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Summary: ghosts or goblins
Review: Henry James's tale is the last of the gothic Victorian novellas, with its richly developed sense of propriety-- a semblance of manners and understatement concealing primitive subliminal impulse. Its dense, symbolic language penetrates deeply into the psyche. There is evil here. But its emanation is ambiguous and amorphous. The characters exist in a pervasive atmosphere of dread. The exact source of that dread has intrigued readers since it was written before the turn the (20th) century. Central to James's fable is the character of the Governess. Was she deluded, predatory or ennobled? Her motives hold the key to the solution-- if there is a solution. James reveled in brooding, subversive sexual undercurrents. The suspense is ethereal since nothing is sure in James's painstakingly constructed psychological panorama. What is real here? Whose innocence is being corrupted? It's all a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, cloaked in a-- well, ghost story! But riddles are meant to be solved. James has provided us all the necessary clues. The text fills barely 88 pages, but the critical interpretation, covering a century, shows the enduring capacity of 'the Screw' to engage the imagination. The analyses mirrors our changing attitudes toward children, psychology and the nature of evil. The Norton Critical Edition includes an excellent survey of various commentaries over the decades, which provide fascinating insight into contemporary mores as they were pressed into decoding James's great puzzle.
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Summary: Don't waste your time
Review: this book was one that was icredibly boring. the writing style was heavy and way too detailed. this book could have been interesting but the writing style ruined it.
Rating:
Summary: Super!
Review: Though the long, twisting, winding, turning, never-ending sentances are hard to read for my little Junior-excuse for a brain, I really enjoyed this book for the author forms the words into realalistc characters. I can't decide, though, is it a story of a psyco or is Ms. Jessyl really a ghost?
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Summary: the book of ambivalence
Review: this book is certainly a masterpiece. It is short and well develop.Henry James's books are usually slow in developing their plot but this one due to its brevity is very quick in the evolution of its plot. This book could be called the book of ambivalence;nobody knows who is telling the truth or what is happening. the reader will enjoy it till the very surprising end.
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Summary: A Great, Thrilling Book!!
Review: I read this book in the 8th grade and although it was confusing at first, once i knew what it was all about, I realized how extraodinary this book is. There is always excitement and it makes me want to keep on turning pages and continue reading. This book contains mystery, excitement and all of the things that makes a book so great. I am so glad they made a movie to this also. It was a wonderful book!!!
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Summary: A Study In Sheer Psychological Terror
Review: I read The Turn of the Screw during the summer of my Freshman year of high school. I can definitely say that it was one of the most engaging and intense works of literature that I have ever had the pleasure to read. If the generic title of "horror story" tends to turn you off, please don't let any preconceived notions prevent you from picking up this book. It is by far one of the most provocative and psychologically terrifying books that I have ever read. I loved every bit of it.
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Summary: Still the Best of Its Kind
Review: Time has not dimmed the power of this supreme work of psychological suspense. The true father of the intelligent thriller was not Poe, with all respect, but James. "The Turn of the Screw" finds him at full force. Not a beach read, but, then, what of lasting value is? This work has never been touched by any work that attempted it's achievement, and it is unlikely that it ever will be. The only problem with the work is that it will spoil you when you try to go back to all of those fast-food "novels of suspense" that are being published. In this and other works such as "The Beast In the Jungle" James set the bar. No one has come close to raising it from where he set it yet. Read the book, see the opera, enjoy and be edified.
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Summary: A definate classic!
Review: The Turn of the Screw is a gripping piece of work filled with terror and unanswered questions. The horror and paranormal apparitions keeps all readers on the edge of their seats. It lacks a conclusion, but that adds to the need of the reader to use their imagination. Are the children being deceitful and the governess telling the truth, or do the children truely do not see the apparitions and this is just a story of a disturbed governess? What really happened to Miles? Are Mr. Quint and Miss Jessel trying to harm the children, or are they there to protect the children from an evil worse than themselves? This novella is packed with terror and is a must-read for all sorts of readers.
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Summary: Teaches a life lesson for all
Review: Although certainly an admirable "thriller" and a pretty decent read, there is a lesson in The Turn of the Screw that can be used throughout life: that many times what we see as realities are simply apparations created by our own imaginations. So for all the people who read this book, realize that what James wants all of us to ask ourselves is, "Are we fooling ourselves?"
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Summary: Not a ghost story at all!
Review: Some critics have passed Henry James's book off as a trues ghost story -- it's not. The Turn of the Screw is a tale that has been retold -- many times over by multiple narrators within the story -- since the governess wrote her original manuscript a few decades after the events took place. The apparitions are representations of the horrors the children witnessed at the hands of Mr. Quint and Miss Jessel. James leaves out the details of exactly what happened, so readers may develop their own conclusions. The sexual and supernatural ambiguities only heighten the reader's senses. The questions James leaves us with is: Were the children molested by Mr. Quint and Miss Jessel? Did the very young and impressionable children witness Mr. Quint and Miss Jessel, who were lovers, in an intimate act of passion? What kills little Miles in the end? The Turn of the Screw is an excellent tale of horror and suspense that leaves everything to the reader's imagination! Excellent book, however, the writing style is difficult at times to follow.
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