Comments for: With Hope and Without Hope
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2 Comments
With Hope and Without Hope
Michelle - 06 Oct 08 - 11:39 AM
What fascinating tale! I like AUs (I think I've said as much before), because it's a most interesting genre - especially if the authors know his/her way around canon. It's a little intellectual exercise - to change one detail in the larger tale and see what ramifications this will bring.
From the different stories you provided here, I must say I liked Aragorn's and Pippin's the best - and not only because I'm a ranger girl. In my opinion, it's hard to find something that would break Aragorn to such a degree as Saruman managed - and the possibility that he could turn to the dark side of the force has always fascinated me (just imagined it... Aragorn on the side of the baddies *swoons*). But it was Pippin who really surprised me here. He matured a lot during the course of the story, and the changed roles between him and Aragorn felt at some point absolutely natural, and believable. I like seeing Pippin come into his own (evidence towards the end, when he keeps interrupting Gandalf until his opinion is heard).
With Hope and Without Hope
docmon - 08 Oct 08 - 5:47 PM
Well, thank you, Michelle! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story!
That's just how I approached this story: change one or two details from canon - now what have we got?
It would be hard to come up with something that would break Aragorn. I kind of came at it from the other end. As I played out my scenario, I asked myself what would be each character's reaction. Aragorn reaching his breaking point wasn't necessarily part of the scenario at that point. But when I found the combination of circumstances that would bring that about... well, yeah! 
In some ways, this turned out to be very much a hobbit tale, didn't it? Both hobbits underwent great changes and grew as characters perhaps more than any others. So glad the evolution felt natural for you.
Thank you for your comments. I love hearing what you enjoyed about the story.
