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Elf, Interrupted: Book One: Glorfindel Redux by Fiondil	1161 Review(s)
demeter d	Reviewed Chapter: 28 on 8/1/2022
I only first discovered Fiondil's work when Elf Academy Two was beginning. So I joined his universe very much "in progress" as it were. I was only familiar with the rich history he had written for these people through references made in the stories. Over the years since then, I have slowly picked up the rest. I believe the message of this chapter summarizes, for me, the heart of all of Master Fiondil's comment on Tolkien's world. "Tell me again how much my Adar loves me..." Over and over in all of his stories, our friend Arthur shows us just exactly how much he believed that our "Atar" loves us. Reading his work, I can imagine him in the light of that love. I would like to copy all of his writings, so that when the day comes that this site is gone, I can still read that message of hope.

5QiPyR6Vx2Za	Reviewed Chapter: 35 on 12/2/2015
This is really upnlitfig sigh I dont like that I have this problem and I try to keep things in perspective because I know the world doesn't revovle around myself but at times I just get the feeling that everyone is looking at me and judging me for my every mistake, it makes it hard to even interact with people without being even in the least anxious. This is upnlitfig though and I will def turn my problems to the Lord because at this point he is the only one that can help me. Thanks for the post and your helping people like us by just talking about your situations and giving us all courage.

dajH6RnRE	Reviewed Chapter: 31 on 12/2/2015
I haven't seen this argument, but I rellay don't understand it. For me it isn't remotely about trust, it's about the ideas that are there. If the ideas are good, then who is writing it shouldn't matter. If not, ditto. I will make the caveat that I do not do UUism professionally. I've had some pretty cranky arguments in the past with anonymous people, most of whom having at least some idea of who I am. If I were a UU seminarian and my new internship supervisor announced Remember that time you publicly mocked the political views of an anonymous blogger named Fredo'? That was me. it would be, to put it mildly, a bad day. So I can understand why UU seminarians and ministers would like to know for their own peace of mind. But from I'm standing, I like what they are saying and I don't rellay care who is saying it. CC

I2J9WSJ4l4k	Reviewed Chapter: 22 on 12/2/2015
Loved this. It is indeed one of most very siaepcl things we share about our little boy, especially because of how our relationship with that song, and the natural ritual of singing it to him, keeps evolving. He never asks me to sing it, though I still do at night sometimes, along with the Beatles' In My Life and my made-up version of the Beach Boys' Surfer Girl ( little Sammy, little one ). For the first year and a half or so, though, Close to You was an almost-daily naptime favorite. It's nice to think that maybe that, plus all of your nightly singing, helped it become the happy sing-along Sam and his mama share now. I suspect as the years go by, that song will continue to mean more and new things to us. Such a brilliantly simple little song, though really it only seems/sounds simple. Of all the things that can instantly get to me, it's singing/humming it to myself when I'm alone. Makes me think of his smile and his giggle. And it takes me right back to the my first moment alone with him after he was born. I don't know if I mentioned it at the time or not, or anytime since. You were out cold in the moment once he was out, and you had your first amazing moment with him, your terrified, mildly panicky, drowned-in-tears eyes went from settled to plenty sedated. I watched as they warmed and examined him, until it was time to cut his cord something that, as I think of it now, still turns my stomach a little, yet in the moment seemed perfectly logical, very fatherly and (for chrissakes!) the LEAST I could do after watching your abdomen get pounded like a wad of dough by not one but two obstetricians.After that, they told me to get lost. Well, not literally, but they sent me back to the now-empty room down the hall, where we'd been for the last 30-some hours, quietly and nervously waiting. I stood there, still in my scrubs, for about five, maybe 10 minutes longest, loneliest 5-10 minutes of my life until they wheeled him in on a tray to quickly do more little tests (and shots? I forget, some of it kinda blurs) and then I had another five, 10, 15 minutes with him alone? Could've been an hour for all I know. Time pretty much stopped.And I cried. No, sobbed. Hard. And lots. Hard not to well up now just remembering it.And I held him close, as he got quiet and dreamy again and I sang that song.Couple of times, too such a perfect lullaby, you can just keep going back to the first verse, start it all again, repeat the on the day that you were born part. Why'd I sing it? Cuz I'd already been singing it to him for months?Why'd I choose that song, anyway? Cuz it was the way I felt the first time I sang it. It was as close to him as I could get.

