Otra vuelta de tuerca: Biblioteca de Grandes Escritores

Por Henry James

Ebook con un sumario dinámico y detallado: Una institutriz acude al cuidado de dos niños en una vetusta mansión victoriana. Lo que en principio parece un cometido agradable derivará en una situación de pesadilla. Los niños viven impactados por un pasado inmediato en el que la anterior institutriz, la señorita Jessel, y Peter Quint, el criado y ayudante de cámara del patrón (el tío de los niños) mantenían una turbia relación. Se podría suponer que se dieron ciertos abusos. La vida junto a la institutriz y su muerte posterior han dejado en ellos una huella indeleble. La protagonista de la historia, al tratar de ayudar a los niños, comienza a percibir las apariciones de los fantasmas de la anterior institutriz, muerta en extrañas circunstancias, pasan por ellas los niños y la institutriz. Henry James (Nueva York, 15 de abril de 1843 - Londres, 28 de febrero de 1916) fue un escritor y crítico literario estadounidense (aunque pasó mucho tiempo en Europa y se nacionalizó británico casi al final de su vida) de finales del siglo XIX y principios del XX, conocido por sus novelas y relatos basados en la técnica del punto de vista, que le permite el análisis psicológico de los personajes desde su interior.

• Idioma: Español
• Editorial: IberiaLiteratura
• Fecha de lanzamiento: 31 mar 2015
• ISBN: 9783959281942

Henry James

Henry James, né le 15 avril 1843 à New York et mort le 28 février 1916 à Chelsea, est un écrivain américain, naturalisé britannique le 26 juillet 1915. Figure majeure du réalisme littéraire du XIXe siècle, Henry James est considéré comme un maître de la nouvelle et du roman pour le grand raffinement de son écriture.

Vista previa del libro

LA HISTORIA NOS HABÍA MANTENIDO ALREDEDOR DEL FUEGO...

Índice

La historia nos había mantenido alrededor del fuego lo suficientemente expectantes, pero fuera del innecesario comentario de que era horripilante, como debía serlo por fuerza todo relato que se narrara en vísperas de navidad en una casa antigua, no recuerdo que produjera comentario alguno aparte del que hizo alguien para poner de relieve que era el único caso que conocía en que la visión la hubiese tenido un niño.

Se trataba, debo mencionarlo, de una aparición que tuvo lugar en una casa tan antigua como aquella en que nos reuníamos: una aparición monstruosa a un niño que dormía en una habitación con su madre, a quien despertó aquél presa del terror; pero al despertarla no se desvaneció su miedo, pues también la madre había tenido la misma visión que atemorizó al niño. Aquella observación provocó una respuesta de Douglas —no de inmediato, sino más tarde, en el curso de la velada—, una respuesta que tuvo las interesantes consecuencias que voy a reseñar. Alguien relató luego una historia, no especialmente brillante, que él, según pude darme cuenta, no escuchó. Eso me hizo sospechar que tenía algo que mostrarnos y que lo único que debíamos hacer era esperar. Y, en efecto, esperamos hasta dos noches después; pero ya en esa misma sesión, antes de despedirnos, nos anticipó algo de lo que tenía en la mente.

—Estoy absolutamente de acuerdo en lo tocante al fantasma del que habla Griffin, o lo que haya sido, el cual, por aparecerse primero al niño, muestra una característica especial. Pero no es el primer caso que conozco en que se involucre a un niño. Si el niño produce el efecto de otra vuelta de tuerca, ¿qué me dirían ustedes de dos niños?

—Por supuesto —exclamó alguien—, diríamos que dos niños significan dos vueltas. Y también diríamos que nos gustaría saber más sobre ellos.

Me parece ver aún a Douglas, de pie ante la chimenea a la que daba en ese momento la espalda y mirando a su interlocutor con las manos en los bolsillos.

—Yo soy el único que conoce la historia. Realmente, es horrible.

Esto, repetido en distintos tonos de voz, tendía a valorar más la cosa, y nuestro amigo, con mucho arte, preparaba ya su triunfo mientras nos recorría con la mirada y puntualizaba:

—Ninguna otra historia que haya oído en mi vida se le aproxima.

—¿En cuanto a horror? —pregunté.

Pareció vacilar; trató de explicar que no se trataba de algo tan sencillo, y que él mismo no sabía cómo calificar aquellos acontecimientos. Se pasó una mano por los ojos e hizo una mueca de estremecimiento.

