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| A Time For Joy by meckinock | 23 Review(s) |
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| perelleth | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006 |
| Wow! That was hard! But so well done! Eirien is such a strong woman, Halbarad's match indeed! I liked to see that eventful night through her wise eyes, with all the comings and goings, death and hope and a new life and ordinary life all packed in the same room, the relief that Halbarad's father could die at home and be buried in the settlement, the pain and joy mixed and given their due... It makes it all more painful when she jumps to present time. They are gone now, both of them; father and son So powerfully expressed, with the raw pain of her loss in victory...and her dignity. Well used to pain and loss, and the Dunedain are able to see through the pain to find some light and comfort in loved ones, duty fulfilled and common good despite own losses, and that is really moving. Author Reply: Hi, Perelleth, It was interesting to see that night through Eirien's eyes. She had lived in the world of the Dunedain her entire life, but I imagine she lost her own father very young and everyone else's losses would have seemed just slightly removed from her up until then. All of a sudden, it was her husband, her children's father, whose life hung in the balance, and she saw the future she hoped for hanging in the balance as well. I imagine that she cherished every minute of the thiry-year reprieve she won that night. | |
| Mum's the Word | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006 |
| Oh, my, Meckinock! How beautifully you illustrate the truth that "They also serve who only stand and wait." You've presented a wonderful snipped of a close-knit family in those dangerous, climactic times. From nicknames and puppies to the realities of death, Halbarad's family is very believable. As for spiders, "moving in discordant unison like some great, multi-limbed insect" comes very close, along with the kitty's name! Thank you for this excellent story. Hugs, brownies, and blessings, Mum (Now where'd I leave those tissues? Never mind: I can't find them with tears all over my glasses anyway.) Author Reply: Hi, Mum, You don't know how much I would love a brownie right now! I'm glad you enjoyed the family relationships, even if they were somewhat clouded by tragedy. From the first line I wrote about Halbarad, I always imagined him as a family man. To me he always seemed the embodiment of every comfort that Aragorn deferred until he came to the kingship - a wife, children, the security of belonging, of being completely at home with himself and his surroundings. I really enjoy writing about his family and I'm glad you enjoyed reading. | |
| grumpy | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006 |
| Sniffle, sniffle, snort... where are those handkies? Why is it every time Halbarad dies, I go off on some crying fit. Perhaps because you write him, Aragorn and the other rangers and ranger's wifes so well. Alagos was wonderful, he knows how to wake his ada up. Plus he got a puppy out of the deal. I liked the tie in of Hurin and his drawing. Author Reply: Oh, Grumpy, I thought you still had the box of hankies! Halbarad dying makes me cry, too. Thank you so very much. I always love hearing from you. And thanks for noticing that I'm the nice author who gave the little boy a puppy! | |
| Laerien | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006 |
| I can't believe that I am crying... again! What a way to start the day. I just got up, and now I am so full of emotions... I will think of this all day. :o( Alagos was so...childlike. And it fit into the story very well for me. At least I welcomed his simple, but earnest thoughts, acts, his grief. But this was more anout the women, mainly Eirien, and it was priceless. You know, to jump from the happy moment where she introduced the baby to his/her father to the scene where the Grey Company returns was like a slap in the face to me. "My turn has come at last." This line hit me the most. It tells us so much about the women of the Dunedain. And I liked how this was linked to other stories... :o) Author Reply: Hi, Laerien, I'm imgining you waking up to a bright, sunny (and probably very hot) day, only to find this tear-jerker on the story page. Oh, dear. I should have put a hankie warning on it, I think. (I tried to write a nice fluffy story, I really did.) The Dunedain women must have been every bit as strong and resilient as their men, without necessarily strapping on swords and going out to battle orcs. They must have had a very deep faith in the innate goodness of creation to not surrender to despair. And I liked how this was linked to other stories... :o) Me, too! I'm becoming quite attached to this little group of people. Glad you enjoyed it. | |
| Linda Hoyland | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/24/2006 |
| Heartrending and beautifully written.You capture thesorrows of the women beautifully.I am glad Halbarad did leave so heirs,though I grieve to for his son, | |
| RS | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/23/2006 |
| Oh my gosh! You did it to me again! I am emotionally spent! This is so beautiful! So Poetic! "...the lengthy pauses that had been gradually lengthening between spates of slow, stuttering breaths ended with one final shuddering gasp." That line stood out. It captured the unmistakable sound and finality of death. And the condition of Halbarad's sword was indicative of the brutality of his death (and their life and struggle) Halbarad's broken sword---"The time for swords is over"--a symbol of that statement. "My turn has come at last". Her husband, his father, her son. The Dunedain women's struggle is so much more harder than their husband's or son's. "They are gone now, both of them". It is sooo hard. I am in awe. I did not think I would feel this way. I am choked up and lost for words. All I can say is THIS IS BEAUTIFUL MECKINOCK! Author Reply: Oh, RS, you're killing me with the caps of kindness. I'm not worthy. To tell you the truth, it took a lot out of me, too. Don't know why I'm compelled to write such angsty stuff, really. I don't wear all black or anything, I swear! I worried this would be too depressing, so I'm really relieved to hear it described as beautiful and not horribly depressing. Thanks very much. | |
