A young, inexperienced governess is charged with the care of Miles and Flora, two small children abandoned by their uncle at his grand country house. She sees the figure of an unknown man on the tower and his face at the window. It is Peter Quint, the master's dissolute valet, and he has come for Miles. But Peter Quint is dead. To all immediate appearances, The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story. But are appearances what they seem? A subtle, self-conscious exploration of the haunted house of Victorian culture, filled with echoes of sexual and social unease, The Turn of the Screw is probably the most famous and eerily equivocal of all ghostly tales.
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"I picked this up anticipating teaching it this fall to my high school students. This is my first time reading a James novel in its entirety, and the spooky mystery that surrounds the plot here had me hooked immediately once the plot began to unfurl. Admittedly, this happens a few chapters into the book, as James uses the nineteenth century conceit of having one character tell the story essentially through hearsay. The unnamed governess at the center the book relates an eerie experience presiding over two young children who appear to be under the influence of two ghostly characters that once worked at the grand estate called Bly where she now resides. The initial appearance of these apparitions is riveting as the reasons for their presence are immediately deemed sinister and dangerous. In the final chapters, the characterization takes some sharp turns, and while the climax in the final line of the story leaves far too much open to interpretation, I am looking forward to discussing with students what exactly the ending means, especially as it pertains to the governess and her experiences at Bly and her reliability as a narrator!" — Mr. (4 out of 5 stars)
"I picked this up anticipating teaching it this fall to my high school students. This is my first time reading a James novel in its entirety, and the spooky mystery that surrounds the plot here had me hooked immediately once the plot began to unfurl. Admittedly, this happens a few chapters into the book, as James uses the nineteenth century conceit of having one character tell the story essentially through hearsay. The unnamed governess at the center the book relates an eerie experience presiding over two young children who appear to be under the influence of two ghostly characters that once worked at the grand estate called Bly where she now resides. The initial appearance of these apparitions is riveting as the reasons for their presence are immediately deemed sinister and dangerous. In the final chapters, the characterization takes some sharp turns, and while the climax in the final line of the story leaves far too much open to interpretation, I am looking forward to discussing with students what exactly the ending means, especially as it pertains to the governess and her experiences at Bly and her reliability as a narrator!"
“More than a horrific ghost story, The Turn of the Screw is an enigmatic and disturbing psychological novel that probes the source of terror in neuroses and moral degradation…The Turn of the Screw will continue to fascinate and to intrigue because James’ ‘cold artistic calculation’ has so filled it with suggestiveness and intentional ambiguity that it may be read at different levels and with new revelations at each successive reading.”
Flosnik assumes the upper- and lower-class accents of nineteenth-century England, delivering the different voices with the rendition of a theatrical performance.
" This is the first Henry James I have read, and I have to admit that I didn't take to this book in the least. The language is turgid, even by 19th century standards, and the sentences convoluted. The story itself was weak - interminably drawn out histrionics, only for the tale to end abruptly and unsatisfactorily. None of the characters were sympathetic, and I found the protagonist/narrator intensely annoying. Tedious. "
" I found my mind kept wandering when I read this. At times I couldn't understand what was being said because there were so many extra words added into it for no apparent reason. I didn't find it especially scary. I did like it enough to try and read more Henry James thoughs. But if he is as wordy with all his other book, I probably won't get very far. "
" First book on pedophilia I've read. Pretty good. Pretty erotic. "
" Two classic movies have been made about this book. I prefer the version called "The Innocents" with Deborah Kerr. Be warned, its spooky. Scary spooky. "
" Of it's own accord, I wold have loved this book better had I not gone into it with so many expectations. There is a lot of hype about it, and since its named as one of the best ghost stories ever told, I was very upbeat about it, and was indeed captured in the beginning. But soon the aura and excellence of the story was lost in the text, as I found it particularly hard to dig through. "
