Stories of Arda Home Page
About Us News Resources Login Become a member Help Search

Forgotten Memories  by Avon 7 Review(s)
RedeReviewed Chapter: 1 on 9/4/2004
Ach...alright. That was sob-worthy. Wonderful story. Absolutely wonderful!

Author Reply: Thanks, Rede. I have been told that I should hand out tissues with my stories ;-)

LynnReviewed Chapter: 1 on 3/27/2004
Very sad and haunting. Each little detail seems to have a meaning, picking up some of who Aragorn will be.

"You hadn’t known that warriors – and these were surely warriors with their bows and long-handled knives – cried. "

And other details seem to make the emotional upheaval of the story into a physical ache.

"Bitter stinging sleet and then cold clear sunshine – that’s what you remember."

Excellent writing. Excellent style.
Just wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.


Author Reply: Thanks, Lynn. I'm sorry this reply is so late - I'm using some of my holiday to try and catch up with things. I'm really pleased that you liked it. This is one of my very favourite stories, but its unusual style isn't to everyone's taste.

ElwenReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/12/2003
I love this. The whole tale carries a pace that feels like riding a horse . . . had me hanging on to the reins for grim death.

Author Reply: Thank you, Elwen. Yeah, to me this did have a sort of rhythm. I don't know why - it just did! It was a story that pretty much just came, much like Coming Home with also has (to me) its own rhythm.

Avon

LKKReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/5/2003
Very beautiful, Avon. I liked the repetition of the "What do you remember?" question. It gave the story a poetic, almost song-like quality. I could easily imagine this story being sung by a ministrel or perhaps told by an expert storyteller with children gathered all around. (Visions of Bilbo telling the troll tale to the young hobbits in the Fellowship movie come to mind.)

The style isn't the only thing I liked about the story. The little details that filled out the story were nice as well. Some details were touching: You remember knowing you were safe as long as one of these grey-eyed Elves held you. Others were amusing: You remember them trying to teach you their names and you fumbling in a maze of ‘e’s and ‘l’s. Every detail was spot on.

You have a unique approach to writing stories, Avon. You always seem willing to tackle less conventional styles. I look forward to whatever you chose to turn your attentions to next.

LKK

Author Reply: Thanks yet again for such a lovely review - I really appreciate them.

I liked the repetition of the "What do you remember?" question. It gave the story a poetic, almost song-like quality.

Thanks, I'm pleased to hear that you think that worked - it was just the way it come to me but to me it is almost like a chant. One reviewer, elsewhere, said that they really spoiled the story - but I can't imagine it without them.

You have a unique approach to writing stories, Avon. You always seem willing to tackle less conventional styles. I look forward to whatever you chose to turn your attentions to next.

I do seem to like playing with style and pushing boundaries. One day I might have to write a dead straight traditional 10,000 word story - but I don't think so ;-) I'm currently playing with rewriting a scene from the movie from four different POVs - guaranteed to send everyone except me to sleep quick smart ;-)

Cheers,

Avon


MirkwoodmaidenReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/4/2003
Avon!

Again I read this on Henneth annun (I think it was there!) and it was brilliant. The emotions it conveyed the sense of urgency, sadness and love I really thought were brilliant. Your sense of the moment in these short pieces is extraordinarily strong and clear.

It has always stuck in my mind when thinking of Aragorn's flight to Imladris. I've just written my own version of Aragorn arriving in Imladris as a child in in "The Heir Apparent" and the arrival is so completely different, because yours was done so well that I did not think that I could improve upon that sort of urgent frantic, rushed arrival.

Just wanted to write and tell you that!

MM

Author Reply: Erm... *shuffles feet embarrassedly*... thank you. It's hard to know what to say to such nice feedback! I love getting it though ;-) I'll try to make sure that I read 'The Heir Apparent" as soon as I get a chance.

Thanks again,

Avon

TolkienFanReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/2/2003
Very haunting and sad. And beautiful. I especially liked just the suggestion of strong emotions of the adults. Thank you.

Author Reply: Thanks for taking the time to review - I really appreciate it.

Avon

The KarenatorReviewed Chapter: 1 on 10/2/2003
Avon,
I really enjoyed reading this. I like the unusual second person approach. It almost seemed to me as if Aragorn was stepping outside himself and becoming the "other" in order to ask these questions of himself from a more unemotional point of view. Surely, he would have pondered these events and the details of how they transpired. Well done. Send a copy to your teacher. He'll be pleasantly surprised.

Author Reply: Thank you, I really appreciate people taking the time to leave feedback.

It almost seemed to me as if Aragorn was stepping outside himself and becoming the "other" in order to ask these questions of himself from a more unemotional point of view.

This was a very 'felt' not 'thought' story but I guess if I was pushed to analyse it I'd say it was Aragorn interogating himself.

Well done. Send a copy to your teacher. He'll be pleasantly surprised.

*grin* I probably should at that. Needless to say I did hand in a second person story for that assignment, but this is definitely better. That one was a bit twee - but I was only 13 in my defence!

Avon


Return to Chapter List