Moram odmah reći da je ovo ocena isključivo za “Okretaj zavrtnja” jer ovo nije edicija koju sam čitala, ali kako te edicije nema, bilo je nešto najbliže tome.

Elem, što se samog romana tiče, mogu reći da mi se više dopao od nekih sličnog žanra. U ovom romanu naš narator je devojka koja je svoju priču u pisanoj formi predala čoveku koji tu priču čita zainteresovanim slušaocima. Priča je o tome kako je ona poslata da bude guvernanta u zabačenoj engleskoj plemićkoj kući. Njeni štićenici su Flora i Majls, deca naizgled anđeoskog izgleda i naravi.

Guvernanta na prvu loptu biva očarana decom, ali jako brzo uviđa da se na imanju dešavaju i druge čudne stvari. Ono što se meni jako dopalo u romanu jeste to što posle svakog događaja ili dijaloga imamo dve mogućnosti: ili je ono što je napisano istina, ili je guvernanta luda, a kako je roman napisan u prvom licu, mi zapravo sve i posmatramo kroz guvernantine oči.

Da ne dužim previše o samoj radnji jer roman i nije dugačak pa ne treba sve ni otkrivati, mogu reći i da mi je stil lako tekao (pogotovo ako se uzme u obzir to da je roman napisan 1898. godine).

Sve u svemu, preporuka za sve koji vole neki vid “klasičnog horora” ovog doba kao što je “Ukleta kuća na brdu” ili nešto slično tome. It offers an engaging story with an interesting narrative style that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The mystery and uncertainty surrounding the events and the characters add to the overall atmosphere of the novel. Despite its age, it still manages to captivate modern readers and is definitely worth a read for those who enjoy this genre.

Listam svoje recenzije i vidim da sam ovoj zbirci dao četvorku.

I know why. I thought at that time that this was still a classic, so as not to make a mistake.

Now I'm thinking about something... It really hurts me. These stories are some of the most boring things I've ever read in my life. I don't care what the author wanted to say, but what he said.

And his writing style is the only "horror" here.

Maybe I was too hasty in giving a four-star rating before. After reading these stories carefully, I realize that they lack excitement and innovation. The plots are predictable, and the characters are not well-developed.

The author seems to rely too much on traditional horror elements, without adding any new ideas or perspectives.

In conclusion, this collection of stories is a disappointment for me. I hope the author can improve his writing skills and come up with more interesting and original works in the future.

You better put on your workboots to read James. This implies that reading James requires a certain level of effort and dedication. It's not something that can be done casually or without getting your hands dirty, so to speak. But the question remains, is it really worth the paycheque?

On one hand, reading James might offer valuable insights, expand your knowledge, and enhance your understanding of various concepts. It could potentially open doors to new opportunities or help you in your career. However, on the other hand, it might be a challenging and time-consuming task. The content could be dense and difficult to comprehend, requiring multiple readings and perhaps even some research.

So, before you decide to invest your time and energy into reading James, it's important to consider what you hope to gain from it. Weigh the potential benefits against the effort required and decide if it's truly worth the paycheque. After all, time is money, and you want to make sure that you're making the most of both.

The rating for the 'other stories' is 3/5, while for The Turn of the Screw itself, it's 4/5, resulting in an overall score of approximately 3.5/5.

The other stories failed to make a profound impression on me. When it comes to classic supernatural or ghostly tales, I have a preference for the more blatant otherworldliness found in Edgar Allan Poe's short stories.

The Turn of the Screw had an appropriate atmosphere. However, I struggled to separate it from my prior conceptions of the story, particularly the enhanced version presented by the recent BBC TV adaptation.

I appreciated the ambiguity of the story and the way it allows the reader to form their own opinion regarding the reality of the 'ghosts'. Personally, I tend to think they aren't real, although I thought the children were rather unpleasant anyway!

To be fair, I read this on a plane, and it's the kind of book that one should really snuggle up with in a quiet place on a stormy winter night. I might give it another chance later.

Read about 100 pages before I decided to stop with this one.

