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The writing was truly excellent, possessing a gothic and almost romantic feel that was both captivating and unique.

Although I am not typically a fan of this particular genre, I could still easily appreciate the well-thought-out plot that was presented.

The story was engaging from start to finish, with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

It made me realize that sometimes, stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring different types of literature can lead to pleasant surprises.

In fact, after reading this short story, I may even be inclined to read more of James' works.

His ability to create such a vivid and atmospheric world is truly remarkable, and I look forward to seeing what other stories he has to offer.

Hmmm, this was quite different from what I was expecting.

It seems to be the kind of book that demands a reread.

At first glance, it might not immediately grab your attention, but upon closer inspection, there are hidden layers and subtleties that require a more in-depth exploration.

The story might unfold in a way that is unexpected, leaving you with a sense of curiosity and a desire to understand it better.

Maybe there are characters whose motives are not entirely clear, or there are plot twists that make you question what you thought you knew.

Rereading this book could potentially reveal new details and interpretations that you might have missed the first time around.

It could offer a fresh perspective and a deeper appreciation for the author's craftsmanship.

So, although it may not have been love at first sight, this book has piqued my interest enough to warrant a second look.

I purchased this book with the intention of reading The Turn of the Screw. However, I ended up deriving more enjoyment from the other story, The Aspern Papers, than from The Turn of the Screw.

The Aspern Papers - 4 Stars

I believe that James did an outstanding job of营造紧张氛围in The Aspern Papers. Will the historian manage to obtain the papers he desires so fervently? Ought he to have them at all? What lengths will he go to in order to get them? What actions will the women who possess the papers take regarding them? And what exactly is her story? I read this short story with eagerness and bated breath, eager to know the conclusion yet also fearing it to some extent. I began to care as deeply about the fate of those papers as the historian himself.

The Turn of the Screw - 3 Stars

To be honest, I did not perceive this story to be a thrilling ghost story as much as a tale about a hysterical woman who leaped to crazy conclusions and made absurd assumptions.

People who read this book typically choose one of two sides regarding the ambiguous nature of the story. There is no doubt in my mind which side I am on.

Leí este volumen de la colección Biblioteca Jorge L. Borges entre 2006 y 2007.

Este volumen incluye dos novelas cortas, Los papeles de Aspern y Otra vuelta de tuerca, así como algunos relatos.

Hoy, el último día de abril de 2023, basándome en comentarios guardados y en mi memoria, completé y corregí una breve reseña de cada una de las novelas. Estas reseñas se pueden acceder a través de los hipervínculos del párrafo anterior.

Henry James fue un escritor elegante y sutil. Su estilo de escritura es caracterizado por una minuciosidad y una profundidad psíquica que lo hacen único. Para aquellos que tengan interés en conocer más acerca de su vida y obra, hay una excelente biografía novelada de sus últimos años, The Master: retrato del novelista adulto, escrita por el excelente y ecléctico escritor irlandés Colm Tóibín. Esta biografía novelada ofrece una visión fascinante de la vida y el trabajo de Henry James, y es una lectura recomendada para cualquier amante de la literatura.

For years, I had wanted to read "Giro di vite" and now that I have done so, I am rather disappointed. Perhaps I am facing one of those cases where critical reading makes the work, over time, better than it actually is?

On the other hand, "Il Carteggio Aspern" is a true gem, from the first word to the last. It is a captivating and beautifully written piece that keeps the reader engaged throughout. The story unfolds in a way that is both intriguing and satisfying, and the characters are well-developed and believable.

I found myself completely immersed in the world of the novel, and I was sorry to reach the end. It is rare to come across a book that is so engaging and well-written, and "Il Carteggio Aspern" is definitely one of those books. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good story.

I'm not entirely certain what my expectations were when I delved into these two stories. I had hoped to be completely engrossed in the tales, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Turn of the Screw was marginally better for me compared to Aspen Papers. I simply did not like the narrator in the Aspen Papers at all. The Tale of the Screw had an eerie atmosphere surrounding it, yet it never truly managed to draw me in as I had anticipated based on the hype.

Both stories were decent, but they left me feeling a bit ho-hum. Perhaps it's just because of the period in which they were written. It could be that the writing style and the way the stories unfold are not as captivating to me as they might have been to readers of that era.

Nevertheless, I can appreciate the effort and the craftsmanship that went into creating these stories. They offer a glimpse into a different time and a different way of storytelling. Maybe with a different mindset or a more in-depth understanding of the historical context, I might be able to find more value in them.

Overall, while these stories didn't quite meet my expectations, they are still worth a read for those who are interested in classic literature and the works of Henry James.

I really struggled with this one.

The language used was so dense and archaic, which was a big part of the problem.

Besides that, the unreliable narrator also made it difficult for me to follow.

And to top it off, my own lack of knowledge about that particular era didn't help either.

I have to admit that this is mostly my own fault as I'm probably naturally resistant to this style of writing.

