The Turn Of The Screw BY Henry James | Tay Book Club

[@CatherineThomas106]

Did anyone else struggle with the long-winded sentence structure prevalent through the book? I kept finding myself having to translate what it was I had read after reading some of the paragraphs 😆. I read a lot, so it was a humbling experience, especially since I'm teaching my youngest to read now. Loved the story though!

[@_Hay_Tyler]

I found the prose hard to read also. The long-winded sentences were good for building suspense during ghost encounters, but for the rest of the story I had to struggle just to not get lost because of them. Sometimes I swore a whole page was a single sentence!

[@bookhunterrr3973]

this is my current read and am having the hardest time going through it. The prose is very dense and so cumbersome that the story loses me several times (pls consider that English is not my first language). But the best moments in the book, which are the hauntings, definitely made me breathless and wide-eyed. There's something in the story itself that hooks you to the core, that i think this must be the wrong book to pick up as an introductory piece for Henry James. I would love to explore more of James works as i see a lot of movies are inspired by them. I also ABSOLUTELY love the movie The Innocents and it's one of my top favorites. :)

[@nickharris9761]

Yes , found it harder to read that Conrad’s Heart of Darkness which is also written in a bizarre manner.

[@lalagonegaga]

@@bookhunterrr3973 ALL of Henry James' writing is like that. That's his thing. It keeps you focused tho. You can't just casually skim through it. You need to COMMIT.

[@hantran5564]

me toooo

[@debbiehines6803]

There are many classic books that I have enjoyed, but this was not one of them. You might be right about her going mad. There's also the Victorian fixation with unmarried women being hysterical. I like ghost stories where you don't know if the person is haunted or insane, but I didn't care for this one.

[@hannahtaybooks]

Same Debbie x

[@Currosive4Lyfe]

**Spoilers** Just finished for The Haunting of Bly Manor and I have to say I enjoyed it, although way too many words lol. Off rip Henry James tells you "the story won't tell you want happens" in the beginning scene. I kinda take it in 2 ways, 1) She's going mad and the ghosts are a reflection of it. She is infatuated with the kids and falls in love with Miles, and is an abusive nanny. I think she kills Flora and Mrs. Grose at the pond and then the Governess ends up kidnapping Miles and Miles is Douglas from the beginning scene (she was 10 years older than him; Miles was 10 and the Governess was 20). 2) It's a haunting and I think it's about possession. The kids were being possessed throughout the story cause their responses when discussing the ghosts seemed a little too mature and combative to the Governess i.e. the church scene. With Governess bringing attention to the spirits and trying to save the kids, the spirits try to take the kids for themselves. Definitely gives you the effect of 2 turns of a screw 1) inward, making everything more tight and intense, and 2) outward, making everymore more loose and mad.

[@Currosive4Lyfe]

Omg actually what if Quant was sexually harrassing the kids and Jessel was letting it happen (which I think does say so) and Miles was expelled due to sexually harassing the other kids at school. Miles is actually the one who killed Quant and Jessel cause he was tired of it, but the Governess was in love with Miles and tried forcing a sexually relationship cause he was so beautiful. Mrs Grose flees with Flora so Miles can kill the Governess in the end (Mrs Grose and Flora are covering up that Miles killed the others). Kind of a stretch but i think people skip over the reason for the expulsion and sexual assault undertones.

[@tomah]

you're really passionate when you tell stories, it's captivating. Love that accent!

[@amberreid1059]

During the last chapter I could barely breath hahahah. I definitely lean toward the madness idea. Perhaps there is an aspect of haunting toward the beginning, but then the narrator’s thoughts and fears took hold. And as mentioned-we can’t tell what her true goals are. And her obsession with Miles is hella weird. Slowly getting into Victorian era lit and it’s a trip. Hahah.

[@alfredcodl5400]

I can't help but think that Henry James is poking fun at the snobbery and ignorance of the classist attitude. My BA in Eng Lit taught me that omissions are more important than what is said. The fact that she's surrounded by maids and servants but acts like she's completely isolated is interesting to me. I think her strict classism and snobbery made her go mad.

[@skitsandjiggles7286]

I've always been fascinated by unconventional storytelling. I also like the idea that a group of people can watch or read a story and all take something very different from it. The stories with open endings are the most interesting to me because they broaden the possibilities of the framework. This one was hardly a page turner, but there were enough psychological elements to encourage me to pick it back up after putting it down, unfinished, for several months. I wonder what a couple of companion stories from the perspective of Flora and Mrs. Grose would have been like. What if James left instructions for these to be published, posthumously, 122 years later? After reading them, the reader would still be left with the same feeling that the full story is open to their own interpretation. Cruel? Ingenious?

