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| A Took by Any Other Name by Lindelea | 177 Review(s) |
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| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005 |
| So Pippin only remembers part of his dream then. I had thought that Faramir was getting his name thanks to a word from Merimac, but now, I wonder what you have in store. Loved Pippin complaining about the bath and coming out of his fever complaining. Loved this line. ‘Lost me? In a tub?’ Pippin said, amazed. ‘You weren’t looking very hard, then.’ Laughed out loud at that one and others as well but I really shouldn't copy and paste the entire chapter now should I? I felt so sorry for Merry and Saradoc having to be both sad and happy without letting Pippin see it. I do love this one! Author Reply: Well, you shall see in the Epilogue. Am trying to infuse a little bit of an air of mystery, as you'll see. Sort of a "just where did I hear that?" feeling. Glad you've enjoyed this story. Thanks! Author Reply: p.s. Think good thoughts if you don't mind. I'm sort of at a loss, with this story finishing. The notes and outline and draft chapters for "Thain" were lost, and we're having to re-create everything from memory, and it's a painful process. It's one reason why the updates on that story have been few and far between. I would almost rather write a whole new story than try to re-create something I already wrote. | |
| Dreamflower | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005 |
| Well, no, he doesn't remember much, except the most important part. Though it would also be nice if he could remember his mother's message. I wonder what Paladin's and Eglantine's reaction to Merimac's passing will be? I loved the ending: seedcake and apple tart for breakfast (along with everything else, of course). How very hobbity! Author Reply: Well, we'll see about his mother's message... I like to have pumpkin pie for breakfast, the day after Thanksgiving. Had apple pie for breakfast once, but we don't often have apple pie left over. Still the Epilogue to come! | |
| Connie B. | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005 |
| So, Pippin doesn't remember his near-death experience? He did remember dreaming the events Merimac described though. Interesting. Now I curious to see what happens. Does it really take four more years for Pippin to make things right with Ferdi? I probably should know this, but my brain is not functioning well at all thanks to this cold/flu thing that I've picked up from my daughter. Thanks. Looking forward to more. Connie B. Author Reply: Poor thing! *hugs* It really does take four more years! All my stories spring from Tolkien's timeline: Pippin marries seven years after returning from the Quest, he has Faramir ten years after, and he becomes Thain fourteen years after (the year Farry turns four). And from "Flames" we know that Pippin sent birthday presents back to the Smials, and from "Jewels" we know that he had a cautious reconciliation with his father, though it appears his mother did not travel to see him (I will have to check that more carefully). In any event, it seems Paladin did not see fit to inform his son of Ferdi's circumstances; either he didn't want to use that to force Pippin back to the Smials, or he was deluded enough by that time not to think of Ferdi. (Have been working out things with editor-friend and we've pretty well decided that Paladin suffered a series of small strokes over the years, diminishing his decision-making ability and likely his ability to reason as well. You know how your blood pressure skyrockets when you lose your temper? Blood vessels in the brain can leak under such pressure, and such leaks do subtle damage.) In any event, it takes four more years... and Pippin is incredibly grieved when he finds out the damage he's done. Thanks. | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005 |
| Poor Ossilan - I shouldn't think he knows whether he's coming or going. What with Merimac, Saradoc and Pippin - and then there's Diamond about to give birth. He must be rather wishing he'd taken on a quieter posting. Trust Pippin to rouse up in full form, though - not happy to wake up and moan gently, he has to revive in mid-jest. His remembered part of the NDE is enough to keep him going back to Tookland, which is probably to the good - except for Ferdi, of course, but it's a shame that he didn't remember the part about his mother loving him. (Speaking as one, of course.) I must say I could do without seedcake or apple tart for breakfast - but then, my hobbit credentials are definitely lacking. I'm happy to see a relieved, if sorrowful, Merry, Diamond and Estella. If one had to die, better it should be Uncle Badger than our hero, who has yet a lot to do. Author Reply: Poor Ossilan--he probably thought he dodged the bullet (what would a hobbity term be?) when he went to be healer to the Brandybucks rather than to the Tooks! Pippin never does things by halves, does he? We do so love to write him as "larger than life" even if he is little more than half-sized, by some measure. Poor Uncle Badger, I've grown quite fond of the cheerful curmudgeon. | |
| Saoirse | Reviewed Chapter: 18 on 3/7/2005 |
| O, I just *loved* that metaphor with Paladin and the plough-pony -- excellent! And O, how sweet... Merry and Pippin do have lovely lasses to look after them (I'd like to find something written from their perspectives someplace, it would be quite interesting to see solely their lady-hobbit observations on their (sometimes) stubborn and silly husbands. :) Great job! And another thing... I love this: ' ‘Pippin!’ Diamond said again. Estella raised her head from Merry’s to look, and then she began to whisper urgently in her husband’s ear. Merry looked up slowly, his face ravaged by grief and self-blame, not daring to hope' It was from the last chapter but I remembered it and wanted to say I liked it. Keep up the wonderful work :) Author Reply: Thank you! It is always nice to hear what people love (or don't love, for that matter, though the latter is more *helpful* than "nice", really... LOL). I would love to write from their perspective, but I haven't heard their voices whispering in that way, yet. The closest I've come is from the narrator's point of view, in "A Small and Passing Thing", when Estella makes her transformation from "Tilly" back to "Estella" again. | |
