bickleyhouse's review against another edition
4.0
I have wanted to read this ever since someone informed me that the title story was the basis for Mike Flanagan's Netflix series, The Haunting of Bly Manor. So when I found this book at a little shop on the square in Glen Rose, I snatched it up.
Just like The Haunting of Hill House, the Netflix series is very loosely based on the short story. It's a long short story, and perhaps could even be called a novella, coming in at 156 pages of the 316 page book. James's writing is from the early 20th century and is not easy for me to read, because I'm so used to modern writing. It was, nevertheless, fulfilling.
I'm not sure that I would categorize the titular tale as "horror," although it certainly lends itself to that. It is definitely a "ghost story," even if the ghosts in question are only in the imagination of our main character. The story is told from the perspective of the nameless character, who is visiting with someone whom we only know as "Douglas." Douglas brings out this manuscript that was allegedly sent to him by the woman who winds up being the governess of the two children, Miles and Flora, at Bly Manor. As far as I remember, this governess remains nameless. Flanagan gave her the name Dani Clayton.
The mystery has to do with what happened to the previous governess, known as Miss Jessel. She is said to have left under mysterious circumstances, and then died. We are not told how she died. There is also a mysterious male involved, known as Quint. Early in the story, the governess sees Quint in various places around the manor. Eventually, she begins to see Miss Jessel, as well, especially outside around the small lake on the property.
Her relationship with the children begins well, but later on begins to deteriorate. The governess imagines that the children are seeing the same apparitions as she, but we never know for sure. It's truly a psychological puzzle, as the blurb on the back cover says. "Are the two children innocent or corrupt? Do ghost have evil power over them--or over their young governess?"
As I was having a conversation with a coworker at the library (I believe she is one of the people who informed me that this story is the basis for the Netflix series), the question came up, were there ghosts, or was she crazy?
I confess that that possibility had not even occurred to me, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that to be the case. At any rate, the ending is a bit shocking, if what I think happened is what really happened. That's another thing with James. It's a little difficult to figure out exactly what transpired at the end.
But he does a great job of conveying the psychological mystery.
There are three other stories in this volume. The Pupil, The Tree of Knowledge, and The Figure in the Carpet. None of these is as spooky as the titular story, but still delve into the psychology of human beings.
The Pupil is quite similar to Turn of the Screw in that it deals with a young man who becomes a tutor for a boy who lives with his parents. They travel a lot, and he travels with them. By the end of the story, I believe the boy is at least fifteen years old. The relationships between the boy and his parents, the parents with each other, the tutor with the boy, and the tutor with the parents, are all quite complex. They are made even more so as the parents contrive to constantly get away without paying the young man for his services. Once again, we have a somewhat shocking ending to the story.
The Tree of Knowledge was perhaps a little difficult to grasp. Once again, there is a family, the Mallows, who have a son named Lancelot, and a friend named Peter Brench. Brench is in love with Mrs. Mallow, but never really tells anyone about it. Lancelot has attempted to go to university, but doesn't do well and wants to become an artist.
And The Figure in the Carpet, while giving us a totally different type of circumstance, still has the interplay of various relationships. This tale is about a literary critic who becomes obsessed with discovering the secret of one particular author's work, to the point that it damages every relationship he has.
John Felstiner writes an essay at the end of this book, simply called "To the Reader." In this, he says that James's central preoccupation is "the exposure of innocence, and the precarious movement of mind from ignorance to knowledge." That statement, vague as it may sound (especially if one has not read this work), actually helped me in understanding all of the tales. They are quite a bit deeper than surface level.
There is also a segment in this volume, called "Notes on the Stories," to which no author is credited, that also gave a little more understanding for each one. Finally, the book concludes with a brief biographical sketch of Henry James (in which I learned that Henry was actually the brother of philosopher William James) and a selected bibliography.
All in all, it was enjoyable (probably closer to 3.5 stars), but will not be retained on my shelf, as I have no desire to read it again.
Just like The Haunting of Hill House, the Netflix series is very loosely based on the short story. It's a long short story, and perhaps could even be called a novella, coming in at 156 pages of the 316 page book. James's writing is from the early 20th century and is not easy for me to read, because I'm so used to modern writing. It was, nevertheless, fulfilling.
