name is spelled a little differently there) and he's mentioned somewhere else, I forget exactly where.

He comes between Mardi and Tolly in birth order. I figured out once that Hilly is close to Pippin's age, Tolly is a month apart from Ferdibrand (who's seven years older than Pippin), Mardi is about eighteen years older than Tolly, and Freddy falls somewhere between Mardi and Tolly, making him about Pearl's age. These seem like big gaps, but there are a few sisters sprinkled in there too. (My, aren't ages complicated? But I do better figuring by how they relate to other hobbits, than I do by birthdate.) He's rather self-absorbed and oblivious. Rumour has it he was dropped on his head as a baby. It might be that he suffered a high fever as a faunt, and was affected ever after, and his distressed mother coddled him.

He's not mentioned much in stories as he's rather bland, dull, and uninteresting--not terribly Tookish at all, and not prone to those uncomfortable things called adventures.

Thanks for asking about him, poor neglected fellow.

(Skimmed through your latest chapter of Road to Edoras and enjoyed Merry's letter immensely. Got interrupted as I was starting to type a review, and haven't got back to it yet. But I'm sitting on pins and needles, and very uncomfortable it is, too, waiting to hear Cado's fate. Put us out of our misery, please!!!)

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