—Lo único que sé —concluyó— es que se trata de algo espantoso.

—¡Oh, qué delicia! —exclamó una de las mujeres.

Él ni siquiera la advirtió; miró hacia mí, pero como si, en vez de mi persona, viera aquello de lo que hablaba.

—Por todo lo que implica de misterio, de fealdad, de espanto y de dolor.

—Entonces —le dije—, lo que debes hacer es sentarte y comenzar a contárnoslo.

Se volvió nuevamente hacia el fuego, empujó hacia él un leño con la punta del zapato, lo observó por un instante y luego se encaró otra vez con nosotros.

—No puedo comenzar ahora: debo enviar a alguien a la ciudad.

Se alzó un unánime murmullo cuajado de reproches, después del cual, con aire ensimismado, Douglas explicó:

—La historia está escrita. Está guardada en una gaveta; ha estado allí durante años. Puedo escribir a mi sirviente y mandarle la llave para que envíe el paquete tal como lo encuentre.

Parecía dirigirse a mí en especial, como si solicitara mi ayuda para no echarse atrás. Había roto una costra de hielo formada por muchos inviernos, y debía haber tenido razones suficientes para guardar tan largo silencio. Los demás lamentaron el aplazamiento, pero fueron precisamente aquellos escrúpulos de Douglas lo que más me gustó de la velada. Lo apremié para que escribiera por el primer correo a fin de que pudiésemos conocer aquel manuscrito lo antes posible. Le pregunté si la experiencia en cuestión había sido vivida por él. Su respuesta fue inmediata:

—¡Oh no, a Dios gracias!

—Y el manuscrito, ¿es tuyo? ¿Transcribiste tus impresiones?

—No, ésas las llevo aquí —y se palpó el corazón—. Nunca las he perdido.

—Entonces el manuscrito...

—Está escrito con una vieja y desvanecida tinta, con la más bella caligrafía —y se volvió de nuevo hacia el fuego— de una mujer. Murió hace veinte años. Ella me envió esas páginas antes de morir.

Todo el mundo lo estaba escuchando ya en ese momento y, por supuesto, no faltó quien, ante aquellas palabras, hiciera el comentario obligado; pero él pasó por alto la interferencia sin una sonrisa, aunque también sin irritación.

—Era una persona realmente encantadora, a pesar de ser diez años mayor que yo. Fue la institutriz de mi hermana —dijo con voz apagada—. La mujer más agradable que he conocido en ese oficio; merecedora de algo mejor. Fue hace mucho, mucho tiempo, y el episodio al que me refiero había sucedido bastante tiempo atrás. Yo estaba en Trinity, y la encontré en casa al volver en mis segundas vacaciones, en verano. Pasé casi todo el tiempo en casa. Fue un verano magnífico, y en sus horas libres paseábamos y conversábamos en el jardín. Me sorprendieron su inteligencia y encanto. Sí, no sonrían; me gustaba mucho, y aún hoy me satisface pensar que yo también le gustaba. De no haber sido así, ella no me hubiera confiado lo que me contó. Nunca lo había compartido con nadie. Y no sé esto porque ella me lo hubiera dicho, pero estoy seguro de que fue así. Sentía que era así. Ustedes podrán juzgarlo cuando conozcan la historia.

—¿Tan horrible fue aquello?

Siguió mirándome con fijeza.

—Podrás darte cuenta por ti mismo —repitió—, podrás darte cuenta.

Yo también lo miré con fijeza.

—Comprendo —dije—: estaba enamorada.

Rio por primera vez.

—Eres muy perspicaz. Sí, estaba enamorada. Mejor dicho, lo había estado. Eso salió a relucir... No podía contar la historia sin que saliera a relucir. Lo advertí, y ella se dio cuenta de que yo lo había advertido; pero ninguno de los dos volvió a tocar este punto. Recuerdo perfectamente el sitio y el lugar... Un rincón en el prado, la sombra de las grandes hayas y una larga y cálida tarde de verano. No era el escenario ideal para estremecerse; sin embargo, ¡oh...!

Se apartó del fuego y se dejó caer en un sillón.

—¿Recibirás el paquete el jueves por la mañana? —le pregunté.

—Lo más probable es que llegue con el segundo correo.

—Bueno, entonces, después de la cena...

