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The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
by Henry James
Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress's review
bookshelves: classic-horror, ghost, gothic-fiction, short-story, kindle-book, evil-children, fear-of-isolation, psychological-horror
May 13, 10
bookshelves: classic-horror, ghost, gothic-fiction, short-story, kindle-book, evil-children, fear-of-isolation, psychological-horror
Recommended for:
committed fans of gothic/classic horror, fans of Henry James
Read from May 10 to 12, 2010, read count: 1
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 reader feeling as detached as I did with this story. I also felt that Mr. James spent so much time in writing a stylistically appealing story, using just the right turn of phrase to pretty up his narrative, that the story got lost in translation. I was surprised to realize that I had gotten to the end. I was like, "What?" After all the slow going, and slow build that never got anywhere, it was "wham!" Sigh! Not sure what to think of this one.
I will be honest and say I had trouble with this story. I had to work really hard to read it and not skim the words to move ahead. I really resist that when I'm reading. There is no point in reading a story if you don't understand the intent behind it. I like to read every word and take things in. On the downside, I like a pay off to my reading, especially if it's not a particularly easy story to read. But, this story was hard to decipher for hidden intent.
I saw some gems in it: the menace of two children who seemed like angels, but had a decidedly unangelic side. The governess who started to doubt her own reason and sanity, but was dead on in her understanding of what was going on. The apparitions that should have inspired dread in me, but somehow didn't. I spent time waiting to feel unease. It never got there.
Please don't misunderstand me. I love subtle horror. I prefer it. But the impact of the horror, the feel of the gothic has to be there. It has to be planted in one's mind so that the power of the threat, or its aftermath, is felt. I never felt the true impact with this story.
On the positive side, I felt that the psychological results of the 'demon children' on caregivers was translated pretty well. You could see the confusion and the distress that these beautiful, seemingly perfect children was having on the governess and the cook. It was interesting to see the governess have discussions with a child, that seemed incongruously adult. Discussions with an intellectual equal who will go for the jugular, so one has to be prepared for the worst. I felt that. At times, Miles did exude a menace that I wanted to feel. I felt the governess's anxiety at being in a situation that was beyond her control. Not sure that she was doing the right thing. And fearing for the safety of herself, those around her, and the children in her charge. But it was in a detached fashion. The power of horror is in bringing to light fears that we personally can identify with on some level, the more personal and visceral the better. If that barrier stays between the reader and the circumstance, then horror loses its ability to affect us.
I have to say that I will read my volume Ghost Stories by this author, and hope for the best. But, I won't be attempting any of his non-gothic works. Although he is a beautiful writer, there is not enough to engage on an emotional level, which is very important to me in my pleasure reading. My recommendation: If you are a person who is absolutely committed to a thorough immersion into gothic fiction/classic horror reading, you should read this. However, depending on your tastes in writing styles, if you are like myself in that you don't go for pretty writing with less substance, I wouldn't expect much from it. Although I wouldn't say I am the most sophisticated reader, I am sophisticated enough to realize that much enjoyment can be found in 19th century literature, but this story didn't deliver that for me.
I will be honest and say I had trouble with this story. I had to work really hard to read it and not skim the words to move ahead. I really resist that when I'm reading. There is no point in reading a story if you don't understand the intent behind it. I like to read every word and take things in. On the downside, I like a pay off to my reading, especially if it's not a particularly easy story to read. But, this story was hard to decipher for hidden intent.
I saw some gems in it: the menace of two children who seemed like angels, but had a decidedly unangelic side. The governess who started to doubt her own reason and sanity, but was dead on in her understanding of what was going on. The apparitions that should have inspired dread in me, but somehow didn't. I spent time waiting to feel unease. It never got there.
Please don't misunderstand me. I love subtle horror. I prefer it. But the impact of the horror, the feel of the gothic has to be there. It has to be planted in one's mind so that the power of the threat, or its aftermath, is felt. I never felt the true impact with this story.
