The Turn of the Screw in Retro Chapter Chicks

Oct 10, 2016 Candi rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics-shelf, book-i-own, horror-creepy

2.5 stars rounded up.

A young governess is hired to care for the young niece and nephew of an unmarried man who acts as guardian of the two following the death of their parents. One condition must be upheld, however – the governess is not for any reason or by any means to contact her new employer. This seemed to me a daunting task and one which I am not certain would appeal to me in the least. The young governess, however, is charmed by the gentleman and agrees to his request. Her story, detaile 2.5 stars rounded up.

A young governess is hired to care for the young niece and nephew of an unmarried man who acts as guardian of the two following the death of their parents. One condition must be upheld, however – the governess is not for any reason or by any means to contact her new employer. This seemed to me a daunting task and one which I am not certain would appeal to me in the least. The young governess, however, is charmed by the gentleman and agrees to his request. Her story, detailed in the form of a journal, is told years later and we as readers are privy to the psychological turmoil of this young woman. The question becomes whether her distress is based on reality or if her imagination has run wild due to loss of sanity. Each reader will arrive at a different conclusion to this story.

I have been eager to bury myself in this novella for some years now. When I discovered that a group read of this was planned, I took the opportunity to dust off my copy and dive in. It started off as well as I had hoped. I was intrigued; the stage for a satisfying gothic tale was set. After her arrival, the young governess receives a letter indicating that one of her new charges, Miles, is being sent home from boarding school. No reason for the expulsion is provided. Upon meeting Miles and his younger sister, Flora, our protagonist decides there is nothing these two beautiful and angelic creatures could do wrong. She shoulders her responsibility with determination and devotion. Then one day, as she walks upon the grounds, the governess encounters an unwelcome and menacing visitor standing in the tower of the estate house at Bly.

"It was as if, while I took in – what I did take in – all the rest of the scene had been stricken with death. I can hear again, as I write, the intense hush in which the sounds of evening dropped. The rooks stopped cawing in the golden sky, and the friendly hour lost, for the minute, all its voice. But there was no other change in nature, unless indeed it were a change that I saw with a stranger sharpness. The gold was still in the sky, the clearness in the air, and the man who looked at me over the battlements was as definite as a picture in a frame. That’s how I thought, with extraordinary quickness, of each person that he might have been and that he was not… Was there a ‘secret’ at Bly – a mystery of Udolpho or an insane, an unmentionable relative kept in unsuspected confinement?"

One sighting is followed by another and our young governess notes that there exist not one but two beings seemingly haunting the grounds of Bly. She becomes convinced that these phantoms are those of her predecessor, the former governess Miss Jessel, and that of Quint, the now deceased valet of her current employer. Can anyone else see these visions? She envelops the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, in her drama. She persists to determine if the children can see these sinister beings as well. She eventually comes to absolutely believe that the phantoms are there to do harm in some way to the children and that it is her duty to protect them at all costs, yet keeping in mind her promise to never burden her employer with any difficulties. She will ask herself whether the children are the innocent little persons she originally thought them to be. Tension naturally escalates and the governess comes to question even her own sanity. And while she does, the reader will do the same. However, details provided in the narrative as well as our own beliefs will sway us to credit either one theory or the other – a true haunting or a case of perhaps hysteria on the part of the governess. For me personally, the intention of the author was straightforward. But that is only my opinion. Other readers will conclude exactly the opposite. Some readers will say that it was deliberately left ambiguous.

Now you may be wondering why I rewarded only 2.5 stars for this highly regarded, classic ghost story. For me the writing was too convoluted. I personally love a superb turn of phrase and the classics don’t turn me off. But here I felt tangled up in the wordiness, the dialogue was inaccessible to me. I felt distanced from the characters to a degree that left me feeling too much like a passive bystander. I wanted to be drawn into the melodrama; I wanted to feel that shiver down my spine. I don’t need or want gruesomeness in my ghost stories, but I do crave a sense of dread as to what will happen next. With this book, the dread was underwhelming. It was like watching an old movie on an old television where the fuzz and static take over the screen; I am not fully captivated as a result. But you may be. If you have ever considered reading this highly acclaimed literary work, then grab a copy. You may love it as others have surely done. It’s a slim piece and won’t require a big investment of time. What I loved and appreciated most about this novel was the discussion which followed. I have read a number of opinions, a variety of theories, and each one has been invigorating and enriching. I will read this again… someday.
...more

105 likes · Like · see review

Jan 03, 2018 Book Concierge rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, movie, classic, library, concierge, strong-women, horror, ghosts

