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There is something very cute about these. I mean that in a possitive way - they're definitely recognisable as the Sil characters, only so far utterly without their tragedy and melodrama. As it's called The "five times" and there four chapters, I wonder if this is a WIP or actually complete? In which case I entirely missed the "no" somehow. 

I really enjoyed this. There is the real feel of a very busy household--and then the glimpses of Nerdanel's work and the attitudes of the various family members to it and to her. I love Macalaure teasing Nerdanel, especially, and I feel sorry for Carnistir and his spelling mistake. There are hints of trouble, but they are still so supportive of each other at this stage!

And then of course there is Feanaro! How much in love with him Nerdanel still is! I have seen the name "Atarinke" interpreted as some kind of criticism of Curufin or his father--but here it is an expression of delight!

Thank you so much for reading and writing a comment! So glad you enjoyed it. The hints of trouble will be much stronger in the next chapter. I always have thought that the marriage of Feanor and Nerdanel had to have been an epic love match. He had to have difficult from what we know about him and so she must have believed that he was truly worth the effort o have stayed with him for so many years and borne him so many children. Also, the fact that she did give birth to seven children and Tolkien still describes her as a great and recognized artist among such an accomplished people means Feanor must have been very supportive of her. Thanks again!

Himring said it far better than I would have, but Atarinkë as a credit (as it must have been when the name was given!) rather than a recrimination is dead on here. 

And of course the possibility of Tyelkormo coming out a squirrel was hilarious! You can't really fault the logic, can you? 

Just one practically unrelated question -- what made you decide on "Veryatan" as a name? It jumped out at me because I'd thought of using it (though not for a Valinorean resident) a few days ago, so seeing it here caught my eye! Only wondering. It does not affect the sweetness of the story here. 

Anyway, lovely!

Fëanáro communicated to Nerdanel with mind touch, 'He'll show the wankers that he has no need of their indulgence.' She smiled, squeezing Fëanáro's hand.  

LOL!  I love that.  It reminds me of my father when he resolutely attended too many of my piano receitals.  He was always a fan.  

These are all so lovely, Oshun!  I love the look at the families in happy times.  Feanor's cocky charm and Nerdanel's way of handling it are perfect.  I love the boys too, but have to say that Maglor is pretty darn cute!  Wonderful look into a family.

I could write about little Feanorians forever! I am such a sap. And wanting to look inside of that marriage fascinates me also. Thank you so much for the comments. I am so happy you're enjoying it. Hope to finish the next and last chapter this month. It is the longest in the series also and about half done.

These are all beautiful, showcasing each child so well, but for this one it feels like you really pulled out the stops.  It's gorgeous and fun, and passionate.  It shows the children so well, and of course their parents as well.

I read that one line and it struck me....  What if Curufin had been a girl?  How would that have changed things?  Oh, the thought of Feanor with one daughter, that is madness.  But a good one.  

Thank you for these, Oshun!  You make me love them more than I do now!

I cannot help but compare them to my parents, who also had seven kids (five of them girls). They kept having one more hoping for another boy. I think Feanor just wanted lots and lots of kids, but he kept thinking he could tempt Nerdanel with the idea of perhaps a girl the next time.

This is a terrific look at these three couples and their relationships. Each has a distinct personality that shines through, and their interactions ring so true. I like how this is a genuinely pleasant story, but you can see the fault lines - not just between the brothers but also, heart-breakingly, between Nerdanel and her children.

I particularly like your interpretation of Nerdanel and Feanor as parents. Nerdanel is usually considered the better parent - which is reasonable, considering the way things ended - and it's interesting to see another view of things. Your portrayal felt very real; I could see why all of Nerdanel's children chose to follow their father. At the same time, I did wonder if Nerdanel was being entirely fair to herself. Surely she was a good mother?

Oddly enough, your portrayal reminded me of the naming dispute in The Shibboleth. I actually have sympathy for Feanor in that quarrel. As a reader, I love that the twins share their mother-name, but objectively, I think that Feanor showed better parenting sense. When raising identical twins, especially in a society where twins are so rare, it's wise to insist on their individuality.

I loved Nerdanel's thoughts about daughters. Of course she would want one. If Anaire and Earwen are already trying, I suppose they would get their daughters and then Nerdanel, deciding girls really were possible, would try again and get ... twin boys. I don't know if Feanor would be disappointed at not having a girl, but at least he could be smug about having two the next time he ran into Fingolfin.

You paint a vivid picture, and it's all so real and thoughtful. I really enjoyed it.

This is such a wonderful comment that I don't know where to begin responding. First, thank you. I write to be read. You read this story and it captured your imagination and that is the most incredible form of feedback I can receive.

Random things for starters--I agree with you on naming twins. They need individual identities. I lived next door to a family when I was growing up who had identical twin boys. They were named Lee and Dee (is Dee even a name?). I can't remember anything that distinguished them for me. They were both loud and ill-mannered--I think I would have been too in their circumstances.

