The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Title : The Turn of the Screw Author : Henry James Reading Dates : 29 Jul - 1 Aug 2010
From goodreads :
The story starts conventionally enough with friends sharing ghost stories 'round the fire on Christmas Eve. One of the guests tells about a governess at a country house plagued by supernatural visitors. But in the hands of Henry James, the master of nuance, this little tale of terror is an exquisite gem of sexual and psychological ambiguity. Only the young governess can see the ghosts; only she suspects that the previous governess and her lover are controlling the two orphaned children (a girl and a boy) for some evil purpose. The household staff don't know what she's talking about, the children are evasive when questioned, and the master of the house (the children's uncle) is absent. Why does the young girl claim not to see a perfectly visible woman standing on the far side of the lake? Are the children being deceptive, or is the governess being paranoid? By leaving the questions unanswered, The Turn of Screw generates spine-tingling anxiety in its mesmerized readers.

Book Review of The Turn of the Screw.
The Turn of the Screw is one I didn't like.

The reason is a very simple one. The author's style of writing does not work for me. I often had difficulty following the thoughts of the governess as she narrates her experiences. Quite a few of the sentences left me with a headache. While I expect to have some trouble at the start of reading classics, I also expect to adjust to the “rhythm” of the language after a few chapters at most. Having to struggle to understand the tale throughout the book really detracts from the story. So in the end, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I should.

I say should because this story is actually the scariest of the recent gothic fiction books I've read. Henry James's descriptions of the heroine's ghostly encounters and the children often left me feeling spooked. In fact, I'm not sure why the main character didn't notice much earlier. After the first few times of hearing about the children's perfection and beauty, I couldn't help feeling uneasy and wondering if they were something more than ordinary children. That none of the household staff should notice and their chief caretaker take so long was extraordinary to me.

On another note, I find the description of this story being a “psychological ambiguity” as puzzling. From the narrator's first encounter with the children's unnatural visitors, there was never a doubt in my mind that they were real. How could she possibly dream up and describe accurately a person she's never seen or known of ? If there is any ambiguity, it is in the ending where we are left to ponder what happened afterward.

My conclusion: I'd suggest giving this one a try first by reading it for free before committing to a purchase. While the story is interesting in itself, the style of writing might be a bit of a turn-off.

• Read the opening sentence from the The Turn of the Screw.
• Read another review of Henry James's novella at Page Turners
• Read the story online or download the eBook for free HERE.
• Listen to the audio book for free HERE.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Title : Dracula Author : Bram Stoker Reading Dates : 22 Jul - 26 Jul 2010
From Amazon :
The vampire novel that started it all, Bram Stoker's Dracula probes deeply into human identity, sanity, and the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire. When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries about his client. Soon afterward, disturbing incidents unfold in England-an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby, strange puncture marks appear on a young woman's neck, and a lunatic asylum inmate raves about the imminent arrival of his "Master"-culminating in a battle of wits between the sinister Count and a determined group of adversaries.

Book Review of Dracula.
Dracula's story is told in the form of a series of journal entries, letters, telegrams and newspaper cuttings. Mainly though, we see it from the point of views of Jonathan Harker, Wilhelmina "Mina" Murray and Dr. John Seward's journals. While this gives a more coherent picture of the story to us, the reader, the frequent changes can be a little disorientating and abrupt. There are times when I even confused the current narrator of the tale.

Aside from that minor annoyance, what disappointed me the most was Dracula's storyline and the treatment of women in the novel.

First of all, there are too many coincidences in this tale. Jonathan Harker is the solicitor sent to Count Dracula in Trasylvania. His fiance, Mina Murray, happens to witness Dracula's first attacks on her close friend, Lucy Westenra. Dr. John Seward who was a student of Abraham Van Helsing and attending physician at the lunatic asylum where Dracula's servant, Renfield, resides is also called in to check on Lucy. Do you see what I mean ?

Aside from that, some parts of the story are unclear or at least inconsistent. As seen near the end of Dracula's story, the powers of the brides of Dracula are not limited to the castle. Yet, Jonathan Harker managed to escape their clutches after being abandoned to their mercies by the Count. How he did that was never explained satisfactorily. There was also at least one allusion to Count Dracula's activities in England, witnessed by Jonathan Harker himself, which seems to occur during the daytime.

Finally, there is Mina's treatment by the men and her acceptance of it. This is an example of what I mean :

"Ah, that wonderful Madam Mina! She has man's brain - a brain that a man should have were he much gifted - and a woman's heart. The good God fashioned her for a purpose, believe me, when He made that so good combination. Friend John, up to now fortune has made that woman of help to us; after to-night she must not have to do with this so terrible affair. It is not good that she run a risk so great. We men are determined - nay, are we not pledged ? - to destroy this monster; but it is no part for a woman. Even if she be not harmed, her heart may fail her in so much and so many horrors; and hereafter she may suffer - both in waking, from her nerves, and in sleep, from her dreams. And, besides, she is a young woman, and not so long married; there may be other things to think of some time, if not now. You tell me she has wrote all, then she must consult with us; but to-morrow she say goodbye to this work, and we go alone."

