The Turn of the Screw

Well-crafted, taut personal drama that offers interesting insights and kept my attention throughout, making me wonder how it would all actually play out. The heroine is nothing special in herself, but she makes you root for her as she slowly begins to take charge of her life.

This was my first Henry James novel and I enjoyed it. This book was kind of sad. I felt bad for Catherine. Her mother dies after her birth; her father blames her even though she was an infant when her mother died. She grows up basically neglected by her father Dr. Sloper a wealthy physician he does nothing more than provide basic necessities like food, water, cloths and shelter for her. You can tell from the beginning that he resents her being alive and goes to great lengths to show that he can take her or leave her. Catherine is not shown affection, comfort or support from her father. So it's no wonder when a fortune hunter like Morris Townsend entices her with sympathy and attention that she falls for his schemes.

Morris Townsend is a fortune hunter who is in liaison with Catherine's aunt Lavinia who is scheming and plotting for her niece to marry Morris even though it is plain to see that Morris only wants the girl's money. Lavinia and Morris meet in secret quite a bit during this story to plan out how he will win Catherine and how to scheme for him to see her while her father is out of the house. It seems to be the only time Morris visits during the story. Lavinia doesn't change during the story she plots and schemes to the very end. Catherine has another aunt named Elizabeth who is basically a bystander in Catherine's life she really doesn't have much to contribute to the story and I'm not sure why she is even a character.

Catherine meets Morris at an evening party. She talks with him awhile and he appears to be gentlemen but most appearances can be deceiving. Morris asks if he can call on her which he does and so begins his courtship of Catherine. He gains Catherine's trust little by little and avoids Dr. Sloper whenever possible. Morris plays on Catherine's emotions knowing full well that there is an emotional disconnect with her father. He proposes marriage and when Catherine tells her father. Dr. Sloper tries to shut it down by asking his daughter to tour Europe for a few months with him. Dr. Sloper thinks that with time away and no contact with Morris that his daughter will give up the fortune hunter. Well unbeknownst to Dr. Sloper his sister Lavinia is passing correspondence between Morris and Catherine basically undoing all that he has tried to accomplish and when he finds out there is hell to pay. While in Europe her father takes her out on a drive far and away out in gods nowhere and casually threatens to leave her there saying that she's a sheep to slaughter anyway. Well Catherine doesn't back down from her father. Their rift is now larger than it was before their trip to Europe and neither one of them will relent which causes more hurt feelings on both sides.

After Catherine's long trip to Europe has ended she comes home to Morris. Morris has other ideas since her father will not give in then he is bowing out. Since he can not gain Catherine fortune through marriage he decides to give her the push. He tells her some lame excuse like I don't want to cause more problems with your father. So he leaves her to go else where. Catherine is so hurt by this that she actually goes to find him at his sisters and is turned away. The poor thing is actually begging it was so sad. After a bit she starts to receive letters from Morris as I suppose his type of closure to her but she doesn't respond back to him. One day after a number of years have passed and Catherine is older her father has died and she's alone taking care of her Aunt Lavinia. Well Lavinia hasn't finished scheming because she has invited Morris to call on Catherine. Morris returns trying to make a Roger Clemens style come back saying that he has always loved her and wants her back. Catherine is cold, cynical, bitter and far from being played like the school girl she was. Catherine tells him basically to hit the road and don't darken her doorstep again. Then she proceeds to set back down in her chair and go back to her knitting like nothing happen. Morris is upset and as he walks out Lavinia follows him and you can see that Morris hasn't changed by his attitude. Morris isn't happy to learn that Lavinia tricked him into coming to the house. I assume during their last secret meeting that Lavinia must have suggested Catherine still cared for him. Well he found out just how little she does care for him which is "not a button" as he put it.

All that old English writing makes it difficult to follow what is going on. Seems to ramble on and on even though it is a short novel. Screwy ending which leaves you wondering what happened. I saw the movie with Deborah Kerr playing the governess before I read the book. I think it is better to read the book before seeing the movie.

I love the classic stories. I also like when things were written many years ago how things were said differently a bit and love that about this book. Unique to me in the way the flow of the story happens and the mystery aspect is wonderful. A great read that is highly enjoyable.

I ordered The Turn of the Screw based upon something from one (I think it was The Daily Beast) contributor's article on the scariest books they ever read. Received prompt delivery, book is in perfect condition, and has been in my book que for a couple of weeks. With any luck, I'll start this book tomorrow.

Just a head's up for those looking to purchase this edition: the print is extremely small.

I'll update with an actual book review at a later date.

Oct 4 Update: Must admit that one of the Pros of this book is that it isn't very long but that might be tied to the :) extremely small print.

As far as "one of the scariest books"? In my opinion, no.