I think that Nerdanel would have loved a girl. She was not a girlie-girl herself, but it must have been at least tiring to have lived in that high testosterone household. I'm not sure if Feanor was desperate for a daughter (I am sure if he had had one it would have been intense about her!) or just wanted a large number of kids. We can guess that Finwe spoiled him from the texts, but still he must have been a lonely child. He sought to fill his own home with the sense of family all around. He set himself apart from Indis and her kids, but the premises of this story is that he could not help but like them, but to embrace them more wholeheartedly would have felt like betrayal to him. He couldn't hate his father (all he had), but he could resent Indis like a champion.

I see Feanor as a father who was crazy about his kids, but also probably had incredibly high expectations. Nerdanel probably did find juggling her work and all those pregnancies and early-childhood years a challenge and Feanor's participation was probably intense but sporadic. Hence the feeling on Nerdanel's part that she never quite was able to do what she believed was expected of her to be a fantastic mother.

I think for the boys themselves, disappointing their mother would have made them very sad, but standing up to Feanor would have been like holding oneself upright in the path of a tornado. The only one who stood up to him face-to-face was Maedhros, who "alone stood aside" at Losgar.

Thanks for all the positive renforcement. I do have more of this story and do intend to finish it. I have a few thousand words on my harddrive that I would like to finish and start posting. Three more chapters will do it, I think. But the next is not quite finished, the one after that hasn't been written, and the conclusion is totally complete. One of these fine days, I will post the chapters.

Thank you so much for the incredibly lovely comment.

I really like your characterization of the boy-man here.  He's transparent, he means what he says, he's impudent but vulnerable.  They both come across as being so young and they are irresistible!  Or perhaps it's the memories of youth that you've brought out in the reader.

This first chapter has whetted my appetite for more of these two sexy young things.

Oh, Jenni! You're a sweetheart! I tried to really hard to get the young people part right. I mean, by their parents' standards, they really were kids! I always imagine Indis and Finwe trying to make the best of it when Feanaro shows up with his teenage bride from the north and adorable little Maitimo! (It was have helped that Nerdanel turned out to be probably the only person strong and smart enough to handle him at all!)

And also I still vividly remember young love before one has gone through all the pain and heartbreak of raising children.

I probably won't annoy you with comments after each chapter unless something excites me to the extent that I feel I must!

This chapter was wonderful, IMO.  There are subtle changes in both characters, a little more irritation on the part of both, which is so true of new parents.  And I love all the foreshadowing: lots of musical references in this chapter as well as Maglor's slowness in moving.  It's as if he's not only less vibrant and dynamic than Maedhros, but also has a tendency to stick around!

 

I love it!

Thank you! Most important to me that you enjoy reading the story and not have to feel you owe me a comment on every chapter! There are a lot of chapters for a short story! As I get deeper into it, it becomes less kid focused and more marraige focused. Thanks so very much for letting me know you're still liking it! I'm thrilled.

I'm still loving it!  Again with the 'speed' and 'hasty' references, as well as the 'fey, woodland creature', a new friend for Orome!

I may not be able to finish reading the entire story today, but I will return to it as soon as I get home from shopping.  Seriously, you have created such suspense that even though I know what's coming, I can't wait to see the next chapters! 

Oshun! I simply devour your stories! Especially when it comes to Feanaro and Nolofinwe, particular favorites of mine, although I loved Nerdanel too and the others in this and the other of your chapters.

Your Feanaro is so delicious, such a seducer and so attentive. Every woman's dream. I so envied Nerdanel!

I loved reading the brothers altogether enjoying themselves, such normalty I could almost believe that nothing could ever would ever come between them. So relaxed with each other and Feanaro teasing them especially Nolofinwe who seems so serious and a little on edge around Feanaro. I'm not quite sure why that is but I sense he is a little overawed by his big brother. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe I need to read some more of your fics to gleen a bit more of your backstory if there is one?

Thank you so much for sharing!

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the stunning comment! I think I gleaned my ideas about Fingolfin largely from the texts--reading them with a more modern fixation on interpersonal relationships. I think Feanor would have been an intimidating older brother even if he had, in general, behaved better to his younger brothers, but given his resentment of their mother, and by definition their existence it must have created a laundry list of issues for them. But I like to think that despite all of those complications he did love them and was capable also of showing his affection at times. Finwe strikes me as the type of father would have pushed for that. (However, Finwe had his issues with Feanor as well--seemed unable to criticize him directly--probably carrying an amount of guilt relating to his choices.)

I love to write the happier moments because Tolkien does quite well without my help explaining the tragic parts!

Thanks again for reading and for taking the time to create such a thoughtful comment!

What a banquet! 