—¿Estarán todos aquí? —preguntó, y nuevamente nos recorrió con la mirada—. ¿Nadie se marcha? —añadió con un tono casi esperanzado.

—¡Nos quedaremos todos!

—¡Yo me quedaré! ¡Y yo también! —gritaron las damas cuya partida había sido ya fijada.

La señora Griffin, sin embargo, mostró su necesidad de saber un poco más:

—¿De quién estaba enamorada?

—La historia nos lo va a aclarar —me sentí obligado a responder.

—¡Oh, no puedo esperar a oír la historia!

—La historia no lo dirá —replicó Douglas— por lo menos, no de un modo explícito y vulgar.

—Pues es una lástima, porque éste es el único modo de que yo pudiera entender algo.

—¿Nos lo dirá usted, Douglas? —preguntó alguien.

Volvió a ponerse de pie.

—Sí... mañana. Ahora debo retirarme a mis habitaciones. Buenas noches.

Y, cogiendo un candelabro, salió dejándonos bastante intrigados. Cuando sus pasos se perdieron en la escalera situada al fondo del salón, la señora Griffin dijo:

—Bueno, podré no saber de quién estaba ella enamorada, pero sí sé de quién lo estaba él.

—Ella era diez años mayor que él —comentó su marido.

—Raison de plus..., a esa edad. Pero no deja de resultar agradable su larga reticencia.

—¡De cuarenta años! —precisó Griffin.

—Con este estallido final.

—El estallido —volví a tomar la palabra— constituirá una apasionante velada la noche del jueves.

Todo el mundo estuvo de acuerdo conmigo, y ante esa perspectiva nos desinteresamos de todo lo demás. La última historia, aunque de modo incompleto y dada apenas como introducción de un largo relato, había sido ya iniciada. Nos despedimos y acandelabramos, como alguien dijo, y nos retiramos a dormir.

Supe al día siguiente que una carta conteniendo una llave había sido enviada en el primer correo a la casa de Douglas en Londres; pero, a pesar o, quizás, a causa de la difusión de aquella noticia, lo dejamos en paz hasta después de cenar, como si aquella hora de la noche concordara mejor con la clase de emoción que esperábamos experimentar. Entonces él se mostró tan comunicativo como podíamos desear, y hasta nos aclaró el motivo de su buen humor. Estaba de nuevo frente a la chimenea, como en la noche anterior, en la que tanto nos había sorprendido. Al parecer, el relato que había prometido leernos necesitaba, para ser cabalmente comprendido, unas cuantas palabras como prólogo. Debo dejar aquí sentado con toda claridad que aquel relato, tal como lo transcribí muchos años más tarde, es el mismo que ahora voy a ofrecer a mis lectores. El pobre Douglas, antes de su muerte —cuando ya ésta era inminente—, me entregó el manuscrito que recibió en aquellos días y que en el mismo lugar, produciendo un efecto inmenso, comenzó a leer a nuestro pequeño círculo la noche del cuarto día. Las damas que habían prometido quedarse, a Dios gracias, no lo hicieron: a fin de atender unos previos compromisos, habían tenido que marcharse muertas de curiosidad, agudizada ésta por los pequeños avances que Douglas nos proporcionaba. Lo cual sirvió para que su auditorio final, más reducido y selecto, fuera enterándose de la historia en un estado casi de hipnosis.

El primero de aquellos avances constituía, hasta cierto punto, el principio de la historia, hasta el momento en que la autora la tomaba en sus manos. Los hechos que nos dio a conocer entonces fueron que su antigua amiga, la más joven de varias hijas de un pobre párroco rural, tuvo que dirigirse a Londres a toda prisa, apenas cumplidos los veinte años, para responder personalmente a un anuncio que ya la había hecho entablar una breve correspondencia con el anunciante. La persona que la recibió en una casa de Harley Street amplia e imponente, según la describía ella, resultó ser un caballero, un soltero en la flor de la vida y con una figura nunca vista —aunque vislumbrada tal vez en un sueño o en las páginas de una novela— por una tímida y oscura muchacha salida de una vicaría de Hampshire. No era difícil reconstruir su personalidad, pues, por fortuna, nunca se olvida la imagen de una persona como aquélla. Era apuesto, osado y amable, de fácil trato, alegre y generoso. Aquel hombre tenía por fuerza que impresionarla, no sólo por ser galante y espléndido sino, sobre todo, porque le planteó el asunto como un favor que ella iba a prestarle, como una manera de quedarle obligado para siempre. Esto fue lo que más le llegó al alma, y lo que después le infundió el valor que hubo de menester. Le pareció un hombre rico y terriblemente extravagante, prototipo de la moda y las buenas maneras, poseedor de un vestuario costoso y encantador con las mujeres. Su casa en la ciudad era un palacio lleno de recuerdos de viajes y trofeos de caza; pero era a su residencia campestre, una antigua mansión en Essex, adonde quería que ella se dirigiera inmediatamente.

