Larner · 28 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
Aha! The blessed Ranger and future King at his most magnaminous. Love it.
Author's reply
Thanks, Larner. I think the hobbits charmed him very quickly :-)
The Importance of Birthdays by lbilover
Reviews (6)
grumpy · 26 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
Loved this story, nothing like a birthday. I myself love the cake part of it all. Would dearly love to see rangers exchanging presents.
Author's reply
No, there's nothing like a birthday, and hobbits certainly know how to celebrate them :) Thank you for commenting!
Pearl Took · 25 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
This is a fun story indeed, Ibilover! I love the picture this line paints: “I can see that hobbits take their birthdays most seriously,” said Aragorn, a smile lighting his grave face so that the years seemed to drop away like a discarded shell. Beautiful!
Author's reply
Thank you so much, Pearl. I like to imagine Aragorn falling under the hobbits' spell right from the start :-)
Linda Hoyland · 25 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
Very enjoyable, I liked it,especially the part at the end,thank you.
Author's reply
You're very welcome, Linda. Thank you so much for commenting!
daw the minstrel · 24 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
Great story, Ibilover. Tolkien was wonderful at creating these small cultural differences and you did a nice job here at showing what happens when cultures meet.
Author's reply
Thank you! Tolkien *was* wonderful at that, and he gave us so many opportunities for exploring those differences.
meckinock · 24 March 2007 · Chapter 1: The Importance of Birthdays
This was really delightful, Ibilover! Once Pippin decided he liked you, he would not rest until he had obtained all the pertinent details he considered it necessary to know about his new friend That line was just one of many that made me smile. I really liked Frodo's keen insight into and deep affection for Pippin - "a Tookish maelstrom" LOL, as well as his concern that Pippin was not overtaxing the somewhat dazed Ranger with his questioning. What an image! I also like how Frodo is quietly monitoring Aragorn's reactions, and spots the "twinkle lurking in the grey depths." The long (and sometimes muddled) treatise on hobbitish birthday customs had me laughing - it was great how they all instantly recited the names of all their relatives with the same birthday as Aragorn. Frodo is a wonderful POV character here because he of course appreciates the enthusiasm of the younger hobbits for birthday celebrations, but he also has the maturity and perspective (probably from listening to Bilbo's stories!) to enjoy the bemusement of an outsider. And it's nice to see him begin to see through the "stern visage" of the Ranger who spent so many birthdays alone in the wild and who possibly has already figured out how to redirect a young Took's attention :-)
Author's reply
Thank you so much for your lovely comments. I didn't originally plan to write this from Frodo's POV, but he rather insisted and I'm glad he did :-) And yes, I think from his years of living with Bilbo that he would have the maturity and perspective to enjoy Aragorn's bemusement. And I'm very glad the story made you laugh. I enjoyed writing it very much.