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

While There is Life  by Rowan 7 Review(s)
demeter dReviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/20/2007
Greetings, Rowan. i just read "The Return' and followed the link here to you. i enjoyed the original 'Gift", and I very much like this, too. this sounds exactly like Gandalf! I feel right "in his head'. the little images of the others are right on character, too. i will be reading more of your work.

Author Reply: Thanks, and sorry it took so long to reply! I hope you enjoy the other stories as well.

ElemmírëReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/27/2006
A very heartfelt piece from Gandalf's POV, Rowan. I enjoyed this very much. Will you perhaps continue it in some fashion?

Author Reply: Thank you! Actually, I have no plans to continue it. Of course, you never know. But unfortunately my muse tends to be rather short-winded: when she's said what she wants to say, she shuts up.

InklingReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/26/2006
I liked this a lot! The description of the Loudwater was very poetic, without straying over the line of being unbelievably so for Gandalf’s interior monologue—and with a nice reminder of his Maian origins thrown in. And I have to confess that I can relate to Merry’s feelings here, good excuses or not. Between them, Bilbo and Gandalf really left Frodo holding the bag…er, Ring.

Author Reply: Indeed. Neither one did so maliciously, of course, but still, I thought it would make some sense that at least one of the other hobbits would harbor some amount of anger on Frodo's behalf.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/26/2006
Now, if only he could have followed through on that promise. However, he had definitely the best of excuses for the second failure to assist Frodo. I'm only glad he didn't fail the third and fourth times.

DaynawaynaReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/26/2006
Wonderful story... I never get to hear Gandalf's side of things so this was a refreshing scene, sad though it was. It "humanizes" him, which is really different yet comforting. I wish I had a Gandalf in my life. :)

Author Reply: You and me both! Thanks for commenting.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/26/2006
How wonderful, Rowan. This is a very powerful and thoughtful piece. But I particularly love this part:

"Beggin' your pardon, Mister Gandalf, but I can rest just as well on this here bed with my master as anywhere else, as fine a place as this is. I ain't leavin' 'til Lord Elrond himself comes and throws me out, or 'til my master wakes, whichever comes first, if it's all the same to you, sir."

I chose well, it seems.

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/26/2006
Oh so powerful! It is just the sort of thoughts I can imagine Gandalf having at this point in time, and just the sort of reactions that the hobbits would have had as well.

I love seeing fics in Gandalf's POV. JRRT was so stingy with it, that we only get inside his head once: just before Frodo wakes up, only just a little later in this very time-frame.

Very well done!

Author Reply: I've always imagined that Gandalf, having done what he does for so long, would surely have a lot of regrets: for plans that didn't go quite right, and for people who were hurt along the way. All for the greater good, perhaps, but still it must be quite a burden.

Return to Chapter List