"You can refer to each of a series of threats or actions which are intended to force someone to do a particular thing as another turn of the screw."

I've seen so many iterations of this story, I hardly knew that *this* was the origin! "The Turn of the Screw" is a gothic novella and it is 10/10 spooky vibes. A secluded manor house full of both ghosts and secrets, two perversely 'cherubic' children not as innocent as they appear, a housekeeper and a governess make up the cast of the spine-tingling tale. When our main character, a nameless governess, arrives at Bly to care for two children, she quickly grows convinced that sinister forces—ghosts of the previous staff—want nothing more than to corrupt her charges. Bravely, foolishly, nobly, she strives to protect them at any cost. But what exactly *is* that cost, and who actually needs protecting?

It was so nice finally getting to read this story. I found the moments of horror particularly effective and almost cinematic. Brushes with ghosts in the novella were handled masterfully. Rather than letting us glimpse the supernatural on the periphery, Henry James decides to make the confrontations direct and prolonged, arresting us in the moment as we long for a break in tension. 

Despite the brevity of the piece, I did find that it dragged in some areas, but ultimately I really did enjoy it. The ambiguity of the ending suggests an anxiety of the time. As the turn of the century drew near, societal values were in constant question and uncertainty. I think it really shines here!