53rd out of 811 books
—
2,391 voters
The Turn of the Screw
by
Henry James
"The Turn of the Screw" is an intense psychological tale of terror. It begins in an old house on Christmas Eve. It is the story of a Governess who comes to live with and take care of two young children. The Governess loves her new position in charge of the young children, however she is soon disturbed when she begins to see ghosts.
Paperback, 128 pages
Published
October 30th 1994
by Penguin Books
(first published 1898)
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Now you see me,

...now you don’t..
What the.... there it goes again..
Meaning, understanding, recognition: they all become slippery eels in this ambiguous game of hide-and-seek that Henry James plays with us. Am I losing my mind, or is what I am seeing real? And... what is it that I am seeing?


This is one of those "what the heck??" novels that you often find in the modernist genre. Not originally classed as a modernist novel, by now it is viewed as one by many modern critics because of the ambi...more

...now you don’t..
What the.... there it goes again..
Meaning, understanding, recognition: they all become slippery eels in this ambiguous game of hide-and-seek that Henry James plays with us. Am I losing my mind, or is what I am seeing real? And... what is it that I am seeing?


This is one of those "what the heck??" novels that you often find in the modernist genre. Not originally classed as a modernist novel, by now it is viewed as one by many modern critics because of the ambi...more
Dec 08, 2010
Mariel
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
I died so I could haunt you
Recommended to Mariel by:
opinions versus the sun
The Turn of the Screw takes place in multiple rooms in my brain. It hasn't taken up shop in my heart. It's a cold feeling, so the echo is made against stone walls that don't touch the rest of me. It's rare for a Henry James story to go there. If it does, it's in a "I hope that never happens to me" mental knee jerk way. I can't sort out how I feel about it because I'm caught up in the primordial longings. How the hell did they get there? I'm one to half convince myself it never happened, open you...more
In both literature and film I've always avoided horror stories, ghost stories and other narratives in which the supernatural features prominently. Call me a wuss, but that's the way it is for me. This may be the reason I've not read this novella before. The other reason may be that my only two prior experiences of reading Henry James are mixed. I liked The Portrait of a Lady (read circa 1976) and I remember nothing about The Golden Bowl (read circa 1978) other than that my university lecturer sa...more
Turn of the Screw is a pretty cool story. It's about a governess who either heroically attempts to protect her two charges from malevolent ghosts or goes dangerously bonkers. James leaves it ambiguous and I love that kind of story. Ambiguity works for me. Four stars for the plot. Kindof an abrupt ending though.
On the other hand there's his writing style. I was at this party once and the topic was what would you do if the world was ending and the answer was generally that we would have all the se...more
On the other hand there's his writing style. I was at this party once and the topic was what would you do if the world was ending and the answer was generally that we would have all the se...more
May 13, 2010
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
committed fans of gothic/classic horror, fans of Henry James
Reading this story was a lot like standing in line opening weekend for a blockbuster you waited a year to see, and being underwhelmed. I was disappointed. I've heard about this story as being one of the best ghost stories ever written. I was so excited to read it. So excited was I, I had to download it to my Kindle to read right away, even though I have this story in one of my paperback collections. I love psychological horror, but I don't think a good psychological horror novel should leave the...more
Dialoghi terrificanti.
La governante e' stupida, ingenua o incredibilmente scaltra? L'istitutrice Ha turbe mentali, delirio di persecuzione, o vede veramente i fantasmi? E i fantasmi, esistono veramente?
E se si perche' son cosi' a modo? Mai che deambulino incatenati, gonfino tende, emettano suoni gutturali e spaventosi.
Infine i bambini, perche' quell'eloquio incredibilmente inappropriato al loro status di infanti? Sono beffardi e maligni, o vittime della follia dell'istitutrice? A queste ed a...more
La governante e' stupida, ingenua o incredibilmente scaltra? L'istitutrice Ha turbe mentali, delirio di persecuzione, o vede veramente i fantasmi? E i fantasmi, esistono veramente?
E se si perche' son cosi' a modo? Mai che deambulino incatenati, gonfino tende, emettano suoni gutturali e spaventosi.
Infine i bambini, perche' quell'eloquio incredibilmente inappropriato al loro status di infanti? Sono beffardi e maligni, o vittime della follia dell'istitutrice? A queste ed a...more
Nov 07, 2007
Kelly
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
brit lit fans, people who like psychological readings of texts
Creepy. Twisty-turny. Ghosts. Weird kids. Unreliable, possibly insane narrator. Henry James, is there no genre that you will not poke your head into?
