The Turning [Hardcover]

Francine Prose (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 25, 2012

A dark house.
An isolated island.
Strange dreams
and even stranger
visions . . .

Jack is spending the summer on a private island far from modern conveniences. No Wi-Fi, no cell service, no one else on the island but a housekeeper and the two very peculiar children in his care. The first time Jack sees the huge black mansion atop a windswept hill, he senses something cold, something more sinister than even the dark house itself.

Soon, he feels terribly isolated and alone. Yet he is not alone. The house has visitors—peering in the windows, staring from across the shore. But why doesn't anyone else see them . . . and what do they want? As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy. . . . Or is he?

From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes a mind-bending story that will leave you realizing how subtle the lines that separate reality, imagination, and insanity really are.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-An updated version of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. Jack is separated from his girlfriend by her disapproving father, who arranges a summer job for the boy babysitting two orphaned children, Miles and Flora, on an isolated island. The story is narrated by Jack in a series of letters to Sophie that relate the increasingly odd happenings: people appear that no one else can see, Jack hears vague rumors of a strange death on the island last year, and the two children appear to be hiding secrets of their own. From the housekeeper, Jack learns of the previous nanny, Lucy, and her lover, Norris-now deceased-whose ghosts may be haunting the area. Prose includes all the elements of the Gothic ghost story as she masterfully establishes a brooding, dark tone: a cavernous mansion, a mysteriously locked room, eerily well-behaved children. At times, the epistolary format stretches credulity (such as Jack still writing after he breaks up with Sophie). However, letters that end on cliff-hangers heighten the suspense and keep the narrative moving at a breakneck pace. Though the ambiguous conclusion is spooky, readers will likely find the twist at the end of Adele Griffin's Tighter (Knopf, 2011), based on the same source material, far more satisfying. As with James's original story, Prose effectively establishes the protagonist as an unreliable narrator, though the voice of Griffin's wayward teenager is more convincing. Still, this is a gripping page-turner that even reluctant readers will have trouble putting down.-Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journalα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About the Author

Francine Prose is the critically acclaimed author of nineteen novels, including the National Book Award Finalist Blue Angel and My New American Life. She has written three other novels for young adults: After, winner of the California Young Reader Medal, an IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice, and a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age; Bullyville, a PW Best Book and Book Sense Children's Pick; and her most recent, Touch. She is also the author of two picture books, Leopold, the Liar of Leipzig and Rhino, Rhino, Sweet Potato. The recipient of numerous grants and honors, including a Guggenheim and a Fulbright, Francine Prose was Director's Fellow at the Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library. She lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (September 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061999660
• ISBN-13: 978-0061999666
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #715,369 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Francine Prose is the author of sixteen books of fiction. Her novel A Changed Man won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and Blue Angel was a finalist for the National Book Award. Her most recent works of nonfiction include the highly acclaimed Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife, and the New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. A former president of PEN American Center, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Francine Prose lives in New York City.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars "I felt like I'd left the modern world behind." September 26, 2012

By E. Bukowsky HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

In 1898, Henry James's novella, "The Turn of the Screw," intrigued readers with its depiction of a high-strung governess who has been hired to care for two orphans, Miles and Flora, in a gothic house filled with menace. The governess's feelings of dread increase exponentially when she sees a male and female who may be the ghosts of deceased former employees, or perhaps figments of her fevered imagination.

In "The Turning," Francine Prose updates James's tale for young adults. The first-person narrator is Jackson Branch, a high school student who is getting the princely sum of two hundred dollars a week to spend the summer with a ten-year-old boy, Miles, and his eight-year-old sister, Flora. Jack was hesitant about taking this job, since it means being separated from his girlfriend, Sophie. However, Jack and Sophie have promised to keep in touch via snail mail. Why? "Crackstone's Landing," the tiny island where Jack is going, is a cut off from the mainland--no telephone, no television, and no Internet service--so Jack cannot call, text, or email Sophie. The book consists of letters, most of them written by Jack to Sophie.

Like the aforementioned governess, Jack finds the place where he will be staying somewhat sinister and unwelcoming. Known as "The Dark House," it is painted a funereal black and has long and winding corridors that are difficult to navigate. One room is locked and no one seems to know who has the key. As time goes on, Jack becomes increasingly uncomfortable. Although Mrs. Gross, the cook and general factotum, seems nice enough, the two children are eerie. They are stiff and polite to a fault; there is almost nothing childlike about them. Matters take a huge turn for the worse when Jack sees a male and female ghost who may be back to take care of unfinished business.

