A live-in nanny that spets into a nightmare and a child ends up dead, in this new book The Turn of The Key. Sorry. The Turn of the what now? The Screw?

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6 years ago
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Clare Snow It's a tribute/retelling of The Turn of the Screw. There's a point where the key of the title becomes apparent. The Turn of the Screw can be interpreted in more than one way. The Turn of the Key provides more specific answers to some aspects, but leaves questions for the reader. Both books are clever is their own unique ways. I love them both and I was scared witless :-)

The Turn of the Screw was written before 1923. Any book written before this date is no longer in copyright. A writer can use any part of these books in whatever ways they like. And publishers can reprint these old books without having to pay for rights. That's why there's so many editions of these books from different publishers.

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Kathleen I found this discussion so intriguing that I read Turn of the Screw. I can’t believe some people think Ware plagiarized the story line. First, it’s in the public domain. Second, it’s only the idea of a governess/nanny coming to stay with children that is the same; otherwise, the plots are nothing alike. That plot device has been used many times, nobody can hold a copyright on it. I actually didn’t like Turn of the Screw very much - I read the original in the very old-fashioned language and I thought the ending was much too abrupt and left a lot of hanging threads.

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Susanne It's an intentional homage to The Turn of the Screw. It's not really mentioned clearly anywhere, but I found an interview with Ware in which it's extremely briefly touched upon here

"Well, as you may have guessed from the title, it's slightly Henry James-ish, in the sense that it's about a nanny who is… well, it starts off in prison."

So she was definitely inspired by Screw, and I think the title works in a similar way. Whereas in The Turn of the Screw the title's meaning is specifically stated (heightening tension), with The Turn of the Key it places some kind of expectation from the start. I'm about halfway through, I believe, and I am still waiting for that 'click' moment, either the literal sound of a key being turned when it should not, or the more symbolic reveal (turn of the key, door opening, something like that).

So a good homage and an interesting choice of title at the same time!

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Lihsa Ware wrote an ode to The Turn of the Screw.

It is modern retelling written in the same epistolary style (in TOS, the narrator is reading a manuscript that portends to be written by the governess).

The TOK also has an unreliable narrator with repressed anger towards her father, sexual repression and possible insanity.

Ware did a very good job of this, I thought.

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Peggy M Ware is too talented to copy Henry James' title let alone a similar premise. It'll be a miracle if she isn't hit with a plagiarism suit. I really enjoyed this book as I've enjoyed all of her books. Wasn't crazy about the plot device of Rowan writing to an attorney though.

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Stephanie I thought the same thing. I am guessing it is intentional? That the titles are that close?

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Thomas The short answer is yes. However it is not one of these modern rewrites which is a complete replica except technology. various new plot elements are used

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Caitlin Hawkins I want to know if its an intentional omage, or if it is...not so intentional. I'm very curious--are we dealing with the same types of problems from the James novel? Is Jack Grant supposed to be Peter Quint? I'm hoping its more of an omage and less of a rip off...

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