The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

This period thriller is from 1898 and is about a governess who is hired by a man to care for his niece and nephew. The governess begins the job with excitement, but soon experiences disturbing events and believes ghosts of deceased employees are coming for the kids. 

This novella was adapted from serial installments in the magazine Collier's Weekly. It was interesting to read a ghost story from over 100 years ago and see how similar it is to modern-day ghost stories, but in a Victorian setting. Having said that, it took quite a bit of concentration for me to stay focused on the plot. As can be expected, the language was antiquated and at times difficult to follow, especially during the more narrative parts, as opposed to parts with dialogue.

There is enough ambiguity to the story to guide the reader to multiple conclusions. Ultimately, we read about a bad situation made worse, but what makes it worse can be argued. Is it ghosts? A trick of the mind? Abnormal biology? Whatever it is, events unfold much as they would when something, already over-tightened, experiences one more turn of the screw. 

At the end of the day, there are plenty of ghost and horror stories out there that will leave you a lot more scared and interested than this one. But if you have a thing for Victorian culture and old-fashioned writing, maybe pick this one up.

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

So I wasn't a fan of Horrorstor and had no interest in reading more of Hendrix's books, but I couldn't help grabbing How to Sell a Haunted House. I'm not even sure why. Honestly, I think it was just the cover. I mean, maybe we just got off on the wrong foot with Horrorstor and needed a second date to figure out if the chemistry really worked or not.

This may come as a surprise, but this story is about a haunted house. But even worse, it involves puppets and dolls...I think FlimFlamingo's description of "puppet gore" is appropriate. And it doesn't matter if they meant it ironically or not, the effect really is the same, which is to say it's horribly funny. 

What I liked about this book is that it kept me reading and wanting to go back to it when I put it down with the added bonus of ticking a lot of classic haunted house buttons for me. And it had the right amount of campiness - an issue I had with Horrorstor. One of the best chapters involved a funeral with overly zealous puppeteer attendees. And Hendrix knew the genius of this scene, as he reprises the funeral at the end of the book in a fun way that was reminiscent of Michael Rogalski's Horrostor illustrations - one of the best things about that book.

So I'm on the fence about Hendrix, I didn't really care for Horrorstor, but I liked How to Sell a Haunted House. I wonder if the issue is that I didn't quite get Hendrix's humor. Maybe he's an acquired taste...? I guess I'll have to pick up another one by Hendrix to break the tie and decide if we'll keep dating or not.