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3.18 AVERAGE
3.18 AVERAGE
Yeah on second reading it's still a good story but let's face it he could have told the whole thing in about ten pages.
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Greatly enjoyed, though don't see as a must read. I find the concept of innocence becoming sinister interesting.
This book was high on my tbr, and since the first time I attempted to read this I didn't finish it, I was dying to get to read it for real. I love classics, and I love gothic literature, so this was a match made in heaven, and I've also seen the film adaptation before, and I was looking forward to seeing the difference between them. Despite the book's slow pace, I ended up really enjoying this book and I think that it's an interesting concept. I thought that the premise was fascinating, and I really liked how ambiguous the story ended up being. I think it's a shame that this book doesn't quite have the recognition it deserves, because it really is hard to compete with other horror works from this time period, but I think this book is so captivating that I think more readers would really enjoy this book if they tried to read it.
The setting and atmosphere of this book was simply gorgeous, and despite being a "cliche" setting for a horror novel, I ate it all up. The mystery that an old mansion holds is captivating, and I liked how the grounds surrounding the house also had an impact on the plot. James did a really good job describing the the surroundings, and I wish the book could have come with one of those nice maps that show all the nooks and crannies of the house. Although I don't find this story to be particularly scary, I still thought that it held a lot of potential in that department. Everything was there: the majestically sorrowful setting, unnatural ghosts, characters who seem to be haunted, a potentially unreliable narrator, not to mention the ever present question of whether or not what is going on is even real. The battle between the two sides was incredibly fascinating to read, and I really enjoyed the character arc that came out of it.
My biggest issue with the book was that it said way to little with way too many words. Even though the book is only a novella, I still found myself getting bored in some areas of the book because there was just way too much unnecessary sentences thrown in the mix. The book has some incredibly interesting scenes, and the governess grapples with some equally interesting dilemmas, but it was hard to be astounded by the plot when the extra words weighed it down. There were some points while I was reading that I began to fell weighed down and a bit disinterested, and I think it was because of this flaw that I ended up not finishing it my first read through.
I also thought that the governess wasn't nearly as well rounded as I would have liked. As I've mentioned before, she had the potential, but it was not as executed properly. The way James wrote her made her seem entirely dependent around the children in a way that was creepy. Her love and affection for the character didn't come off as genuine and sweet, but rather possessive and oddly sexual. You could argue that her seeing the ghosts may have pushed her to be so protective over the children (which obviously ended well), but at the very least it shouldn't have caused their relationships to seem so weird and icky. Has James never had a genuine relationship with a kid? Obviously not. At least not one that wouldn't raise red flags.
I can see why some people may have not enjoyed the book that much, but I can firmly say that I did enjoy it. There are plenty of critiques I have, some more important than others, but I don't regret picking this book up. I could envision myself in 1898, waiting patiently to read the next section of the story. There are so many overlaying aspects of this story that are so unique and fascinating, and I'm glad that lately it's been getting more of the attention it deserves in film and cinema. Each adaptation I see of this story adds something new to the table and adds a different interpretation of the story while still holding the mystery of this book. Such a fun read, and now I need to get my hands on my own copy of this.
The setting and atmosphere of this book was simply gorgeous, and despite being a "cliche" setting for a horror novel, I ate it all up. The mystery that an old mansion holds is captivating, and I liked how the grounds surrounding the house also had an impact on the plot. James did a really good job describing the the surroundings, and I wish the book could have come with one of those nice maps that show all the nooks and crannies of the house. Although I don't find this story to be particularly scary, I still thought that it held a lot of potential in that department. Everything was there: the majestically sorrowful setting, unnatural ghosts, characters who seem to be haunted, a potentially unreliable narrator, not to mention the ever present question of whether or not what is going on is even real. The battle between the two sides was incredibly fascinating to read, and I really enjoyed the character arc that came out of it.
My biggest issue with the book was that it said way to little with way too many words. Even though the book is only a novella, I still found myself getting bored in some areas of the book because there was just way too much unnecessary sentences thrown in the mix. The book has some incredibly interesting scenes, and the governess grapples with some equally interesting dilemmas, but it was hard to be astounded by the plot when the extra words weighed it down. There were some points while I was reading that I began to fell weighed down and a bit disinterested, and I think it was because of this flaw that I ended up not finishing it my first read through.
I also thought that the governess wasn't nearly as well rounded as I would have liked. As I've mentioned before, she had the potential, but it was not as executed properly. The way James wrote her made her seem entirely dependent around the children in a way that was creepy. Her love and affection for the character didn't come off as genuine and sweet, but rather possessive and oddly sexual. You could argue that her seeing the ghosts may have pushed her to be so protective over the children (which obviously ended well), but at the very least it shouldn't have caused their relationships to seem so weird and icky. Has James never had a genuine relationship with a kid? Obviously not. At least not one that wouldn't raise red flags.
I can see why some people may have not enjoyed the book that much, but I can firmly say that I did enjoy it. There are plenty of critiques I have, some more important than others, but I don't regret picking this book up. I could envision myself in 1898, waiting patiently to read the next section of the story. There are so many overlaying aspects of this story that are so unique and fascinating, and I'm glad that lately it's been getting more of the attention it deserves in film and cinema. Each adaptation I see of this story adds something new to the table and adds a different interpretation of the story while still holding the mystery of this book. Such a fun read, and now I need to get my hands on my own copy of this.
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is so peculiar, but in a bad way. The writing is so confusing to read, which I believe is just a bad stylistic choice as opposed to keeping in theme with language of the time period. The novel had some really solid ideas in terms of the children being possessed by evil spirits, they just were not executed correctly. I do find the subtext that James wove into the story quite interesting however, and that is the only thing that stopped me from giving this book one star.
There is some queer undertones occuring between the governess and Mrs Grose, their feverish and secretive meetings are suggested to have been about more than discussing ghosts. They would lock themselves in the schoolroom "having everything out" which resulted in the "climax to the series of mutual challenges" they had faced together. On another occasion, they talked and Mrs Grose "went all the way" with the governess in which they both describe one another as looking "queer" and strange. The word queer is used several times in this book and is always somehow related to one of these two women.
There is also a suggestion of abuse that Miles had suffered at the hands of Peter Quint, as Mrs Grose describes Quint as "much too free" in reference to his relationships with other members of staff. She further says that "it was Quint's own fancy. To play with him, I mean-to spoil him." I wish this would have been explored further as it would have made what happened to Miles all the more heartbreaking, turning into the man that had hurt him the most.
There is some queer undertones occuring between the governess and Mrs Grose, their feverish and secretive meetings are suggested to have been about more than discussing ghosts. They would lock themselves in the schoolroom "having everything out" which resulted in the "climax to the series of mutual challenges" they had faced together. On another occasion, they talked and Mrs Grose "went all the way" with the governess in which they both describe one another as looking "queer" and strange. The word queer is used several times in this book and is always somehow related to one of these two women.
There is also a suggestion of abuse that Miles had suffered at the hands of Peter Quint, as Mrs Grose describes Quint as "much too free" in reference to his relationships with other members of staff. She further says that "it was Quint's own fancy. To play with him, I mean-to spoil him." I wish this would have been explored further as it would have made what happened to Miles all the more heartbreaking, turning into the man that had hurt him the most.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
mysterious