Cronje
Monday 11th October 2010 20:09 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| This story (and this chapter in particular) always make me cry. You have a true gift for infusing your works with emotion. I wouldn't be surprised if you were to make the NY Times best-seller list if you were to write a non-fanfic novel. |
| Monday 11th October 2010 21:10 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
Thank you for that very kind and flattering review.
~Ken |
ionik27
Monday 25th August 2008 12:19 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| lovely story... I cried the whole time while reading it and then, a little bit more... Your style is flawless, as always!! |
| Sunday 7th December 2008 22:27 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you; you're very kind. (Sorry it took me so long to reply; I don't get back to the FF sites as much as I used to...) ~Ken |
gymnastgal19
Monday 7th April 2008 21:13 | Counting to Five Thousand |
huh interesting...
good job writting it!
im not really a fan of these types of fan fics though
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Potterholic87
Monday 3rd December 2007 11:02 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Brilliantly written. I'm not one for crying, but I'm still trying stop!! That was amazingly written and you captured the anguish well. My heart really went out to Ginny! You Can't help but understand how she's feeling. It's a ashame her life led her there, "your Ginny" deserved to be happy! |
gymnastgal19
Sunday 18th November 2007 11:08 | Counting to Five Thousand |
this was kinda odd... I had a hard time following what was going on..
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The_Critic
Monday 29th October 2007 16:36 | Counting to Five Thousand |
I'm not sure if I have already reviewed this (I think I have but, this has to be like, my 3rd or 4th time rereading this so I thought I would let you know) I really love this story, it is like my 3rd Favorite on Pheonix song, anyway I really wish that there were some Magic folk in hiding so that they could come out and make the world perfect.
Bottom line: Its perfect, I love, (Just letting you know!)
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The_Critic
Sunday 9th September 2007 17:00 | Counting to Five Thousand |
wow. That was intense and beatiful
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| Friday 19th October 2007 14:08 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. ~Ken |
writest
Monday 3rd September 2007 02:24 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| amazing work...very moving..it was sad...but beautiful |
| Friday 19th October 2007 14:07 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| You're very kind; thank you. I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. ~Ken |
brigrove
Monday 20th August 2007 15:23 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| A Beautiful story. Thank you |
| Tuesday 21st August 2007 09:32 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you for saying so. ~Ken |
Dad
Wednesday 25th July 2007 09:13 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| What a good, original, well written and moving short story. |
| Wednesday 25th July 2007 09:27 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| You're very kind. Thank you so much. ~Ken |
jan10002
Monday 23rd July 2007 15:39 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| interesting story =] |
| Monday 23rd July 2007 20:13 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you for saying so! |
pyromain
Tuesday 17th July 2007 15:12 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Real emotional at least for me. |
| Wednesday 18th July 2007 15:17 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
Thank you; I'm glad it moved you.
~KLS |
mgmerlin
Thursday 28th June 2007 13:41 | Counting to Five Thousand |
For Mother Ginevra, read Mother Teresa. I am a big, big fan of the simple message here, a message which resonates throughout history: small kindnesses lead to greater good. I'm not overtly religious, but I don't believe a religion exists that doesn't advocate this fundamental message.
Ginny's - sorry, Mother Ginevra's actions were simple ones. Their ultimate good was the removal of the statute of secrecy, which - as I intimated towards in my review for the previous chapter - can be seen as the fundamental stumbling block to the greater good in the HP universe.
I'm not disappointed by this chapter at all. I would have been if Ginny had actively campaigned for the statute of secrecy's removal, standing on the proverbial soapbox and madly declaring the moral high ground. That would have been "Mary-Sue-ish".
Instead you had her stating simply that all she was doing was helping people and then allowing people to make up their own minds, as opposed to having their decisions made for them! This was best summed up here by the leap of faith by the ministry to allow anyone to attend her funeral, statute of secrecy be damned! I can't think of a better way in which I could have done something similar. I've tried in my own scribblings, but I've never got far!
But I'll finish where I started. With Mother Theresa. What a shame her death was overshadowed, unintentionally, by Princess Diana. Nevertheless, it is no surprise she's been fast-tracked to canonization. Would I class Mother Ginevra as a polyanna? Never.
A great fic! |
| Thursday 28th June 2007 20:05 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
Thank you! Yes, I'll admit that I was thinking of Mother Teresa of Calcutta when I started writing Mother Ginevra of Manchester, but all I was originally after was a venue for Ginny's regret. The rest of it sort of happened by itself.
Of course it wasn't just the Ministry making that leap of faith -- it was Ned in particular. He'd had a decade or more to brood about what she'd told him, and he hadn't been easy in his conscience ever since meeting her.
