The Turn of the Screw
by Henry James
A young governess takes charge of two children at a remote country house and begins to see two figures no one else admits to seeing. Whether the ghosts are in the house or in her head is a question the book refuses to settle, and readers have argued about it for a century.
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I remember the whole beginning as a succession of flights and drops, a little seesaw of the right throbs and the wrong. After rising, in town, to meet his appeal, I had at all events a couple of very bad days—found myself doubtful again, felt indeed sure I had made a mistake. In this state of mind I spent the long hour…Henry James, The Turn of the ScrewStart reading The Turn of the Screw free →
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Good for English learners
The hardest English on this shelf and the most rewarding. Long sentences, nothing stated outright, and no comfortable ending.
Level B2-C1. This is the original text, not a simplified or abridged version, so you read the real classic.
The Turn of the Screw: reading level & FAQ
What reading level is The Turn of the Screw?↓
The Turn of the Screw is around B2-C1 on the CEFR scale. It is a good fit for readers building toward or reading comfortably at that level.
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Wondering how long it takes? The Turn of the Screw is 39,965 words, about 3 hours, broken down by reading speed and by how many minutes a day you give it.
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