Il giro di vite

I hate when I don't love a classic. It makes me feel stupid, like I'm too ignorant to comprehend literary brilliance. I'm particularly disappointed in myself for not loving The Turn of the Screw , because I'm such a huge fan of all things ghastly and Gothic. And this is both! But it's true. I didn't c Leggi tutto

“No, no—there are depths, depths! The more I go over it, the more I see in it, and the more I see in it, the more I fear. I don’t know what I don’t see—what I don’t fear!” Screen shot from the 1961 version of The Innocents based on the James short story. A governess is hired to look after the neph Leggi tutto

Turn of the Screw is a pretty cool story. It's about a governess who either heroically attempts to protect her two charges from malevolent ghosts or goes dangerously bonkers. James leaves it ambiguous and I love that kind of story. Ambiguity works for me. Four stars for the plot. Kindof an abrupt en Leggi tutto

Now you see me, ...now you don’t.. What the... Meaning, understanding and certainty all become elusive chimera in this ambiguous game of hide-and-seek that Henry James plays with us. Have you ever been in one of those weird situations where you wondered if you were losing your mind, doubting whethe Leggi tutto

Me at 50%: And 75%. And 90%. I was actually really excited to read this classic Henry James novella, a gothic ghost story published in 1898. A young woman is hired to be the governess for two young orphans by their uncle, whose good looks and charm impress the governess. She wants to impress him in t Leggi tutto

Where's my SPOOKY?! I mean, I thought I'd get a few good jump scares out of a book with possessed children in it. You know what didn't happen, not even once , while I was listening to this book? THIS: I'm not sure why my teenage self thought The Turn of the Screw was worth 4 stars, but my older-than-tee Leggi tutto