Summary
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is a chilling and ambiguous tale of supernatural suspense and psychological tension.
The story is told by a young, unnamed governess who is hired to care for two orphaned children, Miles and Flora, at the remote and seemingly idyllic Bly estate in the English countryside.
What begins as a peaceful assignment quickly turns eerie when the governess believes she sees ghostly apparitions of two former servants—Peter Quint and Miss Jessel—whom she suspects are exerting a corrupting influence on the children.
But as her obsession grows, so does the mystery: are the ghosts real, or is the governess losing her grip on reality?
With its claustrophobic atmosphere, unreliable narration, and open-ended interpretations, The Turn of the Screw is a masterclass in psychological horror.
Henry James crafts a story that is as much about the haunting of a house as it is about the haunting of the mind—leaving readers questioning what is true and what is imagined.