De resultas de la muerte de sus padres en la India, le había sido confiada la tutela de dos sobrinos, un niño y una niña, hijos de un hermano más joven, militar, fallecido dos años antes. Aquellos niños que extrañamente le había confiado el destino constituían, para un hombre de su posición, soltero y sin la experiencia adecuada ni el menor ápice de paciencia, una pesada carga. Había hecho por ellos todo lo que estaba a su alcance, ya que aquel par de criaturas le producían una infinita piedad. Los había enviado desde luego a su otra casa, ya que ningún lugar podía convenirles tanto como el

Comentarios para Otra vuelta de tuerca

[virago77 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I just didn't get it? It didn't get me? It literally did not pull me into the story or hold my true interest. Perhaps a second reading/listening in the future.

[dnaej · Calificación: 1 de 5 estrellas]

I suppose it's because of how old the story is, that I found the mystery/ story unsuspenseful. I've never seen so many unnecessary words used to describe the simplest of things! My mind was left strained and uncaring towards the end.

[shanaqui_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Having read this, I stared at the last page on my Kindle, trying to decide how I felt about it. And I'm not sure. I enjoyed reading it, I enjoyed the slow unfurling of the menace of it. I liked the ambiguity, being unable to ensure if the governess were going mad or whether there really were ghosts. And I loved the starkness of the ending.

At the same time, I don't know, there was something lacking. I got to the end and felt -- is that it? Is that all the pay off we're going to get? And yet, at the same time, I didn't think there was anything more that needed to be added. A strange, strange feeling.

[notenoughbookshelves · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I thought I would never make it through the first chapter, but I did and enjoyed finishing it. I made it through 2 books that were 400 pages + during the same time it took me to finish this 120 page book. Tedious, very difficult to read but enjoyable once I got into it. It has since made any semi-difficult read a breeze.

[msaucier818 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This was my first Henry James story and I really enjoyed it. It was a short novel that can be characterized as a classic psychological thriller or ghost story from the 19th century. The story itself was not particularly scary, but I really enjoyed James' writing style and how he got inside the head of the main character as she starts to lose it later in the story. I will certainly read more of Henry James.

[tess_schoolmarm · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is billed as a psychological thriller. It is the story of an unnamed governess who agrees to care for two children at their uncle's estate, Bly. Her story is told through her journal entries. Her charges are "darlings" until one day while walking she meets menacing apparitions. I wanted to love this book as I do the classics. However, the writing was convoluted and this reader was very much distanced from the characters and felt like a passive bystander. It's saving grace was that is was only 131 pages. 2 1/2 stars

[bettesbooks · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

A ghost story with a horrific overtone.Victorian obscurity in expression, so not to say anything that could be objectionable. Took me a while to figure out what was worrying the governess.220

[annannean-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

It was better than I thought it'd be.

[rainpebble_1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James; (4*)I certainly enjoyed this mildly spooky Victorian gothic tale. And I found that I quite like the writing style of Henry James.The story is about an orphaned brother & sister taken in by an uncle or some such male relation. He is a very minor player withing the scheme of the book as he hires a governess/tutor to care for the children at his country manse. The one stipulation upon her hiring is that she not bother him with anything to do with the children.When the governess arrives she finds that the male child is away at boarding school so she just has the girl child at first. She finds the little girl beautiful & angelic in every way. She is bright and quick to learn, has lovely manners, is obedient and the governess enjoys her very much.But soon the little boy is returned to the home, having been quitted from the school never to return and the governess & housekeeper (who have become friends) are never to know specifically why. The child never speaks of it so all they can do is wonder. He has the same positive traits as his sister and in the beginning all is well and everyone appears to be happy. "Appears to be" are the key words here.For we find that the owner of the manse & their employer had a houseman who has died and that the previous governess has died as well. There begin to appear apparitions of both of these persons: The governess to the little girl albeit the new governess can also see her and the houseman to the little boy with the governess able to see his apparition as well.Thus begins the tug of war between the governess & the housekeeper against the two apparitions who want the children.I thought this a very good though short novella & I can highly recommend it. It is my first Henry James and I found myself seeking out others of his work immediately upon finishing this one.

