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| The Rebel by Lindelea | 23 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Cuthalion | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 2/21/2005 |
| Marvelous! Absolutely marvelous! I have a soft spot for Freddy, and I simply adore the last chapter and your characterization of Lobelia (Remember the drabble I wrote from one of your first lines?). Imagining her scaring those ruffians is an absolute delight. Brava! Author Reply: Oh, yes, I remember that drabble, it was marvellous! Some day perhaps you'll be able to wade through "A Small and Passing Thing" which is neither small nor passing, but much more Freddy and a lot of Frodo into the bargain. At least my chapters are short! (Even if my stories aren't!) *hugs* | |
| viv | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 11/20/2004 |
| This is the comment I left for this story in the MEFAwards voting. I'm so glad this story won; it is impressive: The dialogue was stark and uncomfortable, several times making me wince. The torment of imprisonment, contrasted so baldly with those warm and inviting and hobbity flashbacks, evoked all the feelings I think you were going for: horror, anger, emptiness, and furious hope. Gorgeous writing. Author Reply: Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, and to copy the comment here to SoA as well. | |
| trishette | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 7/21/2004 |
| http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterlistview.asp?SID=326 That's my VERY belatedly posted link to the story I have written about Fatty Bolger thus far. Sorry it took so long... several months! | |
| Miriel | Reviewed Chapter: Author's Notes on 10/2/2003 |
| This was a truly wonderful story. I have never seen Fatty's part in the Shire written like this before. Your descriptions of the Lockholes were brilliant. I almost felt as if I was there. I could see the evil ruffians, feel the angiush and hunger of the hungry and beaten hobbits. (Which, by the way, was a brilliant conception, that would break a hobbits heart to have another beaten for their mistake.) Fatty's flashbacks were wonderful. I just love flashbacks, especially well-written ones like yours. I especially enjoyed Rosie's part. How smart of her mum to dress her rather, well, ugly. I loved the flashback with Farry and the apples. One can only imagine how Merry felt, receiving all those apples!(Sometimes "Class" with hobbits really, truly bothers me. But, that's the way things are.) Ah, Lobielia. It never occured to me WHY exactly the hobbtis would be so thrilled to see her. I like the idea of her taking care of the sick hobbits. Money-hungry she might be, but seeing all that SHarkey did to the hobbits must have been a very heavy burden to her. (Just a note, if I were a ruffian, I would be very afraid of her!!) I love this story. Whatever rewrites you may have, I didn't notice the inconsistencies. Thank you for sharing this first draft with us!! Author Reply: Thank you! I appreciate the feedback, even if it is difficult to reply with a large Alsatian dog licking my elbow as I type. I thought about what it must be like to live under occupation, and how the ruffians would treat hobbits in their power, and Saruman's attitude towards hobbits (he reminds me of the man who keeps a dog simply to have something to kick periodically), and the story pretty much wrote itself. It did seem to me as if Lobelia must have done more than simply stand up to the ruffians, to have such an ovation coming out of the Lockholes. Why not have the ruffians half-afraid of her, not only because she's got that umbrella, but because she might well be spying for her son the Boss (and Sharkey), and have her do some good with that power? Have read a lot about class, enough to find that modern-day Americans seem to be a lot more bothered about it than the people living in England a hundred or so years ago seemed to feel about it. As a matter of fact, it seemed to be something of a comfort to people to "know their place and stick tight in it" (that is an actual quote!). I don't quite understand the mindset, but I think I have enough of a grasp now to write it convincingly. At least I hope I do! Thanks again for the kind words! | |
| Hai | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 10/1/2003 |
| I would venture to say that was TOO short! It was wonderful! I like how even though it started in the cave you did little flashbacks of life before the ruffians and then some even when there were ruffians in the Shire. It was wonderful and you ended just perfectly. Thank you for such a wonderful story! Author Reply: O lovely, that's what I want to hear, that the story was too short--much better than being told it's TOO long!!! *g* Thank you for the encouraging review! | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 9/29/2003 |
| Oh rats, now you post the updated summary and I see that this is finished. Wow, you certainly had quite a weekend. I will admit to being a wee bit disappointed that there isn't a treasure-trove of secret stories hidden out there, just waiting to be found and plundered. This has a good ending as it stands, but possibly Estella's adventures in Tookland deserve a vignette of their own? Author Reply: You'll be happy to know that a sequel of sorts has popped up. I cannot promise anything, for the outline is not complete, but if the story does not stall, you will hear more of Estella's return from Tookland, and Freddy's recovery. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 9/29/2003 |
