The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a classic gothic horror novel, but does it live up to its reputation? With an eerie atmosphere, an unreliable narrator, and an ambiguous mystery at its core, this novella has intrigued and frustrated readers for over a century. While some find its psychological depth compelling, others struggle with its dense prose and slow pacing. In this post, I dive into my thoughts on this unsettling classic and whether it still holds up today.
Title: The Turn of the Screw
By: Henry James
Genre: Horror
Pages: 121
Release Date: 1898
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Summary from Goodreads:
The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James that first appeared in serial format in Collier's Weekly magazine (January 27 - April 16, 1898). In October 1898 it appeared in The Two Magics, a book published by Macmillan in New York City and Heinemann in London.
A very young woman's first job: governess for two weirdly beautiful, strangely distant, oddly silent children, Miles and Flora, at a forlorn estate... An estate haunted by a beckoning evil. Half-seen figures who glare from dark towers and dusty windows- silent, foul phantoms who, day by day, night by night, come closer, ever closer. With growing horror, the helpless governess realizes the fiendish creatures want the children, seeking to corrupt their bodies, possess their minds, own their souls. But worse-much worse- the governess discovers that Miles and Flora have no terror of the lurking evil. For they want the walking dead as badly as the dead want them.
Review:
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James was an odd read for me. I expected a chilling ghost story, but instead, I found a slow, ambiguous tale that felt more confusing than scary. The dense writing and unreliable narration made it hard to stay engaged, and while the eerie atmosphere had potential, it never quite delivered on true horror. That said, I can appreciate its influence on the genre, especially considering it was written in 1898. It just didn’t have the impact I was hoping for. A classic, but not a favorite.
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