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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
I've been in the mood for classic horror lately and this was exactly what I wanted. The Turn of the Screw reads, at first, like a very straightforward ghost story--an idyllic country house, a new governess, two charming children, and all of it spoiled by a looming evil. It's not scary, but it is wonderfully ominous.
And then it ends.
In my opinion, it ends perfectly. It leaves you to question exactly what just happened and what you feel about it. It's a story with multiple interpretations, and all of them are correct. It's fantastic.
Also, I want Emma Thompson to narrate every classic audiobook forever. I liked the book, and I LOVED her performance of it
And then it ends.
In my opinion, it ends perfectly. It leaves you to question exactly what just happened and what you feel about it. It's a story with multiple interpretations, and all of them are correct. It's fantastic.
Also, I want Emma Thompson to narrate every classic audiobook forever. I liked the book, and I LOVED her performance of it
One of the most confounding stories I’ve ever read. Was she or was she not mad? At times the children seem a tad bit “off,” having a bit of fun at the governess’s expense, but at other times I really did feel the presence of two others in the narrative.
Gorgeous writing. Two inch sentences are not usually so intriguing. Plan on reading more Henry James. So creepy.
Gorgeous writing. Two inch sentences are not usually so intriguing. Plan on reading more Henry James. So creepy.
I didn't love this as much as some classics I've read. It was a bit slow, I didn't love the dialogue, and I hated the ending. However, the descriptions and writing in general were beautifully rendered.
if I hadn’t seen bly manor I wouldn’t have a CLUE what was going on. honestly pretty amazing how complex the show is compared to the book. it was cool to see the origins of one of my favorite shows but I would never recommend or reread it… that being said I didn’t hate it.
I'm glad I read enough of this to get the feel for it and to listen to the podcast episode of The Librarian Is In about it - but I couldn't get fully engaged in the meandering sentences. I enjoyed the discussion around the story more than the story itself.
I love this book… love it! The style of writing is just beautiful. One of the most romantically written books I’ve ever read. And for such an old story, the ending…? Wow… I just came here to write this review, now I’m going to read this one again.
Much creepier than I’d anticipated. I admit to being one of the jerks who watched The Haunting of Bly Manor before remembering, “Oh yeah… The Turn of the Screw…” (Sorry, Henry James.) The show, by the way, takes such grotesque liberties with this defenseless little novella that it ought to be tried in Literary Court. I will say that even though I think Netflix’s take on this book is heinous, I did find repeatedly myself wanting to “see” the story, or a faithful adaptation of it. It’s such a creepy ghost story that I can imagine a film version being terrifying!
This is a dense, purposefully muddled read, the paranoid energy of which is intended to increase the stress and confusion of the reader — i.e. “turning the screws.” Hard to slog through until you get the rhythm of the diction, and probably something I should’ve read more slowly and carefully. My one mild complaint about late Victorian/Gothic literature is that they all have so much scaffolding involved. The POV is from someone at a party listening to a story being told by someone who’s reading the narrative account, which ends up being the novella itself. Just start the story, folks.
Good read all around. I wish I’d studied this one in school so I could talk to someone about it and write essays on diction and whatever else. One thing I’d definitely be writing an essay on: the running subtext of sexualizing children? Uncomfy, but definitely present.
This is a dense, purposefully muddled read, the paranoid energy of which is intended to increase the stress and confusion of the reader — i.e. “turning the screws.” Hard to slog through until you get the rhythm of the diction, and probably something I should’ve read more slowly and carefully. My one mild complaint about late Victorian/Gothic literature is that they all have so much scaffolding involved. The POV is from someone at a party listening to a story being told by someone who’s reading the narrative account, which ends up being the novella itself. Just start the story, folks.
Good read all around. I wish I’d studied this one in school so I could talk to someone about it and write essays on diction and whatever else. One thing I’d definitely be writing an essay on: the running subtext of sexualizing children? Uncomfy, but definitely present.
This one is definitely a classic of the horror genre. It is actually a rather short story, but the atmosphere Henry James creates has something rather eerie and tense in it.
I am sure this is not a story everybody can enjoy, but it is definitely one that leaves every reader with an opinion. And you can read it in different ways, so in a way it is a rather open story. It was a quick but scary read for me, and definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars.
I am sure this is not a story everybody can enjoy, but it is definitely one that leaves every reader with an opinion. And you can read it in different ways, so in a way it is a rather open story. It was a quick but scary read for me, and definitely worth 5 out of 5 stars.
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes