I recently reread a long story that I had criticized on my personal blog. I put this review here because this is a novel that was particularly marked and has its place on these pages, because then, cheating 2 years (this news was published in 1898), it saves me point for the challenge "100 years of American literature" ... I still have not given up trying to reach my goals, even if it only remains for me a long time!
"The Turn of the Screw" (The Turn of the Screw) is a novella written by Henry James, an American writer of the nineteenth century. She was advised by a friend who studied English literature and sees it as a masterpiece. I had never heard of, but always open to new literary adventures, I took his advice and I am afforded this "novella", without knowing its contents. My God, as some say: what a discovery ...
Abstract: One Christmas Eve, a group of friends tell each other ghost stories. One of them decides to show an unpublished manuscript that has been entrusted by a governess now deceased, in which she tells a terrifying experience lived when she was young. She had been entrusted with the education of two young orphans by their uncle who refuses to deal with. The housekeeper is completely under the spell of these two children so perfectly adorable. However, on several occasions, she notices the presence of a man and a woman unknown to or near the house, which she later identified as a former housekeeper and a man working at the residence, both close children and all both died recently. Moreover, the narrator is convinced that children are witnesses of these appearances, but never talk about it. From there he moved between the governess and her pupils an atmosphere of suspiction, love between irrational and unspoken unbearable ...
My opinion:
I completed the new two weeks ago and I do not write criticism that now, because I do not see how to express everything I went through the my head while reading and since I read it. This is a work so complex that it has apparently held in suspense since the professional critics publication there are over one hundred years. Difficult for me to pick on writing a good report ... But I'll try, anyway.
For starters, might as well say right away: This ghost story is not a ghost story. It is a closed-door anguishing where ghosts are only secondary characters, the spark that comes to light the fire. Fairly quickly, the governess fears them more and therefore, the reader either; anxiety stems rather the behavior of children, and unspoken of the governess.
The peculiarity of this news is the ongoing mystery that hangs over the story. At each "turn of the Screw "(literally," tightening "), which should advance the plot, the responses are less numerous than the questions, and the shadow envelope a little more drive. The narrator speaks for itself ellipses, as if she did not put his thoughts on paper the most terrible, the most radical decisions. Constantly we can assume that the assumptions most terrible. Henry James plays with the reader's nerves as the best directors Scene of horror: he understood that reveal the monster is far less frightening than leave it lying on the shadow image in which the beast was lurking ...
These are the unspoken concern that this news: those that are not disclosed to readers, and those that hover between the governess and her pupils. This relationship is unhealthy from the start when she willingly allows himself to love without a shadow of these two children also amazingly, supernaturally perfect - which gives her insight yet into question the sincerity of the first apparition. We do not understand why she dares not confrontrer, and we come to wonder if it is itself a heartfelt ...
Throughout this text, Henry James demonstrates an extraordinary talent for creating an anguish more involved from a reduced number of surprising facts. This is where this news is a real masterpiece: it meaning that every word was carefully chosen to keep the reader in suspense while advancing the shade to allow it to develop hypotheses miles contradicting each other while each resulting in an impasse. I myself spent a few hours of insomnia to list the outstanding issues and develop possible explanations. I will submit some here in white to avoid spoiling the surprise of those who want this new book (just highlight it with mouse to read this passage):
- Miles Why was he dismissed from the school? For things he told the students, "he loved the most," so the things he remembered with pleasure - but he also says that these things are so horrible they could not be written at home by Masters ...
- How is it that only the governess sees the ghosts? The whole history could take a completely different meaning if they were the fruit of his imagination, if she thought reading the duplicity in the eyes of its pupils actually innocent. So how is it that she could describe Peter Quint and Miss Jessel without having met them? And how to explain the last scene Miles thinks that Miss Jessel guess that is the window?
- Are children really attracted by the ghosts? So how is it that Miles insisted to go to school?
- What was this behavior so reprehensible, so "free," Peter Quint to Miles? Is this what he told the school? But is it so objectionable if it shows no sign of suffering, if he does not avoid the ghosts?
- Why Miles died there in the end? The reason seems to be that the government has succeeded in be appropriated by ousting Peter Quint, but they did not turn back, asking to return to school?
- Why is the government refusing to confront it directly to children, why this game of cat and mouse? To not hurt them, it seems - but it really hurt when they themselves seem to dominate the game? Or because she is not sure of her, she unconsciously invented these ghosts and know?
I could go on for very long, but I leave you the complete ...
In terms of style, the story is extremely well written, with, as I said, a particularly careful choice of words. What may be a problem for the reader: the construction sequence of sentences with subject, vocabulary a bit old fashioned and very sought is sometimes an obstacle, and it took me many times to reread a sentence or a paragraph to understand them. On the other hand it is a pleasure to discover a work where the choice of words was also treated and a narrative as complex and interesting.
short, I can only advise that readers who want an element of mystery and a small dip in the Anglo-Saxon high-end. It's a bit like reading Camus: it is not easy, but it's powerful, complex, and it leaves traces.
For more information:
- plug Bibliomania Book:
Challenge: 4 / 6
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