FantasyFan
· 27 September 2010
· Chapter 16: Chapter 16
I have spent some time reflecting on the depth of Olorin's despair here, and it is profound. As Gandalf, his function was to encourage action and enhearten the resistance to despair, to "oppos[e] the fire that devours and wastes with the fire that kindles, and succors in wanhope and distress," and it seems he took this charge very seriously. I suppose it is easier to reject despair, even when no reason for hope remains, when the enemy you fight is clearly evil and your allies pure. I wonder if he realized that all of the Valar are complicit, not just Manwe, and he feels he has nothing else he can do but offer himself back to Iluvatar, hoping to escape final dissolution? I doubt he'll remain this way long though, for desapir is ultimately a cowardly reaction, and he's far from that. He does have one ally, Eru himself, who may be inscrutable but at the same time just, at least in Olorin's eyes. As much as he wants to deflect praise in his (real) humility, I think it overwhelms him how unfair this is, and that faith is not shaken.
Larner
· 27 September 2010
· Chapter 4: Chapter 4
An interesting thought, that Gandalf saw himself as somehow being insignificant. And the corruption of Palando and Alatar does seem terrible.
Now, to see Lorien through Frodo's eyes.
Larner
· 26 September 2010
· Chapter 3: Chapter 3
Now, THIS would be terribly disconcerting, to watch Gandalf so quit the body in which he has spent so long! Frodo must be appalled!
Siiw
· 26 September 2010
· Chapter 19: Epilogue
This must be one of the most impressive stories I have read here. Everything is described so lively, it was almost as if I was looking out through Frodo's eyes, sharing both the awesome, joyful and the tragic with him. Some passages were plain painful to read, because they were described so vividly that it felt like i witnessed them myself. Especially when Olorin leaped off the mountain, i wanted to stop reading, what were you doing to some of my favourite characters!
You write of the unconditional, cosmic love of the Ainur for the Children in a way that brings tears to my eyes. I have read this in stories from other authors here as well, but it was unusually strong and hopeful in this one. It takes up a note from the original stories, in how the small and insignificant can prove to be more successful in the end than the big and powerful.
I hope that you will continue posting on this site. It is stories like this that makes this site so unique.
Author's reply
I will indeed continue posting (though perhaps not in such an intense frenzy!). How could I not when someone calls my work impressive!?! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story, despite the tragic parts (and I have been told by others that the "cliffhanger" you mention was a nasty place to end a chapter ;). But then, I have always felt that if you're going to send your heroes through the depths of hell as part of their Journey, the heights of heaven should naturally follow, and vice-versa. The reward should be commeasurate to the suffering, and the difficulty of reaching the reward equal to the reward received. A personal visit from Eru is a pretty big reward, as well as the gifts of healing he offered to Olórin and the hobbits. It is indeed great and cosmic love, greater than even that of the Ainur.
Thanks for your review!
curiouswombat
· 25 September 2010
· Chapter 19: Epilogue
What a wonderful story, full of deep, thinky themes, all bound so beautifully together - and how wonderful that it should be the hobbits' love of riddles and puzzles that led to Olórin's healing.
Author's reply
"Thinky themes" — an amusing way to put it! I'm glad you found it so, since I do tend to think a lot about the things I write, and it's always a pleasure to know that the effort was appreciated by the readers. Having a Hobbit be the one to solve the puzzle was something I'd had in mind from the start, as it sort of brought things full-circle (pun only partially intended). Thanks for the review!
Larner
· 25 September 2010
· Chapter 2: Chapter 2
Most interesting that you have both Cirdan and Glorfindel as part of the voyagers! Love the greeting by Ereinion Gil-galad, and the second by Eonwe himself! Now--to see the meeting in the Ring of Doom.
Larner
· 25 September 2010
· Chapter 1: Chapter 1
I've always loved the hints of Frodo's own prescience. Am looking forward to reading on.
jgmsccc
· 25 September 2010
· Chapter 19: Epilogue
Thank you for this story. I never realized it, but I loved reading about Gandalf. Your story had just the right amount of detail to make Aman real.
