The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

The Turn of the Screw 

By Henry James (1898, 19th century) 

Genre: Classics, Horror, Suspense, Gothic,2021-read

     

Rating 4/5

Terrific story! The only drawback being the style of writing - which is quaint (perhaps expected given the time of writing) and not easy to follow. There were a few sentences I had to read multiple times to make sense of what the narrator is trying to convey - which delayed the speed of my read. But otherwise, I think it's a story worthy of a 'classic' - especially "the ending" - I didn't see it coming. It bowled me over with an unexpected punch in the gut. 

The story goes thus. A young woman applies for a job and gets appointed as the governess/caretaker of two kids by a handsome, rich man. They are his brother's children and are orphans in his care. Being a hedonist and carefree man, he wanted to layoff his burden on to someone else more capable. She arrives at her new mansion with many hopes and a stout desire to please her employer. The kids are lovely and beyond any reproach. They are the sweetest, prettiest, well behaved she had ever met. But beneath the surface, she could sense that it was all an act. That - and also the note she receives which expelled the boy from his school without mentioning a reason why. Soon, she finds out that the children are not "normal" - that they are in the company of unwanted visitors from other realms - "ghosts"/evil " spirits". She joins forces with another maid in the service of the children to save/"liberate"  them from the cluthches of these spirits, but will she succeed?? How far does she go to save them and how for would the devil go to defeat her?! 

Barring the writing style, I think this book is worth every minute spent reading it! 👍✌❤