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| He who Would Have All by Larner | 12 Review(s) |
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| harrowcat | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/19/2007 |
| You really have caught these sins well Larner. You are also clearly showing how they were encouraged to grow so large in this sad lad. But I must admit the line that really tickled me was this; Lobelia was in the entranceway, dusting each clothes peg carefully. In Britain clothes pegs are generally used to pin clothes up on a washing line while 'coat hooks' look after larger garments in entrance halls so you can imagine what a wonderful mental picture I got of dear Lobelia carefully dusting each finger-sized piece of wood! Author Reply: Ah--in the states those are "clothes pins," while wooden clothes hooks are often referred to as "pegs" although more commonly as "coat hooks." But I can see a house-proud Lobelia there dusting EVERYTHING, including the clothes pins as well as the coat hooks, whether metal or wooden in nature. I see her as a rather all or nothing kind of person. And am so glad you felt I caught the sins well in our dear young Lotho. And I suspect that his parents, and particularly his mother, did encourage them in him. | |
| svadilfari | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/18/2007 |
| What is it with men and ankles? ;-p Funnily enough, I was never fond of Lotho and that Sandyman lad. Odd, as Hobbits, one would think (at least, I did, when I read 'The Hobbit') are all homely, friendly, LIKEABLE creatures. A tad irritating at times, could they just not make a move on it already? Lord, the first chapter of LOTR made me want to personally reach in and drag the four by their pointed ears to Bree. But, I never did like Lotho. Or that sycophant, loser Sandyman. Lobelia, she redeemed herself with her umbrella. But, Lotho, urgh! It is very hard to pity slimeballs. You did a throughly good job at putting to words what I feel about him. I am so going to read the companion piece now. And to be called a glutton, ouch! Although he never did get it. Author Reply: In days when women's skirts reached to the floor or nearly there, a sight of an ankle was often the reminder of what else was hidden under the skirt and was a bit of a turn on to many men, I understand. Even today those who have thick ankles are seen as less attractive than those whose ankles are well shaped. I doubt anyone has ever truly liked Lotho--felt sorry for him at times, but not LIKED him or Ted. Between taking her umbrella to the one thug and her decision to leave her estate to make up for those who'd lost a good deal as a result of Lotho's actions we can develop empathy for Lobelia, at least. And for a Hobbit to be referred to as a glutton, he HAD to be bad! Heh! | |
| Andrea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/1/2007 |
| Yes, that's greed in all its manifestations! What a hobbit! I read stories about the Times of Trouble in which Lotho really did more than just look at the lasses. And I think it's very likely that it could have happened. It's an interesting thought that Lotho, too, might have been influenced by the Ring, but in a different way than Frodo. Where Frodo was constantly fighting the Ring, Lotho would have welcomed it AND would have used it - not knowing that in fact The Ring would have used HIM! Author Reply: Yes, envy, lust, greed, wrath, gluttony, pride, and sloth--the seven deadly sins. I, too, have read stories in which Lotho became a rapist, rake, and otherwise abusive toward women during his stint as Chief, and they haven't been very pretty. Cuthalion has written a couple excellent ones, and Pearl Took's story of Other and his cousin finding an ancestor's journal was marvelous showing what Lotho did to Ted Sandyman's sister. Unfortunately Lotho appears to have been the worst possible Hobbit in the Shire to get hold of power. And if the Ring could catch Saruman from a distance, couldn't it have worked on the closer and equally power-hungry Lotho? And certainly the Ring did appear, in Its way, to use him! | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/29/2007 |
| Hm – Frodo won the knife in a honest wager, and still Lotho thinks he has no right to keep and use it? Lotho is such a fool! And how typical of him to take it from Ted. One gets the impression as soon Lotho noticed Frodo having something, he wanted it, too. To envy him even Daisy’s attention is so petty. And I am glad to know he not only got neither Daisy nor Pearl nor Narcissa, but died unmarried. Which respectable lass would have someone like Lotho, after all? You certainly managed to show Lotho from his worst side here. Sadly it is only too believable to think of him as so greedy and even a thief. He had to be rather corrupted from the beginning to do what he did in the end, after all. A pity Otho never put his foot down, though he recognised how spoilt his son was. Author Reply: Oh, I suspect you're right about Lotho deciding in time he deserved anything that Frodo had. And I suspect also that, as It did with Saruman, the Ring caught the envy and potential for power in Lotho and increased it by working on him from a distance, perhaps hoping to take him so he would take It and get it toward Its master that much the sooner. Had he managed to get his hands on it, I wonder what would have happened? As for being a thief--we know already that was true of his mother, who stole silver spoons and filled her umbrella with small, portable items, and probably more than once, if I know our Lobelia. That he'd follow in her footsteps would be, unfortunately, all too natural. | |
