A young lady arrives as governess at a big country house. Her two charges are beautiful children, but are they as innocent as they seem? And how did the last governess die? A terrible tale of ghosts and evil is only just beginning. "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading ...
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A young lady arrives as governess at a big country house. Her two charges are beautiful children, but are they as innocent as they seem? And how did the last governess die? A terrible tale of ghosts and evil is only just beginning. "Penguin Readers" is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series' combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English-speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre-20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. "Penguin Readers" are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from "Easystarts" with a 200-word vocabulary, to Level 6 (Advanced) with a 3000-word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub-categories: "Contemporary", "Classics" or "Originals". At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying "Penguin Readers Factsheets" which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.
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Not your usual ghost story, this, written by Henry James, is a terrifying journey into the unknown. A new governess comes to care for two young children, Miles and Flora, and soon finds herself defending them against possible possession by the spirits of their former governess and the evil Quint, the former valet to the children's absentee father. As the seeming possessions escalate, the new governess fights against them with every ounce of her will. While the children insist that nothing is amiss, the governess continues to become even more steadfast in her determination to save the children from the demons trying to possess them, insisting to the children that they own up to the hauntings, to their cooperation with the spirits, and to the evil with which they are being afflicted.
What makes this story so compelling is the study of the psychology of the characters, particularly that of the governess. What makes the story a "whodunnit" is the interplay between the ever more vigilant governess, the children, and the spirits themselves. Are the ghosts really there? Or is the new governess, in her terror and belief, bringing her own brand of evil into the lives of two innocent children? Who, indeed, is the possessor?
For anyone who loves a good ghost story, full of atmosphere and gloom, or for those who love a good psychological character study, "Turn of The Screw" remains one of the gems of either genre.
