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The Turn of the Screw: Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism
The story starts conventionally enough with friends sharing ghost stories 'round the fire on Christmas Eve. One of the guests tells about a governess at a country house plagued by supernatural visitors. But in the hands of Henry James, the master of nuance, this little tale of terror is an exquisite gem of sexual and psychological ambiguity. Only the young governess can see the ghosts; only she suspects that the previous governess and her lover are controlling the two orphaned children (a girl and a boy) for some evil purpose. The household staff don't know what she's talking about, the children are evasive when questioned, and the master of the house (the children's uncle) is absent. Why does the young girl claim not to see a perfectly visible woman standing on the far side of the lake? Are the children being deceptive, or is the governess being paranoid? By leaving the questions unanswered, The Turn of Screw generates spine-tingling anxiety in its mesmerized readers.
313 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2010
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May 21, 2016I just could not finish Turn of the Screw. Short as it is, the book is a big chore. It's too bad, because the story itself is interesting to me, as is the ambiguity about whether supernatural things are really happening. Likewise, James' prose style, while very much not to my personal taste, is certainly not bad. As a combination, however, plot and style are terrible. The lengthy, convoluted sentences and slowness of narration completely sap any sense of fear, urgency, or even unease from the situation.
I maxed out the number of renewals permitted by the library and admitted that I was never finishing. However, it looked like some of the supplemental materials in this edition might be interesting: it included other contemporary writing and influential texts as well as endnotes and criticism.
I maxed out the number of renewals permitted by the library and admitted that I was never finishing. However, it looked like some of the supplemental materials in this edition might be interesting: it included other contemporary writing and influential texts as well as endnotes and criticism.
December 15, 2023
It feels a bit odd to review a story which is both an undisputed classic, and something of a prototype for ghost stories from when it was penned all the way up to the present day.
Your mileage may vary, but I found on first reading (being a modern reader and veteran of modern horror) that it wasn't particularly frightening. That very Victorian way of hinting and alluding to horrors rather than expressing them directly also took some getting used to; so too the obsession with propriety which pervades the narrative. However, after the shocking and ambiguous ending, re-reading the text seems to betray an ambiguity and multiplicity of interpretations which are perhaps the novella's greatest strength. Read in isolation without the addition of footnotes or the materials that follow, I admit I would have likely given the text a lower rating.
Thankfully this edition comes with an embarrassment of riches in this regard. Information on the role of servants and governesses in the social hierarchy, actual accounts of ghostly sightings from the time, contemporary reviews and possible inspirations, as well as James's response to reader's letters (including to H.G. Wells!) and prefaces. There is also a gluttony of critical essays from different critical perspectives (some perhaps more plausible than others) such as gender criticism, marxist criticism, a psychoanalytical perspective and reader-response criticism. These are all prefaced with a review of where these perspectives and readings originate. As such, this edition would probably make a fantastic introduction to literary criticism for those with even a vague interest.
The huge amount of literary criticism and massive number of adaptations (which show no signs of abating - see Netflix's eminently popular Haunting of Bly Manor) flies in the face of James's assertion that the text was a 'pot-boiler' written quickly to earn money. For certain, The Turn of the Screw invites reading and re-reading more than most. I couldn't put it better than a contemporary reviewer who said: 'while his art in is every sentence, the artist is completely obliterated... he is like a perfect lens which focuses light, but is itself absolutely colorless'.
That said, if you're looking for a cozy, straightforward ghost story, you'll be disappointed. If anything The Turn of The Screw strengthens the argument that ghost stories say more about human psychology, and the fears and pre-occupations of their time, than they do about the supernatural. I think ghost stories are all the better for it.
Your mileage may vary, but I found on first reading (being a modern reader and veteran of modern horror) that it wasn't particularly frightening. That very Victorian way of hinting and alluding to horrors rather than expressing them directly also took some getting used to; so too the obsession with propriety which pervades the narrative. However, after the shocking and ambiguous ending, re-reading the text seems to betray an ambiguity and multiplicity of interpretations which are perhaps the novella's greatest strength. Read in isolation without the addition of footnotes or the materials that follow, I admit I would have likely given the text a lower rating.
