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The Prisoner and The Hobbit  by Dreamflower 3 Review(s)
LarnerReviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/30/2012
Fascinating!

Author Reply: Thanks!

AleiTheLeafReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2011
Hi, I'm usually a lurker, but I just couldn't contain myself when I saw this!
This is amazing! Seriously, two of my favorite writers are writing together!!!
This is fantastic!!!
I can't wait to read the rest! (Love the metaphor with the kitten and silmaril, by the way.)
Sorry, I'm so excited right now that I can barely type a coherent sentence!
Yours,
~AleiTheLeaf, a longtime lurker who made an account just to tell you how happy I am!!! This is awesome!!!!!!

Author Reply: Hello, Alei!

How nice to see something luring you out of lurkerdom! (I loved that metaphor, too, BTW!)

Now that you've made acquaintance, don't be a stranger! *grin*

Raksha The DemonReviewed Chapter: 2 on 10/19/2011
A correspondence between Bilbo and Sauron in Aman - what an inspired idea!

I thought the possibility did exist that Sauron might have survived and could have been intelligent enough to seek redemption, even if it meant humbling himself before the Valar. Whether he can truly repent of his terrible deeds or not is debatable, but Sauron does seem to be making a genuine effort.

The bit with Sauron reading Mein Kampf is fascinating and very telling. His reaction to it, and to the knowledge of the Holocaust the book helped spawn, is supremely rational - he sees it as a stupid waste of resources, the waste of people who would have been ideal citizens of Hitler's empire. Of course, on one level the Holocaust was a tremendous and stupid waste of human resources; but that pales before the ghastly horror of all the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of innocents, Sauron cannot empathize with those innocents, or even feel compassion for them. One wonders if he ever will. Is this deficit because the horror of the Holocaust has not happened yet; Sauron has not experienced it?

Sauron does seem to feel a certain empathy for Bilbo. His memories of the confrontation with Frodo are interesting. I love Sauron's remembered anger over Frodo's bearing of the Ring and its consequences, what did he think would happen, and 'might as well give a Silmaril to a kitten'. Sauron was right in that the ring was made for him to wear, not a fragile mortal hobbit; but of course, the Ring had to be thrown into the fires of Orodruin and it was not going to walk itself there, so someone had to carry it. It does make sense that Sauron would feel conflicted about this; and not recognize the horrors he had inflicted on the world and the necessity of sacrificing even one's life to stop him; if Sauron had totally repented of everything all at once, it would be too easy.

Since Mairon and Olorin had a distant shared past, why is Mairon refusing to tell his real name to his long-ago friend, especially when he acknowledges genuine respect and liking for him?

Looking forward to seeing where the story ends up...

Author Reply: Thanks! I just could not resist when Pandë made the suggestion!

I loved the line 'might as well give a Silmaril to a kitten' myself! I would not have minded a weensy hop into Gandalf's head when Sauron said that-- I'm quite sure at the least he winced; I'm sure he often felt a little guilty over Frodo's sufferings. You are right, the Ring would not walk itself to the Fire, but Frodo was the kitten. And Someone Else had seen to it that he had the Ring.

I am looking forward to where it ends up, myself. Since we are both depending upon one another, it's a very organic thing much like a *real* correspondence. I've no idea what Bilbo might say until he gets his letter! (and vice-versa, of course!)

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