Minx's "Redeeming Time"

[thrihyrne]

There are only three fanfiction stories that have moved me so profoundly that at the end I have found myself crying. Not merely teary, which has happened on occasion, but truly overwhelmed by the beauty of the wordcraft and the conclusions which made me feel as though I had been holding back from something, clenching some sentiment that I was afraid to let go, only to have it carefully and lovingly released. Tolkien created a word to describe this, he calls it eucatastrophe, a "sudden joyous 'turn' (for there is no true end to any fairy-tale)," an unexpected and magical event that could only happen through the enchantment of an otherworld.

This morning I was bathed in eucatastrophe, surprised by joy and utterly overwhelmed after finishing miraminx’s lyric Harry Potter-based work, Redeeming Time. To try and recapture the essence of what it is like to be at the end of one’s teenage years, on the cusp of so many changes, and yet not be heavy-handed about it through the voices of the characters is rare gift indeed. Minx has done just that. The eddies and flows of conversations between the young men is thoroughly in character, with all of the awkwardness and complexity that comes with long-term friendships, especially after there has been a rift which takes time and understanding to mend. As with all of her stories, you are immediately drenched in the glittering qualities that make the wizarding world different from our own, while still including the darker aspects which are also always present, skulking just out of sight but rarely out of mind.

I just can’t write anything else about this story without crying again. Please go read it, and thank her. Yes, lots of other people have read it and told her how wonderful it is. That’s okay. Add your name to the list.

Oh, and for those of you who are curious about the other two stories, they are edrys’s "Every Good and Perfect Gift" and altariel1’s "A Game of Chess." They’re both archived at Henneth-Annun, which is down this weekend for a major overhaul, but they’re at my website on the fanfic recommendations page. No surprise, but I recommend those as well for those of you who are in the Tolkien fandom. Or even if you aren’t.

Comments

[miraminx.livejournal.com]

Oh, Thevina! Thank you so much for this. I'm overwhelmed. I am so happy that you thought my story was a realistic portrayal of the characters and their world. "Eucatastrophe": that's an amazing compliment. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

*smiles warmly*

Thank you.

[edrys.livejournal.com]

They’re both archived at Henneth-Annun, which is down this weekend for a major overhaul, but they’re at my website on the fanfic recommendations page.

I'm delighted to be placed in such exalted company as Altariel's :-) I still feel my writing of that story could be better, but the heart and soul of it are very much as I would wish. And above all else, I am so pleased that it spoke to you as it did.

Oh, just a little SSP - the niHASA (that's the new and improved HASA) has gone live. Go have a look. Lots of new toys to play with. ;-)

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

And above all else, I am so pleased that it spoke to you as it did.

When I get to the end and he has mapped out the heavens and named the star... I break down every time. Especially now, after I wrote "Celestial Quartet" which features Tar-Meneldur Elentirmo in the first chapter.
*gush*

I went to HASA- WOW!! I was so afraid I'd have to relearn how to navigate it, but it all makes perfect sense. I added my two cents of pluggage of thanks, and also suggested that people add to the resources section. ;)

[altariel.livejournal.com]

Gosh, Thevina, thank you!

[thrihyrne.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. It is "A Game of Chess" which inspired "A House Divided," which I do feel is the best written story I've penned. I can only thank you for such sparse, yet so understatedly expressive writing. My story is ultimately more realistic, but it suits the characters, I feel.

If only I knew Blake's 7 better, I would be positively inhaling your stories in that fandom!

[altariel.livejournal.com]

B7 is one of those ancient TV shows that is possibly a bit of an acquired taste! I watched it young and it pinched my imagination *g*