Ithilwen Eruanna	Reviewed Chapter: 142 on 6/3/2015
I know that Fiondil will never read this, but I feel that I must write it anyway on behalf of all those that read the reviews others have left. Elf,Interrupted has become canon in my mind, from the personalities of the Valar to the friendships between canonical and own characters. He has brought me to proudly admit that lord Nàmo is my favourite vala, to say that I now know more elvish than I have ever before, and to say that I have learned important life lessons along the way. I am a Christian and I am proud to say that this story has strengthened my faith and helped me to better understand some of the doctrines of the Bible better. I want to thank you, Fiondil, for taking the time to write this piece that has forever impacted my life. I cannot wait, one day, to see you when I also pass into the West, and to get to know you better! ....now if only I could remember not to whine.... Melkor take you, Eonwë, get out of my room!!!! grins

Bellethiel Marcaunion	Reviewed Chapter: 142 on 4/28/2015
Wow. I finished this in February, and it had such a lasting impact on my life. I had been going through a period of doubt, and your story brought me back to Christ. Thank you. I know you won't read this, or if you do, definitely won't be replying, but I had to say thank you. You changed my life with the Elf, Interrupted books. One of my friends and I have often remarked that your stories will always be canon for us. It even made it into her story, Glorfindel's whining that is. You taught me Quenya and Sindarin with this as well, I'd tried to learn it before, but your stories were what made it stick in my head. I will never forget "I have an orc-lover on my hands" - it's already become a family joke between my brother and I. So I guess, well, to be repetitive, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. May your memory be eternal. Ci hannon, Bellethiel Christ is risen!

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 57 on 1/26/2015
I'm beginning to think that Irmo and Námo are very devious laughs But humour aside, I think Irmo was not just using figures of speech when he said that from the time Finrod first left Aman, they were working towards this time. I wonder if he was thinking, even then, of initiating Finrod into this order. I really like the image of the Valar welcoming Finrod as a companion. It brings home that, Valar though they may be, they are all children of Eru. While the Valar have been entrusted with the guidance and guarding of Arda, and indeed what they have made, the Children really don't belong to them. It's a picture, I think, of what Irmo explains when he talks about how the duty of a king is to guard. As a king, that was Finrod's duty to his people because, as his people, he still holds his position in trust from Eru. In the same way, I think Irmo might be trying to say a similar thing about the position of the Valar over the Children. "There was something unearthly, even by elvish standards, about the place, or perhaps, Finrod amended, more earthly than anything he had ever felt before." This actually reminded me of some descriptions from Narnia. But that aside, the closer you come to the source of something, the more "real" it feels. It's like the difference between seeing a picture of a painting, a copy and then the real thing. Nothing quite prepares you for it. Regardless, being brought to the Valar's personal sanctuary is a great honour. So Finrod's oath was also that far reaching. Interesting that he, like Manwen, didn't fully realise at the time what he was doing. It is almost frightening, in a way, but it's the good kind of fear. Perhaps awe is a better word to use. Finrod did seem to bounce back rather more quickly than Manwen did, but I wonder what the long term effects will be. And there was no blood this time. I love how you write the Valar in these more personal settings, actively caring for the Children and interacting with them. And I really enjoyed seeing Irmo and Námo together. Even though they are brothers, and quite different, it's really fun to see them in the same context. Now, I am horrible curious who the others are ;) Thank you for an amazing read :)

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 56 on 1/25/2015
"Not sure how to address this elf who had become a stranger to him overnight." This is exactly how I feel. Finrod has, as you say, definitely grown in stature and I absolutely loved him in this chapter. Not only has he grown up he finally seems to be comfortable with who he is and who he was, and I think we are finally getting a glimpse of what he was like in Endore. It's easy to see why he was so loved. It's also significant that the elves who were present at the oath taking are seeing him in this different light. In the long run I think it will help the perceptions of the reborn, and how they are treated by the elves of Aman. The respect shown by the Maiar was also a surprise. The effect of the oath on Manwen was pretty extreme, and disturbing on some levels. It's hard for us, I think, as humans to understand the implications of that kind of an oath. I think it's interesting that, despite his not wanting his wife to take the oath, that afterwards Laurendil seems to feel much more at peace. It's almost as if Manwen makes it possible for him to take up his apprentice duties. In some ways maybe witnessing his wife's oath taking, Laurendil was able to confront some of his own fears or at least put them to rest. Thank you for another amazing chapter, Fiondil. I loved the new insights on the characters :)

