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| Fallow by Ariel | 11 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/18/2006 |
| This is a very unhappy chapter. Poor Pearl, I really feel sorry for her. She must think Frodo was toying with her all those years ago, to so thoroughly reject her now. It is going to be hard for her to come to terms with how much he has changed, especially when she cann't know why. It sounds like she is a virtual prisoner under Lalia, though somehow she has managed to escape. It doesn't sound to me like she plans to go back - she's disguised herself, and left no trace. I wonder if she went as far as to cut her hair? If things werw so bad at the Smials, that she couldn't write and she couldn't get away, I imagine that thoughts of Frodo rescuing her must have been very much in the forefront of her mind. Was she counting the time until he came of age? What a horrible disappointment to find she had been forgotten, dismissed, rejected. Frodo, on the other hand, I'm trying hard to be charitable toward and not succeeding too well. He rationalized his way through their whole last encounter, but he did seem at the end to grasp the idea that she would honor her vow. Yes, he only said they would talk at the end of it, and he was careful not to promise her anything. Nevrtheless, I am disappointed in him, that he made no effort all this time to see how she was, to show her any of the care that was implicit in their earlier meeting. Maybe he doesn't know much about young girls, but he did see something of Pearly's spirit, and he ought to have known he would break her heart. Regardless of all that, now that she is there, he not only has disappointed her, he doesn't seem to care all that much about it. Yes, he spent a sleepless night, and yes, some of it is the ring talking (ok, maybe a lot of it is the poison of the ring), but he hasn't had it all that long, and there is no excuse for his lack of attention over the last years to something that obviously was very important to her. The ring is a powerful influence. I wonder if Pearl can overcome any of it? It's not an auspicious start (restart) to their relationship: but it does make an interesting story. I'll be looking forward to the next chapter. Author Reply: *sigh* Yes, it is an unhappy chapter and under the ring's influence, Frodo's actions may seem harsh, but he's not seen his cousin in more than passing and has heard no good tales of her in all this time. I hope you give the story (and both characters) a chance to redeem themselves. I may provide angst, but I always give a happy (or at least resolved) ending. | |