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Quick answer: If you liked The Turn of the Screw, read The Haunting of Hill House, The Woman in Black, We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Rebecca. All feature creeping dread, old houses and unreliable minds.
Henry James's 1898 novella tells of a governess who believes two children are haunted by ghosts, though readers can never be sure if she imagines it. The books below share that ambiguity, with gothic houses, quiet menace and unreliable narrators. Most are short or medium length, and all are real, in-print books.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Haunting of Hill House | Shirley Jackson | Adult | the classic haunting |
| We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Shirley Jackson | Adult | unsettling narrators |
| Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier | Adult | gothic suspense |
| The Woman in Black | Susan Hill | Adult | short ghost story |
| The Yellow Wallpaper | Charlotte Perkins Gilman | Adult | psychological horror |
| The Little Stranger | Sarah Waters | Adult | ambiguous haunting |
| The Silent Companions | Laura Purcell | Adult | modern gothic |
| Mexican Gothic | Silvia Moreno-Garcia | Adult | gothic horror |
| Carmilla | J. Sheridan Le Fanu | Adult | short gothic |
| The Fall of the House of Usher | Edgar Allan Poe | Adult | classic dread |
| Daisy Miller | Henry James | Adult | more James |
| Rosemary's Baby | Ira Levin | Adult | paranoia fiction |
| The Ghost Stories of M.R. James | M.R. James | Adult | antiquarian ghosts |
| Wuthering Heights | Emily Brontë | Adult | dark romance |
| Frankenstein | Mary Shelley | Adult | gothic classics |
1. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Four people stay in a house with a bad reputation, and a lonely woman is drawn into its hold. One of the best ghost novels ever written.
Best for: the classic haunting.
2. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Two sisters live in isolation after a family poisoning, and a cousin arrives. Strange, witty and chilling.
Best for: unsettling narrators.
3. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
A new bride lives in the shadow of her husband's first wife. Moody, suspenseful and elegant.
Best for: gothic suspense.
4. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
A lawyer travels to a remote house and sees a ghostly figure. A tight, atmospheric ghost story.
Best for: short ghost story.
5. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
A woman confined to a room for her health becomes obsessed with the wallpaper. Short and chilling.
Best for: psychological horror.
6. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
A doctor is drawn into a decaying country house where something seems to be wrong. Slow and tense.
Best for: ambiguous haunting.
7. The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell
A young widow finds painted wooden figures in a house that seem to move. Gothic and creepy.
Best for: modern gothic.
8. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
A socialite goes to a decaying mansion in 1950s Mexico to rescue her cousin. Weird and atmospheric.
Best for: gothic horror.
9. Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
A young woman befriends a mysterious guest who may be a vampire. An 1872 novella, eerie and intimate.
Best for: short gothic.
10. The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe
A narrator visits a friend in a crumbling house. A short, classic horror tale.
Best for: classic dread.
11. Daisy Miller by Henry James
A young American woman scandalizes European society. Not a ghost story, but a short example of James's style.
Best for: more James.
12. Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
A pregnant woman suspects that her neighbors have sinister plans. Tense and paranoid.
Best for: paranoia fiction.
13. The Ghost Stories of M.R. James by M.R. James
Classic English ghost tales from a scholar. Subtle and creepy.
Best for: antiquarian ghosts.
14. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Heathcliff and Catherine's destructive love across two generations. Wild and bleak.
Best for: dark romance.
15. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Victor Frankenstein creates life and then abandons his creation. A gothic tale of ambition.
Best for: gothic classics.
How to Choose
For short, scary tales, read The Woman in Black or The Yellow Wallpaper. For classic haunted houses, The Haunting of Hill House. For modern gothic, Mexican Gothic and The Silent Companions. For literary depth, The Little Stranger. Remember that many of these stories never fully explain the horror, so be ready for ambiguity. Classic ghost stories work best read slowly, and ideally with the lights low. If you like to compare, read a short story by M.R. James after The Turn of the Screw and note how each author uses what is unseen. Many of these books are in the public domain, so free editions are widely available.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are the ghosts in The Turn of the Screw real?
James never says. Some readers believe the ghosts are real, while others think the governess is delusional.
How long is The Turn of the Screw?
It is a novella of about 100 pages.
Is it hard to read?
James's long sentences can be challenging, but the story is gripping.
What is the best ghost story to read next?
The Haunting of Hill House is the most common recommendation.
Is there a good film?
The Innocents (1961) is a well-regarded adaptation.
Who is the narrator?
An unnamed governess hired to care for two orphaned children at the estate of Bly.
Why is the ending debated?
The final scene is ambiguous, and critics have argued for over a century about what really happened.
Is The Turn of the Screw scary today?
It relies on mood more than shocks, so it feels subtle rather than gory.
Is this list in order of quality?
No. The books are listed by similarity and variety, so start with the one that sounds best to you, and use the Best for lines to pick quickly.