Thursday, September 17, 2009

A Screw Loose

I finished Turn of the Screw last night and started reading some of the essays that follow the story. Seems that critics since publication have been in one of two camps--either it was a straight ghost story, or the governess is crazy.

I'm firmly with the governess-is-crazy crowd. This occurred to me midway through and became increasingly obvious that either she (nameless, just like the heroine of Rebecca!) was crazy or James was.

This was truly one of the least satisfying books I've had the pleasure of reading...yes, pleasure, because despite the obtuseness of James's style, there is a fluency and competency in his writing that still gives some pleasure. I generally don't have a problem with ambiguity but Turn of the Screw does try my patience. I ended up being frustrated with the lack of information the author shared with me. I can live with arguing about whether the governess really saw ghosts or was simply nuts, but I want to know how and why Quint and Jessel died, what Miles did that was so horrific at school that he was expelled (somehow I can't swallow that it was simply swearing), if he truly was expelled or if that was a figment of the governess's madness, and what Mrs. Grose really thought of the governess and where she and Flora fled to. Finally, of course, is the question as to whether Miles is really dead at the end, and if so, whether the governess killed him.

Frustration aside, one of the themes I was thinking about whilst reading this book is the 70's slogan "The Devil Made Me Do It!" If you take the story at face value and accept that the children were possessed by the ghosts of Quint and Jessel, then it's pretty clear that their "bad" behavior is exonerated because they are possessed. I put the word bad in quotes because the story doesn't show them doing much beyond excelling at their schoolwork and lessons, looking out windows, wandering about outside, using swear words (which they allegedly learned from Quint and Jessel) and being at first first confused and then alarmed at the behavior of their governess.

I wonder how true the Benjamin Britten operatic version is to the original story. Anyone seen it?

8 comments:

  1. As I was reaading your post I was asking myself the same question about the Britten, which will tell you that it's a quetion I can't answer. I have some operatic friends, however, so next time I see them I'll ask.

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  2. Yea--I thought I was the only one that got done with this book and thought, "What the heck?" James had me following along, enjoying the mystery but I assumed all the way through that at some point some questions would be answered.

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  3. I agree -- the governess was mad. Maybe she read too many of James's novels. :) I have plenty of issues with James, which you can read about here" if you are so inclined.

    Glad I found your blog! I am working my way through the blogroll on Wuthering Expectations, looking for bloggers who share my taste in books. Looks like I found one!

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  4. Ann - report back when you find out!

    Lisa - hard not to feel a bit cheated, but it was a framed story and we don't really know how the narrator got his hands on the story...maybe a mental institution.

    Rose - thanks so much for stopping by--I visited your blog, added it to my blogroll and I know we are going to be sharing opinions. I love your description of James as creating literary holograms.

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  5. I just finished a youth book called Half-Minute Horrors that had a 3-panel illustrated story (one short line of text per panel) called "The Turn of the Screw ... as told by Lisa Brown in Fewer than 30 Seconds" -- this was the text:

    "The Governess sees ghosts ...
    Or perhaps she is insane.
    Either way, it's quite scary."

    I haven't read The Turn of the Screw yet but this seemed like the best summary I've seen so far. :)

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  6. Kristen - I love the title, Half-Minute Horrors. Sounds like a fun book for those of us who can't take reading and actual Steven King book but don't want to be left out of the conversation.

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  7. I finished reading The Turn of the Screw earlier this week, Jane, and I agree - it's a very frustrating book. They did a version of it on TV just before New Year, but I was working and missed it, and never seemed to find the time to watch it on i-player (hopefully it will be out on DVD eventually.). And that whole thing about the letter from school - they kept referring to it, but didn't feature it at all! (or did I blink and miss it?)

    "The Governess sees ghosts ...
    Or perhaps she is insane.
    Either way, it's quite scary."

    An excellent summing up!

    Quint and Jessel - the impression I got was that maybe Jessel was pregnant (by Quint)??
    Mrs Grose says Mis Jessel was infamous.....Quint was impudent, assured, spoiled, depraved.. He did what he wished.
    When the Governess asks 'with her?' Mrs Grose confirms it, and also confirms that she knew her real reason for leaving 'She couldn't have stayed. Fancy it here - for a governess!'

    Can I be bothered to read The Aspern Papers (which are in the same book)? Even though I've just finished reading about Jane Clairmont, the mad, bad and dangerous to know Lord Byron, the Shelleys and Allegra.

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  8. Jezebel - I also assumed Ms Jessel was pregnant by Quint. I was annoyed that James never went into that part of the story, as well as the letter from school...arrgghh. Getting annoyed just thinking about it!

    I found the Aspern Papers rather dull--I read it after reading City of Fallen Angels (a major subplot paralleled James's story, so I was motivated to read it, but didn't care for it).

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