The Turn of the Screw | Henry James | Book Review

“I was dazzled by their loveliness.”

― The Turn of the Screw, Henry James 

Book Description

 

The book begins with a group of people sitting around the fire on a Christmas Eve telling each other horror stories. That is when a gentlemen starts reading a story from a manuscript written by his sister’s governess regarding an incident that had happened when she was 20.

 

The governess takes up a job in an isolated mansion, ‘The Bly Manor’, to look after and tutor two orphaned children Flora and Miles, promising her employer, the children’s uncle that she’ll by no means bother him with their upbringing.

 

The young governess thus starts her job on a hopeful and positive note and almost instantly becomes completely mesmerized with Flora’s exquisite beauty and disposition. But as soon as she arrives, she learns that Miles has been expelled from his school without any properly explained reason and starts apprehending about his early return with justifiable doubt about his character. She realizes her false fears immediately after meeting him, falls in love with both the children, and soulfully embraces them into her care.

 

Just as she starts settling down, things begin to get freaky. She starts seeing ghosts and confides to the housekeeper her fears and desperately tries to find ways to save the children from the ghosts.

 

The Turn of the Screw Book Review

 

This is my first book by Henry James and to be particularly honest, it’s up to my expectations. The book is not exactly long, often considered as a novella, but has exceptional details that demand full concentration of the reader.

 

James leaves adequate scope for imagination for his readers throughout the length of the book. And the story may get a little freaky at places, although there are no such portrayals of shocking horror. The depth of the fear solely depends upon the imagination of the reader, just like any other ghost story.

But there is something very unique and different in the treatment and execution of the story, and especially the ending, which is absolutely abrupt.

 

The Turn of the Screw has been interpreted in many different ways throughout the years. While some have explained it as a typical gothic ghost story, many have preferred to dive into its other implications.

 

In my opinion, the absolute understanding of the story and its suitable interpretation is only possible through the reader’s perspective. If you look into the layers of the story, you may find subtle hints of child abuse and elements of mistreatment, even though they are not clearly pronounced. However, they certainly leave enough scope for such interpretations. Alternatively, the story may be perceived as a representation of malicious children, their disposition been influenced by their childhood tragedies. On the other hand, it may come of as a complex psychological experience of the governess, since the entire story is being narrated from her point of view.

 

The character of the governess has many layers as well, still left to be explored, and provides enough opportunities to be critically evaluated by the reader.

 

Pros

 

The Turn of the Screw is an exceptional book, embedded with the genius storytelling of Henry James, that leaves you plenty of room to interpret it in any way you seem plausible.

Cons

 

May freak you out a little bit, depending on your imagination power. Also, the typical long sentences can be tough for the beginner reader.

 

Who Should Read It?

 

Any horror story fan, or fan of English literature will find the book extremely entertaining. While beginners or readers who doesn’t prefer Victorian literature for its language should avoid it, readers who anticipate a layered story that leaves place for analysis is good to go!

 

  

Until next time!

XOXO