Of course it took a week for the original readers to digest this story; the syntax is so complex that page-long sentences have to be read several times to understand their meaning. Then there are words like "abjure," "asseverate," ... and that's just the beginning. It's considered a masterpiece, so I'll keep reading. But it IS a challenge.
Henry James is maybe my favorite author. I'm currently re-reading _The Bostonians._ It's a great experience. He enters the interior worlds of his characters like no other author.
It is such a good story and it is absurdly well-written. I found myself reading half of it in a couple of hours, going back and forth just to revive the intrigue and anguish that the characters felt. The fact that it mixes both English and American writing styles makes it so weird and amazing at the same time. Love it and will try reading it the way you recommend in order to digest it properly.
I've already read this one, but love this idea and I'm going to re-read it in this way. I read Bleak House over 16 months, and it was such a rewarding experience. I did spend a lot of time thinking about it, Dickens and his world. I missed the book very much when I finished it.
Have you ever read his other short stories ? I am working on his novel called the spoils of poyton, in which Henry James “s diffused psychology for each character just bounces back and forth without leaving a trace to show how he did it... It’s mind blowing.
Unfortunately, trivial, unsavory channels receive much more ratings. The superb service this channel offers is not for most of the generation. Hope I am wrong, however.
Henry James is an endlessly fascinating writer-one of my favorites. "The Turn of the Screw" was the first of his works that I read and I have never encountered a more chilling story.
I just finished this story this evening and found your video. I did not take three months to read it but, having watched you before, I did only take a chapter or two per day. I had seen one of the movie adaptions years ago when I was probably seven and the story has always stayed with me. I found a Macmillan Collector's Library edition in an Art Deco Museum recently and was compelled to purchase and read it. I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it immensely! And, I appreciate your comments!
Another superb video, Ben. Thank you for the great tips, I am really looking forward to adding in these Halloween projects alongside Les Misérables and Proust. You continue to make these experiences so rewarding with how we experience these gems, your guidance and teachings are priceless!
Thank you, Michelle :) The Halloween projects should be good fun - I've always loved a seasonal tradition, so it's exciting that so many readers are on board for it! :)
I love this suggestion! I always used to say we should read books more slowly and make it a point to pause and proceed on another day. Especially with this one. I did not have the time to do so, but I did read in while listening to the audiobook (non-native English speaker, slow reader). For the ultra nerds, I suggest "AN ANATOMY OF The Turn of the Screw", by Thomas Mabry Cranfill and Robert Lanier Clark Jr. A fun and interesting read on the different readings, interpretations etc.
Thanks for the video and the info. I am about to read Turn of the Screw for the first time and I had no idea about how it was originally published and presented to the world, but now I am going organize by reading time accordingly and delay my gratification. Awesome! Thanks man.
I didn't read the book this way intentionally, but I was having a hard time reading more than a chapter or two at once, as it is. I didn't realize it was a serial, but it performs well as one, even unintentionally!
Thanks for this! I really want to record this book for the bedtime stories series I'm starting this winter, and I really appreciate that you went over the history of how they originally released it. I think I'll do the same!
Great video. I’m thinking of reading this one for this season and obviously I’ll take your advice; The day of the Dead in Mexico instead of Halloween but you get my point. 😅 I’d like to ask you a question by the way, do you know if Henry James is considered as a Victorian writer? Could he be? I’m not pretty sure because he is American, but many of his novels take place in England and sometimes they feel like Victorian novels, so I don’t know. 🤷♂️
Thank you, Axl :) Perfect idea to adapt it for the Day of the Dead. As for the transatlantic Henry James - he's writing at the turn of the century. His works span publication dates from 1864-1922. So he's kind of both, mixing the old with the new. Some would consider him a Modernist, some a Victorian writer. The boundaries are quite blurred. Similar to Conrad in that regard (though I would peg Conrad as a Modernist). Great question - one could write an entire dissertation around this!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you for your answer. I totally agree with you, it’s indeed a good point to discuss it with other people and even a good topic for a thesis, I think so. 😄
I wish I had seen this video before reading the book... I have just finished it. I read it in two days. I read it in my first language, Portuguese, and I believe the translation simplified and changed the experience of reading it in its original language.
