@@BetterThanFoodBookReviews Yes! I wrote the comment before getting to that part. Really appreciate it :D This book, Crime and Punishment, and Jamaica's Inn by Daphne du Maurier influence my writing so much!
I loved this book! I put it off for years(decades, really) but read it last year and couldn't believe how absolutely great it was! You described perfectly just why I loved it so much....but you do this often and that's why i watch you. Thanks, Cliff!
Turn of the Screw was a challenging read. It was like watching a fatal accident play out in slow motion, and I felt myself unraveling with her. That said, the most soul-crushing moment comes in the second half of the third act, where the narrator reveals that this perceived tale of sinister claustrophobia is actually just a long form ad for betterhelp. I was shocked, and honestly I didn’t know betterhelp was even around back then, compromising authors of American Gothic fiction.
The film took its title from the stage play adapted from "The Turn of the Screw" and is one of the best film adaptations of a work of literature I have ever seen, with Deborah Kerr giving one of her best ever performances. Many years ago I visited the house and grounds where the film was shot, although the interiors were actually studio sets.
Was literally rewatching Haunting of Bly Manor (show based on The Turn of the Screw) & this vid got recommended to me! Now I'm considering reading the book 🤓
I have had this book on my shelf since my high school teacher recommended it, some 25 years ago. Your review definitely convinced me to read it very soon. I just recently discovered your channel and it has instantly become one of my favourites book channels, the first in English. As far as stories about someone descending into madness, do you know Flight into darkness by Arthur Schnitzler? Thanks for what you do!
I just finished the book and also loved it but was so frustrated by all the questions I was left with! I think with contemporary novels, it’s so rare to have so many things left unanswered and I felt like the governess made so many assumptions about the intent of the apparitions and the children. But that is part of the beauty of the book - or part of what makes it haunting; you are left haunted by unanswered questions.
Henry James is an amazing writer. I started with this short book of his earlier in the year, after being put on by Jorge Luis Borges who admired and was mystified by James. Great to see this video.
Very interesting version of the tale there, in that Britten and his librettist Myfanwy Piper render the ghosts unambiguously real, and strongly imply that they seek some kind of possession of the children. The character and motivations of the Governess remain ambiguous.
One curious cinematic variation of this classic story is the 1971 drama 'The Nightcomers', directed by Michael Winner to a screenplay by Michael Hastings. This is a prequel to the tale told in "The Turn of the Screw", explicitly showing the abusive affair between Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, and the malign influence this has on Miles and Flora. Quint is played by Marlon Brando, while Stephanie Beacham portrays Miss Jessel. It's an interesting though vulgar film, lacking the nuance and subtlety that James brought to his story, and which was so effectively transmitted in 'The Innocents', surely the best screen adaptation of the work.
I'm reading Europe Central by William Vollmann right now. Its fascinating and heartbreaking in many ways, but my god does he go into those linguistic mudslides like that sentence at 8:35. It can be very confusing when you're not 100% focused but also enchanting.
I love this story. You're right, it challenges you to come up with the worst possible explanation for the behavior of the adults and that makes it so overwhelmingly realistic. Because we live in a world with some pretty bad behavior and we're all sadly aware of the possibilities.
Dang, I started reading chapter by chapter a couple weeks ago and now you’re reviewing it. Someone else said he writes like Proust, had Proust been American.
A name worth mentioning I think is Robert Aickman too, he feels like a descendent of James sometimes with his slightly dense sentences, strange interiority of characters and the ambiguous natures of what's even happening to them.
Don’t start with The Wings of the Dove! I’d suggest Portrait of a Lady. I say this because James’s work (like his sentences) gets increasingly baroque as time goes on.
Hello my friend! I love your (channe ?l) and have found some incredible novels from authors that I've never heard of. Question - the subjective quality as you rea a particular novel can often partly depend on your personal emotion; Did you have a fight with your wife, a member of your family just died or you just received a promotion at work etc... for me, I'm usually reading 3 novels in that same period. I read two physical novels and listen to another one on audio.
I’m new here I’ve subscribed to your channel .im from the uk. I’m reading the turn of the screw next.. I’m reading .classic tales of horror.then Dracula .happy reading ❤❤
Please review “ All The King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren. It is the best book I have ever read. Finished it a few weeks ago and am in a state of limbo. I fear I will never find anything that will live up to it!
