Henry James. The Turn of the Screw and The Aspern Papers. Penguin Classics, 1984.
This is an omnibus edition of two of James’ tales, which I have been reading for some time while commuting on the bus, and have finally finished.
The Aspern Papers (1888, revised 1907–9). This took a long time to read, far longer than the length would suggest, even given that it was read on relatively short commutes, which accords with the novella failing to hold my interest.
The Turn of the Screw (1898, revised 1907–9) on the other hand was riveting—to the point of becoming lost in the story and being carried some 3½ kilometres beyond my bus stop. A horror novella which works not by jumps or explicit gore, but by simply and slowly ratcheting up the tension. It’s never clear whether the ghosts really exist, or whether they are entirely the narrator’s delusion.
Stats to Date
Books Read: 19
Books by Male Authors: 15
Books by Female Authors: 4
Books by Australian Authors: 4
Fiction Books: 14
Genre Books: 9
Verity Books: 5
Literature Books: 3
Science Books: 1
History Books: 1
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