[@a.scottclement6967]

I'll turn the table on this (see what I did there?) Given James' upbringing (having been shipped to the continent as a child for his education) and is inability to have a healthy relationship with a woman as an adult, I warrant that the book is somewhat autobiographical. Perhaps, as his father sent him overseas as a child in the care of other people, he was abused in his youth and this was an attempt to exorcise his own demons.

[@kfjw]

Crazy that in The Haunting of Bly Manor, the governess gets the nickname "Poppins".

[@mariat4603]

It’s based off the book 💀

[@nursemain3174]

@@mariat4603 it’s based off many short stories and each episode is named after one, bly manor is basically any story James has written into one huge tv show

[@ebonynorwood3753]

I know I’m late on this video but I recently read the book and idk if anyone else thought of the title of the book. If you ever heard of the phrase “ you have some loose screws in your head” which means your crazy. The name of the book is “ the turn of the screw” which may indicate how it’s a story of a lady going mad. 🤷🏽‍♀️that was just my thought.

[@ConvincingPeople]

Ebony Norwood "The turn of the screw" is actually a reference of the mediaeval torture device known as thumbscrews, which are exactly what you think they are. The turn of the screw is something which abruptly makes a bad situation worse, a sudden recognition which turns something horrific into something unspeakable. That's the context in which the phrase is invoked at the party in the beginning. To paraphrase only slightly: "Wouldn't that be a turn of the screw?" "No, that's not it. I'll tell you what is."

[@ebonynorwood3753]

ConvincingPeople ooh ok thanks for he clarification

[@DavideMazzetti]

@@ConvincingPeople It also refers to the growing sense of tension - we have a phrase 'one more turn of the screw' (which may be one turn too many)

[@faithandeg12]

I just finished the book and I agree on both ideas: that she WAS going slightly mad but there WAS SOMETHING ghostly going on. The two children were up to no good at times especially Miles cause he was just too smart and aware and took advantage of that. But he wasn't evil at all. But in the end, it's clear they were manipulated and lured by the two evil ghosts that thought the kids Belonged to them. I'm slightly confused by the whole thing (in which your video here has helped me a LOT so thank you!!) And I'm gonna read it again. It seems the man was trying or was actually possessing Miles and in the end Miles died? Lol. If she was going crazy, then how come the boy's heart suddenly stopped? Am I making any sense at all?? Lol! xoxo, El.

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

I agree. How could she have visions of two people she has never met before. It was only after the housekeeper recognized her descriptions that she found out who they were.

[@life_with_logan9691]

I'm not the only one coming here after watching the turning

[@stephanieh5478]

Just watched The Turning movie. Looked up what the movie was based on, to my surprise I've found a lot! Really want to read the book.

[@meggiemoogles5050]

Ha, ha...thank you for including my comments. Laughed so much watching this! Everyone made some great points and so interesting to hear all the points of view. Looking forward to reading Mary Poppins. X

[@hannahtaybooks]

I LOVED your comment Meggie, I'm excited to see if you like Mary Poppins x

[@DereBear]

Heard about this play because of the opera, and this was the most fun video on the story I’ve found!

[@erosknight6158]

I'm playing Peter Quint in a production of Benjamin Britten opera adaptation (I actually am going to my first coaching tonight) and the Quint in the opera is SO different than in the book. The character is almost completely contrived compared to the novel. Reading the novel actually confused me quite a lot about him. The last chapter leads me to believe that he's done something extremely untoward to Miles when Miles reveals that he repeated some things to friends. Like my biggest question at that moment was "What the hell did he say/do to him that when Miles repeated it to his friends, it warranted his expulsion?" Of course there's a lot of things we can say now that would have been unbearable/untolerable 150 years ago. I have much to think about yet.

[@ThatReadingGuy28]

Do you mean sexual abuse? That could be. It would make sense, at least in the novel.

[@Z.O.1991]

I never read the book, but I listened to the BBC dramatic audio, and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

[@hannahtaybooks]

:)

[@alfredcodl5400]

She could have asked around afterall. She could have investigated by asking the other servants if they have seen them. But she treats them as if they are the ghosts. The servants are the real ghosts in this ghost story. Totally unseen.

