Reviews for In the Eye of the Beholder
Canon Police chapter 1 . 4/29/2003
"The man had a decent enough imagination to gather together the threads of Celtic, Norse and European folklore and take it for his own uses, but he's hardly original. Point to something brilliant in Tolkien, and I can probably point you to its origins elsewhere and long before. Even the corpse candles in the Dead Marshes are Welsh rather than original, so you really need to get over the idea that Tolkien did much that was original. He was just the first to pull it all together. The man also needed a heavy-handed editor. He still does. "

(Please assume the following is delivered in the most sarcastic tone of voice imaginable)

Ah yes, all Prof. Tolkien did was to reinterpret British mythology. Surely his characters, his storyline, his prose, his attention to detail, his linguisics, and his genius count for nothing besides the fact that he used Welsh mythology as an inspiration. Why, he's no better than a fan-fiction writer!

He must have been so untalented and unworthy of attention that those whose best literary efforts involve using other people's characters in unworkable sex fantasies can safely sneer at him.

Oh dear, sometimes sarcasm isn't enough. Pardon us while we scream obscenities into the monitor for half an hour or so.
guardianofscrewingup chapter 2 . 4/29/2003
"This introduction is mainly for the omnipresent, arrogant, opinionated, holier-than-the-rest-of-us Tolkien canon police."

Well, I know that doesn't address ME, so...{moves onto story.}

Hmm. This would be an excellent original story, and all that would needed to make it one are different names for the characters and a change of category. Are you sure it's too much of a hassle to do that? Because, if it WAS original, I, and many others, would follow it with interest, AND you'd make it so that all the people who don't like what you've done with the characters couldn't hassle you.

Also...

It would be your own. All yours. You wouldn't be borrowing from other stories like (as you have pointed out) Tolkien did. It could be all yours, no disclaimer at the beginning, no-one hassling you about "slandering" characters, just yours. Are you sure you don't want that? If it was me, and I wrote a story this good, I'd WANT to make it so I could claim it entirely for my own.

But that just might be me.

Anyway, don't expect to see me review again. When I look for LotR fanfic, I look for stories where the characters act as they would have in the book, because to me, they aren't the same characters if they act otherwise. However, I commend you for your literary skill. You ARE indeed a good writer, in my opinion. I just don't think this story is in the right place.

I wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors in writing.

~~Saphie
Little she-bear chapter 2 . 4/29/2003
I like your writing style and the plot is good, it's an interesting idea.

As for the AU elements, *shrugs* that's contentious but I was thinking that as well as an AU warning, an OOC warning might be in order as well. I can't see Tolkien's Gandalf acting like this. Of course all fanfiction involves altering canon a little, or else there'd be no point. I suppose it's all a matter of degree and how far you can take it is subject to debate but there does come a time if you take it far enough where many people ie your critics, will question what the point is in calling it fanfiction.

I got the feeling that you weren't being criticised for the story itself, just it's classification. If you're going to take Tolkien and then change it so much that the characters are unrecognisable as Tolkien's then by that time it would cease to be fanfiction.

As for your A/N at the beginning, I'm have to take issue with some of the things you said. Clarify your intentions by all means but do you have to resort to insults?

"the omnipresent, arrogant, opinionated, holier-than-the-rest-of-us Tolkien canon police"

That's an insult, it's not necessary. If you feel you have been insulted by a reviewer then take the moral high ground and don't stoop to that level. You could actually put people off reading your story and I suspect that's the last thing you want.

I'm scratching my head over your comments about Tolkien's originality. We're all well aware of his drawing in other influences for his writing, I just don't see what this has to do with your critics. Tolkien wasn't writing 'Celtic Mythology Fanfiction.' He was doing his own thing with it, he wasn't bounded by it, he could do whatever he wanted. For Tolkien Fanfiction one would expect to work within the conceptual space specified by the canon works. Tolkien wasn't working within such a space so I don't think it's really analogous.

I'm also well aware of Tolkien's faults and while I don't worship him as God as you imply that I might, I can also see the point of the reviews you've been getting. All they're saying is that by not confining yourself within the remit of Tolkien you'd free yourself up, keep the purists off your back and in the end, possibly write a better story.

Finally, slightly OT. The comment about how you can't slander a fictional character because they don't exist (I think StarBrat said it). By saying that you're assuming some things about the ontology of fictional characters which aren't so cut and dried. It's a very interesting question actually, I'm not sure there is a satisfactory answer to it. It's just more complex than you make out.

Yeah, so, at the end of this long ramble I'll say that I like this. The plot is a good idea, I really liked the political maneuvering between Mirkwood, Lothlorien and Imladris. However, I might just end up thinking of this as, not so much fanfiction, but a story with characters who bear a passing resemblance to Tolkien characters and share their names. Not acutal Tolkien characters. I'm not sure if that will happen, I'll need to read more and let it sink in some. So, the story's good, I'm just not sure if it actually is Tolkien fanfiction in the strictest sense.
Mercuria chapter 1 . 4/29/2003
Well, I'm not going to read this story, because it's bad!Thranduil and I really don't like that sort of thing. I like your writing very much, however. You have a wonderful style.

