Turn of the Screw, The

noun

1. a short novel (1898) by Henry James.

Example Sentences

Hnath creates thematic intrigue, but his plot doesn’t back up the story’s ambiguity as effectively as, say, Henry James’ novella “The Turn of the Screw,” the high-water mark of literary horror, manages to shore up the psychology in parapsychology.

From Los Angeles Times

In the final episode of "The Haunting of Bly Manor," a stylish serialized riff on Henry James' horror novella "The Turn of the Screw," the show's central philosophy is revealed during an exchange between two women.

From Salon

Although the series quickly departs from the premise laid out by Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw—the show is officially based on “the work of Henry James,” since it incorporates elements from his other ghost stories—it shares with that novella that it’s a story about the English authored by an American, premised on the idea that letting tradition stop you from reinventing yourself is a good way to end up in an early grave.

From Slate

As the narrator in both James’ story and Flanagan’s adaptation points out, the introduction of the young Wingrave children—Flora, 8, and Miles, 10—does indeed add another turn of the screw, the more so because, especially with the ultra-creepy Miles, you can’t tell if we should be afraid for him or afraid of him.

From Slate

This time I was inside a suit of iron and somebody was turning a screw, and with each turn of the screw the iron suit became smaller and smaller so that I was squeezed like an orange into a pulpy mess with the juice running out of my sides.

From Literature