Thankfully this edition comes with an embarrassment of riches in this regard. Information on the role of servants and governesses in the social hierarchy, actual accounts of ghostly sightings from the time, contemporary reviews and possible inspirations, as well as James's response to reader's letters (including to H.G. Wells!) and prefaces. There is also a gluttony of critical essays from different critical perspectives (some perhaps more plausible than others) such as gender criticism, marxist criticism, a psychoanalytical perspective and reader-response criticism. These are all prefaced with a review of where these perspectives and readings originate. As such, this edition would probably make a fantastic introduction to literary criticism for those with even a vague interest.
The huge amount of literary criticism and massive number of adaptations (which show no signs of abating - see Netflix's eminently popular Haunting of Bly Manor) flies in the face of James's assertion that the text was a 'pot-boiler' written quickly to earn money. For certain, The Turn of the Screw invites reading and re-reading more than most. I couldn't put it better than a contemporary reviewer who said: 'while his art in is every sentence, the artist is completely obliterated... he is like a perfect lens which focuses light, but is itself absolutely colorless'.
That said, if you're looking for a cozy, straightforward ghost story, you'll be disappointed. If anything The Turn of The Screw strengthens the argument that ghost stories say more about human psychology, and the fears and pre-occupations of their time, than they do about the supernatural. I think ghost stories are all the better for it.
May 18, 2012
oh the wonderfully creepy ambiguity that is the prose of Henry James:
"On the spot, accordingly, in the pleasant hall and with her eyes on me, I, for a reason that I couldn't then have phrased, achieved an inward resolution--offered a vague pretext for my lateness and, with the plea of the beauty of the night and of the heavy dew and wet feet, went as soon as possible to my room."
"On the spot, accordingly, in the pleasant hall and with her eyes on me, I, for a reason that I couldn't then have phrased, achieved an inward resolution--offered a vague pretext for my lateness and, with the plea of the beauty of the night and of the heavy dew and wet feet, went as soon as possible to my room."
April 10, 2017
I enjoyed the critical responses to the book about 10 times better than the text itself.
September 18, 2024
As far as ghost stories go, I’ve obviously consumed more entertaining pieces. To be fair to Henry James, however, it was probably more scary when it was more novel.
Most of the stars here are for the interesting analyses that Turn Of The Screw lends itself to. There’s a lot to dissect and underlying lgbt themes, plus allusion to sexual assault. Overall, I’m glad to have read this classic, even if it wasn’t the most entertaining literature in the world.
Most of the stars here are for the interesting analyses that Turn Of The Screw lends itself to. There’s a lot to dissect and underlying lgbt themes, plus allusion to sexual assault. Overall, I’m glad to have read this classic, even if it wasn’t the most entertaining literature in the world.
July 8, 2019
Had to read this for my introduction to literature class. I've never heard of it until now and I am not impressed with it to say the least.
February 23, 2017
- Actual rating is 4.3 stars -
October 28, 2017
I had no idea so much had been written about this novella! There is a lot packed into this book of literary criticism, interpretations ranging from the psychoanalytic to the Marxist. Is the governess really seeing ghosts? Or is she mad? Over 100 years since its publication and it’s one of the most analyzed works in literary history. If I hadn’t been afraid of public speaking when I was younger, I would have loved to spend my days reading and discussing literature. As it is, it’s a passionate hobby I indulge in on a smaller scale as a library book discussion leader.
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August 27, 2025Before attending Santa Fe Opera's performance of The Turn of the Screw, we attended the pre-opera talk (Fantastic!), which provided background, musical fragment sing-alongs, and one of my favorite anecdotes: a tradition of James' era was the telling of ghost stories at Christmastime. The talk helped us follow, and speculate about, what we saw and heard on stage.)
