More Oldies but goodies...
Jul. 10th, 2011 11:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamflowerA couple more of my old favorites, these are two stories I never get tired of re-reading. They are some more nice long multi-chapter pre-Quest Shire friendship fics, one by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
grey_wonderer and one by gamgeefest...
The first one is bygrey_wonderer, and it's called "If I Had a Hammer". If you know GW's stories you know to expect a lot of laughs, snickers, giggles and snorts. But you can also expect warmth and wisdom and solid hobbit love throughout the story.
The plot's fairly simple: Pippin and Merry are spending the summer with Frodo at Bag End. But Pippin's stay is conditional on his taking lessons. Frodo is tutoring him in writing, and Paladin has engaged a well-known Shire carpenter to tutor his son in woodwork (in the very hobbity belief that everyone needs a few practical skills in life no matter what their station). Unfortunately Pippin's tutor has some problems working with the accident-prone young Took, and he is not very diplomatic in the way he handles the situation. The upshot is that Frodo asks Sam to serve as Pippin's teacher.
But there's a lot more going on here than just the main plot. Merry and Pippin are at a difficult time in their relationship, and seem to be clashing in a way they never did when younger. Frodo is finding managing them more of a challenge than he did when they were younger. We also learn a lot about Sam and his patience and his own sense of humor and his quiet capability. There are lessons in this story for each and every character, not only Pippin.
And there are lessons for the reader about grace and forgiveness and the simple joy of creativity and selflessness. While I never read this story without a lot of chortles and chuckles, I also never read it without finishing up with a very warm feeling of contentment either.
The other one I've recently re-read is "In the Bleak, Cold Winter" bygamgeefest. This story is quite frankly, a Sam hurt/comfort, and even considering the relative rarity of those compared to the h/c other three hobbits get, it's a very good one!
It's late winter, and Merry is staying with Frodo, without Pippin, whose been kept at home by a nasty bout of flu. During an unexpected late-season blizzard, Sam has an accident and injures himself at Bag End, and has to be kept there for his recovery.
GF's stories are very layered and filled with complications in the various friendships. I don't know of another hobbit-writer who has the same handle on the dynamic in the relationships of gentry and working-class. Sam's station makes his friendship with Frodo and Merry filled with pitfalls, as he makes every effort to "keep to his place" and Frodo and Merry make every effort to maintain their friendship with Sam without offending him.
Also, the author has clearly carefully researched Sam's injury and his treatments; the details ring true, as do the reactions of the characters to the various ups and downs of Sam's recovery.
Add to this a fun sub-plot of Merry's attraction to the pretty healer who comes to see Sam, and some wonderful interactions of Sam's family and the Cotton family. GamgeeFest's version of the extensive Gamgee clan is marvelous! I truly love her idea of the Gaffer, as well as her Marigold.
Both these stories are really worthwhile reads!
grey_wonderer and one by gamgeefest... The first one is by
grey_wonderer, and it's called "If I Had a Hammer". If you know GW's stories you know to expect a lot of laughs, snickers, giggles and snorts. But you can also expect warmth and wisdom and solid hobbit love throughout the story. The plot's fairly simple: Pippin and Merry are spending the summer with Frodo at Bag End. But Pippin's stay is conditional on his taking lessons. Frodo is tutoring him in writing, and Paladin has engaged a well-known Shire carpenter to tutor his son in woodwork (in the very hobbity belief that everyone needs a few practical skills in life no matter what their station). Unfortunately Pippin's tutor has some problems working with the accident-prone young Took, and he is not very diplomatic in the way he handles the situation. The upshot is that Frodo asks Sam to serve as Pippin's teacher.
But there's a lot more going on here than just the main plot. Merry and Pippin are at a difficult time in their relationship, and seem to be clashing in a way they never did when younger. Frodo is finding managing them more of a challenge than he did when they were younger. We also learn a lot about Sam and his patience and his own sense of humor and his quiet capability. There are lessons in this story for each and every character, not only Pippin.
And there are lessons for the reader about grace and forgiveness and the simple joy of creativity and selflessness. While I never read this story without a lot of chortles and chuckles, I also never read it without finishing up with a very warm feeling of contentment either.
The other one I've recently re-read is "In the Bleak, Cold Winter" by
gamgeefest. This story is quite frankly, a Sam hurt/comfort, and even considering the relative rarity of those compared to the h/c other three hobbits get, it's a very good one!It's late winter, and Merry is staying with Frodo, without Pippin, whose been kept at home by a nasty bout of flu. During an unexpected late-season blizzard, Sam has an accident and injures himself at Bag End, and has to be kept there for his recovery.
GF's stories are very layered and filled with complications in the various friendships. I don't know of another hobbit-writer who has the same handle on the dynamic in the relationships of gentry and working-class. Sam's station makes his friendship with Frodo and Merry filled with pitfalls, as he makes every effort to "keep to his place" and Frodo and Merry make every effort to maintain their friendship with Sam without offending him.
Also, the author has clearly carefully researched Sam's injury and his treatments; the details ring true, as do the reactions of the characters to the various ups and downs of Sam's recovery.
Add to this a fun sub-plot of Merry's attraction to the pretty healer who comes to see Sam, and some wonderful interactions of Sam's family and the Cotton family. GamgeeFest's version of the extensive Gamgee clan is marvelous! I truly love her idea of the Gaffer, as well as her Marigold.
Both these stories are really worthwhile reads!
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-12 01:41 am (UTC)(((hugs))) Thanks for your wonderful rec, dear!
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Date: 2011-07-12 02:44 am (UTC)Nice long stories like those are getting harder and harder to find!