[@homespunhomefragrance5659]

Great video. Your shirt is almost Wednesday Adams-inspired. You just need the braids 😂😂 ! This story sounds very interesting.

[@meganrhoades4178]

Yaaaaaay!!! This video/ recap/ discussion was so good!! I bought my Mary Poppins book today and am excited to read it. :)

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thank you Megan, I'm excited to see what you think of good old Mary x

[@RobertBrown-bc8zy]

I was really perplexed by the book and always had this feeling that the Governess was insane. But I also thought it was weird how she described Peter Quint to the point that Mrs. Grose felt uneasy by it (confirming perhaps the ghosts were real). All of the misgivings readers have for the book I feel like were by design of Henry James himself- not bad writing. Therefore I think it's a pretty solid read since I'm still trying to wrap my head around it and have read and watched reviews and analyses online.

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thanks for commenting.

[@FATIMAPECHI]

I just got this book a few days ago and it sounds right up my alley! I hope I can join the book club next time, though!

[@hannahtaybooks]

I hope you like it x

[@nursemain3174]

Also Hannah I know I’m late but this book got turned into a really good Netflix show called the haunting of Bly manor, I’d be interested to know ur thoughts

[@joshmancell4539]

The Innocents is one of my all time fave thriller films - so I finally read the original. I have to agree with all the comments about the word density. If I hadn't already known the plot, I'm sure I would've been extremely challenged trying to make sense of the book... however, I did enjoy the book once I focused more on the narrator's progressive unraveling - and how it's exacerbated by the "little gentleman" : }

[@karenandrews4224]

I thought it was about sexual repression and the madness that it creates

[@phoebelianna7226]

I just love your content! I'd love to see more tours of your book collection!

[@hannahtaybooks]

I will do that!

[@williamroby2836]

The story was good. Heard to read. Difficult to follow. Liked the ending.

[@ashtoneva4926]

Ah! I love Jekyll and Hyde! (But it's not everyone's cup of tea of course.) It's honestly one of my favorite classics. I've also read The Count of Monte Cristo, which its size may seem daunting but I cannot reccomend it enough. I'm working on trying to read Dracula over Chistmas break and I think it might pick up The Turn of the Screw too. I have a love/hate relationship with ambigous endings. If it works with the story then I might agree and like it. I think it all depends on how the story is set up, if there's more than one book, if the author set everything up well and so on that is a deciding factor for me.

[@hannahtaybooks]

I LOVED Jekyll and Hyde it was beautiful written with a complex story but this is not as good but defiantly worth a read x

[@chainsawkitten3321]

I didn’t find the ending of The Turn of the Screw to be ambiguous. You need to ignore the endless years of tedious arguments about whether it’s a ghost story or a sexually repressed Victorian woman’s imagination. James himself said it was a ghost story. That is enough for me, and it also helps to make what happened at the end pretty clear.

[@noosed]

I find his syntax to be a trifle unusual, but I like it so far.

[@andreawolf8665]

Thanks for taking the time to go through all of our comments! Such fun! 😁

[@hannahtaybooks]

I loved filming this video x

[@cryingaboutbooks]

I LOVE how you set this up 🤩💖

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thank you babe x

[@TallyDayle]

Loved this video. Thanks for including my picture AND my comment. Cannot wait for Mary Poppins. 😍

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thank you for your great comment and picture! x

[@jessicraigaquaticsandexoti6664]

What exactly happened at the end of the book

[@Dimsake]

Are you gonna watch the 2020 movie of this?

[@hannahtaybooks]

I had no idea there was a movie of it coming out tbh

[@Dimsake]

@@hannahtaybooks oh, it comes out this Friday

[@danecobain]

I loved this when I read it but it's been a while! Maybe I'll re-read it ;D

[@Always-ve9vq]

I have to do this for English next year...

