The Turn of the Screw and Other Short Fiction

by Henry James

"The Turn of the Screw", one of Henry James's most popular novellas, is an intense psychological tale of terror. In an old house on Christmas Eve a Governess comes to live with and take care of two young children. The Governess loves her new position in charge of the children, however she is soon disturbed when she begins to see ghosts. This classic story is included in this volume with the three other following "The Friends of the Friends", "Owen Wingrave", and "Sir Edmond Orme".

Genres: Classics, Horror, Short Stories, Gothic, Fiction, Audiobook, Ghosts

126 pages, Kindle Edition

About the author

Henry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."

Reviews

[Michael Fierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I have been a huge fan of several film versions, I had been wanting to read this for a few decades now and have owned the book for many years. I never did care for the particular cover edition I own and that may have been why I waited so long to finally read it.

Originally published in October of 1898 it is written in a high prose and has become one of the most memorable ghost stories ever published, and a fine example of classic literature.

The Turn of the Screw is about a woman known as the governess, hired on to take care of two orphans, Miles and Flora, who turn out to be very different than could ever be expected.

The boy, Miles, attends a boarding school, while his younger sister, Flora, lives at a summer country house in Essex, known as Bly. She and the estate had been currently cared for by the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose. Miles and Flora's uncle, upon hiring, gives the governess full charge of the children insisting that she not bother him with communications of any sort, and to take control of raising the children, including all responsibility of governing the spooky estate.

This leads her on what she thinks in going to be a dream-come-true adventure, but is in all seriousness, a true living nightmare.

The ghosts that come into play is the great mystery here so I won't say much about them. I can say that the characters and storyline infused some very dark imagery in my mind that was truly unforgettable.

The connection between the governess and the two children, Miles and Flora, is as frightening as it is endearing.

The ending is chilling, confusing and heartrending.

*Many argue that The Turn of the Screw isn't a ghost story at all. I could list several reasons why I believe it is. But I think that would ruin it for anyone reading this review, and many would dispute my reasoning anyway, regardless of what I'd have to say about it.

Something you DO need to know before you read this: This side of Shakespeare or The Bible, it is just about THE stuffiest writing I have ever read in my life!

I don't think there would be any argument that Henry James must have worn the stuffiest shirt in existence! However, many have said that he was a most agreeable chap, one quote by him even stating how important it is to be kind.

I've always enjoyed older antiquarian fiction, especially Victorian ghost stories, and Gothic tales, and a lot of it is because of the language and the writing. However, even though it is only about 100 pages long, it took me nearly 70 to completely relax and get into the writing style. Though I did enjoy it, I am not a fan of his style and feel it overshadows what is otherwise an incredible story.

If you plan on reading this, I suggest you do so fully rested and with a clear head. If you don't, I think you will find yourself re-reading sentences over and over again, and not liking it one bit.

Though I've given it a pretty high rating of 4 stars this is one of those few, rare examples I have a complete understanding of why people hated it, even those who gave it only 1 star (Karen, I'm thinking of you! Damn, your review made me hella laugh though!) --NO DOUBT THIS BOOK CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ENJOY.

**BUT, JUST IN CASE IT IS NOT CLEAR, I LIKED IT VERY MUCH!

I believe almost all of the film versions are maybe even more enjoyable than the novella. To see this storyline unfold on the screen is a captivating experience. The best version is The Innocents directed by Jack Clayton with stark black and white imagery filmed by cinematographer Freddie Francis, the governess played by the wonderful, Deborah Kerr. The children in this adaptation are perfectly cast as well and really do seem to be brother and sister, having similar facial features and expressions. Other fine though very different versions are the enjoyable, intricate The Turn of the Screw (1974) directed by Dan Curtis, starring Lynn Redgrave, the bizarre, sometimes surreal, and seemingly unrelated to the source material, version called Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) directed by Jacques Rivette, the very strange Argentinian Otra vuelta de tuerca (1985), the mostly inferior The Turn of the Screw (1992) starring Patsy Kensit, the mostly laughable disguised version called,The Haunting of Helen Walker (1995) starring Valerie Bertinelli(!), the watchable, mostly enjoyable PBS production, The Turn of the Screw (1999) starring Caroline Pegg, the uncle played by Colin Firth, the almost decent but shoddy Presence of Mind (1999) with a cast that includes Sadie Frost, Lauren Bacall, Harvey Keitel & Jude Law, the watchable but low budget, Ghost Story: The Turn of the Screw (2009) starring nobody you probably know, Michelle Dockery, and two eerie looking kids. There's also at least one musical version, an opera, of which I've never seen.