I like how you manage to do justice to all six of them, brothers and wives, when they are together as a family. Although some painful foreshadowings are inevitable ("enough wine to sink one of those lovely Telerin swan-hulled ships"!).

That bed on the roof is wonderfully romantic and the better because they end up there by serendipity, because no other room is free. The romance has a distinctly holiday flavour, though, with Nerdanel thinking of worries at home.

And they end up with two boys rather than one girl!

 

Congratulations on finishing!

Such a sad end, but it could not be otherwise!

And him still thinking he can persuade Olwe and I shudder to think of what comes next...!

It is fitting that it ends with him bringing up the Oath.

It is impressive that she managed to get through to Manwe!

They seem both to be partly right and partly wrong about Finarfin...

Thanks! I am determined to finish long-standing WIPs this year if it kills me!

<i>They seem both to be partly right and partly wrong about Finarfin...</i>

I got a kick out of doing that. I hoped it would show that they do both know Finarfin extremely well. And, yes, both right and both wrong in their predictions which is often the case in these types of arguments about family members.

You reference things that I hoped readers would notice! Thanks again!

OH, THANKS!!

I do feel like that looking back one sees so many characteristics about children were there from the very beginning. I know the moods and styles of these pieces are different one from the other. I like the "fairy tale" comparison. I like a little magic in my fantasy! Thank you, thank you!

 

This chapter may just be my favorite. Maitimo's accomplishments and little Maglor, so precocious and precious at his first public performance. I can feel the pride Nerdanel and Feanor have in their sons from your writing. It's amazing how well you capture those feelings and emotions so seemingly effortlessly. And oh, poor wild and fey Celegorm conceived in that atmosphere.

It's great how you work in the other family and their relationships to Feanor and Nerdanel. A kind of rivalry that becomes so important later. Feanor is a real force of nature.

Thank you! I got a huge kick out of writing this one. I love big family scenes. (Write what you know... Big parties and lots of relatives works for me!)

It's amazing how well you capture those feelings and emotions so seemingly effortlessly.

I wrote a response to this already and it got lost in the ether. What I said originally was--that effort was in raising kids on my part. Yeah, I know how it feels to have talented kids and be proud of their behavior and accomplishments--that's the good part. The harder part is keeping them clean, housed, and fed! Every time I think of seven kids, I think of the effort and the joy.

The thing about fanfiction is there is always foreshadowing--that's the fun in sharing a common canon!

Thanks so much for all of the lovely comments.

Your Nerdanel is such a great character, balancing her career with family and always feeling she's giving the family time short shrift. I think mothers everywhere can relate to that. I enjoyed this scenario with her cooking dinner and getting distracted by Feanor. That man has boundless energy. lol It was nice to see the beginnings of your strange, reticient Carnistir.

I'm loving reading your comments! Thank you so much!!!

It was nice to see the beginnings of your strange, reticient Carnistir.

I do get a huge kick out of writing him whenever I can!

Another "all those boys, so much work"!

That man has boundless energy!

LOL is right! Well, he is the Spirit of Fire! A ball of fire!

Thanks again!!!!

The house is really starting to bustle with all the kids and then having their cousins over. And Fingon is always a welcome addition to any story. It can be fun to grow up in a large household sometimes. Do I detect a bit of myself in Maitimo with his excellent beta skills? Probably just my pride. lol

I love Nerdanel's sculpture garden and how she's so proficient in her art. I also like how she made her sons the subjects. That exchange with her and the boys about that, and their pride in their mother is palpable.

Everybody loves Fingon! In my story-verse he has pretty much inserted himself into that bustle--like the best friend or boyfriend who never goes home! We always had a couple of those around my house when I was growing up. (I want to write another Maitimo/Findekano youth fic!)

Do I detect a bit of myself in Maitimo with his excellent beta skills?

All righty then. If you get to be Maitimo, I get to be Nerdanel with all of that artistic talent and the hot husband who helps with the kids!

Thanks again for entertaining with you commentary! I love your sense of immersion!

 

This chapter was very enjoyable for seeing the interplay between Feanor and his brothers. It's nice to see how they interact with each other and their wives and the whole group dynamic thing. I like the humor too. You always manage to make your conversations sound so real. You have pulled this story together so well with these little vignettes of their lives.

Now you see why I keep you around? OMG! My biggest fan. I would be nowhere in fandom without you. You make it worthwhile. I don't know where that scene came from--it was supposed to be a short little thing where Nerdanel gets pregnant again!!! And it grew into a bloated monster with all of the interactions with the brothers and their wives. (Building backstory here for other fics to come perhaps!)

Thank you so very much for taking time out of your evening to write all of these wonderful comments!

She should have known she couldn't trust him to deliver a daughter. lol I think he liked having the sons so he could those little versions of himself.

You nailed the bastard! Well, as Nerdanel said he is great in bed. That actually makes a lot of things go better in a marriage!

Thanks so much for all of the appreciation! And all of the reading!