Compelled to read James's book, I just now read SFO's website synopsis:
When Nothing Is Certain, What Can We Believe?
by Michael Clive
Directed by Louisa Muller, Britten’s The Turn of the Screw will haunt you.
The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story. Are the ghosts real? “I think that people who see the opera could have a spirited debate about that in the car on the way home,” says director Louisa Muller. “You interpret the performance in the way it makes sense to you.” But make no mistake: the Governess at the center of the action sees them, and Muller places it in our view as well.
Muller, who directed the Santa Fe Opera’s production of La Traviata last season, views both Violetta and the Governess as heroines of their own dramas who make their own decisions. But while Violetta is certain of her tragic reality, the Governess’ world is frighteningly ambiguous. As she tries to protect the children in her charge, the turning screw is fear, and Muller uses a wide range of tools to tighten it. Are the ghosts real? “For the Governess,” says Muller, “that question leads to madness.”
“The house is a character in the opera,” notes Muller. “It almost breathes on its own.” It starts out as a place of protection, then begins to seem threatening. The presence of water on stage — just a sliver at first — grows. “In Act II it has begun to encroach on the space around it as a symbol of what’s happening in the Governess’ brain — the house is becoming a hostile, threatening place.” Muller has even incorporated the timing of the Santa Fe sunsets into her lighting plan.
As a parent, Muller finds the presence of the children on stage particularly moving — in a cast of only six singers, the two of them carry a huge responsibility both musically and dramatically. Their playful energy in the rehearsal room also helped to lighten the mood if the weight of the dark material ever threatened to become too heavy. True professionals!
As noted, after the oerpa talk and the opera, I had to read Henry James's book (all of 120 pages of this 428-page compilation), and excerpted the following --
(at vii and ix)
The Turn of the Screw has been to critics a chameleon text, taking on a coloring that let it blend in with almost any way of reading it. Depending on who is reading it, the story can be a gothic tale in the tradition of Poe, a romantic tale in the tradition of Hawthorne, or a realistic tale in the tradition of Howells. It can be a Freudian tale of sexual repression, an allegory of good and evil, a detective story about murder and deception, a call for better treatment of children, or a reflection of hidden truths about its author. It can demonstrate its author's knowledge of scientific research on ghosts or his rejection of that knowledge, his accord with the social structure of his time, or his rejection of those structures. It can be read as a Marxist statement, a feminist statement, or a gay statement....
.........
Readers of these essays will not finish them knowing *the* answer to the questions about the governess, the ghosts, or the children, or *the* answer to the question of what this story means, but they will know something about the amazing variety of questions that a literary work can inspire and about the amazing variety of answers that readers can find to those qustions. Armed with such knowledge, they will be better prepared to frame their own questions and answers and to understand what literary criticism is all about.
(at 225/6)
Reviewing his 1908 Prefact to the New York edition of The Turn of the Screw, the author identifies five points that James made --
(1) He saw The Turn of the Screw as a fanciful romance based on an anecdote he had heard about how the spirits of two dead servants tried to get hold of two small children; the resulting story was a fairytale so simple in its effect that it would not attract earnest criticism.
(2) He was not interested in offering a full characterization of the young governess; rather, he worked hard to have her keep clear her record of the events she was engaged in, though her explanation of those events was not always correct.
(3) He saw the spirits of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel not as the kinds of ghosts reported by psychical researchers (....), but rather as evil demons or witches, predatory villains wooing Miles and Flora to their destruction.
(4) He did not want to specify the precise nature of the evil done by Quint and Jessel, with each other or with the children, because to do so would make their actions seem less evil; rather, he wanted to give only vague hintts, leaving it to hs readers to imagine for themselves whatever worst-case evil they could visualize.
(5) *He saw* The Turn of the Screw *as a thing of beauty, a work of art designed to terrify and move his readers."
Compelled to read James's book, I just now read SFO's website synopsis:
When Nothing Is Certain, What Can We Believe?
by Michael Clive
Directed by Louisa Muller, Britten’s The Turn of the Screw will haunt you.
