The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw is a Gothic horror novella by Henry James, first published in 1898. It is a relatively short book built around a remote country house, a small cast, and a steadily tightening psychological mood. At its center is a governess caring for two children who becomes convinced that something in the house and around it is deeply wrong, while the story keeps its explanations deliberately uncertain.

This is a good fit for readers who prefer restrained horror over jump scares, and for anyone drawn to stories built on ambiguity, atmosphere, and mental tension. It also works well for readers interested in classic Gothic fiction that focuses on perception and unease as much as on events. If you like ghost stories that feel closed-in, eerie, and slow-burning, this book sits close to that tradition.