Comments on Paper

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Poor Curufin!  You do a wonderful job in this story showing how a combination of sibling rivalry, the burden of living up to Feanor's expectations, and that damned father-name manage to blight Curufin's chilhood.  I have to wonder if Feanor ever realized how much damage he was causing his family by so clearly singling out one child as his favorite?

The best part about the green-eyed girl, of course, is that if she loves Curufin, it will be not for being a copy of Feanor, but simply for being himself.

 



(This is a really, really late reply. I was replying to a new review and realized I'd never replied to you, Ithilwen! I am so sorry!)

The family dynamics in the House of Finwe endlessly fascinates me ... I know I am preaching to the choir on that one! :D In terms of being the favorite, I think this plays out in so many families like this. It did in mine, and I was the Curufin: alike to my father in temper and face, and the favorite. :^/ Perhaps I should feel more of a connection to Curufin because of this, but I honestly find him the most difficult to write.

Thank you, very belatedly, for such a kind and insightful comment! :)

I first read this a year ago and the images and feelings evoked by this story have never made it to my forgettery!

I relate to and love the way his fantasies, and the love of the letters, the quills, and the paper (Oooh! That ever so sensual and promising paper!) all come together in a cathartic escape from his childhood torments. (Which children can seldom really adequately convey to their caregivers.)

I half wondered whether his green-eyed apple-maiden was another fantasy that came to life for him from his beloved paper...

Deliciously written! Thank you!

Thank you! What a beautiful comment too. ^_^ I have to admit a fondness for this old story (it is one of the first I wrote). I definitely connected to this:

a cathartic escape from his childhood torments

Which, yeah, would be my childhood in a nutshell and why I became a writer.

I'm so glad you enjoyed the story and thank you for commenting!