The Turn of the Screw is a ghost story. Are the ghosts real? “I think that people who see the opera could have a spirited debate about that in the car on the way home,” says director Louisa Muller. “You interpret the performance in the way it makes sense to you.” But make no mistake: the Governess at the center of the action sees them, and Muller places it in our view as well.
Muller, who directed the Santa Fe Opera’s production of La Traviata last season, views both Violetta and the Governess as heroines of their own dramas who make their own decisions. But while Violetta is certain of her tragic reality, the Governess’ world is frighteningly ambiguous. As she tries to protect the children in her charge, the turning screw is fear, and Muller uses a wide range of tools to tighten it. Are the ghosts real? “For the Governess,” says Muller, “that question leads to madness.”
“The house is a character in the opera,” notes Muller. “It almost breathes on its own.” It starts out as a place of protection, then begins to seem threatening. The presence of water on stage — just a sliver at first — grows. “In Act II it has begun to encroach on the space around it as a symbol of what’s happening in the Governess’ brain — the house is becoming a hostile, threatening place.” Muller has even incorporated the timing of the Santa Fe sunsets into her lighting plan.
As a parent, Muller finds the presence of the children on stage particularly moving — in a cast of only six singers, the two of them carry a huge responsibility both musically and dramatically. Their playful energy in the rehearsal room also helped to lighten the mood if the weight of the dark material ever threatened to become too heavy. True professionals!
As noted, after the oerpa talk and the opera, I had to read Henry James's book (all of 120 pages of this 428-page compilation), and excerpted the following --
(at vii and ix)
The Turn of the Screw has been to critics a chameleon text, taking on a coloring that let it blend in with almost any way of reading it. Depending on who is reading it, the story can be a gothic tale in the tradition of Poe, a romantic tale in the tradition of Hawthorne, or a realistic tale in the tradition of Howells. It can be a Freudian tale of sexual repression, an allegory of good and evil, a detective story about murder and deception, a call for better treatment of children, or a reflection of hidden truths about its author. It can demonstrate its author's knowledge of scientific research on ghosts or his rejection of that knowledge, his accord with the social structure of his time, or his rejection of those structures. It can be read as a Marxist statement, a feminist statement, or a gay statement....
.........
Readers of these essays will not finish them knowing *the* answer to the questions about the governess, the ghosts, or the children, or *the* answer to the question of what this story means, but they will know something about the amazing variety of questions that a literary work can inspire and about the amazing variety of answers that readers can find to those qustions. Armed with such knowledge, they will be better prepared to frame their own questions and answers and to understand what literary criticism is all about.
(at 225/6)
Reviewing his 1908 Prefact to the New York edition of The Turn of the Screw, the author identifies five points that James made --
(1) He saw The Turn of the Screw as a fanciful romance based on an anecdote he had heard about how the spirits of two dead servants tried to get hold of two small children; the resulting story was a fairytale so simple in its effect that it would not attract earnest criticism.
(2) He was not interested in offering a full characterization of the young governess; rather, he worked hard to have her keep clear her record of the events she was engaged in, though her explanation of those events was not always correct.
(3) He saw the spirits of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel not as the kinds of ghosts reported by psychical researchers (....), but rather as evil demons or witches, predatory villains wooing Miles and Flora to their destruction.
(4) He did not want to specify the precise nature of the evil done by Quint and Jessel, with each other or with the children, because to do so would make their actions seem less evil; rather, he wanted to give only vague hintts, leaving it to hs readers to imagine for themselves whatever worst-case evil they could visualize.
(5) *He saw* The Turn of the Screw *as a thing of beauty, a work of art designed to terrify and move his readers."
January 4, 2023
An incredible blend of Gothic and Realism, "Turn of the Screw" sends the reader into a tailspin, questioning what is real and what is moral.
August 10, 2022
Kind of glad that I didn't read this in college. Don't think I would have enjoyed it.
