Reviews for "What Better Companion?"

Wed Jun 22, 2005 9:59 pm

“I shall learn,” said Olórin, “what it is like to be uncertain, and to live.”

That is such a great line. It made me all misty. Cry smiley face

It makes me think about the conversation Gandalf and Pippin had in the ROTK about "the end" and I could actually hear that music. Violin Music smiley face

This is so great! You touched on something that JRRT tried to point out often but I think I missed it alot. Even wise ones like Gandalf can learn from others. I think that was a big theme in LOTR that sometimes gets overlooked. Its not just about the hawt elves and men, everyone can teach us something.

Thu Jun 23, 2005 8:30 am

This is a beautiful piece! The way you describe the physical world around them, the tone of the conversation, all the little threads of story that continue beyond the simple weave of this one piece, all of it is so perfectly done!
You are a marvelous writer and not afraid to tackle ideas others wouldn't know what to do with, and you do it with all the certainty and flair of a professional!

Thu Jun 23, 2005 11:46 am

Let the gush begin:

"Even amongst the Eldar, often there were scars. Some marks of battle stubbornly refused to fade, long after the wounds themselves had healed, as though some part of the fëa forbade them to disappear utterly. A reminder, perhaps, that longevity did not equate to invulnerability"

Genius, Spacey, genius.

Your imagery was outstanding

I don't think I have read a piece that captures how I think Valinor would feel (for lack of a better word) better than this. I like how you portrayed Olorin, enough Gandalf to be familiar, and enough Olorin to be unique. I like how you captured his unfamiliarity with flesh and his fascination with it, Elves and other living things.

I liked the reference to the wisdom Glorfindel gained, like appreciating his surroundings, etc. The reference to the thoughts of Eru in everything was another stroke of genius.

At first I did not like Glorfindel being the only one released (there is at least one who IMHO might have been released earlier, but that's just me I think and it would detract from the story), but as I read I appreciated that fact, made his and Olorin's conversation more dramatic, gave it more meaning.

Thought provoking and very entertaining.

Thanks for posting it.

Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:54 am

Wow Space, I gotta tell you, this one made me sob. It took me back to the beginning and why I started in the first place and i wonder how I haven't been able to see it for so long. After a good cry, I thought, I can get back to the heart of the whole matter if I think like this. The conversation is absolute poetry and I agree 100% with Inglor in that you invoked Valinor like no one else. I can honestly say that it is one of the very rarest of times for me, a moment when I actually sense that someone has touched on the reality of how Valinor should 'feel.' So rare in fact that this may be only the second or third time for me. Thank you for this beautiful piece.

Jesxxx

Fri Jun 24, 2005 4:13 pm

Wow, where to start? That was such a tantalizing taste of Valinor and such a candid moment in Glorfinde's reembodied life there. The encounter with Olorin is so, so, well just right.

The bit about him not having scars and reflecting on the eldar having scars because of their fea not wanting to let go the incident was truly inspired. Great bit of introspection.

Your descriptions of nature, the birds, insects, the sunlight and the passage of time in Valinor, well, I could almost taste the air myself. You write the most beautiful imagery, without overdoing, a delicate balance and well done.
"Insects buzzed around the Elda’s ears,.... Perhaps they knew the answers ..., if only he could delay them long enough to ask."
okay, that has to be one of my favorite lines, though it was hard to choose.

The way you described Olorin taking form, filling that outline "slickly and naturally", was a great image, likewise the description of his physical form, the "roseate tinge about the cheeks, his grey eyes seemed to hold the memories of a million years" so evocative of the movie Gandalf so familiar to all and the mysterious secrets he keeps as one of the Maia.

Then there was: "We each resonate in tune with the melodies of the world. If we are out of step, the chords jar and jangle until we shift and shuffle. If we are on the right path, it is as though our bodies too are singing, and all feels well."
If that just doesn't sum up how to know if you living the life you are supposed to, then I don't know what does. Wisdom for any age there.

okay a really long review, and I can hardly add a thing to those who have reviewed before me. An excellent piece. Thank you for sharing.

Fri Jul 08, 2005 2:17 pm

I'm simply struck speechless. It's wonderful, beautiful, touching and thoughtful. I don't have any other words to express how incredible this is. I will remember this for a long time, and come back to it when I need to relive the sense of peace and discovery you instilled in it. The sheer talent you display in this piece is awe inspiring. Bow smiley face

Sat Dec 24, 2005 12:00 pm

Seriously, Space... You rock smiley face

As I read this, I kept thinking this was somehow Fourth Age, though I have no idea how I got to that conclusion. Very Happy smiley face

Until the meeting with Olorin/Gandalf, and then I knew that his was before Glorfindel was sent (or chose to go) back to Middle-earth. Both show an almost child-like curiosity about everything. Glorfindel first with his un-scarred body, to his surroundings on Valinor, to even the Maia when he meets Olorin. And for Olorin himself, his fascination is with the children and learning about , well, everything. I also noticed Glorfindel's pride in himself and his people (ancestors/family), but it wasn't over-bearing. It only serves to increase my fascination with Glorfindel more (*mumbles something about him being a member of her stud farm anyway*). Wink smiley face

Very well written, Space. I loved this one, too! Thanks for sharing!

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Reviews for "What Better Companion?"