I'm not sure that I would categorize the titular tale as "horror," although it certainly lends itself to that. It is definitely a "ghost story," even if the ghosts in question are only in the imagination of our main character. The story is told from the perspective of the nameless character, who is visiting with someone whom we only know as "Douglas." Douglas brings out this manuscript that was allegedly sent to him by the woman who winds up being the governess of the two children, Miles and Flora, at Bly Manor. As far as I remember, this governess remains nameless. Flanagan gave her the name Dani Clayton.
The mystery has to do with what happened to the previous governess, known as Miss Jessel. She is said to have left under mysterious circumstances, and then died. We are not told how she died. There is also a mysterious male involved, known as Quint. Early in the story, the governess sees Quint in various places around the manor. Eventually, she begins to see Miss Jessel, as well, especially outside around the small lake on the property.
Her relationship with the children begins well, but later on begins to deteriorate. The governess imagines that the children are seeing the same apparitions as she, but we never know for sure. It's truly a psychological puzzle, as the blurb on the back cover says. "Are the two children innocent or corrupt? Do ghost have evil power over them--or over their young governess?"
As I was having a conversation with a coworker at the library (I believe she is one of the people who informed me that this story is the basis for the Netflix series), the question came up, were there ghosts, or was she crazy?
I confess that that possibility had not even occurred to me, but the more I think about it, the more I believe that to be the case. At any rate, the ending is a bit shocking, if what I think happened is what really happened. That's another thing with James. It's a little difficult to figure out exactly what transpired at the end.
But he does a great job of conveying the psychological mystery.
There are three other stories in this volume. The Pupil, The Tree of Knowledge, and The Figure in the Carpet. None of these is as spooky as the titular story, but still delve into the psychology of human beings.
The Pupil is quite similar to Turn of the Screw in that it deals with a young man who becomes a tutor for a boy who lives with his parents. They travel a lot, and he travels with them. By the end of the story, I believe the boy is at least fifteen years old. The relationships between the boy and his parents, the parents with each other, the tutor with the boy, and the tutor with the parents, are all quite complex. They are made even more so as the parents contrive to constantly get away without paying the young man for his services. Once again, we have a somewhat shocking ending to the story.
The Tree of Knowledge was perhaps a little difficult to grasp. Once again, there is a family, the Mallows, who have a son named Lancelot, and a friend named Peter Brench. Brench is in love with Mrs. Mallow, but never really tells anyone about it. Lancelot has attempted to go to university, but doesn't do well and wants to become an artist.
And The Figure in the Carpet, while giving us a totally different type of circumstance, still has the interplay of various relationships. This tale is about a literary critic who becomes obsessed with discovering the secret of one particular author's work, to the point that it damages every relationship he has.
John Felstiner writes an essay at the end of this book, simply called "To the Reader." In this, he says that James's central preoccupation is "the exposure of innocence, and the precarious movement of mind from ignorance to knowledge." That statement, vague as it may sound (especially if one has not read this work), actually helped me in understanding all of the tales. They are quite a bit deeper than surface level.
There is also a segment in this volume, called "Notes on the Stories," to which no author is credited, that also gave a little more understanding for each one. Finally, the book concludes with a brief biographical sketch of Henry James (in which I learned that Henry was actually the brother of philosopher William James) and a selected bibliography.
All in all, it was enjoyable (probably closer to 3.5 stars), but will not be retained on my shelf, as I have no desire to read it again.
olgareads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Quite dense writing even for the time, but very tense and atmospheric. I think these stories are far better enjoyed when you consider their various interpretations; the ambiguous, the unspoken, the gaps in what is narrated and what isn't definitely unsettles more than the ghosts themselves. There are quite a lot of interesting readings of 'The Turn of the Screw' – feminist, class, abuse, etc. – and I really liked 'The Friends of the Friends' as well – interesting take on jealousy and a very tragic concept.
theoverindulged's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Confirmation that 19th century literature is just, not for me.
greenpeppers3's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
rosielazar1's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
richardwiggins's review against another edition
4.0
In London people sometimes leave piles of old books outside their houses on the pavement, in case passers by want to take any of them. At least 18 months ago I found an battered copy of this book, which I have since glued and taped back together.
I’m not a reader, or at least I haven’t been until about 6 weeks ago, so tackling my first three pieces of late 19th century fiction was a tall order for me. It was a slow but pleasant experience. Some chapters whipped by, but others I had to study to take in the full meaning.