Many thanks to Benjamin McEvoy's YouTube video about how to read Turn of the Screw properly--in installments, as it was originally published in Collier's Magazine. For one thing, Mr. McEvoy's enthusiasm is terrific, made me eager to jump in. I did not wait a week between installments, only a day, but even that did set up some anticipation that binge reading would not have accomplished.
I highly recommend reading in the proper segments. I was forced to read James' The Ambassadors in college and could not get into it at all. So I've put off T of the Screw all this time assuming that the writing would be equally tedious. No, no. Not tedious, but perplexing from time to time. Yes, wordy. A few times, I wanted to say out loud, "What the heck are you saying here?"
The governess comes across as more high strung and imaginative than I've seen portrayed in film and theater. She jumps to assumptions and has lengthy weird analyses that made my head swim. Some of the dialog with Miles was so cryptic that I couldn't get the basics let alone the nuances, and I'd like to think I'm of at least average intelligence. It's wordy and obtuse in spots, shall we say.
Genuinely creepy! I wouldn't sleep a wink with those children in my care. Yikes!
Overall, it's a rush with a punch ending.
The final sentence is a masterpiece. The roller coaster ride comes to an abrupt halt and jolts you in your seat. Four out of five just because of the lack of clarity -- I'd like to understand more without referring to explanatory commentary. Very glad I read it.
Recommend THIS edition as it does have very helpful extra material. An essay contemplating how one might end up a governess, for example, helps a modern reader grasp how tenuous and arduous the position would be.
Many thanks to Benjamin McEvoy's YouTube video about how to read Turn of the Screw properly--in installments, as it was originally published in Collier's Magazine. For one thing, Mr. McEvoy's enthusiasm is terrific, made me eager to jump in. I did not wait a week between installments, only a day, but even that did set up some anticipation that binge reading would not have accomplished.
I highly recommend reading in the proper segments. I was forced to read James' The Ambassadors in college and could not get into it at all. So I've put off T of the Screw all this time assuming that the writing would be equally tedious. No, no. Not tedious, but perplexing from time to time. Yes, wordy. A few times, I wanted to say out loud, "What the heck are you saying here?"
The governess comes across as more high strung and imaginative than I've seen portrayed in film and theater. She jumps to assumptions and has lengthy weird analyses that made my head swim. Some of the dialog with Miles was so cryptic that I couldn't get the basics let alone the nuances, and I'd like to think I'm of at least average intelligence. It's wordy and obtuse in spots, shall we say.
Genuinely creepy! I wouldn't sleep a wink with those children in my care. Yikes!
Overall, it's a rush with a punch ending.
The final sentence is a masterpiece. The roller coaster ride comes to an abrupt halt and jolts you in your seat. Four out of five just because of the lack of clarity -- I'd like to understand more without referring to explanatory commentary. Very glad I read it.
Recommend THIS edition as it does have very helpful extra material. An essay contemplating how one might end up a governess, for example, helps a modern reader grasp how tenuous and arduous the position would be.
May 29, 2021
Christmas Eve. an unnamed narrator & some friends gathered around the fire.
Douglas reads a manuscript written by his sister's late governess Ms. Jessel.
The manuscript tells the story of how Ms. Jessel (young governess) is hired by a man who has become responsible for Miles (nephew, boarding school) & Flora (niece) after the deaths of their parents.
Flora lives in Essex & is looked after by Mrs. Grose (housekeeper, governess confidante).
Miles returned from school for the summer & a letter arrived from the headmaster stating he has been expelled. The matter seemed to never been discussed.
Ms. Jessel & Peter Quint (tutor, former personal servant) have been seen by the pond.
Are the 2 children believable?
Truly bizarre things begin to happen at Bly.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally classical written ghost (horror) book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters & facts to keep track of. This could also make another great ghost (horror) movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an amazingly easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Author; Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller; TeamTango; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Douglas reads a manuscript written by his sister's late governess Ms. Jessel.
