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| Fragments of a love story by Nesta | 38 Review(s) |
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| Blueberry | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 9/11/2010 |
Amazing story! Though in the following sentence you have a little mistake: even all the ladies who think Elboron should have married one of their daughters... I think that should be 'Eldarion' :) But otherwise your story is truly beautiful, even if it's a bit sad. Will you write anything with Firiel yet? Would love to see a sequel, perhaps how she helds her firstborn child in her arms... | |
| Rian Steelsheen | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 5/31/2010 |
| A sad story, but I'm sure she will move on, won't she? I think I rather like Eldarion's character, he certainly seem to be a resolute guy. But I prefer Elboron, he is a lot warmer and fun. What will happen to her when Faramir dies? How old he was when she was born? I loved reading this, of course! Author Reply: I'm sure Firiel did move on, particularly once she had children. I imagined Firiel being born when F. and E. had been married for ten years ago, so F. would still have been young by Numenorean standards. Firiel would of course be utterly devastated when he died - a bit like Arwen after losing Aragorn - but she'd live on for her children's sake. I think she'd end up being a loving friend to her husband, but no more; actually that's not a bad basis for a long marriage. | |
| Caraid | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 11/17/2009 |
| This is... this is so beautiful. Achingly, bittersweet and melancholy, but above all, so beautiful. I could cry. I'll write a proper review later, or I'll try my best to, but I just had to say that before leaving. Thank you so much for this story. It made my day, truly it did. Thank you. Author Reply: Thank you so much! I'm, glad you enjoyed reading the story. I so love this family! | |
| Silmarien | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/25/2009 |
| "Fíriel was most often to be found sitting in the deep embrasure of one of our south-facing windows, gazing wistfully into the distance, with Father’s house dogs at her feet radiating sympathetic gloom as only dogs can." LOL. Only too true of dogs. Author Reply: Yes, my dog's like that. When I'm ill, which mercifully happens seldom, he lies on the bed and looks patient and melancholy. It's very consoling! | |
| phyloxena | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/25/2009 |
| Turin is great. Not too happy, but master of his own life. I liked him before, and still like him very much. | |
| Rugi | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 3/24/2009 |
| I thought it was so fascinating to see Aragorn being forced to adapt to the future that he helped create. Aragorn brought into the present some of the best of what was in the past (the nobler qualities of the kings, his elven wife, the flowering of the tree) and those things certainly had value. But it never occurred to me, until now, that this love of the past might result in a sort of narrowness of mind or character. I thought it was interesting to consider that Faramir embraced, almost instinctively and unconsciously, the future - his marriage, his decision to give up the ruling Stewardship - while still loving the past. And I loved the moment between Turin and his father - Turin sounded so young and frustrated - a part of a new world which wants to make its own way without having to mourn or venerate what's happened before. Eldarion will be the first of the "new kings" who never knew the world as it was. It seems proper, to me, that he would be one to abandon a tradition that no longer suited him (and wouldn't even make sense to him as he never lived during a time when his "line" was in danger of going extinct). But I think you also show well the pain and horror of actually being a "revolutionary." Being the wife of the prince that breaks with tradition isn't going to be easy or fun. The people who change the world often don't get to really enjoy the changes fully. Author Reply: That's a very thoughtful review, Rugi - thank you! I do think Aragorn (or is it JRRT?) is a bit too taken up with his lineage and with looking back at past splendours. JRRT does say somewhere that that was what did for the elves - they couldn't or wouldn't change and were left behind by Time. This comes out strongly when the Company leave Lorien. On the other hand, rushing unthinkingly into change and jettisoning the past is a very bad idea; I think we do far too much of that nowadays. Turin might be like that. A wise man will try to strike a balance, like Faramir and Aragorn, and ultimately, one hopes, Eldarion too. | |
| Rugi | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/24/2009 |
