The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

A young woman agrees to become a governess for two young children and soon realises that all is not what it seems in more ways than one.







If you can get past the very wordy, antiquated language of this one it's a really good story.





It's not the easiest book to read but I've found that's a common denominator with most books written and published in the 1800's. It comes with the territory. But as far as the story is concerned it's pretty creepy and disturbing. It's not exactly an edge of the seat page turner but it does suck you in all the way to the end.


I think the great strength of 'The Turn Of the Screw' is it's ambiguity. It leaves you guessing and speculating all the way through and once you read the last page the story lingers, and you are left wondering. A few readers would probably find this annoying. I don't. I'm going to be thinking about this book for a while, the reader is left filling in the blanks and that's more than fine with me..


I'd much prefer that kind of an ending to one of those endings that wraps everything up in a pretty little bow.









For me this was a bit like John Habberton's 'Helen's Babies' mixed together with a good chunk of Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca' if you add in a few creepy ghosts.




It wasn't the easiest book to read but it's worth a good 3.5 out of 5.