The manuscript tells the story of how Ms. Jessel (young governess) is hired by a man who has become responsible for Miles (nephew, boarding school) & Flora (niece) after the deaths of their parents.
Flora lives in Essex & is looked after by Mrs. Grose (housekeeper, governess confidante).
Miles returned from school for the summer & a letter arrived from the headmaster stating he has been expelled. The matter seemed to never been discussed.
Ms. Jessel & Peter Quint (tutor, former personal servant) have been seen by the pond.
Are the 2 children believable?
Truly bizarre things begin to happen at Bly.
I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.
An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally classical written ghost (horror) book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters & facts to keep track of. This could also make another great ghost (horror) movie, an animated cartoon, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an amazingly easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Author; Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller; TeamTango; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
March 21, 2017
Read the third edition of this! I started the story on Tuesday the 7th of Feb., I think. I then finished the book before my Feb. 17th class on the 16th. So really I read this book in about ten days with discussions after each section, but then we were reading the essays. I read James's bio and background info, four different criticisms as well as their intros by Murfin, and we even separately has to read Walton's old feminist criticism and the feminist intro that went with it (from the second edition, I think. later replaced by general gender criticism).
I finished the Marxist Robbins essay on Sunday, March 12th, so I've read most of the book's material. I still want to read to "combined readings" section in the back of the book eventually. The thing is that I had to write an in-depth essay for *Turn* for my class, which was due on March 17th. So I'll be lying low on James's stuff for a while, lol, a long break. I'm going to read some other leisure material first before going on to my poetry readings and project for English, so I'll be preoccupied with that stuff for now.
James isn't too bad to read as long as you keep a clear head, and I like how the gender readings and Marxist readings explain a large majority of the text's ambiguities. As long as you can accept that there is a lot of ambiguity and that you can't completely reconcile every detail and fact, the story shouldn't be too frustrating. Not every James-style sentence will be clear or understandable, and that's okay.
I finished the Marxist Robbins essay on Sunday, March 12th, so I've read most of the book's material. I still want to read to "combined readings" section in the back of the book eventually. The thing is that I had to write an in-depth essay for *Turn* for my class, which was due on March 17th. So I'll be lying low on James's stuff for a while, lol, a long break. I'm going to read some other leisure material first before going on to my poetry readings and project for English, so I'll be preoccupied with that stuff for now.
James isn't too bad to read as long as you keep a clear head, and I like how the gender readings and Marxist readings explain a large majority of the text's ambiguities. As long as you can accept that there is a lot of ambiguity and that you can't completely reconcile every detail and fact, the story shouldn't be too frustrating. Not every James-style sentence will be clear or understandable, and that's okay.
August 5, 2018
Poe light? This book just didn’t grab me. The prose so elegant and methodical may have been an issue. Or maybe it is me. I give this book 3 stars when I wants to give it 2. However I will chalk one star up to me simply just not enjoying this type of novella. Agreed it is expertly written and James certainly is a craftsman with words. It may have felt too exact and pretty for me to enjoy such a dark tale. Ambiguity abounds throughout the novel which is it main selling point. You ask yourself many questions when the novel is done, with different readers possibly coming up with different scenarios. What was infinitely more fascinating to me as a reader was the essays and criticisms that take up 75 percent of this volume. The Gender Criticism by Priscilla Walton and the Marxist criticism by Bruce Robbins were especially interesting. If you NEED to read this story I would suggest going with this edition as you are going to get some fascinating insights from all the supplemental additions.
