cajunliterarybelle's review
2.0
Henry James, oh how longwinded he is. I enjoyed his story “Daisy Miller”, when I read it in college for an American literature class. The imagery in that story is beautifully written. The other 4 stories in this volume, though, have made me feel mentally exhausted and simply emotionally “done” with the book much before the ending.
“The Turn of the Screw” … what even happened in that story? Was the governess crazy or are the children out of their minds? Those answers and more are left to interpretation, but after the buildup of suspense towards what would become of the children with these supposed ghosts walking about, I needed some form of closure.
“Washington Square” is a quite long story compared to the others and felt very Jane Austen-esque to me. The family loyalty from the daughter, the refusal of the father to accept his daughter’s choice for marriage, the unclear actual motivations of her suitor, the meddlesome aunt … the basics of the plot felt timeless, but the point dragged on and on. It was the most disappointing “will they, won’t they” story I’ve ever read or heard.
From what I gathered of “The Beast in the Jungle”, the man was afraid of love sneaking up on him. He lived his whole life in fear of allowing himself to be open to another … until she died? How depressing.
There was nothing “jolly” for me about “The Jolly Corner”. Perhaps by the time I got to the narrative I was too drained from James’s incessant ramblings, but I found this one weird in a bad way and confusing from start to finish.
Henry James’s stories seem to have a theme about them: mildly confusing as you read, but irrevocably confusing upon thinking too hard on the action and characters due to all the possibilities he meant.
“The Turn of the Screw” … what even happened in that story? Was the governess crazy or are the children out of their minds? Those answers and more are left to interpretation, but after the buildup of suspense towards what would become of the children with these supposed ghosts walking about, I needed some form of closure.
“Washington Square” is a quite long story compared to the others and felt very Jane Austen-esque to me. The family loyalty from the daughter, the refusal of the father to accept his daughter’s choice for marriage, the unclear actual motivations of her suitor, the meddlesome aunt … the basics of the plot felt timeless, but the point dragged on and on. It was the most disappointing “will they, won’t they” story I’ve ever read or heard.
From what I gathered of “The Beast in the Jungle”, the man was afraid of love sneaking up on him. He lived his whole life in fear of allowing himself to be open to another … until she died? How depressing.
There was nothing “jolly” for me about “The Jolly Corner”. Perhaps by the time I got to the narrative I was too drained from James’s incessant ramblings, but I found this one weird in a bad way and confusing from start to finish.
Henry James’s stories seem to have a theme about them: mildly confusing as you read, but irrevocably confusing upon thinking too hard on the action and characters due to all the possibilities he meant.
infinitelibrary's review
3.0
Only read the intro and main story. Quite liked the ambiguous nature of it but would perhaps prefer a film version more.
danahuff's review
5.0
The Turn of the Screw is probably one of the best creepy Victorian "ghost" stories. It tells the story of Miss Jessel, a governess hired to take care of a creepy boy and girl who are being haunted by the ghosts of their former governess and a servant. This novella offers up chills without the horror movie shlock that passes for scary today.
Of the other stories in this collection, I have only read Daisy Miller, the sad tale of an American out of her element in Europe. I don't remember liking it much, but it was required reading for a course.
Of the other stories in this collection, I have only read Daisy Miller, the sad tale of an American out of her element in Europe. I don't remember liking it much, but it was required reading for a course.
katibruneau's review
4.0
I didn't actually get to read this book. My english professor seemed to think it possible to read the entire thing between one class and the next. Therefore, I didn't even start because I figured I would never finish. However, the sparknotes made it sound really interesting and kinda made me feel bad for never having a chance to pick up the book ):
maryparapluie's review
3.0
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.
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.
davybaby's review against another edition
2.0
As with any collection, it was hit and miss. I don't think I have the patience for James's long, convoluted sentences right now.
The Turn of the Screw: 2 stars. So much Victorian, with the winding, comma-infested sentences, circling back, and, like a dachshund licking its genitals, though no one asked it to, despite the angelic beast's regal stature and charming demeanor, it comes down to self-indulgence, and - hey! have the decency not to lick your balls while I'm trying to read you! - till they inevitably reach their conclusions, far beyond the point of incomprehensibility. I zoned out for paragraphs at a time.
Washington Square: 3 stars. Straightforward drama of rich folks dealing with the difficulties of being rich.
Daisy Miller: 2.5 stars. Ditto.
The Beast In the Jungle: 3 stars. I'm sensing a pattern here.
The Jolly Corner: Did not finish. I was ready to move on.
The Turn of the Screw: 2 stars. So much Victorian, with the winding, comma-infested sentences, circling back, and, like a dachshund licking its genitals, though no one asked it to, despite the angelic beast's regal stature and charming demeanor, it comes down to self-indulgence, and - hey! have the decency not to lick your balls while I'm trying to read you! - till they inevitably reach their conclusions, far beyond the point of incomprehensibility. I zoned out for paragraphs at a time.
Washington Square: 3 stars. Straightforward drama of rich folks dealing with the difficulties of being rich.
Daisy Miller: 2.5 stars. Ditto.
The Beast In the Jungle: 3 stars. I'm sensing a pattern here.
The Jolly Corner: Did not finish. I was ready to move on.
scarylions's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
the1germ's review
2.0
Only read The Turn of the Screw. It was a labor to read. Long, rambling sentences overshadowed only by even longer paragraphs spanning several pages. The ghost story was okay, I guess, but Henry James uses 500 words to accomplish what he could with 5, and I found myself mostly skimming to find where he gets to the point.
jayrothermel's review
5.0
The Turn of the Screw novella is very strong. Glad I finally caught up with it.