Turn of the Screw - Henry James | Gothic Horror Literature Review

28 Jan

It is hard for me to say exactly how I feel about ‘Turn of the Screw’. I have read it twice now and both times it gave me a strange sense of foreboding that very few other novels have ever given me. The second time I read it I was almost afraid to pick it up. But I did, and I am glad because now I can share this frightening little story with you!

Henry James’ Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess who is sent to take care of two seemingly angelic children. All is well for her until a mysterious figure begins to appear to her and haunt the children under her charge. The story takes a twisting turn as this poor governess struggles to get to the bottom of the identity of the man she keeps on seeing.

What is immediately masterful about this novel is the way that is it told. The over-arching narrator is a man telling the story of the young governess to some friends around a fireplace, which is immediately reminiscent of the age-old ghost story. This then makes potential readers think, and therefore assume, that what the young governess is seeing through the window when she first sees the man, is a ghost. But James twists this as he, through the gossipy housekeeper, reveals that the man is actually real and could perhaps hold some claim over the children. What follows is the truly terrifying aspect of the story, the governess trying to work out what exactly she believes.

For me, one of the best aspects of a horror novel is to ensure that it stays with the reader long after they have put the book down. ‘Turn of the Screw’ does, and the reason for that is that it feels almost as though the story is never fully resolved. There remains an element of the unknown, and we all know that the scariest things in life are the things we do not know.

The pacing of the novel is exquisite, slow enough to build tension, but fast enough to keep you reading. The children are characterised effortlessly too, and their perceived duality only helps create the confusing atmosphere that sends the governess deep into her spiral of self-doubt.

I would say my only complaint about the novel, though it is quite noticeable, is the swings between melodrama and seriousness that the governess is characterised with. In strange moments throughout the novel, she seems overtly serious and intent on putting herself in danger, and at other times she seems to flee from a speck of dust in a flying panic. Perhaps this is intended as a device to illustrate her madness. Perhaps there is a depth in this action that tells another story that I am missing. But as a casual reader, this spoilt some of the realism a little.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and think it is an excellent study for those interested in the ghost story and how it works. ‘Turn of the Screw’ is simply the most effortless ghost story, and perhaps the most stereotypical, that I have come across. Except for the aforementioned issue with the governess’s emotions, the novel flows nicely, is scary for a classic story and remains so to this day, and is plotted and paced well.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy classics and anyone interested in the inner workings of the ghost story and would rate it 7/10

Henry James was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the son of Henry James Sr. and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James.
He is best known for his novels dealing with the social and marital interplay between émigré Americans, the English, and continental Europeans, such as The Portrait of a Lady. His later works, such as The Ambassadors, The Wings of the Dove and The Golden Bowl were increasingly experimental. In describing the internal states of mind and social dynamics of his characters, James often wrote in a style in which ambiguous or contradictory motives and impressions were overlaid or juxtaposed in the discussion of a character's psyche. For their unique ambiguity, as well as for other aspects of their composition, his late works have been compared to Impressionist painting.
His novella The Turn of the Screw has garnered a reputation as the most analysed and ambiguous ghost story in the English language and remains his most widely adapted work in other media. He wrote other highly regarded ghost stories, such as "The Jolly Corner".
James published articles and books of criticism, travel, biography, autobiography, and plays. Born in the United States, James largely relocated to Europe as a young man, and eventually settled in England, becoming a British citizen in 1915, a year before his death. James was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916. Jorge Luis Borges said "I have visited some literatures of East and West; I have compiled an encyclopedic compendium of fantastic literature; I have translated Kafka, Melville, and Bloy; I know of no stranger work than that of Henry James."