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| The Brandy Hall Incident by Dreamflower | 45 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/15/2005 |
| Hurrah! He's found! Of course it had to be Merry to get him out. I wasn't aware Pippin had gone "up" before he was trapped. Author Reply: Yes, when he saw the rats, just before his lantern went out, he scrambled up the rubble pile to get away from them. That's how he dislodged the boards and the lathes which came down. It was fortunate, because otherwise the rats could have gotten to him. I knew from the start that I wanted him to be found in such a predicament that an adult would not be able to get at him, so that Merry would have to rescue him. I thought Merry would deserve a bit of pay-off for all his worrry and patience during the search. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/15/2005 |
| You gave me a shiver when Merry was looking at the un-searched area, because you mentioned earlier that Pippin didn't see the glimmer of lantern go by... which means he's in an area that was *already* searched! I like the resemblance you imagine between Esmeralda and her nephew. Author Reply: Fortunately, of course, they *are* planning to go over the already searched area as well. But it certainly shows the extent of the abandoned area, and why they were not completely filled in. I've always thought that Esmeralda was very Tookish in her looks, and so Pippin who is the ultimate Took's Took, as it were, would resemble her a great deal. These things do happen. I know that as a young child, my sister resembled one of our aunts far more than she did either of our parents. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/15/2005 |
| Chilling thought, that they might lose Merry if anything happened to Pippin. Milo Burrows! Good to see him again. The significance of Merry's age just hit me when you mentioned "special magnificence" of Bilbo's upcoming birthday party. I'm with Merry. Now that Frodo's there, everything's going to be all right. Author Reply: I think it was always a possibility that Merry could have been lost to grief if anything permanent had happened to his little cousin. Pippin was thoroughly entwined into Merry's heart from a very young age. Yes--this is a very important year. You know, it's funny. I knew that Milo and his family were the guests that Esme was expecting in the first chapter, but I honestly didn't realize until I got to that point that Frodo had decided to come along for the ride. I had tried to talk him out of it, but he insisted that he *had* to be in this story--and now I can't even remember how it was supposed to have gone without him in it! He's a very stubborn Baggins. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 1/14/2005 |
| Rorimac raised his eyebrows at the sight of the little “retreat”, but did not say anything. How children love such little hideaways! I remember such a place from my childhood, and the little ones are following in my footsteps. uh-oh, no dust where Pippin is... no footprints to follow! uh-oh, dangerous, to boot! "Great" in the context you use it sounds rather American to my ear. Somehow "Lovely" or "Glorious" sounds more likely, dunno why. Merry taut as a bowstring, "before he snaps"--such an evocative metaphor! Author Reply: In the back of my mind is the idea that probably Rory and Sara were aware of the little hideaway, and had chosen not to say anything, as it was merely a place for Frodo to get a little privacy. But Sara kept very close tabs on Frodo while he was his guardian and I don't think much got past him. That's right--the portion of the tunnels he's finally ended up in are too damp to get very dusty. That's also why they are so musty and moldy smelling. And dangerous, of course, which is why they were abandoned and declared off-limits. Took a look at that; I'm not sure about the American part, but it does sound a bit modern. I think I will change that as you suggest. I'm glad you liked that metaphor. I always imagine a worried Merry as being very on edge, and on the verge of snapping when he cannot do something for the object of his worry. | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/14/2005 |
| Perfect building of suspense! Wonderful, er terrible cliffhanger. I would love to read the essay Merry wrote about why his ancestor changed his name! No time to read any more, but looking forward to when there is time. Author Reply: Er, yes, terrible, just terrible. *grin* (This from the Mistress of Cliffies! LOL!) Actually, I would, too! I've always been a bit curious about that myself, which is why I picked it for his topic. | |
| SharonB | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/14/2005 |
| Poor Merry, that's the same lesson that parents have a hard time learning. You can never fully keep your little ones safe and Pip is his little one in many ways. And poor Pip, his curiosity gets too much of him. A nice story. Author Reply: Yes, in a lot of ways Merry is almost more like a parent than a friend when it comes to Pippin. His anger is from that, and the fact that Pippin has reached the age when sometimes it takes more than an answer to a question to satisfy that curiousity. Pippin had never disobeyed him before, and it hurt. Add the fear for his safety on top of it, with all the worry and misery of searching for him, and it's no wonder Merry reacted the way he did. Author Reply: I just want to let you know I just discovered that a small section at the end of the story was missing when I posted it. | |
| MaidenofValinor | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/14/2005 |
| AW! Fabulous story! I can't wait to read more! I bet Merry will be mad..... Author Reply: Oh yes, mad is one word for it. Furious is another. But it's only the second time in his life that it's happened. It takes a *lot* to make Merry mad at Pippin (as opposed to annoyed, irritated or aggravated--which happens frequently, LOL!) But he can't stay mad for too long. | |
| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/14/2005 |
| Poor little Pippin. He will think twice before he ever again does something Merry had forbidden! Or at last I hope so *thinks about the Quest*. This time the consequences were hard enough for a little Hobbit, but it could have been worse. Hopefully he has learned his lesson. You caught the desperate feelings of Merry and the other searchers quite well, I think. And it was so like our heroes in the last chapter - Pippin goes with all his problems to Merry and Merry to Frodo. No wonder they leave the Shire together many years later. Author Reply: The consequences could have been a good deal worse. If for example, the rats could have gotten to him... I think that at the very least, he's learned why those back tunnels are off-limits. Yes, those three are inextricably connected. As I've mentioned, Frodo wasn't even going to be *in* this story, but somehow I could not leave him out. You can easily see why Merry and Pippin would not have let Frodo go off without them. | |
| SharonB | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/14/2005 |
| At least they found Pip, more or less, safe and sound. I take it Merry explodes at Pippin in the next chapter. Yes, I think Sara and Rory need to get rid of those rats. Scary things even for me so I can imagine how huge they look to a small hobbit. Time to clean up and fill in it seems. Author Reply: I think you can safely guess that Merry is *not* happy, no not happy at all, with little Pip. The rats would be a terrifying problem to hobbits. When I was thinking about them, I was reminded of a fic I read somewhere, where little Pippin encountered a rabbit as large as he was. And I remember another one where a small Merry was nearly carried off by an owl. Little hobbits would definitely have been tempting prey. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/14/2005 |
| Well, Pippin is a very fortunate young hobbit. Very very fortunate. Author Reply: Not sure if it's luck or fate, but yes, Pippin is very fortunate to survive some of the pickles he got into when he was young. You'd think the lad had a destiny to fulfill or something, wouldn't you? | |