On the positive side, I felt that the psychological results of the 'demon children' on caregivers was translated pretty well. You could see the confusion and the distress that these beautiful, seemingly perfect children was having on the governess and the cook. It was interesting to see the governess have discussions with a child, that seemed incongruously adult. Discussions with an intellectual equal who will go for the jugular, so one has to be prepared for the worst. I felt that. At times, Miles did exude a menace that I wanted to feel. I felt the governess's anxiety at being in a situation that was beyond her control. Not sure that she was doing the right thing. And fearing for the safety of herself, those around her, and the children in her charge. But it was in a detached fashion. The power of horror is in bringing to light fears that we personally can identify with on some level, the more personal and visceral the better. If that barrier stays between the reader and the circumstance, then horror loses its ability to affect us.
I have to say that I will read my volume Ghost Stories by this author, and hope for the best. But, I won't be attempting any of his non-gothic works. Although he is a beautiful writer, there is not enough to engage on an emotional level, which is very important to me in my pleasure reading. My recommendation: If you are a person who is absolutely committed to a thorough immersion into gothic fiction/classic horror reading, you should read this. However, depending on your tastes in writing styles, if you are like myself in that you don't go for pretty writing with less substance, I wouldn't expect much from it. Although I wouldn't say I am the most sophisticated reader, I am sophisticated enough to realize that much enjoyment can be found in 19th century literature, but this story didn't deliver that for me.
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Reading Progress
| 05/10/2010 | page 40 |
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31.25% | |
| 05/11/2010 | page 62 |
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48.44% | 2 comments |
Comments (showing 1-39 of 39) (39 new)
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message 1:
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[deleted user]
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May 10, 2010 07:17am
I've never read Turn of the Screw. I hear it's a good spooky story. I want to read it.
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I have not seen one movie version. How is that for deprived? I imagine I will want to watch them now. :)
I have another question for you -- when I read this I remember thinking the sentences were ridiculously long and how complicated it seemed to process them. Then I read a sentence/paragraph aloud and it sounded SO much better. Do you find this with the writing as well?
Yes!!! I had one paragraph I couldn't understand no matter how many times I read it. So I said it aloud, and it started to make sense. It's kind of dry at times, but I feel there is some life in the story. I'm glad that I've been reading a lot of 19th century stories, so I've learned to be more patient with the language when I read them now. Probably would have given up a couple of years ago. :)
Danielle, have you ever read Wilkie Collins? He's one of my favorite Victorian authors. No Name is awesome - two sisters discover they're illegitimate and are gypped out of their inheritance, and one of them connives to get it back. Great story and I loved the heroine. Collins often wrote heroines who were unconventional and unfairly suffered because of it.His style's real easy to read - far more so than Henry James, who is convoluted so much of the time.
message 8:
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Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
(last edited May 11, 2010 07:35pm)
(new)
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rated it 3 stars
He's on my list to read. I'll add this story. Thanks, Karla.I don't think I'll read any non-gothic works by James. He's too much work and too little payoff, in all honesty.
I read this one when I was a teenager, and it totally creeped me out! I don't think it would hold up to my current 'creepy' standard anymore, though. I think I'd want a little more explanation at the end as to why everything happened. Let me know what you think when you are done with it.
Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "I don't think I'll read any non-gothic works by James. He's too much work and too little payoff, in all honesty."I don't think I got beyond Chapter 1 of Portrait of a Lady for that same reason.
Ouida's another good 19th c. author - more in the popular/romantic vein, but still real interesting stories and characters, like Moths.
I felt that the psychological results of the 'demon children' on caregivers was translated pretty well...Wonderful Review Dr.D!
When it comes to demon childern story horror lines, their never scary to me, maybe because I have a Peter Pan sydrome of never wanting to grow up, I always roll my eyes and say the kid(s) need a nice hit on the back of their head and told to get their act togeather *rolls eyes*
Thanks, Dhestiny. This one's skippable. I can recommend some really good classic ghost stories if you would like!
