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| Miss Dora Baggins' Book of Manners by Dreamflower | 188 Review(s) |
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| Kitty | Reviewed Chapter: 2 on 7/1/2006 |
| It needs to be said that the rearing of children is mostly a matter of good common Hobbit-sense; unfortunately, such Hobbit-sense is not nearly so common as it ought to be, and in some Families may even be said to be in short supply! Hmmm ... why have I to think of Lotho and Ted here? And sadly I could name some families in RL who are lacking badly in common Hobbit-sense. At some parts I had to grin - they bring certain hobbits to mind, and I strongly suppose Dora thought of the same persons, too, when she wrote this. All in all, her advice is still very true in most aspects. Of course, children didn't change overmuch since then and the problems are mostly the same in every generation, but the hobbits knew obviously more about children than some modern day parents. Happy birthday to you, my dear! Author Reply: Well, I'm sure she probably at *least* had the S-Bs in mind, and she may have known the Sandyman family as well. I am quite sure she did think of people she knew, though she did try to be discreet. And I think that hobbits may have been very advanced as far as the social aspects of life went--much moreso than Humans, whether modern or not! Thank you!! | |
| Elemmírë | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/1/2006 |
| ROTFL!! Love the bit with the ale and inquiring into your local inn's customs. Only hobbits would put it as 'Putting the dessert before the main course' LOL! >>Tweens of thirty or older may be trusted for the most part with more Adult Responsibilities, and it is as well to do so as much as is Practicably Possible, for it is Unfair to allow all such Responsibilities to fall upon his or her shoulders the day after the Birthday<< Oh! _Another_ area where Bilbo seems to have fallen short of Dora's good graces. That could be an interesting plot bunny too ... Dora's reaction to Bilbo's leaving Frodo so suddenly and the consequences. I would imagine Frodo regretting the fact that Bilbo gifted her with the wastebasket as I'm sure she would have PLENTY of advice for the new adult on the care of Bag End, his resposibilities, etc. I'm just loving this, Dreamflower. I eagerly await the next chapter. | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/1/2006 |
| Another delightful chapter! I can well imagine hobbits all over the Shire pulling down from the shelf Aunt Dora's Book at (or before) every new Milestone of Life! | |
| Sweet Pea | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/30/2006 |
| I love this! It has the feel of the old advice books. Great job! :-) | |
| Sweet Pea | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 6/30/2006 |
| This is great! I love it and look forward to reading the chapters to come! Author Reply: Thank you! I'm glad you like it! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/29/2006 |
| Aunt Dora's reflections are wonderful. And particularly accurate, of course, coming as they do from an elderly spinster! I found a wonderful 'how to bring up baby' book when my children were small. There's nothing funnier than old-fashioned didactic writing. Author Reply: Well, she may be an elderly spinster, but she's very observant, and has a good store of hobbit-sense. I know--they are *so* much fun. I have a reproduction of a cookbook from the early nineteenth century, and there is as much advice in there as there are recipes, LOL! It's so funny--especially how apt much of it is, even today! | |
| MaidenofValinor | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/29/2006 |
| Who is this "Notable Exception", I wonder... This is simply wonderful. A pleasure to read. You are brilliant....are you sure you're not a hobbit in disguise? Author Reply: *whistles innocently* I've no idea...;) Aren't we *all* hobbits at heart around here? I am so glad you are enjoying it! | |
| Elemmírë | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/28/2006 |
| >>But a wise Parent will discourage too many gifts for the young byrding: he or she is likely to become Overexcited, and miss the true point of the Birthday, which is the Giving of the Gifts. It should be emphasized to the small byrding that he or she will now be bestowing Presents like a “big lad” or “big lass”, a lure that will fill the childish heart with pride and glee. At some point, these Gifts must be chosen.<< That is just so ... hobbity, Dreamflower! (Now that would make a cute tale ... Prim and Drogo letting Frodo know that he is a Big Lad and must pick out mathoms. Hmmm ...) >>Again, unless one is living in the Ancestral Home, it is also in Poor Taste to throw an elaborate Party for a child--even on the Fifth Birthday. It is likely to give the byrding a false impression of his or her own Importance in the World << I guess Bilbo ignored this advice from Dora since he and Frodo share a birthday. Frodo turned out all right in the end, however. *grin* Wonder what Dora truly thought of those elaborate parties for her only nephew? So were Frodo, Merry, & Pippin 3 of those cousins Dora observed? LOL! 'Lads are not to be trusted in the larder.' >>With a certain Notable Exception, Hobbits who leave to find Adventure never Return. This alone should eventually serve as a Cautionary.<< What a hoot!! I can't wait to read the next chapter, Dreamflower! P.S. I'm curious. Is Dora going to have a special chapter on the needs and care of the orphaned child, since it is so very rare in Shire. It's a subject that's obviously affected her and she _does_ love to hand out advice ... Author Reply: I'm glad you thought it hobbity. It just seemed to me that if (according to JRRT) they make such a big deal of children *entering* faunthood, they would be likely to do the same thing when they *leave* it! Hmm...I've done fifth birthday fics for Merry and Pippin, but not Frodo or Sam. I'll have to think about it... She probably thought Bilbo was a law unto himself, and that it was very fortunate that Frodo was a sensible lad, and unlikely to let it turn his head. Yes. They were. And no, they aren't. LOL! Dora *is* being a bit snide there, isn't she? *grin* I am *quite* sure she handed out *plenty* of advice to Bilbo--whether he wanted it or not! | |
| Nienor Niniel | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/28/2006 |
| Ah, nice mix of real parenting advice and hobbit culture. I like the emphasis on hospitality and food - in character for hobbits. The distinction between the Lesser and the Great Families also works well for me. I think your age chart makes sense: I've always thought, too, that hobbits aged slower than us, and not that they simply spent a longer time in adolescence. As I said before: a great read, and I like that you update so quickly. All the best, Nienor Author Reply: I am trying to mix the two into a coherent blend of what would come out as "Hobbit-sense", and I'm glad you think it's working. Food and hospitality would definitely be something that Hobbits would put a good deal of emphasis on, and there will be more of it in the "Mealtimes and Manners" chapter. JRRT himself uses the term "Great Families" in his Letters. I sort of envision a Roll, on which the Families are listed in order of importance, with the Tooks, Brandybucks, Baggins, Bolgers and Boffins at the very top, followed by some of the other families that seem to be prominent. The Great Families would all be the ones near the top, and I envision the Lesser Ones as being near the bottom. It only makes sense. If a hobbit child does not become a toddler until age three, and then comes of age at 33 instead of 21, then it seems to me that the growth and aging process is spread over the lifetime of the hobbit, instead of just concentrated in adolescence. And a number of hints JRRT drops seems to support that notion. The story has me by the throat right now, so as long as it does that I'll be updating pretty quickly--probably to the detriment of other stories, I'm afraid. But this one doesn't give me the trouble a regular story does. No plot snags, LOL! | |
| demeter d | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 6/28/2006 |
| With such close and supporting families, most Hobbits must have been happy individuals.And even "the Village" cares what one does, hence the advice for "children not one's own". the four visitors, ...hmmm, the younger brother, of course, Pippin, the other young one possibly Merry, the oldest would be Frodo. The other one would be one of the cousins close to Frodo's age, of which several appear in various author's fan-fictions. I am not as familiar with some of this as I would like to be. Looking forward to more! Author Reply: I think most hobbits probably were. I get the impression that most hobbits were very content with their lives. Well, you've mostly guessed right. The fourth cousin was Fredegar Bolger. I thought about including Folco, but thought five might be pushing it a bit. | |