Brilliant. I tried to read this twice, but I was never able to fully absorb the story. I found myself jotting down notes and referring back to previous parts of the book in order to stay on track.. Now I understand why I had difficulty with this book. I knew that there is something amazing about the book, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until now. Thank you. I’m looking forward to reading according to your recommendation. Thank you ❤
Thank you so much for this post. I must confess, I've never read T of the S, as, in college, had a professor whose syllabus included Great Gatsby, which he adored and gushed about-- and it did nothing for me-- and The Ambassadors, which I couldn't begin to get into, so while I've seen many film and theater adaptations of T of the S, I've not actually read it. Even devoured Ruth Ware's reboot Turn of the Key which I enjoyed much. Just picked up a copy with commentary and am excited to read it with short breaks, as you suggest. Will check out more of your videos. Wish you could have been my teacher almost 40ish years ago!
The Scarlet Letter is like that too. You read it to hear the language, and soak up the mood. There are only like two developments in it. I enjoyed it best when I kept it by my bedside, and read two or three pages a night. (Maybe skip the 70 page intro "The Custom House") Cheers, Ben.
Good idea. I've read this before a few years back. And it was in two days for me and sadly can't remember much of the story. This is a great idea for a re-read. Instead of every week tho I'll probably take a break for a couple of days. 👍 Got me interested in the book again.
Brilliant! I’m so happy you’ve decided to reread it. A break of a couple of days works perfectly well. You’ll notice the rhythm and cliffhangers this way! Let me know how you enjoy it :)
Hello Benjamin. New subscriber here. I followed because I was looking for how to begin reading Russian Literature and I saw you have lot's of information about exactly that. I have read a decent amount of Victorian books although not in the way you are suggesting. I did however read and love The Pickwick Papers over the course of a month . I read 30 pages more or less a day and it did make for a great experience. I am going to pick up a copy of The Turn of the Screw and read it as you say here. I am currently re reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte which I found incredibly difficult last time due to a smelly old hard back copy and all the French paragraphs for which there was no translation. 'My school french was not adequate). I now have a paperback with translations in the appendix and although I'm cringing doing it, I'm annotating my thoughts in the book. You're right, I'm never selling any of my books so I should make them mine. Sorry for the long comment, I did want to say that watching your videos has made me even more excited for my reading plans next year, so thank you.
Hello Tracey! Thank you so much for introducing yourself and for your kind words :) The Pickwick Papers is such good fun - I feel as though I'm in the company of old friends when reading this one. I'm also excited to hear you'll be giving The Turn of the Screw the serialised reading treatment. It's difficult to sustain such prolonged suspense, especially when you know you can simply flip through the last pages and finish it, but so worth it! I'm also happy to hear you're marking your books and making them yours :)
Oh My! You have found one more of my favorite gems. However, I admit to binge reading The Turn of The Screw. I am not sure if it is possible for me to not read it start to finish. This story is just such a bath of intensity and intrigue. Your idea of reading in its original serialized version is fun, and delayed gratification is certainly worth practicing. I just find the writing so perfect, I am too lost in the story before I realize how far I have gone. I believe, just to teach myself better patience, I will give it a try. I think I will use the "barely delayed" method, which is to read a chapter a day. I am not sure, but I think I can hear a cynical laugh somewhere in the back of my head. Yikes! Thank you for bringing me back to this gem of literature.
It's so difficult to restrain oneself with The Turn of the Screw. The compulsion to binge this one is strong. There's another binge-worthy book that I'd like to see more readers aware of - The Lost Stradivarius by J. Meade Faulkner. It's fallen out of fashion, which is such a shame because it is so spooky - perfect for an October evening curled up when one needs to pause Henry James. Thank you for the awesome comment, Elizabeth :) Your love of literature saturates your every word!
Love your accent. I actually was just looking for insight into the story. I just finished listening to Audible's version, narrated by Emma Thompson. Amazing.
Great idea! And I do have an Audible membership, so thanks so much for pointing out that this is one of their "included" books. I love Emma Thompson. After finishing the book, it'll be fun to watch the movie version again, the one with Deborah Kerr, whose performance was absolutely magnificent.
Excellent analysis ! It’s great strength - apart from great dialogue and atmosphere - is how the reader is left unsure whether the supernatural is abroad or is the governess of unsound mind ?
I love The Turn of the Screw, atmospheric. Speaking of King, The Green Mile, I would buy each installment at the grocery store, which was a fun way to read the book, his tribute to serialization of the nineteenth century novels.
Oh yes! I got my hands on the Green Mile novelette series during lockdown last year, and reread the story pacing each one out month-by-month. Buying each instalment at the grocery store sounds like so much fun. I know I would look forward to that day each month, and then tear through the work when I got home!
i listened to this on audiobook in a day😅maybe this is why i have a more underwhelming opinion of the story. it was creepy and i liked the ambiguous ending, but maaaaan those long ass sentences and conversations. i also was a little disappointed that i didn’t find the story to be as scary as i anticipated it would be. i’ve been itching for a good supernatural horror book and this didn’t hit the spot like i had hoped
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Oh me too! It makes me so very very happy! I just finished the first book by Anthony Trollope, The Warden, in the Barsetshire Chronicles. I loved it!
or any gothic novel, Henry james of course, Daphné Du Maurier's Rebecca. By the way i love Henry James to death. he is in my eyes one of the most fascinating writers.
