Statues by Dawn Felagund

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Fanwork Notes

This story was originally written and posted on LiveJournal in March 2007 for several fannish friends whose birthdays are in March. A revised version was archived here in July 2013.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Lost in grief over her husband and sons, Nerdanel begins to construct statues to ease her loneliness. Discovered in her pursuit by Eärwen, Nerdanel's exceptional skill might be used to offer some consolation to the Teleri.

Major Characters: Eärwen, Fëanor, Finarfin, Nerdanel, Sons of Fëanor, Teleri

Major Relationships:

Genre: Drama, General

Challenges: Gift of a Story

Rating: General

Warnings: Violence (Mild)
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 4, 619
Posted on 23 March 2007 Updated on 23 March 2007

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Table of Contents

Statues

Comments on Statues

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I had read this one before. I really loved it at the time. I think I love it more now; it so did stand the test of time! (OMG! I read an old story of mine recently that didn't, holy shit--what purple prose!) Anyway, I am aware that you have grown as a writer in the intervening years, but this is gorgeous, exactly as it is written.

The descriptions of the sons are heartbreaking and everytime she mentions Feanor my response is viseral. You communicate their passion for one another so beautifully.

I really love these lines at the moment.

'I always loathed capturing the precise essence of a person in metal or stone. The ability was mine, true, but yet I resisted, for it seemed a dangerous power to imbue a stone with even a semblance of life … and too revealing of me, as well, in my choice of subjects and postures and physiognomy.

Instead, my artworks came strong and strange, called unusual when people were being polite and bizarre when they were not. Brows furrowed and heads tilted; Fëanáro came up beside me, shoulders squared with pride, and kissed me for all to see. "I have married a true genius of the Noldor," he said, "whose talents bypass that which is common and trite, whose gifts instead speak directly to our hearts and minds."'

It was a lovely story for me to read tonight because I am writing her this month and living in her head space. I include in my story how he recognizes her genius when perhaps not everyone does, or accepts it on good authority, but not necessarily understanding it. I have no idea if I stole that from you or came to it on my own. I had not read this story in years, but it feels so familiar to me. Like an old friend. I definitely absorbed it the first time around.

This was the youngest of my 21 unposted stories. It was one that I honestly don't know why I didn't post here before; I don't think it's a bad story--I can do better now but I'm still pleased with this one and liked rereading it, and most of my revisions were fixing typos--and a rather formative piece in the Felakverse, since her creation of statues for the Teleri comes up in other stories. So it must have been an oversight, and I figured I'd get into the swing of posting old stuff and maybe wear everyone out before posting the bad stuff; hopefully by the time I get to that point on the list, no one will be paying attention? :D

I think it's pretty natural to assume that Feanor saw and understood something in her that others didn't. I doubt it's original to me. I always think she is remarkable if only because JRRT spent so much time on her where he didn't with other women who were probably more important to the story as a whole. I don't really see how Feanor could not have been attracted to these qualities in her, or how they could not have been influential in their romance/marriage. But apparently, according to the Silm fanon post going around Tumblr, Feanor is unrepentantly sexist/ethnocentric in some people's minds. (Maybe this is the new version of Feanor!hate, replacing the "Feanor beats his kids" fanon of our early years? But I digress.) I just can't see that, though.

Anyway, that's much rambling (it's still early and I find myself unexpectedly without a first period class) to say thank you for reading this young dinosaur and commenting! :D