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The Turn of the Screw cover art

The Turn of the Screw

By: Henry James
Narrated by: Emma Thompson,Richard Armitage - introduction
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Summary

Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Emmy winner Emma Thompson lends her immense talent and experienced voice to Henry James' Gothic ghost tale, The Turn of the Screw.

When a governess is hired to care for two children at a British country estate, she begins to sense an otherworldly presence around the grounds. Are they really ghosts she's seeing? Or is something far more sinister at work?

Having performed in films based on some of the greatest works in literature - including Sense and Sensibility, Howards End, Much Ado About Nothing, and Henry V - Thompson is no stranger to the classics, and she lends a graceful eloquence to this moody, macabre story. Joined by listener favorite Richard Armitage, who performs the prologue, Thompson reinvigorates this psychological thriller of life, death, evil, and the unknown.

Public Domain (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"[Narrator] Emma Thompson gives the performance we expect from an Oscar winner. Most listeners don't think of Henry James as a passionate writer, but passion is there, and Thompson brings it out - and adds some of her own.... Thompson's reading will teach new listeners how to read the text - and perhaps James in general - and to understand why he's considered a genius." ( AudioFile)

What listeners say about The Turn of the Screw

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A Classic Ghost Story But I'm Still None The Wiser

Any additional comments?

I have been confused by The Turn of The Screw for Years. Having read and seen several TV/film versions of this classic, gothic tale of ghosts and evil spirits I have never been able to decide whether the main protagonist (the governess) was insane, a hysteric or a young woman who was completely up against it ,trying to cope with two vulnerable children in a position of overarching responsibility that was foisted on her by an absent and irresponsible employer. So I decided to try listening to the story to see if I could pick up any clues that would help me come to a conclusion.
The story started really well with an authoratative performance from Richard Armitage in the prologue. But the bulk of the story, narrated very ably by Emma Thompson, just didn't 'do it' for me. I don't know why. I think Emma Thompson was perhaps miscast. The voice was a bit too mature and measured I think. The chilling fear and sense of dread and horror that Henry James sought to express in the narrative just didn't come across.
I'm still none the wiser about the outcome or whether the governess imagined it all. But perhaps that was James' intention? Leave them confused and wanting more? Who knows but perhaps someone could explain it all to me!

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Not a ghost story

What did you like most about The Turn of the Screw?

This book is an excellent way of experiencing the inner life of a person with severe mental problems

Who was your favorite character and why?

The present governess- the sole source of the hallucinations. She is delicate, unsure of herself, anxious and constantly alert for warped interpretations of the behaviour and words of others, in particular, the two children; left in charge with no help available. A sure setting for trouble.

What does Emma Thompson and Richard Armitage - introduction bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Brilliant. Emma's voice suggests the complexity of the tortured mind. The American pronunciation of enquiry jarred somewhat.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

All is well with the governess left in charge....until the ghosts start to appear.

Any additional comments?

The title, 'Turn of the Screw,' epitomises the gradual increase in pressure that this lady experiences. Dramatizations turn this tale into a ghost story. It really is a page from a book on psychiatry fleshed out. 'For example' 'what to look for' the book is saying. Henry James had a brother William James, the famous psychologist and philosopher. Surely, they would have discussed the incidents that are described to make sure that they were true to life. The whole book is seen through the eyes of the governess. Only she sees Peter Quint and Miss Jessell. In her position alone with children, this governess is dangerous.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Gothic and Spooky excellently performed.

If anybody is in any doubt of Emma Thompson extraordinary skill as a performer, send them this audiobook.

I was utterly gripped by this gothic classic.

Governess alone in a big old house? Tick.

Suspicious circumstances of her employment? Tick.

Creepy children and mysterious apparitions? Tick.

I highly recommend.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

could not follow

Even though I have seen the show I could not follow this book. The performance was brilliant but I think the writer had swallowed a thesaurus.
I have listened to 56 books so far and this is regrettably the first one I will not finish.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great production

This is a shortish book but it’s one of the greats, and Emma Thompson provides a stellar performance. Highly recommended.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ghostly

I read this novella a couple of years ago and couldn’t resist buying this audiobook which is narrated by the wonderful Emma Thompson. As I remembered, this is a really spooky story. James’ language is weaving and complicated and in places, ambiguous. Is this actually a ghost story or is there something else...?

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

It builds...

At first I thought Thompson's voice was too casually modern, but it does prove very winning and convincing the more full-throated it becomes. In fact, it freshens the prose and moves us away from the more PR and actorly style that most period novels receive. While I don't get the sense of any of the complexity or ambiguity of the tale - this woman is barking from the get-go - on its own terms, it does work powerfully well.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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It took me much longer to listen to this

than it should have as I kept falling asleep. It is so very dull. And the constant emotional liability was just far too much to contend with.
I don't think I've read anything by James before - I might try another before I write him off for me. This book though did not do it for me.
Excellent narration from Thompson however.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A bit disappointing

As a huge fan of gothic stories and haunted houses, I was really disappointed that I didn't find this one more exciting. The storyline lacked the excitement or creepiness which I had hoped for, and I just found it all a bit, well, underwhelming.

In my opinion, the characters in 'Turn Of The Screw' were lacking in personality, which made it challenging to develop any affinity towards them. Consequently, I found myself disliking them and unable to empathise with their struggles. Additionally, I felt that many of the suspenseful moments in the novel were lost on me due to their underdeveloped nature. It was as if they failed to elicit the intended emotional response from me, leaving me feeling somewhat disconnected from the story's intended atmosphere.

Also, I found the narrator very screechy at times which just put me off this audiobook.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Take a deep breath...

It's just a bit frustrating, honestly. The slightest thing happens to these characters and they fly into prolongued bouts of hysterics. Instead of reacting in a remotely rational fashion and doing something useful, they burst into tears and start howling at how terrible everything is. I don't need Sherlock Holmes, but amateur dramatics doesn't replace personality.

I don't think that was the fault of the performers/readers, either. I think the characters are just written to fly into a meltdown at the slightest provocation. Perhaps that was just the expected response in 1898, but to the modern listener/reader/audience they just look somewhat pathetic and contemptible.

If you don't mind excessively emotional and somewhat incoherent characters, this might work for you. If you're put off by pitiful caterwauling at every inconvenience, then you are advised to look elsewhere.

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