I just finished the novella, it's horrible😱😱😱😱😱 the themes are awful because it involves kids and kids at the mercy of questionable adults. It is grim! The narration is brilliant. I totally see Stephen King in it, especially The Shining. Thanks for the recommandation. I read it in a couple of evening. Now I will need to re read A Christmas Carol to recover some cheerfulness😅😅😅
Withholding crucial detail builds unease and suspense. Why had the dashing Harley Street employer rejected responsibility of nephew and niece so completely? Why was Miles expelled? Is good Mrs. Grose hiding something? Great anxiety-creation by James.
Of course it took a week for the original readers to digest this story; the syntax is so complex that page-long sentences have to be read several times to understand their meaning. Then there are words like "abjure," "asseverate," ... and that's just the beginning. It's considered a masterpiece, so I'll keep reading. But it IS a challenge.
Henry James is maybe my favorite author. I'm currently re-reading _The Bostonians._ It's a great experience. He enters the interior worlds of his characters like no other author.
It is such a good story and it is absurdly well-written. I found myself reading half of it in a couple of hours, going back and forth just to revive the intrigue and anguish that the characters felt. The fact that it mixes both English and American writing styles makes it so weird and amazing at the same time. Love it and will try reading it the way you recommend in order to digest it properly.
I'm a huge HUGE Dickens fan... I'm glad one of your subscribers recommended the channel to me!
Happy to have you here :) And thank you to your friend for recommending me. I'm a huge Dickens fan too, so you're in good company!
I've already read this one, but love this idea and I'm going to re-read it in this way. I read Bleak House over 16 months, and it was such a rewarding experience. I did spend a lot of time thinking about it, Dickens and his world. I missed the book very much when I finished it.
Have you ever read his other short stories ? I am working on his novel called the spoils of poyton, in which Henry James “s diffused psychology for each character just bounces back and forth without leaving a trace to show how he did it... It’s mind blowing.
Your content is outstanding! Thank you so much.
Thank you so much :) I really appreciate that!
Such an underrated channel
Thank you! I appreciate that :)
Unfortunately, trivial, unsavory channels receive much more ratings. The superb service this channel offers is not for most of the generation. Hope I am wrong, however.
Henry James is an endlessly fascinating writer-one of my favorites. "The Turn of the Screw" was the first of his works that I read and I have never encountered a more chilling story.
I'm totally with you there, Marc :)
I just finished this story this evening and found your video. I did not take three months to read it but, having watched you before, I did only take a chapter or two per day. I had seen one of the movie adaptions years ago when I was probably seven and the story has always stayed with me. I found a Macmillan Collector's Library edition in an Art Deco Museum recently and was compelled to purchase and read it. I'm so glad I did. I enjoyed it immensely! And, I appreciate your comments!
Another superb video, Ben. Thank you for the great tips, I am really looking forward to adding in these Halloween projects alongside Les Misérables and Proust. You continue to make these experiences so rewarding with how we experience these gems, your guidance and teachings are priceless!
Thank you, Michelle :) The Halloween projects should be good fun - I've always loved a seasonal tradition, so it's exciting that so many readers are on board for it! :)
I love this suggestion! I always used to say we should read books more slowly and make it a point to pause and proceed on another day. Especially with this one. I did not have the time to do so, but I did read in while listening to the audiobook (non-native English speaker, slow reader). For the ultra nerds, I suggest "AN ANATOMY OF The Turn of the Screw", by Thomas Mabry Cranfill and Robert Lanier Clark Jr. A fun and interesting read on the different readings, interpretations etc.
Thanks for the video and the info. I am about to read Turn of the Screw for the first time and I had no idea about how it was originally published and presented to the world, but now I am going organize by reading time accordingly and delay my gratification. Awesome! Thanks man.
I didn't read the book this way intentionally, but I was having a hard time reading more than a chapter or two at once, as it is. I didn't realize it was a serial, but it performs well as one, even unintentionally!
Short, dark winter days with the waves crashing outside. A cosy blanket and a candle. I love dark nights.
Sounds like pure bliss to me :)
Thanks for this! I really want to record this book for the bedtime stories series I'm starting this winter, and I really appreciate that you went over the history of how they originally released it. I think I'll do the same!
