[ book tip by Jade Weighell ] This is a classic ghost story. It has all the ingredients: a handsome brooding man, an innocent governess, two young children and of course some evil ghosts.

We start the story huddled around a log fire on Christmas Eve with a group of people telling ghost stories. Sitting alongside them we begin to hear the story of a young governess who has been asked to work (by the handsome man) in his country estate looking after his orphaned niece and nephew while he remains in town.

At first everything is fine, but it is not long until she begins to see strange figures and becomes convinced that the wronged former nanny and groundskeeper are both out to destroy and capture the souls of her little dependants.

As you would expect the novel is highly atmospheric and chilling. It is full of darkness and uncertainty that drags the reader into its Gothic ambience and puts them straight into the position of the governess; scared to turn every corner.

Of course there are other ways to interpret this novel. Many psychoanalysts believe that there are in fact no ghosts at all. Their theory is that because the governess is in love with her master, yet separated from him by his own doing, the supposed ghosts are nothing but manifestations of her sexual frustration.
 
Approach it first as a ghost story and then look at it again and see if anyone other than the governess sees the ghosts or if it appears that it has all been fabricated; it makes for an interesting read.      

[ book info ] James, Henry: The Turn of the Screw. (Book language: English) Penguin Books, 1994 (1898). ISBN: 0-14-062061-3.