[well7readneck · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Read with Shutter Island.

[joririchardson · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I chose this chilling short story by Henry James as the 2nd of my three annual Halloween choices. It is the story of a young governess who is hired to take care of two orphaned children, Miles and Flora, at a large manor house in the Essex countryside. The children have been handed over to their estranged uncle, who wants little to do with them or any contact with them. The governess whom he hires is more than happy to adopt the two innocent youngsters as her own, and grows to love them dearly. However, she begins to see strange things happening about the house where she now lives, and continually sees a mysterious man and woman lingering about the estate. Both the man and woman have a horrifying, terrible expression and atmosphere to them, and when she describes them to her friend Mrs. Grose, the woman recognizes them instantly. They were lovers who once lived at the house, but they both died a few years ago, even though no one knows how. The governess becomes convinced that the ghost couple is after little Flora and Miles, though she can't understand why. The children insist that they do not to see the ghosts, but the governess is convinced that they are lying due to how frightened they appear whenever she questions they about it. The harder that the governess tries to protect her charges, the farther distanced from her they become.I very much enjoyed this brief, chilly tale, and I loved the antiquated way that it was written, which really gave it a cold, "ghost story" air that more modern writing simply cannot capture.In the beginning of the story, it didn't occur to me that the governess' ghosts may not be real, but by the middle of the book, I was convinced that they were simply figments of her imagination. However, at the very end, I didn't know what to think.I love stories that end just when the plot isn't quite closed out yet, leaving the reader to wonder - what happened? This story was certainly one of those, and I still can't decide if the heroine was crazy, or if the "horrors," as she called them, were really there. Perhaps they were, only they were real flesh and blood people who she wanted to think of as ghosts. Miles and Flora play their part well as the innocent, helpless little children who are very in need of protection as they drift obliviously toward horrific danger.Nowadays, every horror movie seems to cast an obligatory child, but when Henry James wrote "The Turn of the Screw," such themes weren't yet common.I especially loved Miles, who is a more filled out character than his younger sister Flora. He is a charming boy, who wants very badly to be "bad," in spite of how good he is. He even stages an event where he goes outdoors at night, and schemes at how to get the governess to witness his little crime, in an attempt to show her how "bad" he is.However, Miles is also a very wise character. Even though he never exactly tells his governess anything - he is always frustratingly vague - his little hints at deep, perceptive topics make him even more interesting.The unnamed main character was a bit annoying, and I felt that she was at times contradictory. She is normally terrified of the ghosts she is seeing (which is understandable), while at other times she speaks of them lightly and does things that make it seem as if she doesn't fear them at all.Her fierce protection of Miles and Flora was touching, and I couldn't help but wonder what made her care for them so much and so quickly, as if they really are her own family. Was she abandoned as a child? Did she always want children, but never got married? Speaking of speculation - there is much of it to be done within James' short story. There is, of course, the matter of the alleged ghosts. Are they imaginary? Real people mistaken as spirits? Or are they ghosts, after all? I think that everyone will ask these questions, but there are so many more to wondered about, if you look deeper.For instance, it seems apparent by the end that Miles and Flora are extremely afraid of (or even hateful toward) the governess herself. The governess seems to think that this is because the ghosts are controlling the children's minds, while Mrs. Grose hints that it is because the children have been influenced by an evil presence. But what if the evil presence is actually the governess, and she simply doesn't know it? Perhaps this is a bit too M. Night Shyalman, but could the governess have been a ghost herself?All of Miles' vague speeches, in which he is always saying things to the governess such as "you know what I mean..." could also be hints of this. Maybe she doesn't know what he means, and they are both talking about completely different things. In the middle of the story, I even thought that Miles had a schoolboy crush on his guardian, which was what he kept referring to, even though the governess assumed he was speaking about ghosts. If you read their conversation with this possibility in mind, it would actually fit quite well, though toward the end I had mostly dismissed this idea.All in all, I believe that I will keep wondering about "The Turn of the Screw" for a long while, and being so short, maybe I will re-read it again in hopes of unlocking further clues that may help me solve the mysteries I found there.This was a great Halloween read, though I would recommend it for anytime of the year.