I know Dracula was written in a different time, but I can't still help feeling annoyed. For Mina to help Van Helsing's group piece Dracula's story together and then be shunted aside once it was time to act feels so unfair.

In the end, Dracula wasn't the great read I expected it to be.

My conclusion : Read Dracula only if you do not know how the story goes. Without the suspense, there isn't much this tale can offer.

You can read or download the ebook for free HERE.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Title : The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde : Author Reading Dates : 18 Jul - 20 Jul 2010
From goodreads :
Spellbound before his own portrait, Dorian Gray utters a fateful wish. In exchange for eternal youth he gives his soul, to be corrupted by the malign influence of his mentor, the aesthete and hedonist Lord Henry Wotton. The novel was met with moral outrage by contemporary critics who, dazzled perhaps by Wilde's brilliant style, may have confused the author with his creation, Lord Henry, to whom even Dorian protests, 'You cut life to pieces with your epigrams.'. Encouraged by Lord Henry to substitute pleasure for goodness and art for reality, Dorian tries to watch impassively as he brings misery and death to those who love him. But the picture is watching him, and, made hideous by the marks of sin, it confronts Dorian with the reflection of his fall from grace, the silent bearer of what is in effect a devastating moral judgement.

Book Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
This will be the second time I have read The Picture of Dorian Gray. The first time I read it, I disliked it immensely and so it was with a certain trepidation that I picked it up again. I won't say I like the story now, but I don't dislike it either. What I am is fascinated.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story that is beautifully written from start to finish. The author has a way with words which is utterly amazing, drawing vivid images of events or actions with his words. The teaser I picked from the book earlier is such an example. But it can be frustrating and confusing also. I frequently I had to re-read the same sentences over and over again trying to make sense of what was being conveyed. And whenever it turned out that these pages of descriptive text could be condensed into a few sentences, it robs some of my pleasure from reading it. There was one part in particular where several pages are dedicated to detailing his excesses which still leaves me puzzled  as to the significance. The knowledge of it was necessary to understand Dorian Gray but was it necessary to spend a few pages on it. Near the end, I even found myself skipping paragraphs or pages to get to the next part of the story.

Even so, I believe that The Picture of Dorian Gray is a story that everyone has to read at least once. Dorian's fall and how society reacts to his vices is food for thought. How great a part was Lord Henry Wotton's role in Dorian Gray's change? Was he really corrupted by Lord Henry or did his friend merely help in revealing his true nature ? Could he have at any time saved his own soul ? At which point, did he become irredeemable? Was his repentance at the end false or did he believe it false because of his friend's influence ? Why did he place the blame of the corruption of his soul on the painter of the portrait and not on the poisoner of his soul? Up until the end, I still couldn't resolve any of these questions to my own satisfaction.

My conclusion : Belongs on the list of books everyone must read at least once in their lifetime.

• Read the teaser I shared earlier.
• Read quotes shared by a thousand Books with Quotes
• Read the book online or download it for free HERE.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Title : The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Author : Robert Louis Stevenson Reading Dates : 5 Jul - 7 Jul 2010

Book Summary and Review of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Like Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a tale of a good man who lets his ambitions lead him astray. But unlike Frankenstein, where one should not judge by looks alone, Mr. Hyde is exactly as he appears. To borrow a cliche, evil incarnate.

While most of Frankenstein is told from a first-person's perspective, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is narrated by several people who have either met Hyde or knows Jekyll. If I wasn't already aware of how the story played out, I imagine this would have been a great setup for the dramatic revelation at the end. As it is, there are times when I couldn't help but forget about the ending in my search for any tell-tale hints early on to clue in the reader. There are a few but I'm not sure I could have made the correct deduction on my own.

The battle between the personalities of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is supposed to reflect the duality of man, a battle of good versus evil. If so, the ending is a rather pessimistic outlook isn't it ? Mr. Hyde as the personification of evil may not have escaped just punishment but at least in his struggles with Dr. Jekyll, he gained the upper hand. However if the winner of their battle was Dr. Jekyll, the tale might not have been as memorable. That is my take at least.

An enjoyable read. Definitely should be read at least once. What about you ? Have you read the book ? Tell me what you think.

An interesting piece of tidbit about the story. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is supposed to be written by the author  after he awakened from a nightmare. He then destroyed it after reading his wife's criticisms and rewrote it again in another 3 days.

