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| The Last Word by jenolas | 67 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Hai Took | Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 4/2/2005 |
| I have just discovered this story and am very fascinated with it! I love Boromir and to see such a personal look at his thoughts and feeling because he was writing to his brother has been wonderful. I like how you have shown him slowly identifying with different members of the Fellowship. That he would get to meet and learn from such people as Glrofindel and Elrond and the admiration when he writes about such people is very well done! I do feel bad that Faramir already knows the end and wont be able to read Boromir's coming back from the darkness. Hopefully he will be able to take comfort from others accounts of his last moments. Of course I'm getting ahead of myself, and you ;) there is much more still to read. I'm looking forward to it and hope that I will be able to always find this story when there's more to read. I'm afraid I have the curious problem in which I tend to loose stories I'm reading. So I will be on the look out for more to this one! Thank you for the insightful look at things from Boromir's POV! Author Reply: I am very pleased you are enjoying this story and hope you continue to do so. Thanks for taking the time to comment. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/27/2005 |
| Again, interesting insights into Boromir and the influence the Ring has over him from the beginning. I see here and in a previous chapter you are marrying book and movie verse. Good work at doing so, I must say. Author Reply: Thanks, although I was primarily intending to keep events well in line with canon, and have for the most part I think, I have deviated towards the movie version in one or two places. I am pleased that it seems to be meshing together well. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/27/2005 |
| Yes, I bet the Elves of Rivendell would be highly entertained by both sorts of sparring training, Man on Elf, and Man and Dwarf on Hobbit as well. Lovely imagery here. Author Reply: Glad you think so, it must have indeed been an interesting experience for all. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 3/27/2005 |
| Physical activity as therapy both mental and physical. And Elrond as a sparring partner! Wonderful! Author Reply: Thanks, Elrond is a Healer of both body and spirit and knew just what Boromir needed. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 3/27/2005 |
| Ah, the subtle evil of the Ring at work, using the best it can catch hold of with each person. Poor Boromir. Author Reply: Yes, he was a certainly an unwitting victim, at least for a time. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 3/27/2005 |
| Again, nice to see the relationships forming with the others of the Fellowship. Author Reply: Thanks again, jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 3/27/2005 |
| Love the inclusion of Gandalf here, and the assurance no one can wield the Ring without danger of corruption save Sauron's self, who is already corrupted, of course. Hint the Ring is at work. Author Reply: Thank you. I certainly felt that Mithrandir's role needed to be a little more openly recognised in places. jenolas | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 3/27/2005 |
| Lovely images, lovely look at both Boromir and Aragorn as they become acquainted, lovely look at several sides of Aragorn's nature. Two corrections: It was Earnur of Gondor who died before Minas Morgul, while Arvedui, last king of Arnor, died facing the Witch King of Angmar just before aid from Gondor hastened Angmar's fall. It was Arvedui's heir who took the title of Chieftain rather than King, as there weren't enough people left of the Northern Dunedain and their subjects to consider a kingdom any more, although their continued care for those who ought to have been their subjects is clear in their patrolling of the borders of the settled lands such as the Breelands and the Shire. The native language of the Dundedain of Gondor was Sindarin--Pippin recognized it in the speech of the guards around him in ROTK, except pronunciation had drifted somewhat. Boromir ought to have at least picked up a few words here and there in the reports given to Aragorn, for as the Steward's heir he ought to have been as fluent in Gondorian Sindarin as in Westron. Author Reply: Thank you for taking the time to comment. Also thank you for pointing out that I have incorrectly named the place of death of the last King, for it was indeed Arvedui to whom I was referring in the little snippet of background history. As to the languages Boromir might have spoken, I see that more as speculation. Even had he been fluent in Gondorian Sindarin, I am not so certain that when he hears an Elf of Rivendell speak Sindarin that he would have recognised either the pronunciation or the meaning of the words. jenolas | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/27/2005 |
