A review by bookedbymadeline
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

It could be confusing and slow at times, pacing was a bit disjointed with how some of the descriptions were written. I ended up lost in the prose and having to reread passages.

I liked that the narrator is unreliable. The book takes an Interesting look at the corruption and death of innocence paired with attempts at heroism going wrong. I
also enjoyed the subtlety of the horror, it’s creepy and unnerving as you try to figure out what’s real and try to find answers to the character’s secrets.

The ending was a little open ended, leaving it to the reader to decide what happens in some aspects. It was satisfying but also somehow underwhelming.

Overall a perfect creepy, gothic horror story! But one I probably shouldn’t have read before bed 😂

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