[tess_w · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is billed as a psychological thriller. It is the story of an unnamed governess who agrees to care for two children at their uncle's estate, Bly. Her story is told through her journal entries. Her charges are "darlings" until one day while walking she meets menacing apparitions. I wanted to love this book as I do the classics. However, the writing was convoluted and this reader was very much distanced from the characters and felt like a passive bystander. It's saving grace was that is was only 131 pages. 2 1/2 stars

[bookofsecrets · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Another ambiguous ending in this gothic fiction classic…

"When a governess is hired to care for two children at a British country estate, she begins to sense an otherworldly presence around the grounds. Are they really ghosts she’s seeing? Or is something far more sinister at work?"

Has the governess succumbed to madness? (If so, why?) Or are there really malevolent spirits out to get her young charges? In the end, it’s up to the reader to decide. I understand why authors do this, but sometimes it feels like a cop-out. Are there ghosts or not??

The writing was beautiful and descriptive, and there was definitely a strong creepy vibe throughout the story. I listened to this on audiobook, and Emma Thompson’s performance was amazing. Very passionate and entertaining.

[cgalvin-774225 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

I do believe this is the only Henry James I ever enjoyed. I enjoyed it thoroughly and get it mixed up with its amazing film adaptation, The Innocents with Deborah Kerr.

[familiar_diversions · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

A young governess is hired by a man to care for his niece and nephew. He leaves them entirely in her care and makes it clear that he doesn't want to be bothered about them.

The governess is quickly charmed by Flora but is somewhat nervous about Miles, the eldest of the two, when she receives a letter saying that he has been expelled from his boarding school. When Miles arrives, however, he turns out to be just as charming as Flora, and the governess can't bring herself to ask what happened at school.

After the governess sees a couple unexpected people on the grounds, she learns that they may be the ghosts of Miss Jessel, the previous governess, and another former employee, Peter Quint. She becomes obsessed with the idea that the children have seen these two as well and are somehow being negatively influenced by them.

My first attempt at this was via audiobook, and I just could not - following along with the words was too difficult and boring, and I eventually just gave up. But I do generally like "governess and creepy children" stories, so I decided to give it another go in print.

Supposedly there is a tense and haunting atmosphere. I didn't feel it. It seemed to me that instead of adding to the overall atmosphere, the writing buried everything. The result was an utter slog that took me a huge amount of willpower to get through. I was hoping that I'd at least be rewarded with an excellent ending, but instead it just left me feeling empty and confused. I did some searching online to see if I'd missed something, and read part of the introduction included with my edition of the book. None of this improved the story for me.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Read for a group; I admit I wouldn't otherwise.

It's a slog to untangle the author's sentences and figure out what each pronoun references. So many times I have no idea what "that" is actually referring to, or which "SHE" is being shouted about! I feel as if I want a translation, but it's not much more than a century old.

One of the blurbs says that James referred to it as a fable. Fables are intended to instruct. What is the moral or lesson here?

And what is the point of the initial narrators? First there was the nameless 1st-person narrator, then the man Douglas who read the letter. Both seemed to have a stake in the events, somehow... I expected to learn what that was. At least how did Douglas get the letter, and when?

And I kept waiting to learn why the Uncle was so insistent not to be bothered... busy man, no paternal feeling, I get that, but even so, it seemed to me that those aren't excuses enough and that something sinister was going to be revealed....

And of course, how did Miles a healthy 10 yo boy, suddenly just die?

[muumuumousie · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This is considered a classic, but I’m just not feeling the love. I didn’t dislike it really—I just didn’t feel much of anything.

I have read other short fiction by Henry James, even other ghost stories, and part of what I had always liked about his work is that you never know for certain whether the ghosts are real, or if they’re just phsycological. I thought the ambiguity in the other stories was great.

In this one, however, I thought it was less great. Not much happened in this story, and when things finally did, it wasn’t clear what was going on. If the ghosts were all psychological (and that was, mostly, how I took them), then this is a story about a young woman’s paranoia as she is slowly overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for children. But then, no one else is alarmed by her, and she winds up (apparently) healthy and with another governess job (how?!) and the best part of her story isn’t included. If the ghosts are real, then we’re looking at Hamlet-level indecision and hesitation, which leads to tragedy. These characters weren’t all that nuanced, and I wasn’t very drawn in by the middle-of-the-road approach. If James had picked either approach and stuck with it, it would have been a much stronger story.