I read the first two stories, both of which were extremely dull. They lacked excitement and failed to capture my attention. Then I started 'The Turn Of The Screw', which was actually the very reason I wanted to get this book in the first place. However, to my great disappointment, I also found that story to be very dull as well.

I was really forcing myself to keep reading, but I just wasn't in the mood for it anymore. The lackluster nature of the stories was simply too much to bear. So, in the end, I gave up. I would highly recommend others to avoid this book if they are looking for something engaging and thrilling to read.

The Turn of the Screw is truly an outstanding work. It is far more complex and fascinating than its sanitized retelling, such as Bly Manor, could ever aspire to be.

There are indeed some other intriguing ideas present in the other stories. However, dear god, I just find it extremely difficult to get through his writing.

The language and style of the author can be quite challenging, making it a bit of a struggle to fully engage with the text.

But despite this, the overall concept and atmosphere of The Turn of the Screw are captivating and keep the reader hooked.

It makes one wonder about the true nature of the supernatural and the power of the human mind.

Overall, it is a work that demands attention and careful consideration, even if the reading experience may not always be easy.

I truly loved the story in its entirety.

However, I just couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of frustration with the prose style.

It was so difficult for me to read through it in a state of peace.

The words seemed to jumble together, making it a struggle to fully understand and appreciate the beauty that might have been hidden within.

I found myself constantly having to reread sentences and paragraphs, trying to make sense of what the author was trying to convey.

Despite my love for the story, the prose style was a major hindrance that prevented me from fully enjoying the reading experience.

I hope that in future works, the author will consider using a more straightforward and accessible prose style to better engage the readers and allow them to immerse themselves in the story without such distractions.

I have a rather unique preference when it comes to the world of the spooky. I detest scary movies with a passion, yet I have an insatiable love for scary books.

My perception of what is scary might seem quite mild in comparison to that of most people. However, I do relish the excitement that comes with feeling a hint of fear while tucked up in my bed at night, engrossed in a good book.

I vividly remember reading Steven King's "The Shining" during my high school days. Even reading it in the middle of the day, in the safety of my own room, I was absolutely petrified and had to turn on the light! To this day, I still regard it as the scariest book I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.

Other books that have sent shivers down my spine, albeit in different ways, include "Dracula" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray". "The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James, on the other hand, struck a different chord. It wasn't so much scary as it was creepy and eerie. Anything involving children and the possibility of possession is bound to have at least these qualities.

Despite being a relatively short book, page-wise (a mere 120 pages), it was surprisingly not a quick read, at least not for me. This was because of James' writing style, which was incredibly dense and detailed. He masterfully built up the suspense and tension of the story slowly and subtly.

I found James' writing style to be truly one-of-a-kind, unlike anything I have ever read before. It has inspired me to explore more of his works. While the story itself was just average, it was the way it was written and the ambiguity of certain elements within it that I truly cherished about this book.

I don't have an affinity for ghost stories. And all four of these tales fell into that category. Nevertheless, I do find myself drawn to the gothic, albeit it makes me feel uneasy at times. Henry James is truly a maestro in the art of storytelling, regardless of the length of his works.

Sir Edmund Orme had a resemblance to a Dickensian mystery. The pursuit of uncovering what was happening was balanced by an interesting exploration of guilt and responsibility for our own actions as well as those of others.

Owen Wingrave was perhaps my favorite among the stories. Here, James seems to present an argument against the glorification of war, which aligns more with the post-WWI perspective of writers, which is quite fascinating considering his own era. Moreover, the focus is mainly on a question of principle and standing up for what is right, making Owen a sympathetic and admirable character. There are also mentions of Baker St, which are quite interesting as this would have been after Doyle's Sherlock Holmes entered the literary scene.

The Friends of the Friends was rather peculiar - yet it was a decent study of how parasitic jealousy can be. It had an oddly supernatural element, although I think it was less so than the narrator made it seem - and that debate is a large part of the enjoyment of reading James.