Audiobook performed by Simon Vance and Vanessa Benjamin
3.5***

A ghost story and psychological thriller. A young woman is hired to be governess to two young children, Miles and Flora. They are the wards of “the master,” their uncle, who has taken on their guardianship after their parents died in India. He is unmarried and really not interested in the children or the running of the household. In fact, after hiring the governess he tells her to simply deal with whatever comes up and not to bother h ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 17, 2023 Theresa rated it did not like it

Shelves: ghost-story, gothic, short-stories-and-essays, christmas, z-pop-sugar-2023-reading-challenge, classics-and-classic-redos, z-aty-2023

I am so happy to have finished this! It was a reread, a plot well remembered, positive memories of many scenes and having read it long long ago. Even better are my memories of seeing 2 different productions of the Benjamin Britten chamber opera adapatation (1954), particularly the brilliant one by NYCOpera in 2013, the last performance before the company filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors (the company revived but barely and is no longer the formidible company it once was). I was excited t I am so happy to have finished this! It was a reread, a plot well remembered, positive memories of many scenes and having read it long long ago. Even better are my memories of seeing 2 different productions of the Benjamin Britten chamber opera adapatation (1954), particularly the brilliant one by NYCOpera in 2013, the last performance before the company filed for bankruptcy and closed its doors (the company revived but barely and is no longer the formidible company it once was). I was excited to read this again, especially after reading Ruth Ware's retelling, The Turn of the Key. I should have left it to my memories.

The story is familiar: a governess is hired by the guardian of 2 orphan children to care for them at his country estate. She has one instruction: never under any circumstances to contact him about anything to do with the children. Being reasonably young without a lot of experience, charmed by this handsome youngish man who has taken on the responsibility of 2 orphans, and flattered by his belief in her ability to care for them on her own, she takes the job. She arrives to a beautiful country estate, in the sunshine, and meets Flora, a golden haired sweet, charming, beautiful child. Her brother Miles is away at school. It's all like a beautiful fairytale even down to the other staff. However darkness lurks ... and takes over upon the arrival for the summer holidays of Miles from school with a note saying that he's not welcome back because of his unspecified behavior. Now the fun really begins because soon it is apparent that the place is haunted and that specifically Flora and Miles are haunted and even possessed. Pure gothic horror ghost novella written for a late Victorian era audience.

I found the story incredibly painful to read- sentence structure, wordiness, and the immense waffling of the narrator - the unnamed governess telling in the first person -- take endless words and sentences to come to the point, sort of. Much of it of course was the narrator excusing and justifying herself. It also I'm sure was to create a deliberate ambiguity, letting the reader's imagination provide what is never said. I just found it irritating, tedious and not at all horrific (but then what real horrors in the world have I experienced in my life?), and just wished it would read faster. In a way, it encompasses all I dislike about Victorian era writing, though at the same time the author has provided images that have stuck with me forever, such as that perfect beautiful sunlit house set among gardens and flowers, occupied by happy servants and beautiful children -- all covering up a dark evil underneath, and of course the appearance and influence of the ghosts. I still have no clue why the ghosts are supposedly set on evil. However, lots of other potential themes rose to the surface this time, most importantly classism -- much is made of class differences here having me wonder - briefly - if James was using the ghosts and haunting as a commentary on the class system that found any relations between a lady and a menial as forbidden. The very ambiguity of so much in this narrative leave it wide open for inconclusory analysis of all kinds.

I'm really surprised at how much of a miss this was for me. ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Dec 12, 2020 Celia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-list, 1001-challenge, 2020-read, classics, ten-year-challenge, audible, 2020-a-rcc

Plot
Written in 1898, Screw tells the story of a governess who gets more than she bargained for. ... Upon arrival, the governess finds the house haunted by two ghosts who turn out to be Ms. Jessel, the children's last governess and Peter Quint, a former servant of the uncle's.

Characters
The narrator - reads the story of the governess
The governess- unnamed, but takes care of two orphans who are 'patroned' by their uncle at Bly. He is not involved with the children's upbringing
Simon- boy child
Flora- ...more

7 likes · Like · see review

Nov 03, 2020 Tasha rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gothic-ghost, classics

A good creepy classic.

5 likes · Like · see review

Oct 08, 2016 debbicat *made of stardust* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reads, buddy-read, abc-doom-challenge, 2016-all-hallows-read

Review to follow. My head is still spinning.

3 likes · Like · see review

Nov 01, 2020 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

3 stars (audio performance boosted the rating)
Interesting story.
A very slow progression in the plot.
Well described.
The audio performance was wonderfully performed by Emma Thompson & Richard Armitage.

1 like · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2014 Elsbeth marked it as to-read

Like

Aug 16, 2012 Allison rated it did not like it

Like

From the Bookshelf of Retro Chapter Chicks …

Find A Copy At

Group Discussions About This Book

What Members Thought

Retro Chapter Chicks