Great video. I’m thinking of reading this one for this season and obviously I’ll take your advice; The day of the Dead in Mexico instead of Halloween but you get my point. 😅
I’d like to ask you a question by the way, do you know if Henry James is considered as a Victorian writer? Could he be? I’m not pretty sure because he is American, but many of his novels take place in England and sometimes they feel like Victorian novels, so I don’t know. 🤷♂️
Thank you, Axl :) Perfect idea to adapt it for the Day of the Dead. As for the transatlantic Henry James - he's writing at the turn of the century. His works span publication dates from 1864-1922. So he's kind of both, mixing the old with the new. Some would consider him a Modernist, some a Victorian writer. The boundaries are quite blurred. Similar to Conrad in that regard (though I would peg Conrad as a Modernist). Great question - one could write an entire dissertation around this!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy
Thank you for your answer. I totally agree with you, it’s indeed a good point to discuss it with other people and even a good topic for a thesis, I think so. 😄
So excited listening to this. Ben, you are gifted. Thank YOU for this channel.
Thank YOU, Heather :) I appreciate you being here!
I wish I had seen this video before reading the book... I have just finished it. I read it in two days. I read it in my first language, Portuguese, and I believe the translation simplified and changed the experience of reading it in its original language.
Brilliant. I tried to read this twice, but I was never able to fully absorb the story. I found myself jotting down notes and referring back to previous parts of the book in order to stay on track..
Now I understand why I had difficulty with this book. I knew that there is something amazing about the book, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until now. Thank you. I’m looking forward to reading according to your recommendation. Thank you ❤
Thank you so much for this post. I must confess, I've never read T of the S, as, in college, had a professor whose syllabus included Great Gatsby, which he adored and gushed about-- and it did nothing for me-- and The Ambassadors, which I couldn't begin to get into, so while I've seen many film and theater adaptations of T of the S, I've not actually read it. Even devoured Ruth Ware's reboot Turn of the Key which I enjoyed much. Just picked up a copy with commentary and am excited to read it with short breaks, as you suggest. Will check out more of your videos. Wish you could have been my teacher almost 40ish years ago!
The Scarlet Letter is like that too. You read it to hear the language, and soak up the mood. There are only like two developments in it.
I enjoyed it best when I kept it by my bedside, and read two or three pages a night. (Maybe skip the 70 page intro "The Custom House") Cheers, Ben.
Good idea. I've read this before a few years back. And it was in two days for me and sadly can't remember much of the story. This is a great idea for a re-read. Instead of every week tho I'll probably take a break for a couple of days. 👍 Got me interested in the book again.
Brilliant! I’m so happy you’ve decided to reread it. A break of a couple of days works perfectly well. You’ll notice the rhythm and cliffhangers this way! Let me know how you enjoy it :)
Yippppeeee. I hope my edition arrives with the postman on Monday.
Amazing! Such an exciting delivery :)
Another lovely book, thanks Ben.
Thank you, Ahamed :) Happy reading!
Hello Benjamin. New subscriber here. I followed because I was looking for how to begin reading Russian Literature and I saw you have lot's of information about exactly that.
I have read a decent amount of Victorian books although not in the way you are suggesting. I did however read and love The Pickwick Papers over the course of a month . I read 30 pages more or less a day and it did make for a great experience.
I am going to pick up a copy of The Turn of the Screw and read it as you say here. I am currently re reading Villette by Charlotte Bronte which I found incredibly difficult last time due to a smelly old hard back copy and all the French paragraphs for which there was no translation. 'My school french was not adequate). I now have a paperback with translations in the appendix and although I'm cringing doing it, I'm annotating my thoughts in the book. You're right, I'm never selling any of my books so I should make them mine.
Sorry for the long comment, I did want to say that watching your videos has made me even more excited for my reading plans next year, so thank you.
Hello Tracey! Thank you so much for introducing yourself and for your kind words :) The Pickwick Papers is such good fun - I feel as though I'm in the company of old friends when reading this one. I'm also excited to hear you'll be giving The Turn of the Screw the serialised reading treatment. It's difficult to sustain such prolonged suspense, especially when you know you can simply flip through the last pages and finish it, but so worth it! I'm also happy to hear you're marking your books and making them yours :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Thank you for your reply. I've been scrolling through your back list and have found so much wonderful and useful information.
Oh My! You have found one more of my favorite gems. However, I admit to binge reading The Turn of The Screw. I am not sure if it is possible for me to not read it start to finish. This story is just such a bath of intensity and intrigue. Your idea of reading in its original serialized version is fun, and delayed gratification is certainly worth practicing. I just find the writing so perfect, I am too lost in the story before I realize how far I have gone. I believe, just to teach myself better patience, I will give it a try. I think I will use the "barely delayed" method, which is to read a chapter a day. I am not sure, but I think I can hear a cynical laugh somewhere in the back of my head. Yikes! Thank you for bringing me back to this gem of literature.
