“The Turn of the Screw contains four short stories that all focus on the psychological development of the characters. Emotions, feelings, and perceptions are far more important to James than action and events are. The title story is about two children and their governess who are haunted by the ghosts of their former governess and a servant. The Pupil is about a tutor and his student and their relationship with the student's parents. The Tree of Knowledge is about an artist's relationship with his best friend, wife, and son, all of whom understand that the artist is not a success. The Figure in the Carpet is about a man and his two friends' quest to discover the secret meaning behind an author's works.
While I admit that Henry James is a great author who has made significant contributions to literature, he's just not my cup of tea. I don't think I've really enjoyed anything I've read by him to date. For quality of the book, I have to give him 4 stars, but for how much I personally enjoyed the book, I have to go with 2 stars. ”