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 55 on 1/24/2015
People like Meneldil make my skin crawl. Unlike Finrod, who is powerful but in a much more real sense, Meneldil is on a power trip. He is the complete lack of humility and flaunts his authority, rubbing it in the faces of those who he perceives as powerless to resist him. Eärnur really stood out to me in this chapter too. He may not have reached his second yén yet, but he handled Meneldil and his rudeness with a lot of class. It's hard to be respectful and call someone to task at the same time. This is probably one of the most (if not the most) powerful chapter I've read in fiction anywhere. It's hard to say much about it because, at least for me, it almost diminishes what is there. Understanding the oath taking really adds a whole new dimension to the story and I find myself wondering if Glorfindel's oath was similar. I worry as well for Manwen. Despite the Valar being pleased, I can't imagine how it would feel when realisation finally sank in. "Findaráto is no longer a king, as he rightly reminds us, but he still retains the authority of one. That authority was never rescinded, neither by us nor by Eru." This is very interesting, especially coming from the Valar, no less. Finrod might not have a kingdom, but I think his fears of his being less than what he was are not going to be realised. If anything I think he may be headed for greater things, but, as often happens with Eru's will, it might not take the form that he had envisioned. I really loved this chapter. It gave me chills, especially Finrod's, or Another's, admonishment to Laurendil. Thank you for sharing it :) Author Reply: Hi Hawkeye. You're right that Meneldil is on a power trip. We'll see how he is dealt with eventually. I am sure that Glorfindel's oath to Turgon was very similar, although in a more formal setting than the dining pavilion in Lórien surrounded by Reborn. grin We'll see what happens to Manwen when realization sinks in soon enough. And Finrod will always be a king, whether he wears a crown or not, whether he even has a kingdom or not. That is just the nature of who he is at all times. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. Thanks for reviewing. I appreciate it.

hawkeye	Reviewed Chapter: 54 on 1/23/2015
dies Oh my, this was too funny. I teach English, and I've had this happen several times with students. Not to mention it reminds me of several of my own experiences in Japanese class. Like Finrod with Celeborn and Thingol, I wished the ground would swallow me. Poor Eärnur pats him on the back I suppose in comparison to Finrod and even Laurendil, Eärnur is quite young. I can sympathise with his frustrations. Hopefully he takes Finrod's advice and doesn't ask anyone else for a translation laughs Even though it's appeared that way, I was absolutely floored when Eärnur said that none of the healers have to learn Sindarin. One would think that the language loving Noldor and Vanyar would at least be happy to have another language to learn. Of course that could just be the linguist in me coming out. This is by far the happiest that I've seen Laurendil. Interestingly, even though they didn't spend the time talking about his fears, I think the Sindarin lesson probably did much more for him. The cliché that laughter is the best medicine does hold some ring of truth. Ultimately it's hard to heal if the spirit is weighed down. On another level, I'm not sure "talking" about his fears in a scheduled time and manner would really help. Forcing someone to talk who doesn't want to is usually counterproductive. For one thing, it requires a lot of trust and that isn't something that happens overnight. So in the end, I think the Sindarin was probably the best medicine. Thank you for a fun read :) Author Reply: It was fun coming up with the sentences, though it took me a while to find two words that sounded very similar but had very opposite meanings where one would be considered an insult when used in a particular phrase. It is odd that these Elves who have such a love of language don't care to learn Sindarin, but unfortunately, the Amanians, in their distain of the Exiles and those who never reached Valinor in the first place, have decided that Sindarin is a bastardized form of Quenya and so isn't a true language in its own right, so why learn it? Maybe with Irmo having Eärnur learning it (and I suspect he'll have others learn it as well), this attitude will eventually change. You're right that talking about things like your fears really doesn't work unless you want to talk about them. I think, though, that spending the afternoon teaching Eärnur Sindarin, especially when he makes his gaffe, helps to create a bond of trust between the three so if and when Laurendil wants to talk he can do so in a natural way. Thanks for reviewing, Hawkeye. I'm glad you found this a fun read.

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