" I liked it. I'd have liked it more without James' characteristic run-on sentence, stream-of-consciouness narration, but I love (and hate!) an intentionally confusing plot. As far as ghost stories go, I wouldn't rate this as particularly spooky, but it is a good, classic ghost story. "
" great audio book version with that woman with the amazing voice. "
" I'm not a fan of this type of ghost story. I get that it's mysterious, and there's that whole "Did she see a ghost? Is she delusional?" vibe, but I was so confused I didn't even know what was going on until the last page. "
" Was she nuts? Or were there really ghosts? Did she kill the kid in the end? Sooo confused. "
" creepy creepy creepy but magnificent. complex characters and complex plotline but the overall effect is not confused or muddled at all. just tingly! not one for people who love mess or gore, though i still wouldn't recommend reading it alone... "
" This was more of ghost story than a mystery. It is scary, but it just didn't suit my mood for a pre-Christmas mystery. James's style distracted from the story at times. "
" I'm working my way through the classics and found this book one of the best. It really plays with one's mind as we never know the truth of the events as they occur. James is a great writer; if only I could write as well! "
" I read this every October! The story is strong, if wordy. Strangely, I've never been a fan of the style choices James uses - too many thoughts in one sentence - but I love the book! "
" A little bit too much for my tiny brain... didn't evoke the same feelings as The Woman in Black, and left me frustrated, although I'm pretty sure that was the author's intent. "
" This was an ebook (possibly pirated). "
" My bookclub choice this month "
" creepy and short, just how I like my ghost stories! "
" A good ghost story with a not entirely unexpected ending, albeit unfulfilling. Although had it been done any other way, there wouldn't be as much to ponder. This would be a great book club discussion. "
" I feel like there was a lot of juicy subtext going on that I didn't pick up because the actual wording of the story was ridiculously verbose and convoluted. I might re-read this in the future just to try to get the full experience. "
" Not a big fan of this honestly. After it was referenced in Lost I sought it out but really this is something that is perhaps too verbose for my modern palate to be holding me in suspense. "
" For such a short novella, this felt awfully long. "
" I like a creepy story. This had all the right elements, but the suspense was a little too drawn out, and the payout not quite what I hoped. "
" Loved the gothic feel and the idea of the story, but found it hard to get into the old-fashioned writing style. "
" The Turn of the Screw is just classic. So psychological. Such an enigmatic ending. Must reading I think. "
" She is the crazy one and suffocated Miles. Henry James uses too many words and commas in a sentence. "
" While it had its moments, overall this book was a bore. Towards the end, it showed lots of promise and I was ready to give it 3 stars, but the ending totally blew it. Perhaps its unfair to judge classics by today's standards, but I just wasn't impressed by the writing. "
" Interesting. Not an easy read. I am torn between 3 stars and 4. I was not a huge fan until our book club discussion, which included lots of debating and speculation. "
" I love this book. Yes, the sentences can be long. Yes, James' vocabulary can be challenging. But the prose flows beautifully, and slipping into the mind of the Governess is a fascinating, and sometimes frightening, experience. Not a light read, but one well worth it. "
" No es que el libro sea malo, lo que pasa es que yo no soy un lector adecuado para ese tipo de prosas tan, pero tan pausadas. "
" I was really looking forward to reading this book. I was left a little disappointed. It didn't give me the impression of a ghost story and the ending was very strange. "
" I really love this kind of stories, and I was looking forward to re-read it in its original language. Obviously I like it better than the italian translation. I think it's a must-read novel for everyone, even if you're not into fantastic or gothic tales "
" Difficult read but well worth it. "
" It wasn't scary. It was too vague for it to be scary. It left more questions and at times confused me. That doesn't equal scary for me. "
" A very long drawn out and boring story. I definitely missed why it is a classic. "
" Weird book. It stays in your thoughts kind of like 6 Sense. "
" Really good from what I remember... "
" It's a psychological thriller from the turn of the century. It wasn't my favorite. Not enough actually happened for me. The descriptions are somewhat intriguing but I was disappointed by the ending. "
" If you liked Charlotte Perkins Gilmans' "The Yellow Wallpaper," you'll like this. I sure did! "
" A pretty good story--and really creepy at times. A classic creepy/haunted kid tale that must've inspired the current genre. "
" Pretty good. Read fall of 2005. "
