The Turn Of The Screw

The Turn of the Shrew by Henry James is a highly atmospheric gothic horror story, though at times it's difficult, maddening, and wordy. James published this tale in 1898 and I think it's critical to keep in mind that the language reflects the era, as well as the cultural norms present in the book. Listening to this book proved more challenging than Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House (my previous listen) both in terms of understanding the prose and in terms of empathizing with the protagonist. A governess comes to Bly to care for two young children. She begins seeing strange figures in the house. Are they ghosts of departed household staff, or is she nuts? A worthy question, albeit perhaps one that could have been explored in a short story rather than a novella. Apart from the complexity of the beautiful prose, I was challenged by the way the governess idolized the children. To a 21st century reader the way in which she viewed the children seems at best naive and at worst creepy. Perhaps this was James' intention? At any rate I found it somewhat difficult to fully empathize with her at various points throughout the book. Many moments were unsettling and atmospheric, even if I didn't totally understand the protagonist, or the way the book ended for that matter. I also highly recommend the audio version read by Emma Thompson with music added. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️