The Turn of the Screw
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3.6 • 702 Ratings
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Publisher Description
In this blood-curdling story, that imagination weaves the lives of two children, a governess in love with her employer, and a sprawling country house into a flawless story, still unsurpassed as the prototype of modern horror fiction.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This isn’t your father’s ghost story—it’s your great-grandfather’s ghost story. Published in 1898, this Gothic classic about a young governess who may or may not see dead people still packs a super-spooky punch. American novelist Henry James wrote extensively about the supernatural, but The Turn of the Screw is widely considered his creepy crowning achievement. We were caught up in the suspense from page one…and it will be a long time before we forget James’s masterfully conceived atmosphere of spine-tingling dread.
Customer Reviews
Turn of the Screw
It is difficult to read the prose style of Henry James. Long, windy sentences with many parenthetical phrases. But the plot is so engaging that I read through to the tragic end.
Turn of the Screw
The origin of horror often lies in our fears for the innocent. Enter a governess who worries for the well-being of her two new charges. While their uncle seems to want nothing to do with them, the woman swears she sees ghosts haunting both children. She may not be certain of their intent but it scares her. Will she be able to keep the children safe? Or will she find herself loss with them to the horrors living on the country estate?
Once I wrapped my head around how much the use of language has changed, this story pulled me in. Perhaps, it is because I have my own little humans to worry about and have what seems to be evidence that my mother is haunting them. At least I know her intentions are to watch them grow not something sinister.
My Wife and I Read This to Each Other While Sick in Bed
My wife was seriously ill and recovering from surgery and I was convalescing from having two strokes. We lay in bed and took turns reading this to each other over two or three nights. It was the last book my wife read before she passed.
It’s a great ghost story that we both enjoyed. It holds a special place in my heart, not only because of its sentimental value but also because it was a much needed respite/escape from being sick and anxious.