The Turn of the Screw & The Aspern Papers | Henry James | Wordsworth Classic | Book The Turn of the Screw is the classic ghost story for which James is most remembered. Set in a country house, it is a chilling tale of the supernatural told by a master of the genre. The Aspern Papers is a tale of Americans in Europe, a theme in which Henry James is at his most assured and accomplished. The author cleverly evokes the drama of comédie humane against the settings of a Venetian palace.