The Fortress

The Herries Chronicles #3

by Hugh Walpole

It had been the wish of her whole life to flee from all the Herries, but Walter Herries had challenged her, and she had taken up the challenge'. Judith Paris, now middle aged returns to the Lakes to deal with the bitter feud between the two branches of the family. A feud culminating in the construction by one branch of a huge house known as The Fortress, which will dominate the land of the others. But within this conflict the children of the two families have important roles to play.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, British Literature

496 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

About the author

Sir Hugh Seymour Walpole was an English novelist. A prolific writer, he published thirty-six novels, five volumes of short stories, two plays and three volumes of memoirs. His skill at scene-setting, his vivid plots, his high profile as a lecturer and his driving ambition brought him a large readership in the United Kingdom and North America. A best-selling author in the 1920s and 1930s, his works have been neglected since his death.

Reviews

[Bettie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My cover

Description: It had been the wish of her whole life to flee from all the Herries, but Walter Herries had challenged her, and she had taken up the challenge'. Judith Paris, now middle aged returns to the Lakes to deal with the bitter feud between the two branches of the family. A feud culminating in the construction by one branch of a huge house known as The Fortress, which will dominate the land of the others. But within this conflict the children of the two families have important roles to play.

Keswick from Latrigg

Opening: 'ALL IS WELL,' Judith said quietly, coming forward and stroking the red apples of the sofa. 'I shall not leave you, Jennifer. It is better I remain.'

He wanted the place to look like a castle. It was to have battlements and towers, towers from whose summit a flag could fly. That was the moment of Romanticism, of the Waveley novels, of Weltschmerz, of Pelham and (a little late) Chile Harold and Werther. There was no Weltschmerz in Walter but he would have his battlements and a flag flying.'

For those who know well, Sundays are scrambled eggs and great debates, so the Sunday where this was on 'currently reading' it was realised that a great many strands were knitting together, in the words of Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now there is a problem with where a house is situated in relation to others:

* This book with the fortress being purposefully built on a hill to intimidate those in a house lower down - altitude used as weapon
* the main man having a problem at work with a home-owner railing against a building ticket for a piece of land further up the hill - getting too used to seclusion in these crowded world days
* the neighbour habouring vitriol because a house is higher than his - altitude as reason for paranoia even though both neighbours bought into, didn't build, the existing properties

hmm, not hard to see that there is something to be said, both primordially and psychologically about those who occupy the highground.

Yet 'La, La La' - there is way more to this fabulous all sweeping family saga than the title of this third novel will suggest, most of all it is about life in the Lake District and the achingly beautiful landscape and the love and resilience of those who really care.



Hugh Walpole’s gravestone in the churchyard of St John’s Church Keswick

AT THE END- for the moment, I am not sure if I shall ever continue with this series - it has wrung me out, and also, the conclusion of this third book seems like a natural finish and to venture forward may seem forced and reduce the quality.

5* Rogue Herries
5* Judith Paris
4.5* The Fortress

[Wanda]

24 JAN 2016 - a recommendation through Bettie. Miss Bettie, you cause my TBR to grow in a good way! Thank you.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

It had been the wish of her whole life to flee from all the Herries, but Walter Herries had challenged her, and she had taken up the challenge'. Judith Paris, now middle aged returns to the Lakes to deal with the bitter feud between the two branches of the family. A feud culminating in the construction by one branch of a huge house known as The Fortress, which will dominate the land of the others. But within this conflict the children of the two families have important roles to play.

Free download available at Faded Page.

Free download available at Project Gutenberg Australia.

Herries Chronicles series:
5* Rogue Herries
5* Judith Paris
5* The Fortress
TR Vanessa
TR The Bright Pavilions
TR Katherine Christian

Rising City series:
TR The Duchess of Wrexe
TR The Green Mirror
TR The Captives

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been working my way through this series of book The Rogue Herries Chronicles and am enjoying it so much. I look forward every day for my next update on the Herries family! The wealth of rich descriptive writing is wonderful, I feel I know this eccentric Cumbrian family and the surrounding countryside that they live in, very well indeed.
Judith is the Matriarch of the family, she is as free spirited as her "Rogue" father and gipsy mother, she has a temper you wouldn't want to mess with, but she has a heart of solid gold.
The Fortress is the story of the house built by Walter Herries (one half of the Herries family) who is a bitter enemy of Judith and her beloved uncle Francis and his family. She will fight tooth and nail to ensure they are left in peace. She is fast approaching her 100th birthday but still she fights on!
I love it love it, love it, maybe Hugh Walpole could be considered a little fusty by some of our modern day writters, but by gum, he can write a good story!

[Keir · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of the Herries dynasty continues...a family split into two factions: the dreamers, who care nothing for status or money, and the rest obsessed with those very things. Walpole's characters and Lake District setting are vivid and engrossing. He is a master storyteller with a wonderful eye for detail. His prose, once he gets started on the Lake District itself, can get a little carried away, but it's easy to forgive that when the story and characters are so good. I can picture so many scenes so clearly it's like I've watched a movie.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book - love the entire series!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy these books. Have ordered no 4 now. Vanessa.

[Lee Scoresby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fine story continues.