Whowhoo!! Goodness, I forgot how much I love the whole stir of reviews. I've missed you all so much!
Framework4, thank you so much for your consistent (and multiple
) reviews!
Framework4 wrote:
I believe the End can never justify the means because the end is always shaped by the means.
It's certainly been a long-standing debate. I automatically agree with you, but it definitely doesn't have an easy answer in specific cases, does it?
Framework4 wrote:
SmirkyRaven have you ever read James Gunn's The Immortals? The immortal's blood was a cure all for everything.
I think it has been thirty years since I read it but this part brought it back to mind with a bang.
Nope, never read it. Kind of creepy, though. . . seeing as my last name is the same as that author's . . . I wonder if we're related
.
Thanks for your review, Framework! I'm glad you're still with me!
Ann! Darling, it's so good to hear from you after all this time. I've missed you (and your reviews!) so much, and I don't even think I realized it until I sat down and saw this one waiting to be read. It completely made my day!
TOC wrote:
I have only a little time, sorry, so you will have to excuse me that this will be short.
lol. I love your version of "short".
I'm amazed at your ability to write dialogue so that every little word counts, and every little gesture and glance and interspersed thought.
You have no idea how glad I am to hear that. After taking such a long break from writing I'd be lying to say I wasn't very concerned about my style and ability to carry everything I wanted to onto the page. Thank you, Ann!
How long have I been waiting for Clark to tell Lois his secret, Smirky? I bet I started asking you for that around chapter 15 or something, and now we are up to chapter 43. Well, something has certainly happened since I started pestering you, because Lois has figured out Clark's secret on her own, but she hasn't told Clark that she knows, and Clark has not volunteered any information. On the other hand, Lois's way of looking at Clark has changed enormously. She used to be so dismissively contemptuous of him, as if he really didn't matter much at all. But, oh my, how that has changed. This is amazingly beautiful
Thank you! You encouragement has certainly helped a lot; if it hadn't been there then it's very likely even Lois's realization wouldn't have come for a fair few more chapters
. lol.
I had to reread the whole thing I've written in order to prepare myself to write this last chapter, and I have to say that Lois's development is probably one of my favorite parts of how this story is forming out. She's grown up a ton, her vision and perspective has taken a shock and cleared significantly, but she's still stayed strong and grown even stronger. I've always loved Lois, and I'm glad to see you think I've done her some justice.
TOC wrote:
Kal-El's dark farm boy eyes with their ridiculous, and heartbreaking, hopeful crush on her shining out of them... oh, Smirky, you almost make me sniffle.
I love to play around with Lois's (and our) heads by mixing up how we see Clark, Kal-El, and Superman. Honestly, it surprises me how much I still like to separate Clark's personas, and how shocking it is to sometimes mix up the names and the personas themselves. It certainly gives a new perspective to things.
Darn. I've gotta run, so I'm going to have to stop quoting each line of your review (but know I still love it!)
TOC wrote:
I love how confident and confidence-inspiring Clark is here. Like Lois said, there is no sign of the awkward, bumbling reporter now. And I love how Lois does not resent the little girl's confidence in Clark.
Lois has grown up a lot, and Clark is still pushing through despite anything. As much as he doubts himself sometimes, I think all of us (Lois included) have our trust in the right place.
TOC wrote:
It reminds me of something I read somewhere - "dogs and children took to him". That last quote wasn't from a story about Superman, I'm sure, but - well, isn't it a measure of goodness that children and animals trust you, and their trust in you is not misplaced?
Good thought!
I was moved by the story of Julia and her leukemia. I agree with Patrick, of course - Logram was involved in some dangerous research, whose consequences he couldn't foresee (and one of those consequences turned out to be that he himself was murdered and ruthlessly ripped away from his family), but for all of that I feel some sympathy for him. And I feel a lot of sympathy for his wife and children. Bottom line, I can't blame Logram for taking dangerous risks in order to save his daughter.
