Reviews For: The Bitter Gift of Compassion
My dear readers,
I felt recently forced to pull ''The Bitter Gift of Compassion'' from ff.net, because of a very personal and totally unfounded attack. That means, of course, that I've also lost all the wonderful and encouraging reviews that I've got for that story. I wanted you to see what people thought and were ready to openly say to my story, so I saved the reviews and posted them here for you - without that particular flame and whatever my dedicated readers answered to it. So, you'll only see the reviews here that are stricktly about the story itself - and only those that were posted openly on ff.net. I also got many wonderful ones in private e-mails, but they weren't meant for public viewing.
Should anyone of you not want to see their review here, please, contact me, and I'll delete it immediately.
Soledad
ErinRua 2002-08-27 Ch: 3
My Dear Soledad, and fellow readers ~
I wish to first clarify myself by saying that I am NOT a reader of slash, nor do I particularly care for slash set in the LOTR universe. It is not how I, personally, perceive the characters and their relationships.
Having said this, however, I will also add that due to the very shrillness of certain reviews, I sat down to read what all the fuss was about. What I was pleased to find was an exquisite portrayal of the desperate hunger for life that can consume those who have lived too long in the Shadow of death. No, this was not Tolkien's Boromir as I know him, but here was a man who could no longer see hope, in a world growing daily darker, who hungered for living, in a profession that dealt only in death, and who after knowing the horrors of the loss at Osgiliath - one of only four surviving comrades-in-arms out of HOW many men? - as well as countless other battles, large and small, could only remember gentleness and warmth as a distant, fading memory. Most telling of all, I thought, was Elladan's rather cold but honest statement that Boromir would have gone with anyone who would have him. The man lived, but knew this only because he still had a heartbeat. The reasons behind Gondor's long fight against Shadow was being lost to Boromir's sight and touch, and this I thought Soledad captured beautifully. There IS a difference between "mindless smut" and erotica that is part and parcel of who the characters are, and that reveals otherwise hidden depths to their psyche. Would we have ever known how truly lost Boromir felt, if we did not see how tormented and desperate his need was? As much as he craved pleasure, he also wished pain, if only to know that he could still FEEL. If none of you have known combat veterans, I can assure you, that loss of feeling, that isolation from the world of ordinary living, is very common. One withdraws so that the horror of war does not consume you - but in doing so, one shuts down a fragile and important part of ones self. And perhaps for Elladan there was no less a hunger for the fierce pulse of feeling alive, for even he has known, more than most, the red face of War and battle.
This commentary is overlong, and for that I apologize. Yet
these are my thoughts, from a distinct non-slasher who
nonetheless sees and values the terrible beauty of struggle in
its barest form. Keep heart, dear Soledad. Stand fast for your
own visions, for in visions often lies truth.
With love,
ErinRua
Sorne 2002-04-27 Ch: 3
I have been most remiss in following this story recently - and
look what I was missing!
I think that one of the reasons that slash is such a popular
medium is that it can used as a means to explore the feelings and
motivations of the characters, and bring out different sides of
them. This is a most exceptional example of that. The act of sex
itself is almost incidental - it is merely the catalyst, the
metaphor, the gateway to something much deeper and more powerful.
For a man like Boromir to express his feelings in such a way, is
at once entirely understandable, and yet also so utterly against
the rules he sets for himself. He is freeing the side of himself
that he thought to hold inside forever. Not by having sex - he's
done that - but by giving himself in the whole sense of the word,
letting go, really knowing, and being known by another. By so
doing he is making himself a more complete person, and yet it
still serves to highlight what he is missing.
Isabeau: 2002-04-06 Ch: 4
I think you may be a little unnecessarily harsh with yourself on
this one. I certainly picked up on the things you talk about in
this essay from the scene. It was very plain to me that Boromir
looked upon this interlude in Rivendell as a one-time chance to
let go and relinquish the burdens of command, and I thought the
descriptions of his life in perpetual war from a very young age
to be well-drawn. The fact that he is a passionate man living
under the threat of continual death, and certainly no virgin, is
established here very well. And I like very much that he is so
disciplined and determined not to hurt Elladan despite how he
feels - the whole "mad rapist" thing gets to me too.
Yes, it was graphic, but it did better explain why Elladan suddenly "went off the deep end" and bonded himself to Boromir. I particularly enjoyed his point of view, where he says that other Elves find his brother more attractive than him - despite the fact that they're identical twins - and how humans find him more approachable than other Elves. His admission that he's more comfortable thinking of himself as a human raised by Elves like Aragorn, rather than an Elf, indicates to me that even without Boromir, he might very well have made the choice to become mortal in the near future.