" I had to read this for school. It's the perfect book to apply all these literary theories too, but it left me really confused. It could be that I sped read it to finish it in less than a week. "
" I'm not really sure what actually happened at the end of all that...I think I missed something "
" I honestly didn't enjoy this book. I found it really hard to follow what was going on, it wasn't scary at all, which I think was because I was spending more time trying to figure out what was going on than actually getting into the book. Meh. "
" Perfect reading for Halloween as ghosts have their season and things go bump in the night. "
" An okay ghost story, though I can't relate to the black and white good vs. evil worldview presented here. I also found it very annoying! That the characters were so excitable and emotional! With so many exclamation points! "
" The writing is ornate and poetic, but not so much so that it makes the text too difficult to understand, only just enough that it gives it a dreamlike quality. So far, I am loving this book! "
" Not quite high-octane-nightmare fuel - perhaps "slow-burning-coal-fire-nightmare-fuel." I think I'll come down on the "insane governness" side of the criticism divide - but sleep with the lights on nonetheless. "
" Great classic mystery. Suitable for high school students. Throughout the book the author makes the reader wonder what is really going on. "
" The very wordy, 19th century language makes this read a little difficult. But its a great psychological thriller or ghost story depending on how you see it. Not long. "
" La mayoría de la historia va así, la institutriz sabía que los niños sabían que ella sabía lo que ellos sabían, pero todos pretendían no saber nada. "
" Lo leí para la escuela. No me pareció mal. "
" An exercise in, if I may use such a phrase, and, indeed, I must, since, having exhausted my mind in the search for an alternative description, and having arrived at no other more apt term, the usage of commas. "
" Much better than I had anticipated, especially the ending! "
" This book scared me to death. Made the mistake of reading it at night, on my own on Halloween. Slept with the light on for a week after that. "
" Thought I had better read this after finishing "Florence and Giles" "
" Very interesting story. This is another story in which the reader is allowed to conjecture as to what really happened. The story is vague enough to allow the reader to come up with many conclusions, creating another "turn of the screw". "
" If you love mystery and slightly chilling fiction - this is it. One of those books that I couldn't put down, but had me hiding underneath the covers! "
" This classic ghost story is a delight to read. Without “special effects” and unbelievable telling James has written an intriguing horrific plot that sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the last sentence. And what a last sentence it is: total shock! "
" One of my favorite ghost stories (or are they really 'ghosts'?) The whole novella is filled with psychological ambiguity - are the angelic children really evil or is the caring governess insane? "
" This was so dumb. I'm glad I wasn't around during this time period because ghost stories were too boring and wordy. By the time it got to the climax I was totally over it. Just lame and confusing. I'm gonna go eat some cheesecake now and forget what this was about. "
" This novella is very good and very creepy, and it only gets more so the more times you read it. The creepiest part comes when you ask yourself whom you can trust... "
" James has a somewhat convoluted way with a sentence, but once I got with the rhythm, it was enjoyable. I've seen just about every big and little screen adaptation of the story, so it was about time I read the book. "
" Strange book - sudden and suspensful ending. I liked it. "
" I'm not sure I understand the ending... All of that for him just to die???? "
" A very interesting read. The ending seemed rather sudden and unexpected. I enjoyed the blurring between reality and imagination--that it was never certain whether ghosts were really appearing or not. "
Henry James (1843–1916), American novelist, short-story writer, and man of letters, was born in Washington Place, New York, to a family of distinguished philosophers and theologians. He attended schools in New York, Boston, and throughout Europe, where he later settled. A major figure in the history of the novel, he is celebrated as a master craftsman who brought his great art and impeccable technique to bear in the development of abiding moral themes.
Anne Flosnik, a seasoned audiobook narrator, has over four hundred titles to her credit and several awards and distinctions, including AudioFile Earphones Awards, a USA Today Recommended Listening selection, an AudioFile “Best Narration of the Year” selection in 2009, and the American Library Association’s Special Services to Children Award. She has also been a finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She is an award-winning British actress with lead credits on stage, on television, and in commercials and voice-overs.
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