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Celeritas' Birthday Bash 2010  by Celeritas 4 Review(s)
Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/6/2010
How did I miss this one? A lovely look at the friendship between Merry, Pippin and Faramir, and the great history they have shared. There aren't enough fanfiction stories dealing with the Thain's Book; and this book is such a personal treasure for these three noble scholars. And I love Faramir's mention of his grandson, surely the canonical Barahir, who will carry on the love and study of history in Gondor. A wonderful vignette!

Author Reply: Actually, this fic started out as yours (with the plan of eventually getting to Part 2), but the story quickly veered off in the direction of Marta's prompt so I decided it'd be best to make it deliberately so, and split up the story. I love manuscript and archive fics, so this was a real treasure to work on (as was slipping in Barahir!).

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 8/2/2010
Definitely a Hobbity discussion! Let's not get so caught up in facts we forget the spirit of the thing! Thanks so!

Author Reply: Thank you for reviewing!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/30/2010
(That's weird. SoA booted me out when I started to review, and then I had to log in again.) Oh well! It's doing fine now!

OK, I have to say, the notion of two elderly hobbits and an elderly Steward sitting around having this discussion is utterly charming and perfectly in character. I love Pippin's testiness here, and his insistence on the "is" for Frodo, as well as Faramir's understanding of what Merry actually meant, and Merry's willingness not to push the issue.

Lovely discussion between the three. I think it very likely that in spite of what passed between them at the end, Frodo still would have thought of Boromir as a friend, and attached most of the blame to the Ring (after all, who'd know better what that thing was like?)

And I loved Pippin's description of the "loremongerers" the ones who in their rush to uncover the ‘truth’ lay waste to a thing of utter beauty.

So very true!

Author Reply: SoA booted me out three times during the upload, so maybe it's still being tetchy after its previous drama.

You're probably right about Frodo, and I think that part of why he spoke with Faramir about his brother was precisely so that it would be even easier to think of Boromir as a friend.

Pippin's description was inspired, in part, by the tower analogy that Tolkien came up with when he defended Beowulf as a work of literature.

Very glad you enjoyed this--I do like to think of the characters, when old, discussing matters like this. Thanks!

Kaylee ArafinwielReviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/30/2010
“Do you mind if I look at the book now?” said Faramir.

“Not at all,” said Pippin.

“Yes,” added Merry, “and you must forgive us for being so old and crotchety. We’re much too used to being in stories, and not out of them.”

“Indeed,” said Faramir, and he picked up the volume. “Listen, when we finally deposit this at the Archives, you may be interested in meeting my grandson…”

Just...that. I loved the whole thing, but most especially that. Oh, I wonder...do you think Barahir was the son of Faramir's son Elboron, or of another of Faramir's children? (And is Elboron canon or not? *ponders*)

Kaylee Arafinwiel

Author Reply: Elboron, I believe, comes from Peoples of Middle-earth, so if you consider information in there canon, Elboron would be canon.

I'm not sure about Barahir, and I'm not yet in a position where I have to make a decision. I think I've tended to assume he was a younger son of Elboron, but it would also be very interesting to make him a daughter's son... *ponders*

Anyway, I'm so pleased you enjoyed the fic, and especially Merry and Pippin. I think, particularly at this point in their life, they'd be good at self-assessment, especially of their place in history.

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