Stories one and three are linked by ghosts / apparitions. The Turn of the Screw is a genuinely scary story, though subtle in its scares. The language is formal and florid (remember I only have 20th / 21st fiction to compare this to) so you get a slow, creeping style of horror. There is never a sudden shock or revelation that you have not been prepared for. The Victorian context in which it was written is important because the scares often come when the character’s ridged ideas of “proper behaviour” and order are challenged. In that way, both this and The Third Person are radical pieces of fiction, deliberately challenging the readers idea of how society should run. Though, this third story is far, far funnier than the first and as a result was my favourite of the three. The ghost provides little menace, rather acts as a device through we can get to know two completely different distant cousins who find themselves living in an old relative’s house. You get a great odd couple dynamic, comparing their diverse reactions to the ghost.
Stories one and two are linked by troubled, precocious children with terrible parents who’s knowledge far outstrips those you’d typically see in “little charges”. The Turn of the Screw finds significant terror in slowly introducing the disobedient and manipulative elements of the children. I fully believed in the ghost throughout the book and that they had taken to instructing the children and leading them to destructive behaviours. The child in The Pupil couldn’t be more different. This sickly and brilliant 10-13 year old does everything he can to reveal to the protagonist that his parents are abusing and manipulating him. He is a tragic character the decency of whom far outstrips that of the family they have come from.
I would like to re-read these once Inam more confident with my reading and see what extra details I can pick up / further appreciation I can take from these stories. It’s definitely made me interested in dipping into some of the great gothic novels.
I’m not a reader, or at least I haven’t been until about 6 weeks ago, so tackling my first three pieces of late 19th century fiction was a tall order for me. It was a slow but pleasant experience. Some chapters whipped by, but others I had to study to take in the full meaning.
Stories one and three are linked by ghosts / apparitions. The Turn of the Screw is a genuinely scary story, though subtle in its scares. The language is formal and florid (remember I only have 20th / 21st fiction to compare this to) so you get a slow, creeping style of horror. There is never a sudden shock or revelation that you have not been prepared for. The Victorian context in which it was written is important because the scares often come when the character’s ridged ideas of “proper behaviour” and order are challenged. In that way, both this and The Third Person are radical pieces of fiction, deliberately challenging the readers idea of how society should run. Though, this third story is far, far funnier than the first and as a result was my favourite of the three. The ghost provides little menace, rather acts as a device through we can get to know two completely different distant cousins who find themselves living in an old relative’s house. You get a great odd couple dynamic, comparing their diverse reactions to the ghost.
Stories one and two are linked by troubled, precocious children with terrible parents who’s knowledge far outstrips those you’d typically see in “little charges”. The Turn of the Screw finds significant terror in slowly introducing the disobedient and manipulative elements of the children. I fully believed in the ghost throughout the book and that they had taken to instructing the children and leading them to destructive behaviours. The child in The Pupil couldn’t be more different. This sickly and brilliant 10-13 year old does everything he can to reveal to the protagonist that his parents are abusing and manipulating him. He is a tragic character the decency of whom far outstrips that of the family they have come from.
I would like to re-read these once Inam more confident with my reading and see what extra details I can pick up / further appreciation I can take from these stories. It’s definitely made me interested in dipping into some of the great gothic novels.
susannagb_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
circularcubes's review against another edition
This book was absolutely awful. I came in, perhaps, with high expectations, having seen and enjoyed both The Innocents and The Others. I found it to be dreadfully written, with dialogue that made me want to fling the book against the wall. I had no idea what was going on half the time, and instead of being intrigued by the unstable narrator, I was completely confused as to what was going on. There were two other short stories in this version of the book, but I didn't even bother to give them a try.
mags_louise's review against another edition
4.0
4.5⭐
I've never read any Henry James stories before. But I've always been intrigued by his writing style and especially by The Turn of the Screw. And I have to say once you get used to the writing style it's a very fascinating and complex read. That gets you the reader thinking! And the other stories featured in this collection all explore the same themes in different yet very engaging ways and it's a very worthwhile read.
I've never read any Henry James stories before. But I've always been intrigued by his writing style and especially by The Turn of the Screw. And I have to say once you get used to the writing style it's a very fascinating and complex read. That gets you the reader thinking! And the other stories featured in this collection all explore the same themes in different yet very engaging ways and it's a very worthwhile read.