***Recommended to those who love Victorian Ghost Stories and Gothic tales!

[Clara Mundy]

the variation between these stories from spooky haunted house narratives to heartbreaking examinations of the plights of girlhood…henry was attacking from all angles

“It seemed to be he, and yet not he; it was the man who had been everything, and yet this person was nothing. How long ago it was—how old she had grown—how much she had lived! She had lived on something that was connected with him, and she had consumed it in doing so.”

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one to rate because it's five short nouvelles (as James would call them) in one book, and I would argue that they're of varying quality.

The best, I believe, is "The Beast in the Jungle"-- I would give that five stars if it were on its own. I would give "Daisy Miller" and maybe "The Jolly Corner" four stars, "The Turn of the Screw" three stars... and then I absolutely hated "Washington Square."

"The Jolly Corner" and "The Turn of the Screw" are ghost stories, which makes them especially interesting for this format.

Hilariously enough, according to Wikipedia, "'Everybody likes Washington Square, even the denigrators of Henry James', wrote critic Donald Hall[2], and most other commentators have echoed the sentiment. Although James himself regarded the novel with near contempt, readers have enjoyed its linear narrative technique, its straightforward prose (far removed from the convoluted language of James's later career), and the sharply etched portraits of the four main characters. Even the rusty plot revolving around "the will" has charmed many critics with its old-fashioned simplicity."

Give me that convoluted language, I guess.

[Gmaharriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a collection of 5 shortish stories, of which I was only interested in The Turn of the Screw at this time. Written in 1897, it has a very different feel from more modern horror stories such as those written by Stephen King or even Shirley Jackson in the 1950's.

*Spoilers ahead* The two spirits, who wish to corrupt the two young, beautiful, brilliant and talented children under the tutelage of a woman who senses the evil and wants to protect them, don't specify in what form this corruption will take. In a modern story we might suspect vampires, devil worship or sexual perversion, but the story gives us no indication of what the spirits want. Therefore, although we are given hints that the spirits are winning, we don't really know just what's at stake or whether there is any danger to other members of the household.

I found the story an enjoyable read, but was left with a lot of questions. Even the introduction which discussed James' other work and biographical information didn't clear up very much. So I'd have to say I was disappointed and left feeling a bit foolish...unable to fully understand what I just finished reading.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd originally bought this years ago after reading Portrait of a Lady and loving it, but some of the stories sounded scary, so I didn't read it until earlier this year when we read Turn of the Screw in a facebook book club, and I kept reading the other stories, one a month.

Each story is deeply psychological, with most taking place almost entirely in the minds of the characters. None of them are scary, which is good for horror wimps like me.

James is a master storyteller, and his stories are intense, compelling, and keep you turning the page, wondering what will happen next. You'll be hooked on Henry James' stories before you even know it.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked these stories because they are just the appropriate amount of creepy. A lot is left up to the reader's interpretation, and that makes them more believable than most horror or ghost stories I have read. I liked this book much more than I thought I would.

[Susan Kinnevy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh so good, I'd forgotten how much I liked these stories and how much I like Henry James. The tension builds so slowly and economically, it at first seems a bi overwrought, until you catch up with it.

[John Danek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Style of writing: anti-Hemingway. Long, complex run-on sentences portraying human frailty and emotion . However, some of the best psychological fiction I’ve read. Five classic novellas worth one’s time.

[Katrinka · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I get older, it seems James becomes less enjoyable. Then again, starting this book off with "The Turn of the Screw," which is so hilariously uptight even I failed to be scared, probably influences things in negative fashion.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read it three times. And each time it's like I'm experiencing a completely different story. It is a treasure.

[Talmadge Boyd · Rating 1 out of 5]

24 hours that I cannot recover.

[Crystal Ellyson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Turn of the Screw Review!!!

This book was not one of my favorite books. I just couldn't get into this book. I got bored with the book.