Unfinished Tales - Part Three - I - The Disaster of the Gladden Fields

[Saurondil]

Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

Welcome to the Downs, Saurondil!

I certainly agree with you and the others that this story gives Isildur more depth as a character, something I was glad about when I first finished reading it. He now realises that he was wrong to keep the Ring, and believes that one of the keepers of the Three Rings would be a better guardian of it.

I particularly liked the depiction of Elendur, Isildur's eldest son, and the fact that Aragorn II was held by those who knew the former to greatly resemble him.

The depiction of Meneldil was particularly interesting; because his character, combined with the death of Isildur and his three eldest sons, explains the beginning of the division between Gondor and Arnor. While Meneldil might have accepted his uncle as overlord, he was unlikely to have so accepted his cousin Valandil, a minor, younger than him, and born in Middle-earth; so he would have behaved as an independent ruler. As Arnor declined and Gondor increased in power and influence, Meneldil's descendants and successors would have continued this policy.

## TY for the welcome

I thought it was a shame that one of Isildur's three elder sons could not have been spared - as (say) the third man to escape the slaughter with Ohtar & Estelmo. Tolkien can be quite pitiless in killing off his characters. (I also wanted to Hurin to escape, after all Morgoth put him through - but no...) That point about Meneldil is good - I never thought of the separation coming about like that.