It's certainly a dilemma. Who knows (at this point
) all of what Logram was going through? While his actions may be inexcusable, at least they are understandable.
One thing I've strived for in writing this story is showing how complicated people are. Lois is not perfect--there are times so far that I think everyone has hated her for how blind, dense and even cruel she could be. Clark has shown true fear and (yes, I can say it) cowardice. Logram seemed like the epitome of typical-evil-scientist dude, and while he certinaly isn't an angel (<snorts>), we can at least sympathize with him. Same with the psychologist, who gave up the information on Lois to save her husband. Ethically right? The obvious answer is no. But I can't condemn her.
But people aren't perfect. What's to say what we would do in their shoes?
Okay, I'm getting off my soapbox for that.
TOC wrote:
Well! Lovely chapter, and it's great to have you back, Smirky!
Thank you so much! And thanks for your amazing review!
Bakasi wrote:
Interesting part, Smirky! So Logram is not entirely bad but had a good reason for his researches. But where does this leave us? And moreover, what will Clark do, knowing that something he can give can heal such a catastrophic disease?
I'm curious how this will go on. It's great to have you back!
Certainly a dilemma. Good thing that while I haven't been writing these last few months, that doesn't mean that I haven't put a whole lot of thought into what's going to happen. Hopefully it will rise to your expectations!
Thanks for your review, bakasi!
Terry Leatherwood wrote:
But that last bit almost did me in. You've presented us with a terrible moral dilemma. My head agrees with Patrick, who basically said that good results can't come from evil deeds. But my heart agrees with Mrs. Logram, who is so very thankful that her little girl is hale and hearty and runs around the yard and climbs trees and gets into all kinds of trouble. I want to say that I would not consider trading someone else's extreme pain for my child's life. I want to say that it isn't worth it to destroy one life to save another. And from a strictly moral viewpoint, it isn't.
So true. An interesting viewpoint in this debate is something Tank pointed out:
Tank wrote:
But, it isn't what everyone else, even Lois, might think about the 'ends vs. the means' on what had been done. It's what Clark is going to think. The knowledge that he has the ability to heal others of catastrophic desease within him will really play havoc with his 'need' to help others. He considers his powers a gift which allows him to help others.
Is this just one more of those gifts? Is his physical comfort and well being worth the lives of those affllicted that he could help?
Hm. Very interesting. Along with our own moral dilemmas, Clark was unable to give an answer to this, even though *he* was on the receiving end of all the pain. Doesn't that just show how selfless he really is?
Terry Leatherwood wrote:
And if you've never lost a child, it's impossible to imagine how it feels. I would wish that pain on no one. But at least you've given us a reason for all the horror, an ethical justification (no matter how slight) for the torture, for the inhuman treatment, for the deliberate injury, for the complete indifference to Kal-El's survival. I think this is the key to the whole story, and if this were the only reason you wrote this, Rachel, it would be worth it.
Well, what you've written along with this last chapter has given *me* a lot to think about, at least. Thanks for sharing, Terry and Tank!
Sheila wrote:
Wow...so Logram did all of that to save his daughter. I have to say that I agree for the most part with everyone else, the moral dilemma that Logram faced. However, I cannot say what I would not do to save my own child's life. I cannot imagine what it feels like to lose a child but I do know what it feels like to be given nothing but hopelessness for your child and I don't wish that on anyone. Fortunately my situation what just a matter of further testing and it all ended up minimal.
I'm only 20. I'm young and naive, and I will not even pretend to have the right answer. I've never had children, so like you I can only imagine how it would be . . . and that's horrible. I can't say what's right or wrong--who knows if anyone rightfully can? I guess as a writer all I can do is pose the questions.
Thanks for your review, Sheila!
LadyMirth wrote:
OMG!!!! You're back!!! NOw this is about the only thing that could've yanked me out of my end-of-Deathly-Hallows funk! Yaaaaay!!
Off to read!
I was enough to do that? Golly!
Great to hear from you all. I've gotta dash!
Rachel