You can read or download The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for free.

Other books by Robert Louis Stevenson I have read :

Frankenstein

Title : Frankenstein Author : Mary Shelley Reading Dates : 24 Jun - 28 Jun 2010

An excerpt from Frankenstein

"You, who call Frankenstein your friend, seems to have a knowledge of my crimes and his misfortunes. But in the detail which he gave you of them he could not sum up the hours and months of misery which I endured wasting in impotent passions. For while I destroyed his hopes, I did not satisfy my own desires. They were forever ardent and craving; still I desired love and friendship, and I was still spurned. Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all humankind sinned against me? Why do you not hate Felix, who drove his friend from his door with contumely? Why do you not execrate the rustic who sought to destroy the saviour of his child? Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate beings! I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice."

Book Review of Frankenstein.

Since Frankenstein is such a fairly known story, I've chosen to replace my usual book summary with an excerpt from the book. This particular passage to me sums up my reactions to the book. Frankenstein the book is unlike any of the dramatisations I've ever seen of the story. Unlike the many different versions I've seen in the past, there's no clear-cut hero and villain in the story. Frankenstein is no mad scientist but merely an ambitious and misguided young man who sought to make his mark in the world. And once he realized his mistake, made the situation worst by attempting to shirk his responsibilities. Whatever amends he attempts comes too late and at too high a price. Meanwhile, Frankenstein's creation while hideous in appearance was not monsterlike in nature at the start. Shunned and persecuted for his appearance despite his many attempts to gain the good will of the people he meets, he sought vengeance against the one who had abandoned him to despair and loneliness. Like Frankenstein, he comes to regret his actions but the deed is done and no amount of remorse can undo the evil he has done. What I like about the story is the way it is told. Seeing things from both the main characters viewpoints made it very easy to understand and sympathize with them. The same event has different meaning when first seen through Victor Frankenstein's eyes, then his creation's. At different parts of the story, I found myself first blaming one then the other. In the end, the tale reads like a series of tragic mistakes. Everyone had to shoulder a part of the blame and yet in the beginning no one meant to do harm. Apart from that, there were just some minor complaints. The first is that we understand too little about the other characters. We know of them but care very little for them. Their deaths should be something horrible but the only feeling I had was pity for the main characters. The other is disbelief at how Frankenstein could have misinterpreted the monster's promise to see him again on his wedding night. Even if I didn't already know what would happen, it would have been quite obvious what the creature intended. Was it wilful blindness ? Shouldn't the monster's meaning have been quite plainly understood ? Anyway as a rule, I don't normally like stories with sad or tragic endings but Frankenstein was such an absorbing read that I wouldn't mind reading it again. It certainly makes you think and wonder at this cautionary tale. Beware what you do when seeking knowledge and glory. You can read or download Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for free.

The Castle of Otranto

Title : The Castle of Otranto Author : Horace Walpole Reading Dates : 19 Jun - 21 Jun 2010

Book Summary of The Castle of Otranto.
Fearing that his son's death is a portend of the end of his rule over Otranto due to an old prophecy, Prince Manfred decides to divorce his own wife and marry his late son's affianced. Upon learning of the Prince of Otranto's intentions, the Lady Isabella flees from him and seeks sanctuary in St. Nicholas's church.

While attempting to capture Isabella, Manfred apprehends instead Theodore, who at first appears to be a lowly peasant. Once he learns Theodore is Jerome's long-lost son, he uses Theodore as a hostage to force Jerome to hand over Isabella. Luckily, Theodore escapes with the assistance of Manfred's daughter, Matilda.

In due time, Theodore is revealed to be the rightful ruler of Otranto. And Manfred himself repents of his actions after he mistakenly kills his own daughter.

Book Review of The Castle of Otranto.
At 5 chapters, The Castle of Otranto is a relatively short tale. But adjusting to the style of writing of the 18th century and the values it espouses takes some getting use to. If this were a work of our time, I would probably hate it. As it is, I'm not sure what to think.

It may have been the author's intention to portray Princess Hippolita as being a dutiful wife, but to me her blind obedience smacks more of stupidity. Imagine agreeing to a divorce simply because her husband wished it. Even yielding to her husband's wishes to let him marry his recently deceased son's fiance. This despite the fiance's objections to said proposal.

And the portrayal of the servants is rather unflattering. All of them appear to be an easily excitable lot with little courage or sense. I suppose the idea here is for them to provide the elements of comedy but their actions appear more irritating than humorous to me.

To think that the paranormal romances I'm now reading had its start with gothic fiction like The Castle of Otranto is mind boggling. There seems very little similarities in my mind but what do I know.

Take a peek at it. Read it for free if you like but my advise is not to buy the book.