| Ahh, the redemption of Lobelia. Finally, a hobbit with some spunk. It could be viewed as funny: her obstinate cantakerous quarrelsom stubborn nature was so irritating, when what she wanted was Bag End and all she cared about was her family's ease. Now, it is those same traits, when turned toward eaasing the suffering of the unfortunate, that makes all the hobbits (and us) cheer as she is brought out into the light, still clutching her umbrella. It was quite chilling to hear Saruman's voice. Fatty was dying, so I suppose that it's reasonable that he didn't have the strength to resist the Voice. Lobelia wasn't fooled - her strength was wonderful. She managed to do quite a bit of good, before somebody evil enough not to be intimidated silenced her behind boards and nails. Intimidation was enough to keep the hobbits caged in cells with no doors, but not Lobelia. If there's hope for Lobelia, I guess there's hope for the worst of us. It was wonderful that, as she had shown mercy to others, mercy was shown to her. It was good to see familiar faces of the Travelers. You seamlessly wove the familiar narrative from the book with your own details - very skillfully done. Now we need to get Estella back out of the Tookland, and fatten Fredegar up a little. I'll look for the next two chapters in a hour or so, eh? | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 9/29/2003 |
| You know, I almost included this in the reveiw of last chapter, but I thought it was too much of a stretch, and might offend someone. Then I re-read the notes at the beginning of the story, and I realized that it doesn't matter if if offends someone, and it fits perfectly. What the behaviour of the hobbits of the town reminded me of, was the description I have heard of how people behaved during the Nazi occupation, as the Jews and other 'undesirables' were arrested, and murdered. Have you ever read the poem "The Hangman" by Maurice Ogden? I first heard it when I was a teenager, and it is haunting. "Into our town the Hangman came, smelling of gold and blood and flame. And he paced our bricks with a diffident air. And built his frame on the courthouse square..." I don't mean that your story (or Tolkien's either) is an allegory for World War II - many tried to make that connection during his lifetime, and he rejected the charge of allegory every time. It doesn't deny, however, the applicability of the concepts in the story to the situation then or now. Hobbits are a simple people, and thus should have less trouble than we in recognizing evil when it appears before them. Perhaps, because of their innocence, they have more of an excuse for not knowing what to do once the troubles started. But there were plenty enough hobbits in the Shire to have driven out the ruffians, if they hadn't been too scared to act. Merry and Pippin really forced the issue, by challenging the ruffians publically in Bywater - the confrontation couldn't be escaped then. This is the dark part of the story. I hope the travelers return soon to rescue them. | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 9/29/2003 |
| Was this a story you had written previously and kept back for some reason? Do you have stories hidden on another site? I don't think it's on your list at ff.n, and you are posting it so fast here that I'm sure it must be all done and ready to go. So fast, as a matter of fact, that I hadn't gotten around to reviewing any of it! How long is it? Fatty had always been a curious character for me. You don't know much about him, except that he is fat, and that he is one of Frodo's friends but not courageous enough to come with him. That was always in his disfavour, until you get to the end of the book and you see that he really did have courage in a pinch. He's a bit more typical of a hobbit than our heroes in his attitudes not to mention his girth. The other ordinary hobbity you meet, like the gaffer or Ted Sandyman, are not gentlehobbits, and so Fatty is different again. I never knew quite what to make of him. It is quite interesting to read the flashbacks of happier times interspersed with stories of the troubles. Fatty seems defined by his relationship with food, in both timelines (I suppose that's not too surprising). It's very interesting that he seems to lose his appetite when he finds his courage. He's got a bit of arrogance to him: not meanspirited, but he enjoys his money and what it can do for him. A little different from Bilbo, who was undoubtedly as rich, but who was said to quietly spread his wealth to the poorer members of his circle and received appreciation in return (but not always respect). Freddy's little joke with the apples is at Farmer Cotton's and Rosie's and Merry's expense, although he pays for his fun with gold coin. Rosie at least has not held a grudge, it's good to see. Fredegar actually must have been quite an amazing hobbit. Few of the rest were able to shake off their fear and bewilderment to fight the ruffians. (In that, I think hobbits are no different from us Big Folk. We have as many gatherers and sharers among our own governments these days, and most of us do no more than grumble.) For Fredegar, he had a lot to lose in terms of material posessions, status, and comfort. Yet, he rose above the status quo and probably his own inclinations to lead a band of rebels. I wonder how much he thought about what Frodo and Merry and Pippin were trying to do, when the ruffians started arriving in the Shire. Was their heroism rubbing off on him, and so that he saw the need to do his part to fight off the darkness? Was he hopefull at all for their success and return, or was that hope long gone? His bit of arrogance has been transformed into leadership. Certainly he is wonderfully supportive and protective of his band, especially the younger members. In return, they managed to save him from hanging. It must have galled the hobbits of Bywater to have to cut down the last tree; at least they could feel that they were doing something. I'll be looking forward to seeing the rest of this. Author Reply: Have finally got to this chapter on ff.net, and so am belatedly answering your review! I certainly appreciate the time you take to type out your insightful reviews on SoA. I have oodles of stories you haven’t seen yet... they exist on yellow pads and scraps of paper and knocking about in my head. I keep working at it, a chapter a day... | |
| Citrine | Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 9/28/2003 |
| It's great to see stories about lesser known hobbits, and I'm loving this one. I think I'm going to start to respect old Fatty through this story, much more than I did in the book. I always thought of him as just a 'big ol' puddin', (as we say in my neck of the woods,) that is, somebody big, and soft, and of not much use. But he really was a hero, wasn't he? My brain was telling me he wasn't going to be hanged, but my heart was in my throat. Excellent work, as usual. | |