A really good book, that you can finish in a trio to the restroom is "Final Spin" by Jocko Willink. It has this really good blue vibe, it kinda feels like Mexico
I personally think Kubrick would have studied the novel before making the film. Diane Johnson certainly had (his co screenwriter). She was a professor of Gothic Literature. You're correct to see a lot thematic overlap there.
I can see some parallels. The intimations of child abuse in the past haunting the living, and the setting an isolated country mansion. And there's also the ambiguity of whether the protagonist is slowly losing her sanity.
Plzzzzz review 'A Fan's Notes' by Frederick Exley ... absolutely unforgettable book i'm sure you'd love . . . would really enjoy listening to you're take on it also . . . Best Wishes Joe 👍
Ha! Never trust a first person narrator! It is a fantastic book. I read it when I was a teen and again at uni. So much it is open to your own interpretation.
I myownself am very partial to THE SPOILS OF POYNTON and WHAT MAISIE KNEW...horrible people and psychological torment and gorgeous sesquipedalian verbosities.
I’m sorry, but eating raw turnips is more enjoyable than reading Henry James. ‘Reading the book is far more unpleasant than NOT reading the book. Reading the story is knowing the story. And knowing is control!’ So, don’t bother.
Hey man hope you're doing ok, I believe you live in Florida if I'm not mistaken hope you're doing well and if I'm wrong about where you live I wish you the same anyways
Borges said: "Despite the scruples and delicate complexities of James, his work suffers from a major defect: the absence of life." Better than food? Not according to Borges.
Oh wow, you quoted an important writter saying that another important writter is not that good... That Proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are very smart, and Specifically smarter that the person that made this video. Congratulations.
@@rodrigomadera3048 I did not imply any of that you lizard. The person that made this video named his channel after a quote from Borges and I thought it was a nice coincidence.
George Bernard Shaw wasn’t particularly impressed by Shakespeare. Shaw was entitled to his opinions, but I’m entitled to ignore them. (BTW, I like both playwrights.)
Prayers to Poseidon? Did it ever occur to you that that's the reason why you've been getting so many hurricanes? For goodness sake learn to pray to the one true God. That, or stick the books
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightcomers "The Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk.[2] It is a prequel to Henry James' 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, which had already been adapted into The Innocents (1961)."
I commented on your previous video about The Turn of the Screw and now you're reviewing it! So hypeddd
I mention you in the video! Thank you very much for the recommendation. Loved it.
@@BetterThanFoodBookReviews Yes! I wrote the comment before getting to that part. Really appreciate it :D This book, Crime and Punishment, and Jamaica's Inn by Daphne du Maurier influence my writing so much!
I loved this book! I put it off for years(decades, really) but read it last year and couldn't believe how absolutely great it was! You described perfectly just why I loved it so much....but you do this often and that's why i watch you. Thanks, Cliff!
Thanks!
Thank you very much for your kind support!
Turn of the Screw was a challenging read. It was like watching a fatal accident play out in slow motion, and I felt myself unraveling with her. That said, the most soul-crushing moment comes in the second half of the third act, where the narrator reveals that this perceived tale of sinister claustrophobia is actually just a long form ad for betterhelp. I was shocked, and honestly I didn’t know betterhelp was even around back then, compromising authors of American Gothic fiction.
I love that movie “The Innocents” 1961 that was an adaptation of this novel, co-adapted by Truman Capote apparently. Well worth a watch!
Adding to my watchlist! Looks great and I even noticed Georges Auric did the score, love his works. Thanks for the recommendation !!
The film took its title from the stage play adapted from "The Turn of the Screw" and is one of the best film adaptations of a work of literature I have ever seen, with Deborah Kerr giving one of her best ever performances. Many years ago I visited the house and grounds where the film was shot, although the interiors were actually studio sets.
@@burbarygary When Capote was in the zone no other writer came close 🤜
Outstanding. I enjoyed this book when I read it. You’ve given it additional layers of leaning to me now. I’ll have to look at it again. 👍
Really love your reviews, man. Thank you!
Love all of your videos! ❤ You have the best book channel on youtube.
Glad you got through Helene well. Always look forward to your uploads
Thanks for this great review/overview of one of my favorite books!
Was literally rewatching Haunting of Bly Manor (show based on The Turn of the Screw) & this vid got recommended to me! Now I'm considering reading the book 🤓
I highly, highly recommend checking out The Innocents with Deborah Kerr. It’s based on the James story.
It’s amazing how faithful the novel is to the novella, very unsettling.
Great movie!
After watching it for the first time, I immediately watched it again with the commentary on. I’ve done that with only two films in my life.
