The wonder never grows old.... Hobbit Month post: The Gift of Ilúvatar : comments.
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(no subject)
!!!
It's hard to give coherent feedback to a story this rich in detail and emotion and my thoughts are scattered hither and yon, but I'll try...
This is just the perfect epilogue to your beautiful stories - so well characterised, so believable and so real. Tom and Barard - such a wonderful beginning! I adore prudish Legolas and sensible Gimli, love that twist in their journey - that they ended up where they most wished to be. That stirring of long-dormant desire in Legolas, called forth by Sam and Frodo's love - lady, that was inspired.
Our beloved hobbits! You did them and their love proud. Their story was moving without being swamped by bathos, romantic without being overly sweet. Beautifully lyrical and sensual prose, and a sure touch with dialogue. And hot. Did I say it was hot? OMGHOTOMG. Of course Frodo would be the first to feel the call - over and above Sam's need for healing of his own (another inspired touch, btw). I've always thought of him as air and Sam as earth. Very nice 'twittering' metaphor - perfect as white noise overlying deeper concerns. Fantastic ending - Legolas misunderstanding Ninquelótë's remark struck me as so realistic because I felt a twinge of panic myself.
The themes of death and loss moved me so. Elrond and Celebrian's absence because of their grief - such a telling detail. But other losses spoke of lives well-spent, and there was a sense of rightness and acceptance to them.
I love the intimation of peace and harmony that you left us with, and having come back to mundane Earth, I wish I knew - that the afterlife you and Tolkien envision was true.
Thank you, my dear. ♥
(no subject)
Thank you for your lovely feedback. I had no idea when I started writing that Legolas would find a love interest, but it does seem right, doesn't it?
Romance was very much what I had in mind. :)
In Letters, Tolkien somewhere likens Frodo's stay on TE to being in purgatory, which for me had a connotation of atonement and a Bad Thing, but then I looked in my etymological dictionary and found the root of the word was to purify, which seems to fit much more with Arwen's words about finding healing.
There is no way we can know, which is where Sam's comments on understanding (or rather lack of it) come in. You'll find some distant echoes of 1 Corinthians13 in the story, especially the idea of being a child waiting to take their first step, and also Frodo's explanation of trying to see through a window at night and only seeing your own reflection.