No, really. It's interesting though. On the surface, this story is perfect to curl up by the fire with on a cold winter's night. Which is exactly how the book is framed, by the way. As a story told in front of a fireside on a cold winter's night. It's short, it reads quickly, and is open to pretty much whatever you want to make of it. James lets yo...more
No, really. It's interesting though. On the surface, this story is perfect to curl up by the fire with on a cold winter's night. Which is exactly how the book is framed, by the way. As a story told in front of a fireside on a cold winter's night. It's short, it reads quickly, and is open to pretty much whatever you want to make of it. James lets yo...more
I'm quite upset! Henry James scared the bejeezus out of me and I demand he put it back! I loved my bejeezus...
The Turn of the Screw is old school horror. More eerie and creepy rather than horrid and ghastly, but effective in its ability to scare with atmosphere and suggestion. What better setting to do so than the cold, damp and lonesome English countryside?
The Turn of the Screw is old school horror. More eerie and creepy rather than horrid and ghastly, but effective in its ability to scare with atmosphere and suggestion. What better setting to do so than the cold, damp and lonesome English countryside?
Jan 26, 2012
Chiara Pagliochini
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classici-inglesi
“Oh, sì, possiamo star qui sedute a guardarli, e loro possono darcela a bere sin che vogliono; ma persino quando fingono d’esser perduti nelle loro fiabe, sono sprofondati nella visione dei morti che ritornano.”
Ho letto questo romanzo per la prima volta tre o quattro anni fa e ora, con un esame di letteratura inglese alle porte (toc toc!), ho considerato opportuna una rilettura. Ed è straordinario che mi sorprenda e mi confonda ora come allora.
Cito dal retro-copertina,“un testo fondamentale del...more
Ho letto questo romanzo per la prima volta tre o quattro anni fa e ora, con un esame di letteratura inglese alle porte (toc toc!), ho considerato opportuna una rilettura. Ed è straordinario che mi sorprenda e mi confonda ora come allora.
Cito dal retro-copertina,“un testo fondamentale del...more
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Henry James is tough and I find his text to be pretty convoluted. I have this "joke": the average letter count/word in this book is about 9. Of course, it's not, but I vaguely remember the need to read this book with a dictionary. That probably only makes me less educated.
It's also old, so the ghost story is not at all thrilling or causing a "page-turner" status. The same thing happens over and over again and it's "scary", all to arrive at an ambiguous climax that is interesting, but not really...more
It's also old, so the ghost story is not at all thrilling or causing a "page-turner" status. The same thing happens over and over again and it's "scary", all to arrive at an ambiguous climax that is interesting, but not really...more
Dec 31, 2012
Mosca
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who dares
****************************
Wow.
Count me among the impressed. This is an extraordinary work.
But first a short introduction, I’ve read for my entire six decades of life. I’m college educated; but I have no Literary education past high school, nor have I any real background concerning Henry James other than a failed high school book report on Daisy Miller. I’ve read a very brief review on the internet by an admired friend who gave away little, but expressed an enormous respect for this work. Howev...more
Wow.
Count me among the impressed. This is an extraordinary work.
But first a short introduction, I’ve read for my entire six decades of life. I’m college educated; but I have no Literary education past high school, nor have I any real background concerning Henry James other than a failed high school book report on Daisy Miller. I’ve read a very brief review on the internet by an admired friend who gave away little, but expressed an enormous respect for this work. Howev...more
The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story novella by Henry James. The narrator, an unnamed young woman, accepts a job looking after two orphaned children Miles and Flora at Bly House - a country pile, mainly because she takes a fancy to their uncle (who is also their guardian). His only stipulation is that she never contact him regarding the children, just go and look after them and let him get on with his life in London. The governess arrives at the country house and befriends the housekeeper Mrs...more
The story begins sat around the fire on a winter’s night, telling each other ghostly tales. One gentleman Douglas, along with much ado, recounts the story of a governess he once knew. Upon taking up her first residence, strange things begin to happen at Bly and this is the eerie account of what she experienced.
All horror stories are a little silly in their own way but 19th Century literature seems to capture the quintessential ghost story so well. The Turn of the Screw is no different. It is h...more
All horror stories are a little silly in their own way but 19th Century literature seems to capture the quintessential ghost story so well. The Turn of the Screw is no different. It is h...more
“That’s why you develop a brain, so you can think about more than one thing at a time.” Bill Clinton.
Surely as a Rhodes scholar, President Clinton read Henry James (1853-1916) however, that quote does not fit with the Henry James I read where I had to devote 100% of my concentration on James' writing. At times I had to re-read passages after asking myself, “What?” "Huh?"
Written in 1898 when Harry Houdini, séances, spiritual mediums, and automatic (from the spirits) writing were subjects explore...more
Surely as a Rhodes scholar, President Clinton read Henry James (1853-1916) however, that quote does not fit with the Henry James I read where I had to devote 100% of my concentration on James' writing. At times I had to re-read passages after asking myself, “What?” "Huh?"