Author's reply
Thank you, jgmsccc. Given that I'm a tremendous fan of Gandalf, that's great praise indeed!
Matt
· 25 September 2010
· Chapter 19: Epilogue
what a wonderful story. I greatly enjoy the sub-sub-genre of stories that this one so wonderfully encapsulates. The learning of lessons during healing in The West.
Your characters are well drawn, deep, and grow over time. Their interactions feel natural and unforced in a way that too many authors struggle to achieve.
I will definitely look forward to reading more of your work as you post it and sincerely thank you for your efforts.
Matt
Author's reply
You're most welcome, Matt, and I thank you for taking the time to review. I hope that the natural and unforced quality of my style is the result of 40 years of working on it (a work that will always continue to be in progress). Hopefully, as I recover from the past month of traveling, there will be more for you and others to read soon.
MJ - Every day I would sign on to SOA and look to see if you had added the next chapters in the tale. Now that I have read all of it, all that I can say is - MAGNIFICANT. Truly a joy to read. I look forward to reading through it again at a more leisurely pace.
- Erulisse (one L)
Author's reply
What more can an author wish than that their work be called magnificent? Thank you for reviewing, Erulisse, for following the story -- and for planning to read it again!
Elflingimp
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 1: Chapter 1
This is wonderful!!! I have actually found a completed story that is excellent! Yahoo! Hugs The Imp
FantasyFan
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Wow! The word cliffhanger can't even apply to this chapter, because Olorin doesn't even make any attempt to hang on.
That the damage to Gandalf could have been foreseen does not surprise me. That the fault is Manwe's, and that the fault stems from pride, does not surprise me either. The greater one is, the greater the temptation to pride. And I had no illusions that the Valar were perfect.
That Olorin is angry does not surprise me either. He has been betrayed, and that is the unkindest cut especially to one who always lived to serve. That he would take such a rash action does surprise me, for the utter loss of hope seems too much to believe for this character. However, his action also reminds me of another dive off a tower, this in the movie version of the escape from Orthanc - one that was more calculated than it seemed at the time, and we'll see if that's the case here too.
By the way, I loved the description of the Eagle ride. I think I would have been too frightened by the heights to have appreciated any of the beauty, and it was nice that Frodo was able to, hazy though those thoughts were.
FantasyFan
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 14: Chapter 14
I am not surprised Bilbo feels very comfortable in Olórin's home. It combines the settings of the Shire, with the type of refined Elvish design he has become used to in the last decades, living with Elrond.
Don't keep encouraging him like this, Frodo, or we'll get nothing from him all day but profound wisdom and gloomy remarks.
This made me laugh, coming as it does just after a discussion of the age-old problem of why evil exists in the world, if how an omnipotent and omnipresent God can allow it.
The chapter takes a darker turn after that. Olorin's memories of the struggle with the Balrog are painful indeed. And I doubt that it is a coincidence that the summons from Manwe has come on this day. Though, I am looking forward as much as Frodo must be to see Imarin and Taniquetil, and I hope that there is at least some good to the summons.
FantasyFan
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
It's a good thing Frodo has given up the idea of annoying Olórin into being more open, as he really isn't very good at it. Annoying, yes, but not in that Tookish way that leaves you charmed as you are annoyed into doing whatever the Took wants. It is good though, for Frodo to have something to do. He seems less homesick now, and can speak of both Pippin and the Field of Cormallen very matter of factly.
Perhaps it would be better, after all, to stop searching so hard for the answers that slipped farther away the harder he tried to grasp them, and instead seize each moment as it came.
This is a very mortal way of looking at things, I think. Living in the moment, letting the river flow by around you, instead of trying to stop the water in your hands. I hope some answers come soon for him.
shirebound
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 19: Epilogue
A lovely end to a marvelous story. It leaves me feeling very hopeful and peaceful. What a lot Frodo will have to tell Sam when he arrives!
