Customer Reviews

Fortress

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book prior to meeting the author who was promoting her latest book in Perth. The beginning of the story captured my interest and encouraged me to go on. The book was not a long story and I felt that some of the characters were invisible for too long. The suspense and ingenuity of the group was entertaining and the storyline was feasible. I believe that this was her first work and I have since read three others that are more polished in the story and character development. The ending while being possible still seemed a little far fetched. However it did not end as I had expected. I enjoy reading Ms Lord's writing and she can weave a tale to entertain and thrill.

Sally Jones is a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse in Sunny Flat, a small town in New South Wales, Australia. She teaches a class of 12 students, ranging in age from kindergarten to around the 10th grade level. One day in May, her classroom is invaded by four men wearing character masks who kidnap her and her students and intend to hold them for ransom. Their plans are thrown into confusion when Sally and her students take their fate into their own hands.

First published in 1980 and also Gabrielle Lord's first novel, this book reads like a true crime novel. I found myself reading ahead to make sure of what was going to happen next and prevent too much suspense from building up (I can't take it!). I enjoyed this novel a bit, but I don't know if I will be reading more by Ms. Lord as I am not a huge fan of crime novels.

I first heard about this novel after re-watching the fascinating HBO movie that is based upon it. There are scenes from that film that still haunt and inspire me to this day. Sally Jones is a young first-year teacher teaching a classroom of children varying in class from first grade to early high school. On the morning of May 8th she wakes up feeling ill and longing to be away and back in the city with her friends and teaching in a better school. But on that day, something horrible happens. A group of men hidden behind cartoon character and Christmas masks kidnap Sally and all of her students. They intend to hold them for ransom and as they day draws on, some of the men intend to have some pleasure as well. Sealed in cave miles from any signs of civilization, Sally has to gather her strength to comfort the children and somehow lead them to safety.

FORTRESS shares some common themes as William Golding's LORD OF THE FLIES. Each book takes place in the wilderness, involves children, and examines the difference between good and evil. Besides that, the books aren't all that alike. For instance, Sally is an adult and there are no adults in LORD OF THE FILES until the end. Also, Sally is a woman and there are several female students in her class. There are no girls in LORD OF THE FLIES. The novels both reach different conclusions and though there are similar themes, they raise and answer different questions about human nature.

FORTRESS is a fairly fast read. I was able to read it in about two hours at one setting. It flows at a quick pace. Yet, the author doesn't skip on things like details and setting. Some of the students don't seem to be fully developed, but in a class the size of Sally's that is understandable. This is a book that I would highly recommend to middle school and high school students who like adventure-filled suspense stories. The action and short chapters makes it a great text to keep them excited about reading, especially if the book is read aloud to the entire class. Also, if you haven't seen the movie-version of FORTRESS, do so after reading the book. It can increase one's understanding of the story.

My review of this book is that this book is so suspenseful it's not funny. This book is one of those keep you interested, on the edge of your seat, books.
I liked this book because it has unexpecting events that happen in it.
I would recommend this book to people around 10+

This was a highly suspenseful novel - I found myself reading almost breathlessly to find out what was going to happen. The characters were engaging if not fully developed. I found the plot improbable in terms of the motivations of the kidnappers.

As the title of the review suggests, I saw some parallels with William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies in terms of the brutality of the ending and the capacity for cruelty it demonstrated. There was, however, a huge difference in the complexity of the characters and the writing style.