That would be awesome!!!! If you get the chance, could you message them to me so I'll have them handy?Thank you, again!
Great review. I just found a copy of this in the staff break room and grabbed it, and you've given me an idea of what to expect and what not to. I'll still read it, since I'm pretty curious. I've only seen a couple scenes from the Deborah Kerr movie version. (Must put that on Netflix... Maybe it's better than the book!)
You're welcome, D.Thanks, Karla. Hey, you might like it. I know we all have different tastes. I'd like to see a movie version to compare notes.
I read this so long ago, the only thing I remember is that I enjoyed it at the time. Wonder if I still would on a re-read?I used to wonder why it was called The Turn of the Screw. And it hit me one day that it's a phrase explaining the thin wall separating the two sides--the living side and the dead side--and how sometimes an opening emerges and they meet up. The turning of the screw reminded me of a doorknob rattling in a horror movie. Or that's my take on it. I could be totally wrong. Any other ideas about the title?
That is really profound, Tressa. I wondered about the title myself. I thought maybe it referred to how the child Miles seemed to torment the governess, aware of her emotional agony. But I love your interpretation. You should reread it. I'd love to see what you think on reread. It's been interesting to read all the various reviews on GRs for this story.
Maybe I will reread it. I'm rereading We Have Always Lived in the Castle and enjoying it for the second time.I think maybe the author was trying to tell us just how flimsy is the boundary between the two worlds.
Even without knowing what the book was about, whenever I saw the title, I thought of torture, like "turning the thumbscrew" - done gradually to drive the victim into excruciating pain/madness.Once I read the book, I'll have to see if I'm completely full of it and just seeing stuff through my Inquisition prism. :)
From what little I've learned and experienced about James, I think he'd very happy that we all have our own interpretation on the title and this story. LOL. Tressa, when you do reread it, please post a review. I'd like to compare notes.
Danielle "The Book Huntress" wrote: "From what little I've learned and experienced about James, I think he'd very happy that we all have our own interpretation on the title and this story. LOL."Considering how James writes pure fiction, I'd hate to see his stylistic structure for tackling analysis. The mind boggles.
The English major in me wants to research the title's meaning, but I don't want my own interpretation to be ruined by finding out the real meaning. Anyone KWIM?Yes, Danielle, I will. Maybe I'll start it after finishing the two I'm reading now. Argh, I've got a 2010 challenge list that I keep ignoring while I read other books. I think I bit off more than I can chew.
Karla, that's an interesting view and one I didn't think of.
message 29:
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Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress
(last edited May 14, 2010 11:00am)
(new)
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rated it 3 stars
I know what you mean. I like the subjective nature of literature. The author may have meant one thing, but I am totally fine if I see something else. But I am careful not to tell someone that they are wrong if they see something oppposite from me.I have some challenges that I'm doing, and I signed up for more. Yay, me!!!
Karla, that's a scary thought! I can't deal with his writing style.
I remember hearing that the meaning of 'A Turn of the Screw' was a reference to the fact that the children were evil (sort of, anyway). Like, he 'turned the screw even tighter' by using children instead of adults. Don't know if that's right or not, though.
That's another interesting concept, Anne. Now I promise myself I'll never research it because I want to keep playing around with these other ideas. I think about these kinds of things when I'm painting a room or shelving books. I'm weird that way. :-?
I think the title is a subtle reference to the tale's multiple interpretations (the many turns the story can take) not to some kind of torture or creepiness, the second paragraph of the novel says:"I quite agree—in regard to Griffin's ghost, or whatever it was—that its appearing first to the little boy, at so tender an age, adds a particular touch. But it's not the first occurrence of its charming kind that I know to have involved a child. If the child gives the effect another turn of the screw, what do you say to TWO children—?"