Author's reply
Thank you, shirebound. I was going for hopeful and peaceful, so it appears I succeeded. Not only will Frodo have a lot to tell Sam, but Sam will get a chance to experience some it for himself, too -- a blessing for both of them.
shirebound
· 24 September 2010
· Chapter 18: Chapter 18
“So if I understand you aright, you're saying that Frodo and I can stay here for as long as we like, not worrying about getting old or sick or driven mad with boredom or fatigue, and give up this life only when and if we have a mind to?”
Dear Bilbo. What a concise and hobbity summary of all that he heard. :)
shirebound
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Goodness! I look forward to seeing how all of this gets resolved! What a complex story.
On a lesser but more delightful note, it's lovely to know that Frodo has taken at least one "eagle ride" that he was able to remember and enjoy. :)
Rhyselle
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
I have to brief before I go back to work after lunch, but I just had to tell you how much I love this story thus far. When I read the blurb, I thought it was going to focus more on the Hobbits, but the development of the issues with Olorin's return have caught me up, and I want to alternately cheer and weep as I read about the consequences of his sojourn in Middle-earth.
I do not presume to know what Eru's plans for Olorin are, nor yours as storyteller, but I had to share the thought that occurred to me as I finished this chapter.
Discussions about the taint of darkness that 2,000 years in a mortal shell brought to him aside, I found myself thinking that had Olorin been restored exactly as he had been before, Frodo would have been bereft of purpose in Valinor and his own healing might have been compromised. Eru makes long plans, and we are not privy to them. As terrible as Olorin's current condition sounds at first, I can look ahead and see blessings coming out of it in the future, although I couldn't tell you specifics--blessings for him and for Frodo as they seek healing for themselves and for each other.
I will be following this tale closely, to be sure! The tone of the tale, and the flow of the words, and the vividness of the descriptions are bringing your interpretation of Valinor to life for me.
Well done!
Author's reply
Thank you, Rhyselle, you are most kind. *bow*
Tolkien said in one of his letters that during Frodo's sojourn in the West, he would find, aside from healing, an understanding of his greatness and his smallness in the universe. This story and others I have written or am in the process of writing explore parts of that process -- though I readily admit, Gandalf/Olorin is my favorite character, and is central to most all the LotR fanfic I write. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
There is never any guarantee that what we do in the struggle against evil will be safe; our personal security is not as important as the goals we work to achieve.
I cannot believe that He would have sent me back to Middle-earth, strengthened and revived, if I was doomed to end like this.
Unfortunately, those two statements are kind of contradictory. Sometimes, a bad end is inevitable, in the real world that has evidently acted as a poison to Gandalf's spirit. And sometimes, there are those asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. I pray that it will not be so in this story, and I don't believe you would do that to us, so I expect this to be a story of healing, but sadly it is not always so. Frodo's indignance, anger, and sadness are very real.
Author's reply
I don't think I've ever written a story with a "down" ending -- bittersweet, at worst, but never without hope. Olorin's statements that you mention are, to me, the contradiction of much of life: the bitterness of knowledge and experience at odds with the hope the spirit tries to cling to even in the darkest circumstances. Olorin has had enough experience to know that fighting the fight is never safe nor the outcomes guaranteed, but he also has enough experience with Eru to know that He does nothing without purpose. Unfortunately, living through the process of going through the tunnel to reach the light at the end is often unpleasant.
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 11: Chapter 11
I meant to comment on the wonders of indoor plumbing in the earlier chapter, but forgot by the time I got to the bottom. Some things are just worth having, no matter in which universe a story is set! Tolkien didn't feel the need to describe how the Water Hot gets into the bathtub, but Frodo needed to figure it out.
Not so much a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter, but rather a crisis which has been building over the last few. I assume that some answers are soon to be revealed as to what is happening.
