Comments on Heart of the Wood

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As usual beautifully and elegantly done. You capture the differences between Elf and Man really well. I love the way which you have handled this relationship and Beleg's capacity for passion despite his elvish capacity for wisdom and self-control. The original story is heartbreaking and one of two slash stories that I absolutely consider canon (I'm sure you know what I think is the other). I know I'm an inveterate romantic. But Tolkien repeats over and over that Beleg loved Turin and I chose to believe him and it adds such a wonderful dimension to the final outcome of the story. It takes bit of courage to write a story that has been done (and I have read at least one other Beleg and Turin romance that I thought was done wonderfully), but to make it new and yours alone is quite a feat.

I came upon it here actually with the intent of posting my own Slashy Santa story. But I think I won't but instead wait a day or two to give this one more time on the "newest" story space. I looked forward to seeing what you had written and you did not disappoint. Congratulations again on an original and lovely interpretation.



Thank you... I was a bit intimidated by it initially, because I recognize that there have been some incredibly powerful stories already written about them, so I had a bit of a defeatist attitude about it, that I couldn't possibly come up with anything that hadn't already been said, or that wasn't too maudlin, or that would set it apart from the others.  Still not entirely convinced I've succeeded, but it has grown on me.

The real stumbling block to me was that, after reading Children of Hurin, I pretty much despised Turin.  i won't reiterate what I said on LJ, since you already know how I feel about the story, but the biggest challenge in all of this, for me, was to try and make him even remotely sympathetic, when I had no sympathy for him whatsoever. By the same token, I didn't want Beleg to come across as a heartbroken martyr, because he was too strong for that, and it's his strength that makes his story devastating, rather than his weakness for Turin.

I'll get around to posting it on LJ in the next few days... there's just been such a glut of stories that I want to get through reading them first.  I haven't heard from my recipient yet; I hope that isn't an indication that she doesn't like it. 

 

Bittersweet but ultimately hopeful, this fic is beautifully written. Beleg is compassionate and perceptive, and beneath his pride Túrin has a large capacity for love; in short, both are wonderfully characterised.

This sad and lovely fic is definitely a favourite!

Mistrali