It's here on UA-cam, just search "the innocents 1967).
Which 2? @@severianconciliator1862
I remember coming across your channel before 5k. Love you see you’re doing well
I have had this book on my shelf since my high school teacher recommended it, some 25 years ago. Your review definitely convinced me to read it very soon.
I just recently discovered your channel and it has instantly become one of my favourites book channels, the first in English.
As far as stories about someone descending into madness, do you know Flight into darkness by Arthur Schnitzler?
Thanks for what you do!
I just finished the book and also loved it but was so frustrated by all the questions I was left with! I think with contemporary novels, it’s so rare to have so many things left unanswered and I felt like the governess made so many assumptions about the intent of the apparitions and the children. But that is part of the beauty of the book - or part of what makes it haunting; you are left haunted by unanswered questions.
Commenting to increase activity and the algorithm pushes this channel
Wonderful review…as usual.
Started reading regularly again from your recommendations starting with the book of disquiet, looking forward to a review of a moveable feast :)
What's your thoughts on it?
Henry James is an amazing writer. I started with this short book of his earlier in the year, after being put on by Jorge Luis Borges who admired and was mystified by James. Great to see this video.
Just finished this one. Glad you did a review of it.
I have this book on my shelf. Getting it out to read now!
we read this previous semester.. ah i was searching if you made a video about this novella back then lol
Don't forget Benjamin Britten's opera "The Turn of the Screw." Excellent and chilling adaptation!
Very interesting version of the tale there, in that Britten and his librettist Myfanwy Piper render the ghosts unambiguously real, and strongly imply that they seek some kind of possession of the children. The character and motivations of the Governess remain ambiguous.
@@barrymoore4470 indeed.
One curious cinematic variation of this classic story is the 1971 drama 'The Nightcomers', directed by Michael Winner to a screenplay by Michael Hastings. This is a prequel to the tale told in "The Turn of the Screw", explicitly showing the abusive affair between Miss Jessel and Peter Quint, and the malign influence this has on Miles and Flora. Quint is played by Marlon Brando, while Stephanie Beacham portrays Miss Jessel. It's an interesting though vulgar film, lacking the nuance and subtlety that James brought to his story, and which was so effectively transmitted in 'The Innocents', surely the best screen adaptation of the work.
Yay another upload!!!
I'm reading Europe Central by William Vollmann right now. Its fascinating and heartbreaking in many ways, but my god does he go into those linguistic mudslides like that sentence at 8:35. It can be very confusing when you're not 100% focused but also enchanting.
I was just thinking today, where has Better Than Food been? Happy! And I love this story.
I love this story. You're right, it challenges you to come up with the worst possible explanation for the behavior of the adults and that makes it so overwhelmingly realistic. Because we live in a world with some pretty bad behavior and we're all sadly aware of the possibilities.
"Wings of the Dove" is brilliant. And look at a library for James' unfinished "A Sense of the Past"-- eerie and entrancing.
Read “The Portrait of a Lady”. A masterpiece. Beyond compare
Haunting of Bly Manor is well worth a watch - its a television show adaptation of Turning of the Screw. I thought it was quite good.
Dang, I started reading chapter by chapter a couple weeks ago and now you’re reviewing it. Someone else said he writes like Proust, had Proust been American.
A name worth mentioning I think is Robert Aickman too, he feels like a descendent of James sometimes with his slightly dense sentences, strange interiority of characters and the ambiguous natures of what's even happening to them.
Love your channel 😀
One of my favourite writers. I visited his house in Rye called Lamb House. I really recommend a visit.
Don’t start with The Wings of the Dove! I’d suggest Portrait of a Lady. I say this because James’s work (like his sentences) gets increasingly baroque as time goes on.
Let the halloween season begin!
Hello my friend! I love your (channe ?l) and have found some incredible novels from authors that I've never heard of.
Question - the subjective quality as you rea a particular novel can often partly depend on your personal emotion; Did you have a fight with your wife, a member of your family just died or you just received a promotion at work etc... for me, I'm usually reading 3 novels in that same period. I read two physical novels and listen to another one on audio.
I’m new here I’ve subscribed to your channel .im from the uk. I’m reading the turn of the screw next.. I’m reading .classic tales of horror.then Dracula .happy reading ❤❤
Please review “ All The King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren. It is the best book I have ever read. Finished it a few weeks ago and am in a state of limbo. I fear I will never find anything that will live up to it!
I ordered this book in June and usps lost it :( this video has renewed my interest and now I will have to actually read it. Thank you!!