I'll confess that this story formed itself almost without my consent. I started with a very simple idea, posed by ChreeChree (the "Christine" to whom the story is dedicated) a long time ago: Ginny's decision not to follow Harry on the Horcrux Hunt shows strength, not weakness, and the consequences of her doing otherwise could be terrible indeed. That's all I had, at the beginning, and then the notion of imagining a world where she gave in to her desires, suffered the consequences, and then had to lead a life of regret. Then the regret turned to atonement, and the atonement demanded redemption. I'd written most of Chapter Two before I realized who Ned would eventually become; Georges-Jacques came into being merely because I needed someone to recognize young Ginny's face long after her death, and Petra came into being merely because I thought the sculptor should be at the unveiling, and then the two of them provided the promise of birth after death.
The story humbles me, because I feel that there are mysteries in it that I do not understand.
Thanks again.
~Ken |
DSDragon
Friday 15th June 2007 08:09 | Counting to Five Thousand |
I've read all your stories now, and I have to say, I love them all. I wasn't expecting to, when I read the descriptions, but I do.
When I read this story, I didn't think of a cross of Harry and Hermione, so much as a magical descendant of Dudley Dursley who just happened to have black hair. After all, Petunia was described as having a "horsey" face, and to me that sounds like not only a long face, but the potential for an overbite--whether she had one or not.
As I said, I like all your stories. The one about the excavations, especially, makes me wonder what happened, and wish for a prequel. |
| Friday 15th June 2007 19:42 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| I'm flattered that you have read all of my stories, and delighted that you like them. Don' t know that I can manage a prequel for "Report on Excavations," but possibly a sequel. |
afanfictionaddiction
Tuesday 12th June 2007 19:08 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| wow. This is some high hopes! I always like seeing optimism about the future of society. I love your Ginny, so very human and authentic. Even though this is the opposite of what I would wish for Harry and Ginny and all their friends your story's ultimate outcome makes the sacrifices almost seem worth it. This is the only story that has made me think that a seventh book without Ginny on the front lines might be acceptable. I also really appreciated the way you dealt with major emotional points (Harry and Ron facing the storm) (Ginny showing Ned Mason Death) and (Georges-Jaques crying at the unveiling of the two Ginnys), you expertly elicited true raw emotion without drowning us in guilt, despair or melodrama. Very nicely done, I'm now going to go read all your other stories. |
| Tuesday 12th June 2007 21:32 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| You're very kind; thank you. The optimistic future was my "way out" of the hard life I'd given Ginny. I felt that there simply had to be some redemption, some good to come out of all this suffering. |
Roxy
Tuesday 13th March 2007 23:35 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Great story. Made me cry so much! I loved it! |
| Thursday 15th March 2007 11:15 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you! Sorry about the crying. |
GryffindorDragon
Tuesday 13th February 2007 09:57 | Counting to Five Thousand |
Bravo. This is extremely moving.
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| Tuesday 13th February 2007 09:59 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you! That's just what I was trying to accomplish. |
Neli P
Monday 12th February 2007 21:13 | Counting to Five Thousand |
This is so sad : the title, the numbers, the statues, even Georges-Jacques's journey to his ancestors' grave.
Every detail has been drawn, every emotion has been handled with great care in this chapter. You have simply written the perfect epilogue to a wonderful story.
So I, someone who is holding a tear (or two), salute you ! |
| Tuesday 13th February 2007 09:48 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you. I am honored by your praise, and very pleased that you were moved by my story. Indeed I did work very hard on every detail! |
eaglesnest
Saturday 10th February 2007 13:27 | Counting to Five Thousand |
As I read through the chapter ....... slowly beginning to choke up, tear up, the line that got me was:
“And so, with no further introduction, please welcome the Minister of Magic, Edward Mason.” So much came together at that point.
And as he started to speak, I could no longer hear his words. I had to start reading over that part of the chapter several times until I partially regained my composure and read on. Your story takes the prize for one of the most powerful and emotionally draining stories I have ever read. I hope JKR doesn't do that to me!!! LOL!!! |
| Saturday 10th February 2007 19:24 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
Thank you. No fear about JKR doing anything remotely like this; her agenda is very different from mine. I am very gladl that you were moved by Ned's elevation to Minister and the realization of just how much impact Ginevra's conversation with him must have had.
What I was (eventually) trying to do with this story was dwell in the mystery of the consequences of our actions. Harry decides to take Ginny along with him -- and look at the consequences. Then Ginny devotes her life to the poor, and teaches a lesson to a brash young Ned -- and look at the consequences. So much that is unforeseen, so much that is unexpected and unpredictable -- and we stand humbly in the midst of it, hoping that what we do will come out well. |
Lauberry
Thursday 8th February 2007 16:00 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Yes, I'm still speaking to you. So sad... but wonderfully written! |
| Thursday 8th February 2007 19:34 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you! I'm glad you found it moving. |
amamama
Thursday 8th February 2007 02:57 | Counting to Five Thousand |
Wonderful, sad, strong, poignant, full of hope... >sigh< I really am terribly allergic to angsty stories (like Mary), yet I endure because yours are so beautifully made.