Admit I found comfort in knowing I wasn't the only one who found the writing style difficult to read and I'm always up for a challenge. What was most difficult for me was the punctuation even though I realize the tale is told from the POV of the governess and she tries, but is really confused, to understand what's going on, or even if it IS going on, with the two children and the ghosts, who might actually be possessing the children, not all the time though, but only at times, and the governess is so certain that the children see and communicate with the ghosts, so they must be ghosts, yes?

My advice? Skip this book and watch The Innocents starring Deborah Kerr and Peter Wyngarde (Burn Witch Burn). It's available on the store Instant Video and free for those of us having Prime membership.

This is one of my favorite books by Henry James. I have read it several times. There is no point giving my opinion regarding the ghosts. Some believe one way; some believe the other. Definitely worth reading. (My other favorite is The Golden Bowl.)

This is one of my favorite books by Henry James. I have read it several times. There is no point giving my opinion regarding the ghosts. Some believe one way; some believe the other. Definitely worth reading. (My other favorite is The Golden Bowl.)

If you've the breath for reading long winded sentences that seem to go on forever and lack the brevity more often found in suspenseful writing in the modern era of horror novelists such as Stephen King---you get my meaning? Good story but the style of writing makes it somewhat tedious to read. But that was how things were written then. Worth the $$$ to read though.

The Turn of the Screw was required reading when I was in High School. I don't know why I decided to read it again (yawn). I love Dickens, so I thought I would give Henry James a go. It took awhile to get used to the compound, complex, run-on sentences; as well as, the use of archaic words; which, I had to look up the meaning and tolerate the constant interruption in the flow of the story. The Turn of the Screw is a ponderous read. I slept through most of it. I highly recommend it to insomniacs. It beats sleeping pills. Not so much if you like a more lively book.

If you like stories such as "Jane Eyre" or "Little Women"; you'll probably like this. I actually saw the movie "The Heiress" with Olivia deHaviland and Montgomery Cliff, and this is the story that movie is based on. It also was remade as "Washington Square" with Jennifer Jason Leigh and Ben Chaplan. It's the story of a poor rich girl in late 1800 New York. Shy and reclusive Catherine, her successful and demanding Father, and the "New kid in town" , Morris Townsend. Henry James weaved a fascinating tapestry of relationship dynamics into this tale. Very well developed and multi-dimensional story telling. I loved it.

James writes some of the most elegant prose in English, and here he applies it to the perfect ghost story. Stately and deliberate in pace, and full of the images and tropes that have defined ghost stories for much of the last century. Worth revisiting.

are of an older, before later 19th cent, style that is a bit too stilted.. this was an earlier book, if not James' first, and it shows. Ah, early efforts, all writers have them, it's fascinating to see the progression of a writer over time and their development. This is a great place to start...

The story is quite melodramatic in the spirit of the time in which it was written. The prose is verbose and sometimes convoluted. Nevertheless, I was engaged and eager for the conclusion to be revealed.

I liked this book, but it was definitely creepy!!! I found myself becoming unsettled fairly early on, and it only got worse.as the book progressed. Old-style writing, naturally, but still easy enough to get into to give you some uneasy dreams if you read it at night.

An excellent mystery/horror novel! When I was in 12th grade, my class was assigned this book to read and I absolutely loved it. The characters are done with depth but also have a mystery. You cannot be sure what is exactly happening until the very end. Even still, the author does not end the book with an answer but a question mark. Is the governess really mad or are those kids demon possessed monsters. And what about the mysterious uncle that never makes an appearence in our book? This book will keep you guessing, that is for sure.

I loved the characters. Especially the doctor. I thought that the twist would have been that the doctor would fall in love with Townsend’s sister. However, the ending for me was kind of anti climatic.

115 years afters it's publication, The Turn Of The Screw is still a good read. I struggled a little with the language at the start but once I got into the flow of the book I found it a quick read. Once of the first psychological ghost stories and has inspired hundreds of stories. I was very much reminded of the film The Orphanage [Blu-ray] by Guillermo Del Toro whilst reading. Whilst the elements are familiar to anyone with an interest in the genre, it says much that I found the ending to be so thrilling, and indeed, chilling.

Excellent, short classic Henry James depiction of a disfunctional family in mid-nineteenth century New York. Worth reading, even if you have seen the original movie, which has a clever but not authentic ending.

Washington Square by Henry James is a good story which I bought for an English College class. I didn't particularly like how most of the story was concentrated on the home setting of the "Washington Square" part of town, but hey that's what the book is called right? For those wanting a slow but interesting classic read I recommend it.

Great novel, wonderfully written.
What i loved is the fact that nowhere in the book seem to be dull moments or chapter where the tension eases. Whenever the "action" seems to be slowing down, you can still feel tension crawling up behind your back.