Written in 1898 when Harry Houdini, séances, spiritual mediums, and automatic (from the spirits) writing were subjects explore...more
GENERE UNICO
Questo libro mi ha fatto paura, m'ha messo i brividi, m'ha costretto a leggere solo in presenza del sole per tenermi lontano da buio e tenebre: ci sono i fantasmi o li vede solo la governante? E' lei, figlia di un pastore, così rigida da inventarsi tutto o i fantasmi imperversano davvero? I bambini sono vittime, complici o addirittura carnefici?
E anche se tutte queste domande rimanessero senza risposta precisa, che importa? Si tratta comunque di una splendida unica storia d'amore.
Deg...more
Questo libro mi ha fatto paura, m'ha messo i brividi, m'ha costretto a leggere solo in presenza del sole per tenermi lontano da buio e tenebre: ci sono i fantasmi o li vede solo la governante? E' lei, figlia di un pastore, così rigida da inventarsi tutto o i fantasmi imperversano davvero? I bambini sono vittime, complici o addirittura carnefici?
E anche se tutte queste domande rimanessero senza risposta precisa, che importa? Si tratta comunque di una splendida unica storia d'amore.
Deg...more
This is one of those rare occasions that I wish I could modulate my ratings by half-stars; I can't decide if it's three or four. I want to say four because the story is still fresh on my mind this morning but I'm sure that will fade in time, so I'm (somewhat reluctantly) going with three.
I've been making a habit lately of trying not to learn anything about that which I'm going to read just so that I may keep from spoilerating or applying outside influence to my thought processes. In looking at a...more
I've been making a habit lately of trying not to learn anything about that which I'm going to read just so that I may keep from spoilerating or applying outside influence to my thought processes. In looking at a...more
Io sono oltremodo perplessa.
Sapevo che la fine di questo libro mi avrebbe lasciato coi miei simpatici interrogativi, ma sono fermamente convinta che mi sia sfuggito qualcosa, sommerso da tutte le ciance della protagonista, probabilmente.
Io adoro le storie di fantasmi, di ogni genere: non che Il giro di vite non mi sia piaciuto, ma penso che se da un lato l'idea sia estremamente buona, dall'altro il buon Henry James si sia un po' perso per strada. Mi spiego.
La protagonista viene assunta da un...more
Sapevo che la fine di questo libro mi avrebbe lasciato coi miei simpatici interrogativi, ma sono fermamente convinta che mi sia sfuggito qualcosa, sommerso da tutte le ciance della protagonista, probabilmente.
Io adoro le storie di fantasmi, di ogni genere: non che Il giro di vite non mi sia piaciuto, ma penso che se da un lato l'idea sia estremamente buona, dall'altro il buon Henry James si sia un po' perso per strada. Mi spiego.
La protagonista viene assunta da un...more
Reading Henry James seems to be like swimming through a thick swamp. His verbosity is a double-edged sword. When it is appropriate, it can be beautifully descriptive; when it's not, it borders on pretention and is tedious. His language was my favorite thing about this book, but the story's ambiguity is also wonderful. I think it separates the cynical from the romantic. (Unfortunately, I side more with the cynic.)
Before this last month, my only experience of The Turn of the Screw was the very good BBC adaptation a couple of years ago with Michelle Dockery (of Downton Abbey fame) as the protagonist. At the time, I watched that with my sister, who is way better at creepy things than I am, and who outright loved it (while I, I must admit, spent the majority of it hiding behind a cushion and being roundly mocked for doing so!). But screen is different to page, and page is definitely my preferred medium, so o...more
Jul 07, 2012
Joséphine
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
british-literature
I must admit this book was a rare experience for me for it was the first time I ever liked a film adaptation more than the book itself from which it was adapted. The film adaptation I'm talking about is the 2009 version of The Turn of the Screw starring Michelle Dockery. I'm usually not the type of person who compares a film and a book with each other because a book and a film are someting very different. But as the book was so poorly written, I couldn't resist to compare it with the film at cer...more
soundtrack: kate bush / the infant kiss
***
- for a ghost story, it's too introspective.
- if it's not a ghost story (though i was thrilled by the gothic atmosphere)and the governess is / becomes mad, why bother?
- i suspect H.J. wanted to play with the reader's mind. well he succeeded. for two or three times i just wanted to drop the book and start some serious reading :D
- miles and flora are too attached to each other, too cute, fair and perfect in the gov.'s eyes, so yes, this calls for some men...more
***
- for a ghost story, it's too introspective.
- if it's not a ghost story (though i was thrilled by the gothic atmosphere)and the governess is / becomes mad, why bother?
- i suspect H.J. wanted to play with the reader's mind. well he succeeded. for two or three times i just wanted to drop the book and start some serious reading :D
- miles and flora are too attached to each other, too cute, fair and perfect in the gov.'s eyes, so yes, this calls for some men...more
First I have to say this is the first Henry James book I've read.
A group of friends, during Christmas Eve, start telling scary stories.
