This is the third book I’ve read for this years’ Halloween Read and is, so far, the least satisfying for me. Although I have no complaints about the writing, even from the beginning this book seemed somewhat flat. It was written in the 1980’s by an English author who seems to be attempting to write a ghost story in the 19th century Gothic style. At first I though maybe it was because it was more novella length without the time to really set up the atmosphere, but The Turn of the Screw was a novella and the atmosphere was skillfully built up to grab the reader and hold him breathless. It may have been that my problem was that I had just finished [The House of Seven Gables] with its heavy emphasis on atmosphere that develops much more slowly than in Hill’s story in which there seem to be sudden changes of both atmosphere and mood. I felt very detached as I read this book, almost to the point of analyzing why I thought it was "missing the mark!" Another problem may be that the first chapter of the story shows the protagonist many years removed from this part of his life, well and happy with his family around him at Christmas. It’s like feeling that obviously he managed to survive the experience and move on so there was not the sense of great urgency that catastrophe would befall him.
I also found that I was often able to anticipate what would happen and why rather than experiencing what the main character was feeling. This story might have been better told in third person rather than first person. The narrator was very analytical about himself and the strange occurrences going on, which made me also analytical instead of settling into the flow of the story. In spite of that, throughout most of the book I kept enough interest to want to finish the story. My biggest complaint is I felt manipulated by the ending. Even though I saw the final event coming I was still angry when it happened. Perhaps, because I did see it coming!

Bottom line: A lot of people have really liked this book and I can see the attraction, even though it didn’t work for me. I consider it a 19th century Gothic wannabe without the style and the ability to create an atmosphere that would draw me into the story. ( )

This is more of a novella than a novel. It has wonderfully whimsical illustrations which add to the sense of the book as a reproduction of an older tale & maybe that's the problem.

I really love a good ghost story, but this just didn't do it for me. I found the writing to be mannered to the point of distraction & the story to be a cliched set piece with nothing new to add to the genre.

I wanted to be scared by this book, but the ghostly happenings are just so predictable - the woman in black with the wasted face that pops up all over, the deserted house in the marsh that no one will visit, the ghostly sounds of pony trap & chair, the callow narrator's journey from youth to experience, etc., etc., etc.

I really like this author, but this isn't one of her better outings. I'd like her to write as herself & not in imitation of others. ( )

This was a good old-fashioned ghost story, the kind of story that gets into your head, the kind that makes you lock the door... at least it was for me, especially that night, when reading about the noises coming from behind the locked door, and the dog was growling scared, and the noises didn't stop, and the lights went out...

Gothic, Victorian-like story of a woman in black in the northern coastal marshes of England. Trust me... you don't want to see her. ( )

A beautiful and well told story. Dark and decadent without being over the top. Perfect for a fire side reading. Enjoyment without being too tense. ( )

Who doesn't love a good ghost story? The suspense and overall tone in this story makes for great fireside reading. Even when I could see what was going to happen, I was still shocked at some of the outcomes. Reminds me of The Turn of the Screw. Great read! ( )