The Turn of the Screw

The Classic Ghost Story—Original Annotated Historical and Literary Edition

The Turn of the Screw presents Henry James’s original 1898 text together with an original editorial introduction, more than sixty explanatory annotations, historical and literary commentary, and a curated further reading guide by T. S. Causley.

First published in 1898, The Turn of the Screw remains one of the most influential ghost stories in the English language. A young governess arrives at an isolated country house to care for two orphaned children, only to become convinced that unseen forces are threatening those in her charge. Whether those forces are supernatural, psychological, or something more elusive has remained one of the enduring questions of the novella. Readers will encounter the realities of country-house life, governesses and domestic service, childhood and education, psychical research, ghost beliefs, and the literary influences and narrative techniques through which James crafted one of literature’s most enduring mysteries. Explore the novel as a window into late Victorian society. Encounter it through the history, culture, and ideas that shaped Henry James’s world.

T. S. Causley is a registered professional archaeologist and art historian whose historical and material-culture approach brings fresh context to one of the defining works of Victorian Gothic fiction.

Includes: Editorial Introduction by T. S. Causley • 60+ Original Annotations

Historical and Literary Commentary • Curated Further Reading