| This is a very thought-provoking chapter. I thought the opening was very moving. There’s something so lonely about Boromir’s admission of how much he loves and misses his brother and father. I suppose that despite all the activity in Rivendell, he must have felt very alone at times. At least by giving him the journal, Faramir ensured his brother a connection with his family while he was so far away from them. It must be quite something to spar with Glorfindel!! I had to laugh at his frustration with the vague answer to his question, though. Go not to the elves! Still, at least Glorfindel forced Boromir to look at Legolas more closely and appreciate the fact that he brings more than his skill with weapons to the fellowship. I’m glad Boromir feels he can relate to Legolas and the desire to fight for his home. But I thought his musings on Aragorn were very interesting. I mean, Boromir has seen loyalty and the wish to protect home and people in Legolas, Gimli and even the hobbits. But he obviously isn’t sensing it as much in Aragorn and these things are important to Boromir. In addition to that, it’s his home that Aragorn will become king of, so of course he wants to be reassured that he has some devotion to the people of Gondor. I know the movies really played up the whole “reluctant king” thing but even in the books there’s a suggestion that he does it out of love for Arwen and because Elrond has told him that he won’t give him his daughter in marriage until he becomes king. I have no doubt that Aragorn knows his heritage and has great pride in his line but I guess there just isn’t really enough sense of any particular love and loyalty to Gondor or ambition to do the duty that is rightfully his to fully convince Boromir. The final lines too were cause for thought. There seems to be a suggestion that Faramir would almost be inclined to blame the ring when he could. At some point that has to be the easiest thing. But in my mind, at any rate, the ring doesn’t necessarily plant thoughts but works on feelings, suspicions and insecurities that are already there. I can see why Boromir would feel some unease about Aragorn and it’s probably a case of this being heightened then by the ring’s influence. It’s very easy to be hard on Boromir and see him as utterly corrupted by the ring, but he wasn’t at all. Yes, it had a hold over him and took his devotion to his home and people to a rather extreme length, but he could have won in the end. We’ll just never know if he would have continued to resist its call after he snapped out of it when he fell. Anyway, as always you’ve made me stop and think about things that I’ve always just pretty much accepted about these characters. This is absolutely the most intriguing thing I’ve read in ages! :-) Author Reply: So true, Dot and I have not forgotten Aragorn's 'true' motivation for claiming the throne, and suspect that Boromir's reaction on learning of it was not entirely heart warming, but more of that later. I hope you continue to be intrigued with my attempt to take take such a close look into Boromir's character.I know I am! jenolas | |
| mirthor | Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 3/27/2005 |
| Such refreshing insight on your part & a good subject Faramir poses - whether Boromir's doubts about Aragorn stem from his own beliefs and observations, or from the ring's influence. If I were to lay money, I would say it's his own. His considerations here of Aragorn are spot on, I believe. I remember thinking the same thing during Amon Hen (book) when Aragorn was so unsure of himself - 'all that I do goes amiss...' (can't remember Aragorn's actual words), the ppor man running about the woods with not a clue what to do, & a couple other places in the book I can't recall at this time. & of course, PJ's version played Aragorn's hesitancy far more than Tolkien did, for dramatic purposes. Also, it really is completely understandable that any of the Hurins would be bitter toward Aragorn: him walking about middle earth all this time & not coming to the aid of 'his city' until the last minute; & then awash in the reasoning that the purpose is to ensure Arwen's hand, rather than for the love of 'his people' who he barely knows. The ring may have played on those doubts about Aragorn to steer Boromir toward taking it, but I think the groundwork was laid in Boromir's clear mind already - the ring focusing instead on B's distrust of anything not tangible, specifically the evil of the ring. Goodness, I'm rambling - you're writing is too evocative ;) Author Reply: I see we have a very similar interpretation of Boromir's character. I agree with your points about the influence of the ring, it was only using what was already there in his mind. He was certainly within his rights, as the eldest son of the Ruling Steward if nothing else, to question Aragorn's motives and committment, especially when the safety of that which he has sworn to protect is at stake. To his credit, he did resist it for quite some time and even in the end, the hold was not as strong as some seem to believe, otherwise a simple knock on the head when he fell would not have been enough to bring him back to his senses so quickly. That can be more attributed to his own inner strength and nobility and honour that he possesses, in my opinion. Or even in part to the ring 'deciding' Frodo was really the weaker of the two and thus the better option to see it into Sauron's hands. A bump on the head certainly would not have been enough to release Frodo from the evil influence. I am glad you find my writing on this subject 'evocative' and thanks so much for taking the time to explore the ideas a little more fully. jenolas | |