[@Thedyslexicreader]

Mary poppins is on hold at the library :)

[@hannahtaybooks]

Yay x

[@santanas1879]

I feel like alot of people find Edgar Allan Poe a bit wordy in his long poems and short stories but I love those works too. I cant be too picky though as I dont like the common Gothic tropes of incest or dopplegangers. I also dont like books that make me feel like Im in the Twilight Zone. And I dont like anything as gory as The Vorrh or one of the many book adaptations of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

[@MandiM94]

Can I ask, is that a picture of Anne Boleyn on your bookcase? I'm not mad at it, just intrigued. 😂

[@delfinmagayanez6186]

I love her

[@hannahtaybooks]

:)

[@laurendevaneyquigley2812]

Wasn't able to join in this readalong but I think I'm glad lol Have you ever read the Small Hand by Susan Hill? I must say I thought it was very boring 😏 I read the Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson for Halloween and really enjoyed it and the Netflix show is absolutely phenomenal Hannah!! It's really just a homage to the book, it's a completely different story - you should definitely watch. Can't wait for Mary Poppins X

[@hannahtaybooks]

I need to watch that netflix show!

[@maryloujean-baptiste-edoua5872]

I Love your laugh so much hahahah

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thanks

[@brettgesell4646]

I seen the 1974 film with Lyn Redgrave , and think the 2 Ghosts were real not of her imagination

[@santanas1879]

This book inspired The Haunting of Bly manor Netflix movie

[@VincentOfPsycoland]

*spoilers* i had no idea The Others was inspired by turn of the screw! but now that i know it makes sense. I love The Others! Turn of the Screw was,,,, odd. I really enjoyed the beginning but her weird descriptions of the children and the possible abuse storylines were very uncomfortable to read through. Personally I do think there was a ghost (peter) but I don’t know about miss jessel being a ghost.

[@zd4v1d]

Beautiful people? We think that we've gotten over it, but we have not.

[@hannahtaybooks]

ok

[@piper_lori-williams-tudhope]

The Governess sounds like she has undiagnosed schizophrenia 😱 to me. I am just on chapter 5, so I might change my mind. 🤔

[@badideajenkins6385]

Spoilers! I heard the audiobook of the story. And it was such a weird ride from a modern perspective. Mainly because of the Victorian age morals that la the groundwork. Like.. the main evil of the story was simply two people wanting to have sex with each other. But because they were not married or of equal standing, its eeeevil. I think the POV woman is going bonkers too. So her dialogue about the ghosts trying to corrupt the children with their evil ways is just plain funny. I was literally laughing half way through the story when the POV cha starts ranting about how the both are the most vile and evil people on the planet while all they did was desiring each other.

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thanks for commenting

[@NatiDeNut]

Well done!

[@jennykiss2235]

Did you ever see Lost? The book was significant in that show.

[@hannahtaybooks]

I just looked it up and omg that's really interesting! x

[@MichaelSmith-zx5lw]

Try a really obscure and strange fantasy from the Victorian era by George MacDonald called Phantastes. I've read it several times. It is so dated, and weird, and I don't know if I even like it but it is so twisted I can never put it down! Inspired Narnia and Tolkien (But its like a really twisted Enid Blyton in acid trip)

[@hannahtaybooks]

I need to read it!

[@emzpemzb1926]

Definitely based on madness

[@joeycron2831]

I loved everyone’s comments on this book. I haven’t read this one, but might try to join for your next book club with Mary Poppins. Also, for a classics recommendation, I remember Jane Eyre actually being really good when I read it in college (or at least the first half, because that’s mostly what I remember haha)

[@hannahtaybooks]

I need to read Jane Eyre, I hope you love Mary x

[@leis7454]

you have such an elusive beauty 😍

[@mariodebuck1760]

Leis, are you a shallow victorian? But your right though

[@rx500android]

I would love to join but I don't think I have that much time to read! Right now I'm reading a book and because I have so little time to read, I read it in class. Ugh, it was stressfull. By the way, I love your videos!

[@hannahtaybooks]

Thanks and I hope you find some more time for reading x

[@amberreid1059]

Also; totally love this video-you seem LOVELY and have a sub from me![:

[@Ben-ji1se]

You're cool.

[@oskanalskasks1438]

I'll be picking this up soon

[@hannahtaybooks]

I hope you like it!

[@BaileeWalsh]

I love those comments!

[@hannahtaybooks]

Sooo good x

[@Disneylover2023]

coming from the operatic side of things I love the opera but there could have been more ghostly things and less whining governess!

[@InnyV]

Alright. I'll give Great Expectations a chance. :)

[@hannahtaybooks]

hehe yay I really hope you love it!

[@manuelodabashian]

Great expectations is brilliant!

[@ravneetsingh7123]

😂😂😂

[@lisahamilton1759]

It's not a cult, I promise 😂😂😂😂

[@hannahtaybooks]

hehe or is it? x