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| Thain by Lindelea | 168 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/2/2004 |
| I love the story of Bucca. I feel for the hobbits with all the chaos of the war around them and the worry for the archer we know have been killed and the families left at home. I haven't yet come to any conclusion how the stories of Bucca and Pippin are going to come together. I look forward to finding out. Author Reply: The link exists but has not yet come into the story. Hope it meets with expectations. Thanks for commenting! | |
| Connie B. | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 8/2/2004 |
| Well, the plot thickens. I can see Bucca ends up as Thain. He seems like a force to be reaconed with; independant, brave, with a touch of wanderlust and curiosity. I look forward to the next chapter. Connie B. Author Reply: Glad to hear it! Am still working out a few research details for the next Pippin chapter, and also trying to figure out just what JRRT meant when he said "most" of the hobbits (in Bucca's time) went into hiding when war swept over the Shire. Interesting puzzle. Thanks! | |
| Beruthiel | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/27/2004 |
| I can already see one unfortunate change coming for Paladin. Here he isn't forcing Nell to marry the windbag (forget his name), but he's going to arrange a marriage for her (without asking her, I believe) ten years down the line. Which reminds me, what about Pervinca? Does he ever try to marry her off during all his years as Thain? Went off on a bit of a tangent there. Sorry. Poor Nell. Poor Ferdi (really, must you keep tormenting the guy?). I agree with Pippin on the bedtime issue. I could never fall asleep when people thought I should. Still can't, for that matter. Author Reply: Pervinca, as I've thought of her, is so moody and difficult that it takes an extraordinary hobbit to be able to put up with, er, to get along with, er, to love her into submission. Ummm. "Taming of the Shrew", anyone? Sorry about the Ferdi torment, I just can't seem to help myself. (I suppose I could set all my stories before "Pearl of Great Price" or after "Gentle Rain" but that might be so boring...) | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/26/2004 |
| Loved Nell's chat with Pippin. That restless can't sleep at night feeling that Pippin has is so familiar to me. I am a night owl and can't understand why folks can't stay up until they're sleepy. The Brandybucks have the right idea. Looking forward to more. Author Reply: Ah, yes, I remember lying awake in bed at night, wondering why. Thanks! | |
| Connie B. | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/26/2004 |
| This was a really nice chapter. I especially liked the scene between Nell and Pippin. I am finding Paladin more and more irritating. He's actually rather pitiable, though; because he's letting the pressures of the future ruin the present with his children. Thanks for the chapter. I needed something to take my mind off my own day. I'm just sad I have now lost my personal copies of every reply to every review I ever posted to S of A. So here's to starting over. Thanks. Connie B. Author Reply: Raising a glass with you. BTDT. I'm really sorry to hear of your loss. Y'know, Paladin is not as bad as he might be. In the social era I'm drawing from, arranged marriages were taken for granted. Not all that many chafed against it. For the edification of growing girls, little moral tales were published about unfortunate girls who married for love and ended up supporting a husband who couldn't hold a job, or else they ended up abandoned, or widowed. I think a recurring theme was "taking in washing" to make ends meet for the poor woman and her children. When you think of it, an unmarried sister who becomes a housekeeper for a married sibling would be much less draining on the family finances (surrounding family, I mean, as in her parents and siblings) than one who marries a ne'er-do-well and has a dozen children and keeps coming to parents and siblings for "a little help". At least Paladin isn't forcing a marriage on Pimpernel. If she chooses not to marry, he won't force a different choice on her. He just doesn't think it would be best for her to marry Ferdi, and from a practical standpoint (you have to be practical to be a good farmer, I suspect) he's correct, at least at this point in time. Sorry if I'm being more practical than romantic at the moment. Hopefully I make up for it in the tenderer moments of the stories I've spun. | |
| Lyta Padfoot | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/26/2004 |
| Poor Pimpernel. I imagine Ferdi is even more embarassed to speak in front of her than all the other Tooks combined. Pippin was very sweet in this chapter, nice to see him protective of Nell and Ferdi. Author Reply: Very incisive comment, one I hadn't even thought about (yet) but would have to be true. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/26/2004 |
| Not a paragon of sensitivity is he, old Paladin. Poor Pimpernel is clearly already fond of Ferdi - and he's trying to marry her off to her advantage. I imagine that if Ferdi had extensive lands and loads of money, his elective mutism would become an interestingly eccentric life choice rather than something that prove he was half-witted. Pippin is quite sweet here - lazy, self-centred, selfish, but sweet. (Typical teenager.) Author Reply: LOL, I'd agree over the "typical teen" comment but for the fact that my own typical teen would probably take offense... For a small defense of Paladin, see the review reply to Connie (posted at SoA for the same chapter you just reviewed). ...but you're right about "faults" being changed to charming eccentricities depending on one's economic status. Hadn't even thought of that. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 7/26/2004 |
| Pip's a typical thoughtless teen here - so inwardly focused in his concerns. He's jealous of his Smials cousins' idleness now - I think of Farry's story, and how slow Pip was to realize the mischief his Smial-cousins' idleness led to. Paladin's right in wanting his son to learn self-discipline, but there's a fine line between discipline and control, and Paladin and Pip will teeter on that line for a long time. It's typical that the conversation with Nell starts with childish pique over bedtime, and an attempt to raid the pantry. There's not a shred of guilt over getting his sister to do his chores, or even over getting caught at it. But childish thinking is soon to be replaced with a new awareness of consequences, I think. And despite his immaturity, Pip's compassion for Nell is firmly in place. How true it is that hobbits love each other deeply, especially family. I'm glad that Pip will eventually get to play his part in bringing Nell the long-delayed fulfilment of her hopes. It's quite interesting, how this story is weaving two very different threads together. I'm eager to see what kind of finished tapestry you've got planned. Author Reply: Well, Pip had quite a bit of fun with his idle cousin, not realising the harm it did until his son's troubles showed them to him in a new light. It is fun to contemplate that Pippin and Odo, working together, finally get Nell and Ferdi's relationship where it belongs. I'm eager to see the finished tapestry too! I confess the outline for this story is the sketchiest I've ever worked from, and chapter titles are giving me fits! (It just would not do to title the chapters identically, too confusing, but... still thinking about how to do this.) Thanks for reviewing. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/18/2004 |
| Loved the spookiness with the idea of closing the shutters and keeping the smial dark - nervous anticipation. Poor Bucca, left responsible for so many. Lucky Bucca with his precious new little one. Look forward to learning more - and developing the link between then / now. Author Reply: Yes, and Bucca cannot even imagine that he holds a future Thain of the Shire in his arms... Thanks! | |
| Connie | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 7/18/2004 |
| Oh, this is getting interesting. Now, though, I'm getting curious about so many little odd things. One that is niggling at me is the family names. How did they get from where they were in Bucca's time to where they are at the time of the Quest. Just a little question. Not that I'm expecting an explanation, and, who knows, if I pay close attention I may actually find out in the course of your story. If I have learned anything from reading your writing, it is to be patient. You almost always explain everything by the end. Thanks. Connie. Author Reply: Yep, I almost always explain everything by the end, except when I drop a stitch while knitting a story together. That's when I count on the alert reader to let me know there's a loose end sticking out. Of course, In "Pearl" there was a deliberate loose end. But then that was to allow a sequel. Thanks! | |