[charrlygirl · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Narrated by Emma Thompson, I enjoyed re-reading this classic, gothic novella for the third time.

I know many readers are not impressed by this book, but I enjoyed it, (again). I know it's rather verbose, especially considering the length of the book, but I found more than a few of the sentences to be outright chilling.

I've always loved psychological horror and ambiguous stories, so this one hits most of the marks for me. My original rating of the book, at 4 stars, stands.

[lisamorr · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

This started with a lot of promise - young woman starts a job as a governess at a country estate, sees ghosts and is very worried about her two young orphaned charges. It took way too long to read for a short novel, because it had too many words, if you know what I mean.

[lycomayflower · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

I honestly don't remember much about this now? It was neither as impressive nor as unimpressive as I have heard. Fairly atmospheric, decent ambiguous ending. I'm glad I read it, if only because now I will get it when other books or movies are referencing it.

[drapple_1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I had never gotten around to reading this classic ghost story and it seemed appropriate for the pre-Halloween season. I am sure it was shocking in its time, but compared to Stephen King or Dean Koontz it's pretty tame.

[moniquesnyman-1 · Calificación: 5 de 5 estrellas]

Chilling! That ending is utterly chilling!

[williemeikle-1 · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Another genre classic that I hadn't read for a long time-and this time with good reason. James' way with a convoluted sentence often makes me want to scream, and having to backtrack to work out his intended focus does not make for a smooth flow in reading experience.

That said, there is a definite power in this tale, and it builds nicely in dread and atmosphere to a chilling conclusion. It is definitely a classic of the genre, but the movie THE INNOCENTS showed how it could have been done in a more straightforward, yet still distinctly superior, fashion, and Peter Straub's retelling in GHOST STORY is also a superior version.

Could easily have been a 5 star tale, and saying that, I've nudged it up from 3 to 4 this time around. It could be a long, long time before I want to read it again though.

[ssimon2000-1 · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

Not much to say about this one. It had great potential to be a really creepy Halloween tale, but just fell flat for me.

The writing was very good and typical of the writing in the late 1800s.

[arkrayder · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I found this a tedious read. Nothing really happens, except perhaps at the very end. The story seems to revolve around the governess trying to find out why Miles, one of her charges, has been expelled from school and the appearance of ghosts which might and might not be real. Best to have read a few of Henry James’s better writings before this.

[booksandscones · Calificación: 4 de 5 estrellas]

Tangled Victorian prose spoils this otherwise good ghost story. The scene where the governess meets the spectre of Peter Quint on the stairs is genuinely scary. I don't think I would read this one again just for enjoyment, so I'm going to register & release it on BookCrossing.

[jjaylynny · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

I've never read Henry James, but I love ghost stories, and this is one of the classic ghost stories. I loved the ambiguity-- but the dense language lost me from time to time. You can certainly see its influence on modern horror literature, film and pop culture.

[chazzifrazz · Calificación: 3 de 5 estrellas]

A second chance at Henry James. This one was still pretty wordy, but it pulled you along. Are there really ghosts? Do the others see them or know? Are they evil spirits? What is it they want?

There is a tension that runs through the whole book that ebbs and flows. There is also the thought that maybe some one is mad.

Definitely a good ghost story.

[killerx-2 · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

Intense? No. Boring.

[john257hopper · Calificación: 2 de 5 estrellas]

I tried to read this classic Victorian story of haunted children years ago, but quickly gave up as I could not cut my way through the impenetrable language in which it was written; this time, I have succeeded in reading it, but I cannot say I have enjoyed the experience (and if it had been a full length novel rather than a novella of 117 pages in my edition, I probably would have failed a second time to get through it). I am a considerable reader of classic Victorian novels and have no problem with the more challenging language in which they are often written, compared to more modern writing, but here the language is often so opaque that I frequently read a sentence four or five times and still could not divine its meaning. The effort in doing so does not repay, as I found the story to have no real atmosphere and to be hardly chilling at all, except at brief moments and at the very end. A disappointment that for me does not deserve its high reputation.