| liz | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/23/2006 |
| I wish this review could do the story justice, but it can't. And for that matter, it couldn't for "Hands" or "Honor," either. You just have "it." I'm not really sure what "it" is, but it goes beyond sentence structure and lack of dangling modifiers, ya know? Some people can just write. And I'm just lucky that you choose to write about what I love most... Aragorn and his Ranger and Elf Cohorts. Halbarad has always been cool, but YOUR Halbarad deserves his own comic book or something. He's just that wonderful. It's so bittersweet reading about his adventures knowing he won't survive to see Aragorn crowned king, but this story gives the kind of closure I've always wanted to read. Everyone needs a friend like that guy. Anyway, fabulous work as always. I'll re-re-re-read this one to hold myself off until Honor continues... Author Reply: Hi, Liz, I wish this review reply could do the review justice, but I fear I'm going to fall badly short! I just don't know what to say. I'm deeply and humbly flattered at your remarks (and so relieved you did not find any dangling modifiers - this is a story for Professor Daw, after all!) I just love these guys to pieces, too. I'm smiling at the thought of Halbarad with his own comic book - oh, what a lovely image. I'm glad you found the closure satisfying rather than merely maudlin - there's a fine line and it's very easy to cross it. Thank you so much. | |
| The Karenator | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/23/2006 |
| You may have come to terms with Halbarad's death, but I haven't. I need a tissue and Dr. Phil. Oh, and Ray's Dog. I can't tell him. He's a one-man dog. Aragorn only thinks he's Halbarad's best friend. “The time for swords is never over,” There is so much despair in this one line. Realistic despair, but despair nonetheless. Erien holds up well when Halbarad shows up on death's door. But my heart went out to Nelaer. I'm sure Erien seeing her indomitable mother-in-law so broken was hard to take. It's hard to know what sort of comfort to offer in such a situation, but Erien's silent presence was appropriate. I don't know if Nelaer would ever say anything about it, but she must have felt a strong bond to her daughter-in-law after that. Erien's observation that Nelaer had been given a rare gift for a woman of the Dúnedain to know her husband's final resting place was poignant and heartbreaking. It was a hard life for them. Alagos was adorable. I couldn't help but mourn him too, knowing his fate. But at that moment, he went through a range of emotions to emerge as a typical kid capitalizing on the moment. He got a puppy! Yay! But poor Spike. Alagos had a much better Spike than Daeron and I did laugh when I saw the name. When I read the description of the kitten, I got visions of one of your brood. I absolutely loved the line about the kitten's funeral honors being worthy of Elendil. Halbarad is such a good dad. He roused himself enough to put on a brave face for his son...and for an unborn child he didn't know about yet. Both Halbarad’s grief as a son and his joy as a father required their full due, and should not be mingled in memory lest neither be clearly recalled. A lovely line and a wise woman who realized the importance of experiencing joy and grief in its own time. I knew what was coming at the end, and I still got choked up. Oh, I just hate it. What was Tolkien thinking? Probably not about Halbarad fangurls fifty-odd years down the road. Erien's pain made me weak in the knees with her. And Meneliel's simple, "Steady, girl", said so much. They all know grief intimately. “The time for swords is over.” The full circle. The last paragraph was a wonderful ending. Yes, she knew what Halbarad fought for, what he had always fought for, and it was more than Minas Tirith. That was only a symbol; it was not the whole. Just beautiful, Meckinock. I'm glad we'll have Halbarad back...soon, I hope. Author Reply: It was really hard to write Alagos for the first time already knowing that I kill him off at Sarn Ford. I felt bad for the little tyke. But Hurin was too young to fit the timeline I had established for when Halbarad's father is killed. The puppy just kind of snuck in there, and I couldn't resist using the name Spike. Readers on ff.net will think I lost my mind. This was almost too much angst for me. I need a fluffy story. Any ideas? | |
| French Pony | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/23/2006 |
| This is really lovely. It's that special kind of bittersweet, where the bitter and the sweet are thoroughly mixed in together so that they really can't be separated. People live, people die, and no one (except Aragorn) leads a charmed life. What happened to Granda today could easily happen to Halbarad or Alagos tomorrow. The precariousness of the Rangers' life really points to the wisdom of seizing a moment when it comes and wringing every bit of pleasure out of it, for one never knows what tomorrow may bring. Author Reply: You really hit the nail on the head - I think they're (in my view) such a cohesive society because to survive, and to get any enjoyment out of life, they have to take care of each other and focus on what's really important. I almost hate to think of what happened to their culture once the kingdoms were reestablished and they could afford to sit around snarking about how their neighbor didn't cut his grass. | |
| Nilmandra | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/23/2006 |
| Geez, Meckinock, now I'm sobbing like a baby. This really brings home the two types of courage so prevalent in this society - the courage of men who valiantly and bravely go to war, knowing many of them will die and leave behind wives and children to fend for themselves; and the courage of women and children, bravely facing the unknown, waiting and watching and continuing the act of living so that their men, should they return home, have something to come home too. Eirien is so strong here, absolutely wonderful. And she reads it all so well. But man, my heart just broke for her. Author Reply: Whenever they show military units returning home, and you see the soldiers running into the arms of their wives and kids, absolutely jubilant, I always think how hard it must be for the families whose loved ones didn't make it home. You still have to have the celebration. Eirien is wise enough to see that. But man, the moment when she knew - that was hard. | |