Author's reply
I have always thought that there must be some modest degree of indoor plumbing available even in Middle-earth. All of Tolkien's elder races at their height were remarkably clever people, and the matter of hauling water from a well would, I think, have prompted them to want to devise a means of piping water to free them of such a repetitive task. Especially in places like Minas Tirith, with all its levels of stone! In Aman, with the Great Smith himself there to ponder the matter, I envision it as being more sophisticated, though perhaps not as complicated at the plumbing we enjoy in our own houses. Aule, I should think, would take one look at it and consider it overly complicated and inefficient. :
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 10: Chapter 10
Dear Bilbo. Never does anything as expected, does he? Although his specific objections are easily dealt with, with proper education, he's not giving in without a struggle. And so we get to see Gandalf again, sounding and acting much like he did when dealing with Bilbo before the quest. Not quite forceful, but less the kindly wizard and a little stern.
Yet the struggle has exhausted Olorin, enough so that he is forced into almost unconsciousness. I have to assume now that the concern in the previous chapter was over his condition, and not Frodo's. I'm eager to see what the real problem is, and how it will be addressed. Is it just that so many years in a body have diminished his reserves, or has there been a different kind of damage? Good thing Shadowfax was there, and can go for help.
Author's reply
I can't imagine Bilbo as anything other than Bilbo, and I think he brings out the "Gandalf" side of Olorin more than anyone else. :) As to the matter of damage, we shall see... ;)
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 9: Chapter 9
It is difficult to tell who is being discussed in the conversation between Ványalos and Irmo at the beginning of this chapter - Gandalf or Frodo (deliberately, I am sure). In either case though, the situation is more serious than one would be led to believe by the lighterhearted appearances each of them present. Worrisome, even though plans are in place and contingencies are being planned for. Orolin is tired, though. I do wish to see him unburdened, eventually; he is a dear soul and deserves it. (Although watching him chase Shadowfax around might be entertaining as well.)
Author's reply
You know, you're the first person who ever commented on the ambiguity of that conversation -- which was quite deliberately ambiguous, as you say. Even my traditional beta reader never said anything, and she's been reading my writing for nigh onto 40 years!
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 8: Chapter 8
Well, that talk went better than it could have. I think Frodo has already realized one major thing that will help him to heal - the return of hope. It will certainly take more than a day to completely believe he will be healed, but he is now on that path. So he will stay in Lorien, and Bilbo may come too (will they eventually build a hobbit hole, I wonder?) but the end of this chapter again makes me think there is a significant struggle left for all of them before the end, and that all is not told yet.
The postings are coming faster than I can keep up, but I am enjoying the well-written words and the thought and imagination you have put into this story very much.
Author's reply
The postings are coming faster than I'd originally intended because my husband and I will be going out of town on business in a week, and we'll be gone for much longer than he'd originally been told. One never knows what kind of internet will be available when traveling, so I'm trying to get the whole thing posted between preparations for the trip.
I've given some thought to the matter of whether or not the hobbits will build a hole somewhere in Aman, and I haven't quite made up my mind. Ványalos may build one for himself before they do... :)
FantasyFan
· 23 September 2010
· Chapter 7: Chapter 7
Pity and forgiveness is a key theme of Tolkien's, and so an explanation of how gandalf gained his tremendous wisdom on that subject is interesting. And still, very sad. Rejection hurts, and I feel quite angry and sad on his behalf, seeing such a humble and innocent being treated so badly. There is that old saying that whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger, and it is true that out of adversity comes growth. Still painful, though. Can I assume that some of the rest of this story deals with the eventual resolution of this pain? Olórin is not what he used to be. I suspect Aránayel has not achieved the same growth, and may be very surprised when they meet again. Is he destined to help her as well?
Frodo is doing well while begin watched and helped. He is going to figure it out eventually, though, I bet.
Author's reply
Some of the rest of this story does deal with the resolution of pain, but the specific issue of Aránayel I kept to be resolved in my next novel, "Twice Blessed" — which is what got trapped in my writer's block about three-quarters of the way into it. I'm hoping that becoming more actively involved with more readers and writers of Tolkien fanfic will dissolve the block and let me finish it. But in the end, I often wonder if any profound wounds to one's heart are ever wholly healed. Even scars pinch, from time to time.
shirebound
· 22 September 2010
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
How wonderful it must be for 'Gandalf' to be able to speak so freely, after spending millenia guarding his identity and his true purpose. The power of love and friendship are at work with all of these dear folk.