Saturday, September 28, 2019

October 25, 2019 — The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James

The next meeting of Great Books KC will be October 25, 2019. 
We'll be discussing The Turn of the Screw, by Henry James.

Meeting Information:
Location: Plaza Branch Kansas City Public Library
Small Meeting Room
Date: October 25, 2019
Time: 7:00 pm
Address: 4801 Main Street
Kansas City, MO


The Turn of the Screw is an 1898 horror novella by Henry James that first appeared in serial format in Collier's Weekly magazine (January 27 – April 16, 1898). In October 1898 it appeared in The Two Magics, a book published by Macmillan in New York City and Heinemann in London. Classified as both gothic fiction and a ghost story, the novella focuses on a governess who, caring for two children at a remote estate, becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted.

In the century following its publication, The Turn of the Screw became a cornerstone text of academics who subscribed to New Criticism. The novella has had differing interpretations, often mutually exclusive. Many critics have tried to determine the exact nature of the evil hinted at by the story. However, others have argued that the brilliance of the novella results from its ability to create an intimate sense of confusion and suspense within the reader.