It's so difficult to restrain oneself with The Turn of the Screw. The compulsion to binge this one is strong. There's another binge-worthy book that I'd like to see more readers aware of - The Lost Stradivarius by J. Meade Faulkner. It's fallen out of fashion, which is such a shame because it is so spooky - perfect for an October evening curled up when one needs to pause Henry James. Thank you for the awesome comment, Elizabeth :) Your love of literature saturates your every word!
@@BenjaminMcEvoy OK, confession. I couldn't do it. Lasted 2 days.
@@elizabethmurphy3931 You inhaled it! I'm sure the experience was still as wonderful :)
Love your accent. I actually was just looking for insight into the story. I just finished listening to Audible's version, narrated by Emma Thompson. Amazing.
Great idea! And I do have an Audible membership, so thanks so much for pointing out that this is one of their "included" books. I love Emma Thompson. After finishing the book, it'll be fun to watch the movie version again, the one with Deborah Kerr, whose performance was absolutely magnificent.
Great movie :) I watched part of it last night! Let me know what you make of Emma Thompson's narrated version, Dorothy! I think she did a great job!
Excellent analysis ! It’s great strength - apart from great dialogue and atmosphere - is how the reader is left unsure whether the supernatural is abroad or is the governess of unsound mind ?
Wow, really enjoyed your video. I will read the turn of the screw again. I'd love to hear someone talk about my two little books like that.
You are so perceptive... brilliant really! It's funny, I've been reading it quite slowly just because I've been busy.
Aw, thank you, Anna :) Reading slowly is the way to go!
I love The Turn of the Screw, atmospheric. Speaking of King, The Green Mile, I would buy each installment at the grocery store, which was a fun way to read the book, his tribute to serialization of the nineteenth century novels.
Oh yes! I got my hands on the Green Mile novelette series during lockdown last year, and reread the story pacing each one out month-by-month. Buying each instalment at the grocery store sounds like so much fun. I know I would look forward to that day each month, and then tear through the work when I got home!
What a fantastic idea! I’ve never read this before so I’m definitely going to follow your advice and read this in installments.
Thanks, Gina :) I'm thrilled to hear that. It's such good fun reading it in instalments. Do let me know what you make of it!
Thanks for this I was about to rip through it but certainly won’t now. Completely changed my perspective before I’ve even started 👍
Oh well I wish someone would have told me before I, you know, binged it
i listened to this on audiobook in a day😅maybe this is why i have a more underwhelming opinion of the story. it was creepy and i liked the ambiguous ending, but maaaaan those long ass sentences and conversations. i also was a little disappointed that i didn’t find the story to be as scary as i anticipated it would be. i’ve been itching for a good supernatural horror book and this didn’t hit the spot like i had hoped
Ha awesome! I read it two Victobers' ago and would like to read it again this year too. Loved it!
Victober - I love that concept :)
@@BenjaminMcEvoy Oh me too! It makes me so very very happy! I just finished the first book by Anthony Trollope, The Warden, in the Barsetshire Chronicles. I loved it!
Very well done!
I always read books slow mate. Just started reading this one after seeing the great 1961 movie
It's on here! TH-cam! It's very good too so I will follow Ben's advice.
or any gothic novel, Henry james of course, Daphné Du Maurier's Rebecca.
By the way i love Henry James to death. he is in my eyes one of the most fascinating writers.
I just finished IT!♥️♥️💀💀
I'll try my best to do it though I get addicted to any intresting stuff, on my way to take the challenge,
Nice one :) Let me know what you think!
All down the years
Pro tip for reading it: read it.
Is it called The Turn of the Screw to rhyme with The Taming of the Shrew?
WHAT GOVERNESS MOTIVATION FOR DOING HER JOB
I just finished the novella, it's horrible😱😱😱😱😱 the themes are awful because it involves kids and kids at the mercy of questionable adults. It is grim!
The narration is brilliant. I totally see Stephen King in it, especially The Shining.
Thanks for the recommandation. I read it in a couple of evening.
Now I will need to re read A Christmas Carol to recover some cheerfulness😅😅😅
Withholding crucial detail builds unease and suspense. Why had the dashing Harley Street employer rejected responsibility of nephew and niece so completely? Why was Miles expelled? Is good Mrs. Grose hiding something? Great anxiety-creation by James.
damn... your eyes are stunningly beautiful!!!!