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justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
The rating on this one is a little tricky, while I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy the book, I'm glad I now have this classic under my belt, and can start picking up its influence on later work in the genre.
I will confess I did have to occasionally refer to SparkNotes, as the prose can get a little dense. Despite its novella length, it is not a book you can hastily devour, one due to its ornate, antiquated writing style, the other is that it is deliberately slow and convoluted: The Turn of the Screw really digs deep into unraveling the psyche of the governess, at her attempt at trying to cope and resolve the unnatural incidents at Bly.
This is a prime example where the discussion followed is more intriguing than the actual story. Henry James had crafted a perfectly ambiguous tale, where character action and incident can be interpreted on face value, or metaphorically. There are already tons of critics trying to 'solve' the mystery (I particularly enjoy the one from The New Yorker, by Brad Leithauser), but I like to think that both interpretations are equally valid.
At the end, reading The Turn of the Screw reminds me of reading Shakespeare in high school: not necessarily enjoyable during the process, but in retrospect it opened up my horizon and I appreciate the additional perspective I now have regarding my future reading.
The rating on this one is a little tricky, while I didn't wholeheartedly enjoy the book, I'm glad I now have this classic under my belt, and can start picking up its influence on later work in the genre.
I will confess I did have to occasionally refer to SparkNotes, as the prose can get a little dense. Despite its novella length, it is not a book you can hastily devour, one due to its ornate, antiquated writing style, the other is that it is deliberately slow and convoluted: The Turn of the Screw really digs deep into unraveling the psyche of the governess, at her attempt at trying to cope and resolve the unnatural incidents at Bly.
This is a prime example where the discussion followed is more intriguing than the actual story. Henry James had crafted a perfectly ambiguous tale, where character action and incident can be interpreted on face value, or metaphorically. There are already tons of critics trying to 'solve' the mystery (I particularly enjoy the one from The New Yorker, by Brad Leithauser), but I like to think that both interpretations are equally valid.
At the end, reading The Turn of the Screw reminds me of reading Shakespeare in high school: not necessarily enjoyable during the process, but in retrospect it opened up my horizon and I appreciate the additional perspective I now have regarding my future reading.
thewhitewalters's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
christinefolan's review against another edition
1.0
Uuuuuuuuuuugggggggghhhhhh
I love horror. Classic, modern, gothic: I love it all. This novel had been on my Must-Read list for a while, so I was so disappoint when I started in and found it horribly dull and a terrible letdown. The narration was choppy and distracting, the dialogue seemed to keep the story from getting anywhere, and there was nothing even remotely unsettling, let alone scary, in this story. Don’t waste your time.
I love horror. Classic, modern, gothic: I love it all. This novel had been on my Must-Read list for a while, so I was so disappoint when I started in and found it horribly dull and a terrible letdown. The narration was choppy and distracting, the dialogue seemed to keep the story from getting anywhere, and there was nothing even remotely unsettling, let alone scary, in this story. Don’t waste your time.
lauren_b_c's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
shelbymarie516's review against another edition
3.0
An OG ghost story... Kind of gave Orphan vibes, was this part of the inspiration for the movie?
lanalewis0's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars.
damn that was boring. i certainly don’t recommend, and the characters were insufferable.
damn that was boring. i certainly don’t recommend, and the characters were insufferable.
weejman33's review against another edition
3.0
“Book is so much better than the show!” Nah. Certainly had the advantage being being able to introduce some new elements, but even without the additions, the story presented leaves a good bit to be desired. Still a solid, creepy atmosphere though, for sure.
jennaaaaaa's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0