I would love to hear your thoughts on Halldor Laxness' Independent People. It's a great, bleak Icelandic epic right up your street
Surely the best horror story ever written, in my opionion. Was it all in her head? What had Peter Quint done to the children....horrible!
I've heard of Henry James, but I need to read him.
I liked The Turn of the Screw. Another Henry James novella i recommend is The Aspern Papers.
A really good book, that you can finish in a trio to the restroom is "Final Spin" by Jocko Willink. It has this really good blue vibe, it kinda feels like Mexico
love your vids
Do you think "The Shining," was also lifted from "The Turn of the Screw"?
I personally think Kubrick would have studied the novel before making the film. Diane Johnson certainly had (his co screenwriter). She was a professor of Gothic Literature. You're correct to see a lot thematic overlap there.
Ah, yes... Spooky season. My temptation to read the Turn of the Screw, and my real will to read the Exorcist for the 4th time.
Haunting of Hill House is maybe somewhat like this
I can see some parallels. The intimations of child abuse in the past haunting the living, and the setting an isolated country mansion. And there's also the ambiguity of whether the protagonist is slowly losing her sanity.
isn’t this novella inspired the that serie?
Definitely one of the 10 best horror stories of all-time.
Plzzzzz review 'A Fan's Notes' by Frederick Exley ... absolutely unforgettable book i'm sure you'd love . . . would really enjoy listening to you're take on it also . . .
Best Wishes
Joe 👍
Ha! Never trust a first person narrator! It is a fantastic book. I read it when I was a teen and again at uni. So much it is open to your own interpretation.
I myownself am very partial to THE SPOILS OF POYNTON and WHAT MAISIE KNEW...horrible people and psychological torment and gorgeous sesquipedalian verbosities.
Actually, we do know why the birds in Hitchcocks "The Birds" attack.
I’m sorry, but eating raw turnips is more enjoyable than reading Henry James.
‘Reading the book is far more unpleasant than NOT reading the book. Reading the story is knowing the story. And knowing is control!’ So, don’t bother.
I recommend the kokoro by natsume soseki
I like the Ruth Ware version
Please review Lolita
Hey man hope you're doing ok, I believe you live in Florida if I'm not mistaken hope you're doing well and if I'm wrong about where you live I wish you the same anyways
Doing fine, contending with the aftermath but no major damage, thank you very much for your concern and well wishes 🙏
@@BetterThanFoodBookReviews thank goodness for that, stay strong brother and stay safe we miss you love from Cali ✌️
Read DISPATCHES by Michael Herr.
s there a book that depicts the most heinous acts of evil without having anything to do with children?
Imho, Henry James was one of those authors, like Joseph Conrad, who should have won the Nobel Prize but didn’t.
I believe Henry James was the brother of the American philosopher, William James who’s a big deal.
I was just thinking about this book today! That's crazy!!
did you read " The Woman in White"? he didnt get much credit back then from the fancy critics like almost any other Genius...
Read it, they made a couple movie versions of it too. Don’t the kids end up getting possessed?
Borges said: "Despite the scruples and delicate complexities of James, his work suffers from a major defect: the absence of life." Better than food? Not according to Borges.
Many have said the same about Borges. Typically, 'it's too intellectual' or such. It's all best left ignored.
Oh wow, you quoted an important writter saying that another important writter is not that good... That Proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are very smart, and Specifically smarter that the person that made this video. Congratulations.
@@rodrigomadera3048 I did not imply any of that you lizard. The person that made this video named his channel after a quote from Borges and I thought it was a nice coincidence.
And Ezra Pound hated Milton's writing doesn't make it any less great
George Bernard Shaw wasn’t particularly impressed by Shakespeare. Shaw was entitled to his opinions, but I’m entitled to ignore them. (BTW, I like both playwrights.)
There so many adverts on this video. It’s unwatchable..
yeah, the boy needs some money.
Funny, I didn't get any.
@@ichirofakename Nor did I.
An excessive tease told in tiresome prose. No thanks. I prefer both the Innocents and The Hours.
Prayers to Poseidon? Did it ever occur to you that that's the reason why you've been getting so many hurricanes? For goodness sake learn to pray to the one true God. That, or stick the books
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightcomers
"The Nightcomers is a 1971 British horror film directed by Michael Winner and starring Marlon Brando, Stephanie Beacham, Thora Hird, Harry Andrews and Anna Palk.[2] It is a prequel to Henry James' 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, which had already been adapted into The Innocents (1961)."