Thank you. I rarely feel worn out after reading, but I do now. Quite the emotional wringer, yet lovely so.
Cheers!
Berte |
| Thursday 8th February 2007 11:44 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
Thank you, Berte. I do try to move my reader, and I do try to say important things and give hope too. So the story had just the effect on you that I was hoping it would have. Sorry you're feeling worn out.
~Ken |
Wolf's Scream
Wednesday 7th February 2007 21:31 | Counting to Five Thousand |
Quite moving -- and still well-written. I wouldn't say that any of the chapters needed "redeeming," per se: I'd rather wonder about someone having just read the previous chapter and finding it ... oh, hilarious, for example. :-} And yes, Petra's design (as perceived by Georges-Jaques) was brilliantly conceived and executed.
Remarkably well done; thank you for sharing your talent. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 21:40 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you very much. I'm glad you were moved. By "redeeming," I meant that the sadness and sense of loss in Chapter Two might be redeemed by the ultimate victory of Chapter Three. People tend to finish Chapter Two pretty depressed, but they're not depressed at the end of the Epilogue; they might be crying, but not out of pure sadness. |
Lulabelle
Wednesday 7th February 2007 19:43 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| I admit it. I teared up a little at the end. Great job! I really like your work. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 20:05 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| I'm so glad that the story moved you. Thank you for the kind words. |
astrid1515
Wednesday 7th February 2007 19:26 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Really, really well done. Its written wonderfully and I enjoyed every bit of it! Great stuff. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 20:04 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you for that praise, and thank you for reading. |
jessy
Wednesday 7th February 2007 19:07 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| it was so sad! but nice.....keep it up! |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 20:04 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thanks! I'll try. |
nerd2006
Wednesday 7th February 2007 18:50 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Wow. I really enjoyed this story; I liked how it explored the consequences of a bad decision. Stories where Ginny tags along with the trio usually irk me (though there are a few good ones out there), because JKR obviously wouldn't have had Harry and Ginny break up in HBP otherwise. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 20:04 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| I know what you mean. The story is dedicated to someone who wrote a lovely essay on how Ginny's acceptance of Harry's decision to leave her behind was a mature, strong decision and showed how much she had grown. I began by asking, "What if Christine is right about the decision, but Ginny had actually made the opposite one?" Thanks so much for your praise. |
Chatmandu
Wednesday 7th February 2007 16:25 | Counting to Five Thousand |
Grieving Genevra never got to 5280. She merely touched the entire world.
I think you have written one of those stories that we will all talk about. Very well done!
As I work on my little stories I will come back to this one so I can learn to better make the reader feel one with the story, physically and emotionally. For me, to critique this story makes as much sense as telling a fish how to swim. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 20:01 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| You've made me very happy with that review; thank you. It's especially gratifying that you think I "make the reader feel one with the story, physically and emotionally." That is surely what I try to do, and it's nice to know that for you, anyway, it worked. (But hyperbolic praise aside, good critiquing is a must for me; I do trust my own instincts quite a bit, but there are limits to what I can do without help.) |
CrumpleHornedKiwi
Wednesday 7th February 2007 16:18 | Counting to Five Thousand |
You made me cry - again.
That was heart-breakingly beautiful |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 19:56 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you. I am honored. |
Grandma Kate
Wednesday 7th February 2007 16:01 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Oh, Lovely! You have knit three very different parts into an inspiring story. Thank you. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 19:55 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you too. I'm glad you liked it. ~Ken |
Stephanie
Wednesday 7th February 2007 14:05 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Beautiful. It's been a long time since a story made me cry. It's very moving. So sad. The way you create empathy for the characters in such a short story is incredible. This is instantly one of my favorite stories of all time. Thank you. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 15:27 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
| Thank you for those kind words. I am grateful that you were moved by the story. |
Sunshine_108
Wednesday 7th February 2007 12:03 | Counting to Five Thousand |
| Wow... This story made me cry. I judge the worth of a story by its ability to move our emotions... Congratulations. It was an excellent read. And I hope, the same as Jean-Jacques, that the knowledge and kindness of Ginevra managed to comfort Ginny. |
| Wednesday 7th February 2007 12:20 | Counting to Five Thousand (Author Response) |
I am honored that you were moved by my story; it's what I strive for.
~Ken |
