4 h 50 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if protecting two children means trusting a mind you can no longer trust?
On Christmas Eve, Douglas brings a governess’s manuscript to a gathering of friends telling ghost stories. Her account leads to Bly, a lonely country house where she takes charge of two orphans, Miles and Flora. The children seem charming, the grounds welcoming. Then a stranger appears on the tower and stares down at her.
In Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw, each strange sight deepens a young woman’s certainty that the children need protection. Mrs. Grose, the housekeeper, becomes her only confidante. But certainty is not proof. As the governess watches more closely, you must weigh what she sees against what she fears—and wonder where the danger truly lies.
What you’ll discover
- A house full of silence Walk through Bly’s grounds, where a tower, a window, and a lake become sources of dread.
- Two children under watch Meet Miles and Flora, whose apparent innocence makes the governess’s fears all the more unsettling.
- A mind under pressure Follow a young guardian whose sense of responsibility grows tangled with fear and doubt.
- Ghosts or something else Weigh the signs yourself as James leaves room for sharply different readings.
- Fear without easy answers Feel suspense gather through strange sights, unanswered questions, and the things no one says.
Who will love it
For readers who love creeping dread, puzzles of interpretation and close attention to language, and anyone curious about the roots of the modern ghost story.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A young governess accepts an odd condition
- Bly seems a paradise with two perfect children
- A stranger appears on the tower and at the window
- A second ghost and a child who will not say
- Love, fear and the pressure to know the truth
- What the story is really about and how it is told
Who’s who
- The governessA young clergyman's daughter in her first post, who tells the story and is certain that she must protect the children at Bly.
- MilesThe orphaned boy of about ten, sent home from school, who is charming, clever and hard to read.
- FloraMiles's younger sister, about eight, a sweet and beautiful child who is watched closely by her governess.
- Mrs. GroseThe kind, plain housekeeper at Bly, who becomes the governess's only confidante and shares what she knows of the past.
- Peter QuintThe dead valet of the master, whom the governess believes she sees watching the house and the boy.
- Miss JesselThe former governess of the children, now dead, whom the governess sees across the lake.
- DouglasThe guest at the Christmas gathering who owns the manuscript and reads the governess's story aloud.
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The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James · 1898
At Bly, a young governess sees strange figures and fears for the two children in her care.
Medium level2–5 hours to readItaliano
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In short
The Turn of the Screw is a short novel by Henry James, first published in 1898 as a serial in a magazine. It is a ghost story, but it is told with such care that readers have argued about it for over a century.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A young governess accepts an odd condition
The governess in the manuscript is the youngest daughter of a country clergyman. She is twenty years old and has never held a post like this. She answers an advertisement and travels to a grand house in Harley Street in London. There she meets the man who needs her, a wealthy bachelor who is the uncle and guardian of two orphaned children.
He is charming, and she is dazzled by him. He does not want to be bothered with the children. His condition is strict. She must never trouble him, never write to him with problems, and must deal with everything herself. She agrees, partly because she is eager to please him.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 7 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1898
- Language
- Italiano
- Reading time
- 3 h 5 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-turn-of-the-screw.
James, H. (2026). The turn of the screw. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-turn-of-the-screw (Original work published 1898)
James, Henry. The Turn of the Screw. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-turn-of-the-screw.
@book{james2026turn,
author = {James, Henry},
title = {The Turn of the Screw},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-turn-of-the-screw},
note = {First published 1898}
}
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What is The Turn of the Screw about?
It is about a young governess who looks after two orphaned children at a country house called Bly. She begins to see two figures she believes are dead servants and fears for the children's safety.
Are the ghosts in The Turn of the Screw real?
The book supports two readings. In one, the ghosts are real and threaten the children. In the other, they come from the governess's troubled mind. James keeps both possible, and readers still argue about it.
What does the title The Turn of the Screw mean?
It refers to tightening pressure, like turning a screw one more time. The story adds tension in small steps, and a line in the opening frame jokes about giving a ghost tale another turn with children.
The author
Henry James
1843–1916 · American British novelist
Henry James was born in New York City in 1843. He settled in England in 1876 and became a British citizen in 1915. He wrote novels, stories, plays, and travel books. His works include Daisy Miller (1878), The Turn of the Screw (1898), and The Ambassadors (1903). He died in London in 1916.
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