The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
'The Turn of the Screw' Summary
On Christmas Eve, an unnamed narrator and some of their friends are gathered around a fire. One of them, Douglas, reads a manuscript written by his sister's late governess. The manuscript tells the story of how the young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. He lives mainly in London but also has a country house, Bly. The boy, Miles, is attending a boarding school, while his younger sister, Flora, is living in a country house in Essex, where she is cared for by Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper. Flora's uncle, the governess's new employer, is uninterested in raising the children and gives her full charge, explicitly stating that she is not to bother him with communications of any sort. The governess travels to Bly and begins her duties.
Miles returns from school for the summer just after a letter arrives from the headmaster stating that he has been expelled. Miles never speaks of the matter, and the governess is hesitant to raise the issue. She fears there is some horrible secret behind the expulsion but is too charmed by the boy to want to press the issue. Soon after, around the grounds of the estate, the governess begins to see the figures of a man and woman whom she does not recognize. The figures come and go at will without being seen or challenged by other members of the household, and they seem to the governess to be supernatural. She learns from Mrs. Grose that the governess's predecessor, Miss Jessel, and another employee, Peter Quint, had had a close relationship. Before their deaths, Jessel and Quint spent much of their time with Flora and Miles, and the governess becomes convinced that the two children are aware of the ghosts' presence.
Without permission, Flora leaves the house while Miles is playing music for the governess. The governess notices Flora's absence and goes with Mrs. Grose in search of her. They find her on the shore of a nearby lake, and the governess is convinced that Flora has been talking to the ghost of Miss Jessel. When the governess finally confronts Flora, the girl denies seeing Miss Jessel, and asks not to see the new governess again. Mrs. Grose takes Flora away to her uncle, leaving the governess with Miles, who that night at last talks to her about his expulsion. The ghost of Quint appears to the governess at the window. The governess shields Miles, who attempts to see the ghost. The governess tells Miles he is no longer controlled by the ghost, and then finds that Miles has died in her arms.
Book Details
Author
Henry James
America, Britain
Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843, into a wealthy and intellectually stimulating family. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian philosopher and his mother, Mary Roberts...
More on Henry JamesDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
Related books
Self-Control: A Novel by Mary Brunton
Self-Control is a novel by the Scottish novelist Mary Brunton, published in 1811. The novel, which had some success in its own time, tells a rocambole...
The Five Jars by M.R. James
A short story in a book form that’s more like a fantasy about a man who finds five jars in the woods and finds out how using the contents makes him aw...
Varney the Vampire by Thomas Peckett Prest
Varney the Vampire; or, the Feast of Blood is a Victorian era serialized gothic horror story variously attributed to James Malcolm Rymer and Thomas Pe...
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
The Castle of Otranto is a novel by Horace Walpole. First published in 1764, it is generally regarded as the first gothic novel. In the second edition...
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
This timeless novel highlights the abuse and neglect that the orphaned Jane Eyre faced while growing up. This story opens with Jane Eyre being shipp...
The Monk: A Romance by Matthew Gregory Lewis
In the shadowed halls of a Spanish monastery, virtue battles vice in a timeless struggle that will shatter all illusions. "The Monk: A Romance" by Mat...
The Step on the Stair by Anna Katharine Green
The story follows a young woman named Rosamund, who moves into a new home with her husband and soon becomes convinced that the house is haunted. As sh...
A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories by M.R. James
This is a chilling collection of supernatural tales that will send shivers down your spine. Written by the acclaimed author M. R. James, this book off...
Die Elixiere des Teufels by E. T. A. Hoffmann
The Devil's Elixirs is a novel by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Published in 1815, the basic idea for the story was adopted from Matthew Gregory Lewis's novel Th...
Hallowe'en at Merryvale by Alice Hale Burnett
It's Halloween night, and the old Merryvale mansion is full of surprises. Hallowe'en at Merryvale is a classic children's book by Alice Hale Burnett....
Reviews for The Turn of the Screw
No reviews posted or approved, yet...