Now, let's turn to The Turn of the Screw. This story is three times the length of the longest of the other ones and is far more startling. James's narrative is eerie in itself, claiming that the story comes from a copy of a manuscript read by a now-deceased man, who had received it from its author, a woman who is also no longer alive. The story is told from her perspective (the governess's) after the prologue, and she is such a narrator that, at least initially, one takes her seriously. The appearance of the presences is terrifying (I even made my housemate stay up with me while I read the first half of it). However, after a lecture from a sanity-saving professor, it occurred to me to question the reliability of the governess, which made the rest of the story more bearable, though the ending is poignantly haunting. Whether we are left with a scene reminiscent of Goethe's Erlkonig, or some more ambiguous murder is difficult to determine, but James is demonstrating his narrative expertise. In his preface to this story, he points out that a thing loses its awe-inspiring qualities if it is described too directly. By describing the effects of his ghosts and the events, rather than the events themselves, he forces the audience to imagine, and one's imagination is far more memorable than the words on the page. Such a story could not exist in any other medium - so James at least proves that the written word has a great and unique power.

I really enjoyed "Turn of the Screw" despite the Victorians' rather exhausting love of commas and their hatred of full stops.

This particular story had a certain charm and mystery that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

The way the author crafted the atmosphere and the characters was quite remarkable.

However, when it came to the other stories, they just weren't really my thing.

Perhaps it was the style or the subject matter that didn't resonate with me as much.

Nonetheless, "Turn of the Screw" stood out as a memorable read, and I'm glad I gave it a chance.

Even with the Victorian punctuation idiosyncrasies, it managed to captivate my imagination and leave a lasting impression.

I look forward to exploring more works by this author to see if there are other hidden gems like "Turn of the Screw" waiting to be discovered.

I found a significant number of these stories to be astonishingly stupid. It seemed as if they were all following a rather tiresome formula. However, within this collection, there was one absolute gem that managed to salvage the rest. That gem was "Aspern Papers", and I truly adored it.

It occurred to me that the majority of these stories revolved around uptight individuals with Victorian sensibilities. They were constantly withholding minute details about themselves from some prying protagonist. "Aspern Papers" adhered to this pattern as well, but it took it a step further. It delved deep into exploring the kind of radioactive half-life force that nostalgia can exert on the present. It made me think about how our past memories can have a profound and lasting impact on our current lives, sometimes in ways we might not even be aware of.

This story stood out from the others, not only for its engaging plot but also for its thought-provoking exploration of human nature and the power of nostalgia. It was a refreshing read amidst a sea of mediocrity.

'It was agreeable, it was delightful, it was miserable.'

This statement sums up the complex reading experience of Henry James' works. Reading his stories can be a real challenge. There are no pictures to break the monotony, and the narratives lack the liveliness and action that modern readers often crave. Excuses upon excuses can be made for this, but the truth is that literature demands more than just comfort. Just because our sensibilities have changed doesn't mean we should shy away from the tougher aspects of writing.

Yes, these stories may not appeal to the contemporary appetite, but James' craftsmanship is so evident that it should override any initial misgivings. The dense prose can make it a struggle to get through the pages, but in the end, it transports us to another era and a different style of writing. Instead of loudly demanding a large readership, James' works politely invite the reader into their intrigues.

I managed to finish 'The Turn of the Screw' against my better judgment and had to admit that it was well-crafted and suitably chilling. However, it is also a product of its time, and James' approach is incredibly dated. Nothing in this volume can truly be considered a 'short story'; instead, there are novellas that are as deep and slow-paced as glaciers.

I sincerely doubt I will ever read 'Washington Square' again, not because it is unpleasant but because it is simply miserable. This story should be taught to prospective literature majors as it will easily weed out the charlatans, much like medieval poetry. It is a perfectly functional story, but it is long and, with our evolved tastes, can be described as 'stale'.

'The Beast in the Jungle' was, more or less, on par with 'The Turn of the Screw' in my mind as the best story. 'The Jolly Corner' was also quite good and perhaps the most palatable for modern readers due to its touch of fantasy, which might be overlooked by bored or disinterested readers in other stories. I would recommend this book to patient, careful readers and, perhaps a bit maliciously, to young upstarts who think they will become writers.