That's when one of them reveals he has received a letter from a woman who, before dying, wrote down her strange adventure.
A young woman gets hired as a governess in an old mansion, to look after two kids.
What she doesn't expect is to start seeing two people, a man and a woman, who used to work at the mansion, and who are revealed to the woman to be dead.
She then...more
A group of friends, during Christmas Eve, start telling scary stories.
That's when one of them reveals he has received a letter from a woman who, before dying, wrote down her strange adventure.
A young woman gets hired as a governess in an old mansion, to look after two kids.
What she doesn't expect is to start seeing two people, a man and a woman, who used to work at the mansion, and who are revealed to the woman to be dead.
She then...more
Dec 20, 2011
Shovelmonkey1
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
ghost hunters and 1001 books readers
Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by:
1001 books list
Henry James uses The Turn of the Screw to highlight the fact that small children can be both sinister and scary!
In 1898, many authors were busily portraying children as sweetness and light (or not mentioning them at all); it was an age and a time when children were to be "seen and not heard". James instead plays on many peoples worst (although at that point possibly unrealised fears) and highlights the fact that as innocents they are succeptible and can easily be picked off by sinister servants...more
In 1898, many authors were busily portraying children as sweetness and light (or not mentioning them at all); it was an age and a time when children were to be "seen and not heard". James instead plays on many peoples worst (although at that point possibly unrealised fears) and highlights the fact that as innocents they are succeptible and can easily be picked off by sinister servants...more
Without a doubt 'The Turn of the Screw' is the most chilling and disturbing ghost story I’ve read. The first time I read it I could not comprehend it so put it down and then started to read again and it was than I began to grasp it and the third time was a chilling exciting marvel which still lingers somewhere in my brain.
It is well known that critics have debated whether 'The Turn of the Screw' is a ghost story or a psychological story of the governess's (story is told from her point of view) o...more
It is well known that critics have debated whether 'The Turn of the Screw' is a ghost story or a psychological story of the governess's (story is told from her point of view) o...more
I'd heard a lot of rumors about this being a classic tale, and decided it was time to check it out. I haven't read a lot of stories this old (the closest thing is HP Lovecraft, who started writing about 20 years after The Turn of the Screw was published), and I wasn't really prepared for the language. Lovecraft alone can be hard enough to read at times, because people just wrote differently back then. And, as it seems, something 20 years older than Lovecraft was about 20 times more difficult to...more
May 22, 2009
Colleen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
a-great-book-and-a-great-movie
I was inspired to read a Henry James novel by an article in Bookmarks magazine about him. He's known to be difficult to read so I thought I'd start with this short book to see if I could "handle" it. Well, it took me quite a while to read this 104-page book! The way James writes does not make for easy reading. His sentence structures are odd, almost stream-of-consciousness, so often you have to go back and attempt to put the pieces together. I can see why people may not have the patience for tha...more
As most other reviewers have mentioned, Henry James' writing is extremely...dense. Sometimes while I was reading I had a vision of myself as a jungle explorer wielding a machete against the encroaching undergrowth, trying to find the path. Most of the time I enjoyed the challenge, but I have to admit that there were times I gave up on a particular sentence(s) and skipped ahead. Once you get past the style of writing, The Turn of the Screw is a story about...well, it's about "something". What tha...more
Oct 23, 2011
Denae
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2011,
challenge-1010-by-2020
Forget cabins in remote wooded places or suspicious small towns; I am convinced that English country houses, particularly in cloudy areas, are the most dangerous places to live or visit. At best, you'll be robbed of something valuable. Maybe something you own will turn out to be cursed. Most likely you or someone else in the house will be brutally murdered. If you're lucky, that is. The characters in The Turn of the Screw do not get off so lightly. The book is narrated from the point of view of...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central idea/theme of the book | 8 | 62 | Mar 11, 2013 05:11pm | |
| Syria Readers Ass...: 003-The others | 2 | 42 | Mar 10, 2013 06:01pm | |
| Aiossa's Senior 5...: derrick schoeps book #3 | 1 | 4 | Dec 17, 2012 06:35pm | |
| Books2Movies Club: The Turn of the Screw - 02 - Part Two | 14 | 52 | Dec 06, 2012 10:53am | |
| Books2Movies Club: The Turn of the Screw - 01 - Part One | 9 | 59 | Dec 02, 2012 12:07pm |
Henry James, OM, son of theologian Henry James Sr., brother of the philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James, was an American-born author, one of the founders and leaders of a school of realism in fiction. He spent much of his life in England and became a British subject shortly before his death. He is primarily known for a series of major novels in which he portrayed the...more
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“No, no—there are depths, depths! The more I go over it, the more I see in it, and the more I see in it, the more I fear. I don’t know what I don’t see—what I don’t fear!”
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“He was there or was not there: not there if I didn't see him.”
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