January 4, 2021
I found this book difficult to read because of the author's style of writing and use of long drawn out sentences. Being a story about ghosts, I expected it to be more scary, and was disappointed that it wasn't. The story is about a young woman who becomes governess for two seemingly wonderful little children, a boy and a girl. She becomes uneasy when she learns that her predecessor left suddenly and died soon thereafter, and a valet who had interaction with the children also left and died mysteriously. The two of them appear to the governess as ghosts, on several occasions, and the governess becomes convinced that the children are aware of the ghosts presence. She now must do whatever she can to protect the children, but the story leaves us wondering how much is real and how much is imagined by the governess. I learned more about the story's meaning by reading the commentary and criticisms that follow, which was perhaps more interesting than the story itself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2023
In dieser Rezension werde ich die Geschichte von "The Turn of the Screw" bewerten und weniger die Qualität der enthaltenen Essays. Die Geschichte ist nicht im eigentlichen Sinne gruselig, sondern eher unangenehm. Besonders verstörend sind die Interaktionen mit Miles, nicht die Szenen mit den vermeintlichen Geistern. Um die Geschichte vollständig zu verstehen, ist es wichtig, den historischen Kontext zu berücksichtigen. Die Fußnoten in dieser Ausgabe sind dabei sehr hilfreich.
Die altmodische Erzählweise und die vielen verschachtelten Sätze machen es non-native Speakern schwer, der Geschichte zu folgen. Oft musste ich Sätze zweimal lesen, um sie zu verstehen, obwohl ich mich des Englischen durchaus mächtig fühle.
Das Ende der Geschichte lässt zu viel Raum für Interpretation und lässt den Leser etwas im Unklaren. Aus heutiger Sicht wirkt die Geschichte leider etwas veraltet, obwohl man den sozialen Unterton, wenn man sich etwas mit der Zeit auseinandersetzt, durchaus erkennen kann.
Die altmodische Erzählweise und die vielen verschachtelten Sätze machen es non-native Speakern schwer, der Geschichte zu folgen. Oft musste ich Sätze zweimal lesen, um sie zu verstehen, obwohl ich mich des Englischen durchaus mächtig fühle.
Das Ende der Geschichte lässt zu viel Raum für Interpretation und lässt den Leser etwas im Unklaren. Aus heutiger Sicht wirkt die Geschichte leider etwas veraltet, obwohl man den sozialen Unterton, wenn man sich etwas mit der Zeit auseinandersetzt, durchaus erkennen kann.
January 10, 2018
This one was for October's book club and I just finished it, so it took me forever to read, despite its brevity. It is delightfully ambiguous and appropriately creepy, whether you believe the ghosts are real or not. The style takes some getting used to, but I eventually got into the rhythm of it and found it easier to follow. Read it on a dark and stormy night in front of a nice, cozy fire.
This edition is excellent, especially if you're interested in the very robust and ongoing critical discussion of the book. Some fun additional essays in here!
This edition is excellent, especially if you're interested in the very robust and ongoing critical discussion of the book. Some fun additional essays in here!
May 21, 2022
Henry James’s ghost story is uncharacteristic and truly unique His technique of endless description that makes the children seem cerebral lends an eerie and even more sinister vibe. One of the most important ghost stories ever.
March 8, 2024
Unfortunately I may have overhyped this book to myself as the precursor to Haunting of Hill House, and given that I was a bit distracted while reading it, it didn't dazzle me. I might have to give this a second pass another time.
February 14, 2017
No sir, I did not like it. These proper English folk were more concerned about propriety and manners than the freakin' ghosts in their house.
April 28, 2018
A classic ghost story in the gothic horror tradition, presented with some good criticism, too. Very readable edition.
October 31, 2018
3.5 stars
November 6, 2018
A bit hard to follow in some parts, but still quite interesting.
April 22, 2020
I had fun analyzing this story for class. The amount of ambiguity, narrator credibility, and sexual repression made for some very interesting arguments...
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September 19, 2023boo henry james is so boring but the criticism is all good and interesting
August 17, 2024
What an absolute slog. This has to be the least suspenseful horror story in the history of ever.
September 10, 2025
governess takes care of two sweet kids in a country house... until she starts seeing ghosts no one else can see.
Are they real, or is she spiraling into madness?
Are they real, or is she spiraling into madness?