Should "The Turn of the Screw" be adapted for young adults and, if so, is this a successful adaptation? It is unlikely that teenagers will be attracted to a novel that hints at supernatural goings-on but leaves us scratching our heads, wondering what really happened. Today's youngsters are used to demons and vampires, not quasi-ghosts who may or may not be real. In addition, since Jack is on an island that has little technology to speak of (Jack brings along his laptop and video games, but cannot surf the Web), the average young adult may find it difficult to relate to Jack's ambiguous experiences. Prose inserts slang, such as, "Okay, dude. This is pretty cracked" into the narrative, yet the writing style still feels artificial and archaic. All in all, although "The Turning" generates a fair amount of suspense, it may be a tough sell for its intended audience.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Eerie, Creeptastic Storytelling October 25, 2012

By Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Format:Hardcover

Francine Prose's The Turning is a modern YA retelling of the classic The Turn of the Screw. I've never read the original, but I am familiar with the basic storyline and Prose's updated version is a great example of a retelling with a twist. The Turning may not have blown me away, but I did have a lot of fun creeping myself out while reading it.

Jake is spending his summer on an isolated island babysitting the two young chargers of a wealthy man. Jake, the two young kids (Miles and Flora) and the cook Mrs. Gross are the only inhabitants on the island and the house has no phone, tv or internet connection. Jake is hesitant about the job but it pays well and he needs the money for college. Even before Jake arrives at the big, black house, he experiences an uneasiness about the place; an uneasiness that is only increased once he meets the odd, overly polite children and learns about the tragic history surrounding the house. And when Jake starts to see people that no one else sees he struggles with his grip on reality. What's real? Who's lying? What can Jake really believe?

The Turning has a lot going for it: a genuinely eerie and captivating plot, a likable MC and a hauntingly palpable atmosphere and setting. One does not need to be familiar with The Turn of the Screw to enjoy or understand the modern YA retelling. Prose follows a very similar plot and keeps many of the same names as the original, but she definitely adds her own twists and turns to make the story fresh.

This is an epistolary novel, or narrated through the use of letters. In this case, the story plays out through Jake's letters to his girlfriend and dad and their letters to him. I've found that this narration style very rarely works well or usually reads awkwardly, and this book is no exception. When Jake's letters to Sophie are ten or more pages and recount days worth of activity and conversations they are bound to feel contrived and unbelievable. I would have rather the book was merely just told from Jake's POV and included a few letters here and there. But I do like that it is told from Jake's POV as this allows readers to really experience his emotions, thoughts and confusion. We only get to see people, places, things and reality through Jake's eyes and I think this is very important to the reader's overall experience and creates an immediate connection between Jake and readers.

Prose creates a really haunting, eerie and atmospheric setting with the isolated island, big black house and sprawling landscape. It really is that classic horror movie/story type of setting that gives you excited chills. The palpable fear and evil is made even that more chilling by the isolation of the island. The big, twisty, seemingly never ending house is fantastically scary and the kind of place I'd love to go ghost hunting in. Of course, with an isolated setting one must suspend a certain level of disbelief and merely accept it for what it is. For example, the childrens' uncle, who lives in the city and hired Jake, does not allow any phones, tv or internet on the island nor does he want Jake or Mrs. Gross to contact him for ANY reason. Now it's hard to believe that even the most isolated places wouldn't have at least a phone for emergencies, but this place doesn't. I found that the sooner I stopped questioning things like this and just went with it, that I enjoyed the story more, which I think we must often do when it comes to the horror genre.

Jake is a likable and relatble MC; he isn't overly remarkable or special, but his average-ness is comforting. I never had any problem believing in his authenticity or convictions. Mrs. Gross is an easy to like and laid back lady. She's funny and nurturing and genuinely cares for the children and Jake too. Now those kids, Miles and Flora, they are definitely an interesting pair. One of things that scares the beejeezus out of me in horror movies or stories is creepy kid ghosts, and while Miles and Flora are NOT ghosts, they are still some strange, creepy-ass kids! Miles, especially, gave me goosebumps and the shivers, but in a really fun way.

Once Jake encounters what he assumes are ghosts, Prose deviates from the original story and weaves her own shocking and twisty story. It was fascinating to witness Jake fall into a kind of frenzied madness and fear, and the author does a great job of creating very tangible emotions. While I enjoyed most of the story, I was pretty disappointed with the abrupt and loose ending. So many questions are left unanswered and so many things that seem like vital clues aren't discussed. It just feels like so much of what the author built throughout the story (world-building, character development, atmosphere) crumbles because of the unsatisfying ending.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: The Turning is a loyal, yet fresh retelling of a classic, but more importantly it's an entertaining and captivating horror story. The story may not be mind-blowingly original or wildly unpredictable and the ending disappointed, but I thought, overall, it was a lot of scary fun.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Creepy! September 27, 2012

By BoekiesBookReview

Format:Hardcover

The Turning by Francine Prose is a disturbingly creepy retelling of The Turn of The Screw by Henry James. Throughout the book we are slowly exposed to Jack's gradual descent into madness. The Turning was definitely different from your average scary story. First, the story was written entirely in prose. It was almost like reading a series of letters and it reminded me of Jonathan Harker's letters from Bram Stroker's Dracula. Overall, I enjoyed reading The Turning. It was a unique approach for a modern retelling and I found plenty of increasingly scary images. I would recommend this story to readers who enjoy classic scary stories because although this was definitely reimagined, it did have a nostalgic horror feel to it. Another important thing to note was the blur between reality and imagination for Jack. After several pages in, you can't help but wonder how much he's imagining.