| Ariel | Reviewed Chapter: Prologue on 3/7/2005 |
| Yep... this one is next. LOL! Author Reply: Enjoy! (Though I must admit, the angst in one chapter was too much for even me... *g*) | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 3/7/2005 |
| Wow, these are a couple of powerful chapters. Integrating Pippin's illness into his memories of fire was well done. Paladin as Denethor was completely believeable given Pip's history with his father. I'm sure there was more than one time Pippin felt like the Thain was willing to sacrifice him. And at the end, you know Pippin can't die, but I didn't know how you would get him past the crisis. Poor, poor Merry! I felt just about as disoriented at the beginnig of this chapter as Pippin. I couldn't understand what was going on, how he was well, but then I remembered when Farry died in the cave-in story, and how he floated, and tried to interact with those around him, and didn't know he was dead. Pippin was dead then, but I was confused about Merrimac, who could interact with him. It took me nearly through the chapter to understand that Merrimac was dead too - I had not been expecting it at all. Pippin trying to care about the dead hobbit in the tub, and caring about his mother and Merry, but being unable to sustain feelings of upset was a comforting sort of thing. I also liked very much the idea that the Brandybucks had settled Pippin and taught him through kindness and affirmation (a lesson we could all stand to have reinforced). In Merimac's words, there are nice echos of Frodo's naming of Sam's children, and how the Thorn in the Shire Beginnings story was given to see some of the future as he died. I guess it was his time to go, and he had no regrets, and it certainly wraps up very neatly how Pippin never learned of Ferdi's ban. Merrimac can be content that even in his death, he continued to protect and serve - preventing a tragedy that certainly would have cut short a lot of fiction! Author Reply: *hugs* Glad to know you're reading. Someone else pointed out the Pippin/Paladin relationship in my story was eerily like Faramir/Denethor and some of this story just grew out of that observation, made some time ago. Merimac had no regrets; he'd lived life to the fullest and loved to the best of his ability. Now he could look foward to the Feast, and since he'd been granted a glimpse of Eternity before he left, he had perfect confidence in saying what he did say to Pippin. I have a young one reading me her own hobbit story at the moment, so I had better stop pondering and get offline and *listen*! Thanks! | |
| Grey Wonderer | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 3/7/2005 |
| ‘Honestly!’ he said in his perturbation. ‘Can’t a fellow have a bath in decent privacy? What is the matter with all you folk?’ I loved that! So like Pippin to make a joke in spite of the situation. I also love how you managed to see to it that Merimac explained a portion of his message and gave Pippin word of his mother, but decided to keep the rest quiet. It works wonderfully well and explains why Pippin never found out about the ban. I was sad to see Merimac die, but he seemed so at peace with it all that I found it strangely comforting. Do hope that was what you were going for there. LOL I also like that the Hobbit after-life is refered to as "the feast". Very fitting indeed! Author Reply: Yes, that is what I was going for there: I figured Merimac had already glimpsed Eternity and was allowed to linger for a few moments to talk to Pippin. Sort of like the ghost stories of our world, about people who had to "finish some business" before going to their rest. Yes, I am comforted, when a character in a story must die, to think of the "unending feast, where there is no time and no tears, and all you ever lost is restored to you". Thanks! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 3/7/2005 |
| Some near- (well, almost post-) death experience. I'm glad he was able to have a few words with Uncle Badger. I hope he remembers them - even to the words about not telling him the whole truth because it would lead to his and Merry's death. Mind you, if he remembers, he won't have to think about what names to give his offspring, as Unc has just told him. Oh well, he'll just have to remain ignorant. And alive. On the whole, it's probably better. Author Reply: Ignorant, and alive. Yes, better, I'd say, than wise, and dead. Pippin will remember a little bit of his conversation with Merimac, but not much. And he won't remember it as a conversation, as such. More plausible that way. Thanks! | |
| Hai Took | Reviewed Chapter: 17 on 3/6/2005 |
| Wow! Gracious that was frightening! For everyone to be so worried and then for Pippin to come to very much himself. I'm glad that the Badger was able to speak with Pippin. I was wondering how you were going to work around Pippin being so sick yet riding out to Tookland. How terrible it would have been for Saradoc to loose his brother and his nephew! That Merimac was able to see what would have happened and to see the children in Pippin's future and even who people were like Faramir and all. Very well done and exciting! I hope there's a little more though, of course there would have to be wouldn't there? I mean after all this story is about their first son being named! Looking forward to more! Author Reply: ...and Pippin is "very much himself" in the next chapter. Whew. We've got through the tunnel and are back in the sunlight again. And yes, it won't be over until you see the chapter entitled "Epilogue". Just need to tie up a few loose ends, yet. Thanks! | |