Podcast Summary: Hoy por Hoy – "Un libro en 3 minutos: 'Otra vuelta de tuerca', de Henry James"

Host: SER Podcast
Guests: Antonio Martínez Asensio
Air Date: October 10, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Hoy por Hoy" features Antonio Martínez Asensio summarizing Henry James' classic novella Otra vuelta de tuerca (The Turn of the Screw). In just three minutes, Asensio explores the book's enigmatic plot, psychological suspense, and unique literary style, enticing listeners to read the novel and decide for themselves what’s real and what’s imagined.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction of the Featured Book

• Personal Anecdote: The discussion begins with Asensio mentioning a listener’s special attachment to the book:

  "Un libro que nos donó hace muy poquito una señora que nos confesó que se lo leía todos los años." [00:04]

2. Plot Summary

• Framing Device:
  The novel opens with friends sharing ghost stories by the fireplace.

  “Otra vuelta de tuerca comienza con un grupo de amigos reunidos alrededor de la chimenea contando historias de miedo.” [00:14]

• Setting and Characters:

  • The protagonist is a governess hired to care for orphaned siblings, Flora and Miles, in the countryside.
  • The house is run by Mrs. Gross, and the children’s uncle—her employer—is notably absent, instructing her to never contact him.

    "...le dice a la institutriz que nunca debe molestarle, nunca. Ni llamarlo, ni quejarse, ni escribirle. Y eso es clave en la novela." [00:26]

3. The Mystery Deepens

• Arrival of Miles:
  Miles is expelled from school, raising suspicion about his character.

  "¿Pero es malo o no es malo?"
  "Ahí está la no se dice nada. Todo se supone en esta novela, todo está sobredicho." [01:00]

• Supernatural Encounters:

  • The governess sees a mysterious man (the deceased former caretaker, Mr. Quinn) and then a woman believed to be the ghost of her predecessor, Miss Jessel.
  • The uncertainty of whether these are real ghosts or delusions is repeatedly emphasized.

    "Y sobre todo es que no sabemos si los niños los ven o solo los ve ella." [01:55]

4. The Ambiguity & Literary Style

• Atmosphere of Doubt:
  James’s novel is described as one where nothing is explicit, much is implied, and ambiguity reigns:

  "Las conversaciones están llenas de sobreentendidos, de palabras que no se pueden pronunciar, nada se llama por su nombre." [02:00]

• Psychological Tension:
  The governess grows convinced the children are complicit in hiding the supernatural events, deepening her obsession and the reader’s uncertainty about reality.

5. Climax & Final Questions

• Key Moment and the Famous Metaphor:
  As the governess’s attempts to "save" the children escalate, she is driven by the belief in a heroic struggle:

  "...cree que para vencer en lucha leal sólo tiene que dar otra vuelta a la tuerca de la ordinaria virtud humana." [03:00]

• Unanswered Mysteries:
  Miles’s expulsion’s cause is never revealed; the line between supernatural haunting and psychological obsession remains blurred:

  "Tendrán que decidir si hay fantasmas o solo obsesión." [03:40]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On Subtlety and Implied Evil:
  "Todo se supone en esta novela, todo está sobredicho."
  — Antonio Martínez Asensio [01:01]

• On Henry James’s Style:
  "La novela está escrita de tal forma, y eso es muy Henry James, que las cosas no se dicen explícitamente... nada se llama por su nombre."
  — Antonio Martínez Asensio [02:00]

• Central Dilemma:
  "Que solo nos vea ella, que sea todo una obsesión que ella tiene."
  — Interviewer [02:28]

• Summing Up the Novel’s Enduring Mystery:
  "Tendrán que leer esta joya de la literatura para saber cómo termina y tendrán que decidir si hay fantasmas o solo obsesión."
  — Antonio Martínez Asensio [03:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–00:14: Introduction to the segment and book
• 00:14–01:00: Explanation of the novel’s starting premise and main characters
• 01:00–01:55: Suspense introduced; mysterious happenings and uncertain character motivations
• 01:55–02:28: Emphasis on ambiguity and the uncertain presence of ghosts
• 02:28–03:01: Climax and literary analysis
• 03:01–03:45: Final ambiguity; invitation for listeners to read and judge for themselves

Summary of the Tone

Antonio Martínez Asensio’s narration is engaging, inviting, and full of admiration for Henry James’s subtlety. He offers an enticing mixture of summary, analysis, and open-ended questions, maintaining a suspenseful and literary tone throughout.

Conclusion:
This brief but insightful episode is perfect for listeners seeking a taste of classic literature, layered with nuance and suspense. "Otra vuelta de tuerca" emerges as a haunting tale—whether of ghosts or of human obsession is left deliciously unresolved for each reader to decide.