However, I also have to say that the lack of atmosphere and interesting characters really grated with me.

I feel like I only managed to make it to the end in the hopes that it would somehow shed some light on things for me.

But unfortunately, it didn't.

I guess this just wasn't the right book for me.

The Turn of the Screw 4+

The Aspern Papers 3+

!!!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!!!

The Turn of the Screw

This is precisely what an unreliable narrator novel ought to be. By the conclusion, the reader is left in a state of complete mystery, with a plethora of unanswered questions. These questions are, incidentally, impossible to answer as we suspect the governess, who is the narrator, to be mad. Firstly, she writes about past events, indicating that her memory is possibly, if not probably, distorted. Secondly, since she is indeed mad, we cannot trust her perception, neither of the events nor of others and their behavior and reactions. The governess could be imagining a significant portion of the story. It is she who imparts a mysterious tone to this narrative! I adored it, and I truly believe Henry James to be a genius!

Now that this is established, "The Turn of the Screw" was an extremely arduous read. The sentences are exceedingly long and are fragmented by other sentences. The internet suggests that it is deliberately written in a manner to confound the reader, perhaps because the governess is indeed mad. I respect this decision and style, but it was a form of torture. It demanded a great deal of focus and often required rereading some paragraphs. Therefore, I cannot rate it a 5. I do intend to read the translated version, but I honestly doubt that I would prefer it to the original.

The Aspern Papers

It did not leave as powerful an impression on me as "The Turn of the Screw". There is a possibility that the reason for this is not taking a break between the two; while reading, I was still quite engrossed in the previous novel. Nevertheless, it is a good book and is written with great skill. It is much easier to read and follow the story.

Henry James is renowned for his innovative and bold use of unlikeable or unreliable narrators in his works, and this is particularly evident in "The Turn of the Screw" and "The Aspern Papers". The foreword to this edition of these two stories was rather flowery and the academical one was a bit spoilery, which initially made me apprehensive about how I would respond to James' writing style. However, both tales turned out to be quite solid.

Interestingly, I found "The Aspern Papers" (which I rated close to four stars) more engaging than the more famous "The Turn of the Screw" (three stars). In "The Aspern Papers", a paparazzo-like figure travels to Venice to pursue the papers of the great fictional American poet Aspern, which are in the possession of an old woman and her niece who live in a dilapidated palazzo. The atmosphere of decay, solitude, and listlessness is masterfully created by James, transporting the reader to a lost world. The narrator's unsympathetic nature, as he attempts to profit from the elder woman and manipulate the younger one, adds an interesting layer to the story. Despite his flaws, as a reader, I was still drawn into his tale and found myself rooting for him, even as he made comments like "I couldn’t linger there to act as guardian to a piece of middle-aged female helplessness".

"The Turn of the Screw" features an unreliable narrator in the form of a young governess who goes to a remote mansion to care for two children. Her predecessors have mysteriously disappeared and even died, and the boy in her care has been expelled from school for a terrible transgression. As she starts to see strange things and feels herself becoming more unhinged, the ambiguity in the story keeps the reader on edge. The atmosphere is well-crafted, although I did have some trouble with the way the story simply states that things are terrible or dreadful without fully explicating why. I also found myself wondering how the children felt about being kept from school and under constant surveillance for their own "security". There are many possible interpretations of this novella, from the presence of true ghosts to sexual abuse, but in the end, I never really felt scared by the story. Perhaps my expectations were too high, but overall, I must say that I enjoyed "The Aspern Papers" more.

My edition is a Wordsworth, which contains two-for-one novellas: The Turn of the Screw and The Aspern Papers.

With a great deal of effort and what was essentially skimming rather than actual reading, I managed to reach the last page of The Turn of the Screw. This could very well be one of the dullest, driest, most needlessly verbose and inactive books I have ever had the misfortune to encounter. (What could be worse than a book where you have to read the same paragraph ten times and still be left wondering what on earth is going on?).

However, I have no intention of reading The Aspern Papers. Instead, I might just take a couple of asperns (whatever those might be) and call it a day. I'm simply not willing to subject myself to another potentially torturous reading experience. It seems that sometimes, it's better to cut your losses and move on to something more engaging.

The number of times I contemplated giving up on reading this book and tossing it into my dusty pile of unread books should be regarded as a crime.

My English major degree is weeping in the face of my overwhelming boredom with both "The Turn of the Screw" and "The Aspern Papers". I'm not sure which one I loathed more. Both were incredibly dull and hard to get into due to the density of Henry James's writing style.

Of course, I recognize the literary significance of these works. It's just that I couldn't engage with them. It's an example of the analysis of the works being more interesting than the works themselves.

Maybe if I ever manage to persuade myself to reread them, I'll change my mind. But until then, I'll be a detractor. It took me months to finish "The Aspern Papers" because I was so bored while attempting to read it, and it's only about 40 - 50 pages long.

And while I was trying to read "The Turn of the Screw", I almost fell asleep at least four times, and I'm not exaggerating.