One thing I feel I must comment on, however, is your extraordinary rudeness to the "omnipresent, arrogant, opinionated, holier-than-the-rest-of-us Tolkien canon police". I can understand why you would be frustrated with people who take the canon extremely seriously when you plainly do not. One of my fanfics was recently put up on the GAFF forum and made fun of by someone with worse spelling and grammar than I can boast of, and all because he/she did not like the premise of my story; believe me, I know what it's like to wish that people would be less rigid.

Unfortunately for you, the fact of the matter is that Tolkien spent years creating the world of Middle-earth. (I agree that Tolkien borrowed ideas from mythology. However, he is more than a mere anthologist; he managed to combine all of these elements into one story which, although branching off in different directions, is one seamless and complete universe.) The fact of the matter is that there are people who respect this so intensely that they will not stand to see a single piece of his elaborate puzzle ignored or forgotten.

Another fact is that you don't have to disrespect Tolkien or his fans to write an AU fic. I'm afraid that your rude behavior will only encourage people who might have ignored your fic (like me) to read it and write you a long review about netiquette.

That's really my biggest problem with you, by the way. There are ways of expressing your annoyance with LotR purists without crossing the line. Calling people arrogant will not win you respect. In fact, it may prompt people to inform you that you are being rather arrogant yourself in assuming that if you say "To hell with canon," everyone else will say, "Oh, okay!"

Since you have (allegedly) been insulted before, I would think that you'd realize that making inflammatory remarks is not going to solve anything. To summarize, I think you are a wonderful writer, but not a very nice person.

(As an aside, I looked over all of your reviews, and you have not gotten a single flame- or even any tough CC- so you can't possibly be speaking from experience. This makes me wonder when you became so bitter.)
Athena Parthenos chapter 2 . 4/29/2003
I don't understand. You are obviously a fine writer, with an excellent grasp on the English language. Your style flows nicely and the story is easy to follow. You have none of the mistakes that so litter the world of Lord of the Rings fanfiction nowadays - Mary Sues, absent spelling, wretched grammar, etc. My question, then, is this: As you are writing extremely AU fic anyway, why don't you simply change the names and post this as original fiction? From what I see here it would not be beyond your ability to flesh out your own world, and as these characters bear little resemblance to those in LotR, characterizing these "original" characters would be easy enough. Then you wouldn't have to deal with we purists stepping all over your toes. *shrug* A thought - though looking at your rant, I seriously doubt you'll take me up on it.
Infinitys-End chapter 2 . 4/29/2003
I am very very confused.

You write well. Very well, in fact. You've read all of Tolkien's works. You even show you have an intelligent mind.

So why this story? Why do you feel the need to take three, and eventually four, of the most noble characters in the books and turn them into cold-blooded idiots? You are wasting your talent.
Fadesintothewest chapter 2 . 4/29/2003
Wow, I usually do not like mean Thranduil story lines as they are poorly written-most of the time, but this is not one of them! Great writing and your characters are written so wonderfully.

The dialogue is on targe and well written and your narrative is smooth.

Looking forward to how Elrond and Legolas will get along! CheerS!
JastaElf chapter 2 . 4/28/2003
Hey Wednesday, it's GOOD to see you back!

I know you'll probably get a certain level of flames from the Thranduil fan club folks, of which I am one... but I do not come to flame. I *know* you won't be writing a good Thranduil any time soon (though I would dearly LOVE to see what you would accomplish with the right plot bunny... (grin) but I love your stuff anyway, because I simply file it into that part of my brain which is marked AU, and deal. Why? Because though your Thranduil is a mean, nasty bugger, he is NOT a cardboard cut-out, and you do not automatically descend to the "Tolkien said he loves wine therefore he's an alcoholic and they abuse their kids" crap that so many others use.

Your Thranduil has dimensions and frustrations and motivations and so on, and he is well-written for a bad guy. Your Mithrandir and your Legolas and yes, even your Elrond, however, SHINE like the light of the Two Trees. They are exquisitely drawn, handled with great respect, and are just fan-frigging-tastic.

Your dialogue sparkles, your descriptive text is exquisite, and you don't overblow the emotions OR the sex. You handle it all with a deft touch, and the end result is positively luminous.

I look VERY much forward to seeing how this story plays out-and as always, I hope for a happy, loving ending between Legolas and Elrond. (grin)

But I also hope someday to see more "Perfect Time" stuff as well...

Thanks for the new romp! More, more, please!
NiennaVala chapter 1 . 4/28/2003
I don't, as a rule, review prologues, but if these notes are any indicator, I'm expecting this to be a great story.
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