Reviewer:Altariel Date:12/23/05
22: Lovely, warm chapter. God bless Sister Hedwiga.
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[32] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Altariel Date:12/23/05
23: I very much like how Rhisiart and Oswin saved each other. Looking forward to the final part!
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[33] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Rebecca Date:12/27/05
Wow, I finally got to read the last several chapters. Each story is so well-conceived. I appreciate how you explore the varied relationships between husbands and wives, the small private compromises that don't conform to stereotypical visions of love and romance, but still afford room for contentment and even happiness -- even if it's all going to be cut short. I also really appreciate the careful attention to finely detailed depictions of life in that time and place. I especially liked the bookbinder.
Thank you so much -- and Happy New Year!
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[34] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Nerwen Calaelen Date:01/04/06
Your characters are very vivid and alive. The way you show all the interconected lives is wonderful. The little details of their everyday lives bring up very vivid pictures of these people.
The way you give the fate of every character in the footnotes at the end of the chapters is very good, becuase you have already engaged the reader with the character and so learning of all the deaths is very sad. I love the way that you have made every character different and real feeling, dispite showing them for so little time.
Thought it was very hard to choise, I think my favourates were the rug maker and the last one with the showing of the lord, especially the way in which it shows the contrast between his life and those of the townspeople.
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[35] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Altariel Date:01/04/06
Yes, I can definitely see Sean Connery playing Orchald :-)
I particularly enjoyed Azrubêl and his family - what a clever spin on the theme of Numenorean 'high blood'.
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[36] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Altariel Date:01/04/06
Lovely detail, I'm hungry now. Poor Herumor.
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[37] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Altariel Date:01/04/06
"Íbal... could never forgive Lord Azrubêl for giving him what he considered the most ridiculous name in the whole Gondor." Love it. And I'm glad Herumor picked Erendis.
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[38] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Altariel Date:01/04/06
I loved this gentle, pragmatic proposal, and how Erendis holds her own in the discussion. It is very sad that they don't have the chance to make the match work. (But if I understand the last footnote correctly, Erendis survives? I would like to find out what happens to her afterwards, up to and including the War of the Ring.)
Congratulations on completing a wonderful project, and thank you!
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[39] The Last Yule in Halabor by:Soledad
Reviewer:Imhiriel Date:04/06/06
Lovely detailed vignettes, each one full of life and depth and feeling. I love how different they all are, and how exactly you describe the life and work of those people. I'm impressed by the amount of research you so deftly wove into the story.
It's like a patchwork quilt - every sqare tells its own story, and gives richness to the whole work. Or, in this case, all these families and professions make up the village community.
I admit I became sadder and sadder as the tales went on - just when I got to know those people and began to care for quite a few of them, there were those short sentences telling of death and grief and loss for most of them.
It's frustrating, in a way, and I did wonder from time to time what made you choose such a grim story as the topic for your advents calendar *g*, but on thinking further on it, perhaps it made the reality of those moments you described all the more poignant and meaningful.
And I really appreciated that you didn't pull your punches when it came to showing the bad moments of a life, the evil, petty, uncaring, as well as good moments, generous, affectionate, loving people.
Wonderful.
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