Turn of the Screw -- Book Report

The Turn of the Screw, written by Henry James, is a psychological thriller that could also fall within the 'ghost story' tradition. The Turn of the Screw is complex in that the 'action' is several degrees removed from the reader. A man named Douglas reads a manuscript written by his sister's governess. The manuscript forms the basis of the story, which is thus told from the governess's perspective. The narrator, however, belongs to the group …

…doubt that it would have been so successful. My only criticism concerns the length and structure of his sentences. They are very long and often contain dashes to sperate additional information. As a result, the task of reading can become demanding. The Turn of the Screw is considered one the most famous of all ghostly tales. To all appearances, it is a ghost story. But, as James makes us consider, are appearances what they seem?