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GOTHIC LITERATURE

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (1898)
In this novella, James blended psychological horror, madness, and the supernatural to create what many consider the perfect ghost story. We have sinister specters who may or may not exist. A governess who may or may not be insane. The children here rival the twins in King’s "The Shining" for most creepy ever written. A timeless tale. 

"The Turn of the Screw" by Henry James [Narrated by Vanessa Benjamin]

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(Text also available from the Gothic Reader)

Widely recognized as one of literature's most gripping ghost stories, this classic tale of moral degradation concerns the sinister transformation of two innocent children into flagrant liars and hypocrites. The story begins when a governess arrives at an English country estate to look after Miles, aged ten, and Flora, eight. At first, everything appears normal but then events gradually begin to weave a spell of psychological terror."

"Whether viewed as a subtle, self-conscious exploration of the haunted house of Victorian culture, filled with echoes of sexual and social unease, or simply as "the most hopelessly evil story we have ever read," The Turn of the Screw is probably the most famous of ghostly tales and certainly the most eerily equivocal."

Teaching & Learning Resources

Revision Guide C Study Guide

Litcharts: The Turn of the Screw