All of these drabbles are incredible, I enjoyed every single one, as they are touching and poignant and hopeful and lovely, all at once.
Author's reply
Thank you so much for reading them, and for the wonderful compliments... I'm just delighted that you enjoyed them, but it means a lot to me also that you think they are hopeful - that's one of my favourite themes of LotR and one I always try to put into my stories, and I'm so glad it comes across. Thank you! :)
This is a magnificent line:
'in days when they knew the end of the tale before it even began.'
It is very potent and packs much of the grandness and unsureness of the quest and what lay before them in a beautiful, poetic manner.
Author's reply
Thank you so much for the lovely words, and especially for picking out this line - it's one of my favourites, and I'm really glad you liked it too! I'm also really sorry it's taken so long to reply to you... Thank you :)
cher
· 19 December 2004
· Chapter 20: Swordthain
What a wonderful drabble--concise and yet poignant.
Author's reply
Thank you for reading and commenting! I'm glad you liked it :)
Larner
· 18 December 2004
· Chapter 20: Swordthain
Excellent.
Larner
· 18 December 2004
· Chapter 18: An Hour to Sing
Rereading this one, too--very soft, very sad, very evocative. Very well written.
Author's reply
Thank you for the kind words, and for taking the time to comment on these :)
Larner
· 18 December 2004
· Chapter 7: Among the Great
I think I may have commented on this one before, but I'll do it again. This is one of the most beautiful looks at Pippin I can imagine. Thank you for the gift.
Author's reply
Oh, you're welcome! Thank *you* for such a wonderful compliment; I'm so happy you like this scene :)
pipspebble
· 23 November 2004
· Chapter 19: Unspeakable
Oh, this is beautiful! So small, but so powerful. Like our Pippin! Wonderful job!
Author's reply
Thank you so much! I'm glad you like this. It's been ages since I managed to fit anything into 100 words! :)
Larner
· 11 November 2004
· Chapter 18: An Hour to Sing
I've enjoyed the bittersweetness of this collection. Thanks.
Author's reply
Thank you for reading! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. :)
pipspebble
· 11 November 2004
· Chapter 18: An Hour to Sing
*sigh* This was beautiful and sad and oh so tender and sweet. You do angst so very well. Thank you for this lovely sendoff.
Author's reply
Thank you so much, as always, for the kind words and encouragement. :)
Wopt
· 11 November 2004
· Chapter 18: An Hour to Sing
I thought this was lovely, but I have one question?
When does this take place? Pre-Quest, Post,during or before Frodo's leave of Middle Earth? Anyway, its goregous
Author's reply
Thanks for reading and commenting! I think it takes place two or three weeks before Frodo sets off for the Grey Havens. What Merry and Pippin know is that he isn't going to get better, but not that he is going to leave them, or when. I imagine, though, that at this point the question of whether they will ever see each other again is in all their minds.
Grey Wonderer
· 31 October 2004
· Chapter 17: A Light in Dark Places
tead this one and the one before it over on your LJ and I am very glad that you posted them here so more folks could read them. They are both so well done and so insightful.
Author's reply
Sorry I haven't replied to this sooner. I'm so glad you liked these, and thank you for taking the time to comment!
Dreamflower
· 24 October 2004
· Chapter 15: The Long Dark
I saw this on LJ, but didn't have time to comment then. I'm glad you posted it here. It's just wonderful; I love the way you show Merry's fond exasperation. Of course he can't sleep himself when his Pippin is so unsettled. Just lovely.
Author's reply
Thank you so much for these lovely comments and for taking the time to review here! I appreciate it very much, and I'm sorry I didn't reply to this sooner. *hugs*
Lindelea
· 24 October 2004
· Chapter 5: Athelas
Powerful! Well-done vision of what Merry might have experienced as the Shadow was pulling him under, and how he perceived the athelas. Good job!
Author's reply
Thank you! I'm delighted that you like this one. "It is best to love first what you are fitted to love..." is one of my favourite lines in the book and I always imagine Merry thinking and worrying a great deal about home, and about his choice to go with Frodo rather than back to warn everyone of the danger. So his twin concerns of protecting the Shire and his friends influenced how I thought the Shadow would affect him. :)
Lindelea
· 24 October 2004
· Chapter 14: A Heavy Hand (part 2 of At the Black Gate)
You had *me* taking a short, shallow breath!
I do love your portrayal of Beregond, my favourite amongst the Men of ME.
The battle is sketched in few words, and yet you bring it to vivid life.
Thanks!