| cookiefleck | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/29/2007 |
| Interesting beginning! Thanks. Author Reply: Maybe one day I'll add more to Lotho's story, but this is it for right now--an answer to a challenge to write the Seven Deadly Sins around one to three characters--and within the Shire, who better than Lotho? Thanks for the note. | |
| Raksha The Demon | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/29/2007 |
| That Lotho is certainly a nasty little spud, even as a young hobbit. I found his thoughts about the young ladies particularly loathsomely self-centered; and hope he didn't try to force his attentions on she-hobbits when he came to brief and ultimately fatal power under Sharkey's regime. Author Reply: The idea that Lotho was potentially a rapist as well as everything else has, of course, been the focus of several stories over the years. I suspect that he, like Saruman, was sensitive to the Ring even at a distance, although it's likely he had no idea what was manipulating him. Interesting thought that when the Ring couldn't get Frodo to rape or maul the girls, It might have turned to Lotho.... Blast! Have you set still ANOTHER nuzgul or plot bunny loose in my direction? Aaarrrgggghhhh! | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/28/2007 |
| (And Lotho was shocked to realize he’d give almost anything to trade places at that moment with Frodo Baggins.) This is so very insightful! I do think most of it was jealously and this shows that he had a real need for some attention from someone who was important and interesting. He wanted want Frodo had and knew he could never earn it on his own. This was a great look at Lotho. I do wonder how he might have turned out if he had been raised by someone other than his parents. Author Reply: Oh, yes, the envy of his parents for Bilbo's position and home and assumed prestige in spite of the fact officially everybody disparaged Bilbo for going on his adventure would have been inherited by Lotho, I think. Had he had other guardians as a child but still been born to Otho and Lobelia it's hard to say what he might have become; but at least he might have had a chance to be better than he turned out. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/28/2007 |
| Oh dear, I fear Lotho is a classic example of greed which will prove his downfall. Author Reply: Oh, but I do agree, Linda--Lotho has already begun on the road that will lead to the invasion of the Shire and his own grisly death. And thanks so much for the feedback! | |
| elanor winterflowers | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/28/2007 |
| What a chilling portrait of the Hobbit who would be Chief one day! So very well done--the reader really has to draw back in considerable distaste from this unusually wicked young hobbit. You almost wonder if he might ever have been anything else; he is so ruthlessly self-indulgent. I liked getting a closer look at his friend Ted Sandyman, too. That dialogue was wonderful! Not too many people manage to celebrate all seven of the deadly sins as a matter of course; Lotho, it appears excelled at them! I really enjoyed reading this and getting to know the Draco Malfoy of the Shire! :) Author Reply: Well, as Lotho actually predates Draco by a good several decades in print, let's admit that Draco is the Lotho Sackville-Baggins of Hogwarts School! Heh! Although there area also some aspects of Dudley Dursley that are similar. This was written in response to a challenge on HASA to write one to three characters into depictions of the seven deadly sins, and as the challenge is up on July 10th, last night I started work on it, and I posted it today. And, in considering the Shire, who better to choose as the main protagonist than Lotho? Am so glad you enjoyed the dialogue between Lotho and Ted. I suspect in many ways the relationship between them was similar to the Crabbes and Goyles to the Malfoys, but I think that Ted had a bit more self-direction if no more smarts in the long run. This was a fun one to do, and was glad I could do it fairly economically. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/28/2007 |
| Oh goodness, but isn't your young Lotho well on his path to his destiny! One wonders what might have happened if at some point along the way, he'd had a visit from a "Ghost of Yule Future" haunt him with visions of his grisly ending! Somehow, I'm sadly afraid it might not have done him any permanent good... Author Reply: Oh, no--we already have distinct parallels between Lotho's Yule and Dudley's birthday here--don't throw in any Scrooge as well! Heh! Unfortunately, I fear you're right--even knowing how miserable his ending would be wouldn't be likely to deter Lotho from the path he'd chosen. | |