A review by richardwiggins
The Turn of the Screw and Other Stories by Henry James
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.