Author's reply
Thank you very much! I'm so glad you like my Beregond - it gives me much more confidence to put him in another story I'm writing. :)
Lindelea
· 24 October 2004
· Chapter 15: The Long Dark
A nicely done slice of time, Merry's thoughts while Pippin took the guard duty. Makes me want to go back and re-read that chapter.
Thanks!
Author's reply
Thank *you* :) I like this scene very much. Pippin is especially endearing in it - no wonder Gandalf takes pity on him :)
Patty
· 13 October 2004
· Chapter 14: A Heavy Hand (part 2 of At the Black Gate)
I didn't know you had written this when I wrote my earlier comment
in At the Black Gate.
This would have been a wonderful scene for the movie. Beregond and
Pippin make a great team!
Author's reply
I wasn't planning to write a second part, but such is the way with plot bunnies! I wish this scene could have been in the movie - it's the only thing I'm still disappointed they missed out. Thank you so much for reviewing! :)
Patty
· 13 October 2004
· Chapter 12: At the Black Gate
Oh my, did you have to end it there?
Good for Beregond! Without a word he gave Pippin hope.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. The tension was so thick you
almost cut it with a knife.
Author's reply
I'm so glad you enjoyed this - thank you for reading! :)
pipspebble
· 20 September 2004
· Chapter 13: Nightfall
*sigh* What a lovely drabble! I love how you keep the POV open, so it could be Merry, Pippin, or Sam, or even another hobbit marked by the dark times. Wonderful little read!
Author's reply
Thank you, Pips! When I posted it on my LJ I expected everyone to assume it was Pippin (odd, that), and when they didn't, I realised that I like the idea of it being Merry or Sam just as much. Hurrah! :)
Lindelea
· 8 September 2004
· Chapter 12: At the Black Gate
Powerfully written. There is poetry in your prose.
There is a world of description in this brief, economically-worded snippet:
The ground shook beneath them and the air was malice itself, searing him as he breathed, for surely all fury in the world had boiled to the surface here and unleashed itself upon them.
And then Beregond, just as I imagine him.
Good summation in the last line.
Thanks!
Author's reply
I really appreciate the kind comments - thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it.
SlightlyTookish
· 26 August 2004
· Chapter 11: Heroes of the Shire
Hello, Pipwise!
I've read the last four stories on your LJ, but today I discovered the others and they're all terrific! Pippin's letter to Bilbo was adorable, and "The Road Goes Ever On" made me want to cry. Altogether wonderful, and I just wanted to let you know :)
Author's reply
Oh, thank you! I'm so happy you like them! They've all been experiments in one way or another, and it's lovely to know that you've read and enjoyed them. I really appreciate it, thank you! :)
Dreamflower
· 22 August 2004
· Chapter 11: Heroes of the Shire
This is absolutely perfect. Pippin's new wisdom and maturity, so painfully won, yet still he has the capacity for love and joy. And if he only knew it, Frodo would find his cousin's and Sam's lives his own greatest reward, though he could not stay to see them. Beautiful!
Author's reply
I hadn't thought of it like that - that Frodo would find their lives his greatest reward - and it brought tears to my eyes to do so! Thank you, Dreamflower, I always appreciate your thoughts very much :)
Dreamflower
· 17 August 2004
· Chapter 10: Through the Ages
Absolutely wonderful! You have a way of keeping them completely in character, and yet still manage to make the statements of what we know about them seem new and fresh, in only a few words. Very well done! My favorite: Pippin's coming of age, and Merry's observation that it really happened long before.
Author's reply
Thank you, this is so encouraging. Thank you! :)
Grey Wonderer
· 17 August 2004
· Chapter 9: Precious Things
Great images in this. I can see him trying to catch a look at the Mirthiel from under Frodo's regular clothing and feeling a bit guilty for taking so much pleasure in seeing it. Sweet and says so much.
Author's reply
Thank you. It was weird writing something without Pippin in it, but I'm glad it worked!
Grey Wonderer
· 17 August 2004
· Chapter 6: Dear Bilbo
I have enjoyed all of these, but I dearly love this one. The letter is so very like Pippin and so cute. I can see Gandalf managing to deliver it too. Great stories!
Author's reply
Thank you! I'm so glad you like this one, I'm very fond of little Pippin as you know! I definitely think Gandalf delivered it, and that Bilbo showed it to Pippin later on... :)
Elendiari22
· 17 August 2004
· Chapter 10: Through the Ages
I reviewed this over at your LJ already, but I wanted to say again that I think you're a great writer! I've just read through all of the chapters in this fic, and they're all lovely. Keep up the wonderful work!
Author's reply
Thank you for taking the time to review again, it makes me so happy to know that you've enjoyed them! And I feel so honoured that you think I'm a good writer that I don't know what to say really, except thank you, again! :)