And yes, it was a warm, tingly scene, and pretty graphic, but tastefully so. If you come to a point in another story where you think such a sex scene is justified, I hope that you will go ahead and do it. Although I think a good part of your problem with this was that you had unrealistic expectations about what you could accomplish in one chapter. I counted three or was it four points you wanted to get across, and you are considering it a failure because people only picked up on one or two. By your own admission, the reason Elladan fell for Boromir like he did was clarified, and if everyone got that, then I would consider the scene a success. I even think most people picked up subconsciously at least on the other stuff as well, and that could have been restated in the rest of your story arc. I don't think it was your skill as a writer that failed, I think you simply expected one scene to accomplish too much.
All in all, I think you're being unnecessarily harsh on yourself. Now, if you feel uncomfortable writing at this level of explicitness, then keep things at PG-13, by all means. But if you honestly feel that you have a purpose to accomplish by doing this (and this scene was certainly NOT PWP), then you should feel that you can without worrying about what the rest of us think. I enjoyed it.
Nancing Elf: 2002-04-04 Ch: 3 Soledad, your story; the way you deal with Elladan's and Boromir's needs is very well done. You have a gift for describing a character's emotional reality. I never really thought about Elrond's sons before but you've made Elladan at least quite interesting. I'll be looking for more from you!
Deborah: 2002-03-31 Ch: 3
This is breathtaking. 'Blood and tears'...
Elladan so badly wants to be human, and is so close to being
human, but is not. And it is heartbreaking. He is not an Elf
either - he's just something else, something which isolates him.
Only an outsider can reach him, and only for a moment. This is
not a relationship that one can imagine working if Boromir had
thrown off the quest and remained in Rivendell - or if he had
tried to take Elladan home with him to Gondor. It only works in
liminal spaces - but those are all Boromir has left.
I wonder what song Elladan sang.
Deborah: 2002-03-31 Ch: 2
Did I really never review this chapter? How negligent of me!
Elladan's sweetness and gentleness is astounding. I am very glad
that you made this a slash rather than, say, making up another
daughter for Elrond - if a female character were in Elladan's
role it could be too easy to let the gentleness overwhelm the
strength that we know is there. The comparison with Elros is
intriguing - can a half-Elf become human without automatically
becoming a ruler? Elladan seems to have no interest in kingship,
nor will it be offered to him. One wonders if in this way as well
as so many others Elladan disappoints his father.
Archet: 2002-03-31 Ch: 3
My... ahem... okay, this was just luscious! Things I loved: that
Elladan has a deep understanding of what Boromir needs and deeply
desires to give it to him, Boromir kept his eyes open and Elladan
understood why, that from the very beginning *both* man & elf
feel something very special exists between them.
Boromir: 'It might not be love - yet it was beyond love'.
The description of their lovemaking did not strike me as too graphic at all. I saw two people who needed solace, and found it with each other. This in itself seems enough to powerfully bind them together.
I adored this line: 'Well, 'tis always dangerous to underestimate a soldier of Gondor.'
It is touching to read that Elladan really does 'see' Boromir
where no one else has, and that Boromir can't quite fathom why
the fair elf has chosen him. The terms 'alpha' wolf and
'bathroom' felt a bit modern, but didn't particularly bother me
as I was much too busy racing to the next sentence. Elladan sings
to Boromir, lovely. :-)
As usual, wonderful job. Can't wait to read more!
Much appreciated, thanks for sharing your Boromir and Elladan.
Sorne: 2002-02-28 Ch: 1
This is truly wonderful! There are so many good parts that it's
difficult to know where to start. I love the description of the
holding of the bridge at Osgiliath - very poignant. And the way
that you tease us with who it's going to be who helps poor,
lonely Boromir....Legolas? no..Arwen?..no, Strider?..no, and the
answer when it comes is so unexpected, and yet so perfect. When
Boromir chokes on his wine - I nearly choked on mine! And
throughout all, not only well-written, but beautifully so. A real
work of art, moving, captivating, delightful and delicious.
Isabeau: 2002-02-28 Ch: 2
Oh Soledad, you wicked, wicked girl! Traumatizing poor Boromir
like that!
"Gender? What gender? We don't care about no stinking
gender!"
I like the way your Elrohir and Elladan mirror the original
Elros/Elrond choice, and enjoy glimpses of the Legolas/Elrond
relationship. Nice scene with Arwen too - always nice to see
someone portray her favorably. I like this version of the story
very much - even if it didn't turn out the way you expected!
Deborah: 2002-02-28 Ch: 1
Good! I am so glad to see some happiness for Boromir after all
he's been though. I like the way you keep the story in dialogue
with some of the slash classics of this site. Your Elladan is
perfect - a good take on how he would face the choices of the
half-Elven.
Isabeau: 2002-02-25 Ch: 1
This is a nice start. Boromir is such a straightforward fellow,
that his frustration here is plain to see. Good description of
the fall of Osgiliath, and its effect on him and Faramir (my
hero!). The conversation between Strider and Legolas is very in
character, particularly when Legolas talks about going to visit
the trees. You don't often see him in a merry mood in fanfic, and
it's a nice change.