Henry James presents us with a ghost story. But, wait, is it really a ghost story? Are we going to believe the hysterical woman who reads Fielding (the 19th century equivalent of Amadis de Gaula and we're willing to believe the later has caused Don Quixote's insanity) or be sensible individuals? She not only makes up things even within her story (she tells Mrs Grose that Miss Jesel talked to her and told her that she wants to take Flora which isn't true), but she's in love with the narrator of the frame story - which means she definitely wants to impress. There's little reason why we should believe her.
Interesting, Andreea. I just looked around at some critiques of the story and the title's meaning, and I found this interpretation:
Meaning of the Title
In the first chapter of the story, Douglas uses the phrase turn of the screw to indicate that a ghost story has a more terrifying effect if a specter targets a child rather than an adult, as in a story just completed by a man named Griffin. Then Douglas asks his listeners what they would say of a ghost story with two children. One of them says such a story would cause two turns of the screw. Here is the passage:
......."I quite agree–in regard to Griffin's ghost, or whatever it was–that its appearing first to the little boy, at so tender an age, adds a particular touch. But it's not the first occurrence of its charming kind that I know to have involved a child. If the child gives the effect another turn of the screw, terror what do you say to TWO children–?"
......."We say, of course," somebody exclaimed, "that they give two turns!
Oh, here's the meaning of the idiom "turn of the screw":
a turn of the screw
an action which makes a bad situation worse, especially in order to force someone to do something Each letter from my bank manager is another turn of the screw.
James is saying that the fact that children are involved in the haunting makes the haunting worse.
I like my interpretation best, lol. It always gave me the shivers.
I always think of the phrase "screw loose" when I see this title. I am sure that is not the actual meaning behind it, but it still pops into my head. Did they even use the phrase, "He has a screw loose" back then? Probably not.
Gosh, I am sorry I missed all the comments. I can definitely see the meaning of 'turn of the screw' in relation to the children.Felicia, maybe the phrase developed because of this book or at least the usage of the phrase.
It's funny you think that the children are corrupted. What about when the governess thinks Flora is laughing at her, but Mrs. Grose sees she is crying, and that the governess is hurting her?Personally, I don't think the ghosts are real. Especially when you find out that the images she detailed so precisely were actually found in her locket. So it makes sense why she could describe them so well because she saw their portraits. And since she loved getting "carried away" it makes sense why she would jump to conclusions of seeing ghosts.
Plus, you have to remember that she wrote the story. It was written by a woman who was driven mad. So you can't really conclude that everything she is saying is true. Personally, I think she might have strangled Miles thinking he was a demon, and he died in her arms. Not that he was possessed by a demon. It makes so much sense. It's like those mothers on trial for killing their children, but then the mother says that they were sinful. With today's technology we can figure out if the mother was the killer, but back then, there is no saying what happened.
Also a turn of the screw if you look it up on "http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a...", it means "an action which makes a bad situation worse, especially in order to force someone to do something." So it's like each time something bad happens in the story, it's another turn of the screw. And if you have one possessed child, that's one turn, but with two children, that would be two turns of the screw. I believe that's what they mention in the beginning when the narrator is telling how he was listening to ghost stories on Christmas Eve.
Xavier, I think the interesting thing about this story and many ambiguous ghost stories is that we all see the differently. Some people might see mental illness in the governess (although I would never claim her to be 100% sane), and other might see a genuine supernatural threat here. I am in the latter category. Also, wouldn't the situation that this woman found herself in have that capacity to drive someone crazy? I think so.
Do you think that maybe the evolution of the concept of horror in our Western zeitgeist has something to do with why you felt this story to be underwhelming? To put it more clearly, do you think that this story was less effective for you because you weren't reading it in the Victorian era when it was first published? Personally, I found the story's extreme ambiguity to be its best quality. I didn't understand what had happened at the end and that has compelled me to read the story again. It's a bit like a treasure hunt in the fact that I keep finding clues that could affirm many different readings of the story. But hey, to each his or her own.