February 12, 2012
I must admit a bias: I rarely have anything good to say about Henry James. An American attempting to be British (and claimed by both countries), James often tries too hard to maintain the traditional forms of fiction in an era of growing experimentation. One imagines James reading a lot of Dickens before sitting down to write. In short, he's a fuddy-duddy. Little wonder, then, that his finest book (in my opinion and in that of his reading public, at any rate) is the one he wrote most quickly, with the least forethought or artistry.
Not to suggest that "The Turn of the Screw" lacks a certain kind of craft. In fact, here James uses to great effect the device of the discovered journal, penned by an unreliable narrator and relayed by a similarly unreliable frame narrator. I think it's his use of a first-person narrator that allows James the freedom to get outside of his own voice in this book, to create a voice that is relatable and unsure in a way omniscient narrators can never be. As a founding text in the development of horror literature, this story also relies fully on that unsureness--the governess must always be in doubt of her own perceptions, must always suspect that Miles and Flora know more than they let on. This is horror at its finest--the unresolved, unseen, sinister force is not revealed and dismissed but instead serves as a catalyst for an investigation into the psychology of paranoia.
This Bedford/St. Martin's edition is particularly insightful, given Beidler's inclusion of historical documents and critical essays that provide context for reading the primary text. The only unfortunate aspect of this edition, strangely, is Beidler's introduction, which simplifies many of the current debates about James's sexuality and his relationship with his brother William.
Not to suggest that "The Turn of the Screw" lacks a certain kind of craft. In fact, here James uses to great effect the device of the discovered journal, penned by an unreliable narrator and relayed by a similarly unreliable frame narrator. I think it's his use of a first-person narrator that allows James the freedom to get outside of his own voice in this book, to create a voice that is relatable and unsure in a way omniscient narrators can never be. As a founding text in the development of horror literature, this story also relies fully on that unsureness--the governess must always be in doubt of her own perceptions, must always suspect that Miles and Flora know more than they let on. This is horror at its finest--the unresolved, unseen, sinister force is not revealed and dismissed but instead serves as a catalyst for an investigation into the psychology of paranoia.
This Bedford/St. Martin's edition is particularly insightful, given Beidler's inclusion of historical documents and critical essays that provide context for reading the primary text. The only unfortunate aspect of this edition, strangely, is Beidler's introduction, which simplifies many of the current debates about James's sexuality and his relationship with his brother William.
April 23, 2013
So as not to prejudice any prospective readings of The Turn of the Screw, (When you read this particular edition you will understand the reasoning behind my obsequious reticence) I would just like to relate my comments to something another reviewer drew attention to without sharing too much of my own opinion of the novel.
I had to read this during the second year of my English undergraduate course and it formed the basis of a wider study of critical and political theories (i.e Marxism, Feminism, Post colonialism etc) and how these could be applied to interpreting this and other texts (although, deciphering would probably be a more appropriate term as you'll probably find out yourself). To put it simply, I found the text too vague, yet at the same time painfully melodramatic especially in terms of the dialogue and of course, the eternally dumbfounding (in the least complimentary sense possible) narration.
I did however find the broad range of critical essays very useful and informative and i'd therefore like to give separate ratings for both the novel itself and this rather comprehensive (Beidler) edition.
Critical and Contextual Essays in this edition: 4/5
The novel: 2/5
I had to read this during the second year of my English undergraduate course and it formed the basis of a wider study of critical and political theories (i.e Marxism, Feminism, Post colonialism etc) and how these could be applied to interpreting this and other texts (although, deciphering would probably be a more appropriate term as you'll probably find out yourself). To put it simply, I found the text too vague, yet at the same time painfully melodramatic especially in terms of the dialogue and of course, the eternally dumbfounding (in the least complimentary sense possible) narration.
I did however find the broad range of critical essays very useful and informative and i'd therefore like to give separate ratings for both the novel itself and this rather comprehensive (Beidler) edition.
Critical and Contextual Essays in this edition: 4/5
The novel: 2/5
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