| I really love this story. It has the aura of melancholy and sacrifice that was all over the original books. This chapter really made me consider issues of marriage for individuals, particularly women, of status. Their position in life demands sacrifices of self which are quite unique. I thought it was interesting that you mentioned Lothiriel. I always wondered what life might have been like for her, whether she would be happy, married into Rohan and taken away from the ocean and everyone she knew - that's the unfortunate destiny of most princesses - some find happiness and some don't. It reminded me of Medea's speech in the Euripides play about the fate of women to go alone to foreign lands (not that I think either Lothiriel or Firiel would end up like her). I enjoyed the interaction between the children - Turin's uncomfortable truths made me think that Faramir might have been a difficult child, in some ways, as well. Turin speaks in part because he lacks sufficient compassion, which Faramir certainly has in abundance, but I think they both would have slipped up with unfortunate truths that others did not wish to hear or face. I thought in some ways that Firiel also was rightly forced to confront the unsustainable, if beautiful, relationship she had with her father. She would eventually have to grow up and leave - change comes inevitably (even through the death of one of the parties). Part of me thinks that if Eldarion hadn't made an appearance, something else would have forced the issue. Better to create the future than stay permanently in the past. Author Reply: Even nowadays members of royal families can't always marry where they wish - wasn't it in Norway they had quite a big scandal when the heir to the throne recently married a woman with a Past, not to mention a toddler? And when they do marry 'suitably', like Charles and Diana, it doesn't necessarily work out. There are lots of 'happy Lothiriel' stories aruond, but yes, I do wonder. Luckily, unhappy princesses don't always chop up their fathers-in-law and boil them, as Medea did if I remember rightly. I'm sure Faramir was a difficult child in some ways, particularly for his father. This certainly seems to come out in their relationship in RoTK, when Denethor virtually says that Faramir has made a habit of defying him. That's what happens when two very strong personalities clash in the same family; in RoTK Denethor holds all the cards and uses them ruthlessly. I've got a story on ff.net in which I try to show Faramir taking a wiser approach to his own difficult son. Fíriel would certainly have had to leave Ithilien in the end, and Faramir must have known that from the beginning, though that doesn't make the final parting any easier - as Elrond found. If Elrond didn't exactly hang on to Arwen, he didn't make it easy for her to leave him, either; but the cirumstances were different, of course. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 3/24/2009 |
| It is possible to learn to love another, and hopefully she is learning to do so. I loved the inclusion of the Hobbits (but then that's my nature!) in this story. And I am glad her decision was her own in the end, as it is more likely the gift of love for her husband will be accepted by her when it comes indeed. A wonderful story. Thank you! Author Reply: I'm sure the hobbits were frequent visitors to Fornost once the North Kingdom had been put to rights. It would be an easier trip than to Gondor, so long as you dodged the barrow-wights! Yes, Fíriel will learn to love Eldarion in the end. Personally I think there's a lot to be said for the get-married-first, fall-in-love afterwards approach; it's better than falling in love, getting married and then falling out of love, which happens quite often, alas. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 3/24/2009 |
| The gift was indeed the perfect one, one truly worthy of its recipient and her future status. But it was born of an imperfect love. I am glad Haur accepted the payment given him and made all things right in redoing it. I only wish that Turin and Firiel had been able to know full appreciation of one another through its bestowal. Author Reply: Túrin isn't very lovable, I'm afraid. He'll certainly never marry, but he has a heart nonetheless. Actually I think it's better if people who are supremely talented in one direction don't marry: they tend to be ruthless in their dedication and that is very hard on the other people. | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/24/2009 |
| It is tearing her apart, isn't it? Now, to set things right! Author Reply: Love and being loved does tear people apart. People whose love isn't requited come in for a lot of sympathy, but I think people who are loved by someone they can't love in return deserve some sympathy as well. It can be a painful and embarrassing situation and it gives one an enormous power to hurt, which is an awful feeling unless you actually like hurting people. | |