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The Tower
Are you ready to embark on a spine-tingling journey into the supernatural?
Introducing "The Tower," a gripping ghost story set in the haunted Tower of Sacrifice built in 1535 in Italy Near Florence. Written by Marghanita Laski and expertly narrated by Mike Vendetti, this audiobook will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Follow Caroline, a young bride seeking adventure in the ancient ruins of Italy, as she uncovers the tragic history of the tower and encounters the ghost of Niccolo di Ferramano's young wife. With each step she takes up the 475 stairs, the mystery unfolds, and Caroline must make a terrifying jump to her fate or face the unknown on the treacherous descent.
Experience the thrill of this chilling tale as you listen to Caroline's inner thoughts and fears, brought to life by Vendetti's captivating narration. Don't miss out on this captivating audiobook that will leave you haunted long after the final chapter.
Introducing "The Tower," a gripping ghost story set in the haunted Tower of Sacrifice built in 1535 in Italy Near Florence. Written by Marghanita Laski and expertly narrated by Mike Vendetti, this audiobook will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Follow Caroline, a young bride seeking adventure in the ancient ruins of Italy, as she uncovers the tragic history of the tower and encounters the ghost of Niccolo di Ferramano's young wife. With each step she takes up the 475 stairs, the mystery unfolds, and Caroline must make a terrifying jump to her fate or face the unknown on the treacherous descent.
Experience the thrill of this chilling tale as you listen to Caroline's inner thoughts and fears, brought to life by Vendetti's captivating narration. Don't miss out on this captivating audiobook that will leave you haunted long after the final chapter.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1955
6 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Marghanita Laski
38 books69 followersEnglish journalist, radio panelist, and novelist: she also wrote literary biography, plays, and short stories.
Laski was born to a prominent family of Jewish intellectuals: Neville Laski was her father, Moses Gaster her grandfather, and socialist thinker Harold Laski her uncle. She was educated at Lady Barn House School and St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith. After a stint in fashion, she read English at Oxford, then married publisher John Howard, and worked in journalism. She began writing once her son and daughter were born.
A well-known critic as well as a novelist, she wrote books on Jane Austen and George Eliot. Ecstasy (1962) explored intense experiences, and Everyday Ecstasy (1974) their social effects. Her distinctive voice was often heard on the radio on The Brains Trust and The Critics; and she submitted a large number of illustrative quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary.
An avowed atheist, she was also a keen supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Her play, The Offshore Island, is about nuclear warfare.
Laski was born to a prominent family of Jewish intellectuals: Neville Laski was her father, Moses Gaster her grandfather, and socialist thinker Harold Laski her uncle. She was educated at Lady Barn House School and St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith. After a stint in fashion, she read English at Oxford, then married publisher John Howard, and worked in journalism. She began writing once her son and daughter were born.
A well-known critic as well as a novelist, she wrote books on Jane Austen and George Eliot. Ecstasy (1962) explored intense experiences, and Everyday Ecstasy (1974) their social effects. Her distinctive voice was often heard on the radio on The Brains Trust and The Critics; and she submitted a large number of illustrative quotations to the Oxford English Dictionary.
An avowed atheist, she was also a keen supporter of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Her play, The Offshore Island, is about nuclear warfare.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 22, 2025
Nice to read a scary tale from 1955 that hearkened back, in a more modern key, to the old British tradition of setting Gothic narratives in Italy. Nice set up, well written, it just didn't quite pay off for me at the end--but I imagine some will love its slightly vague conclusion.
February 6, 2022
Me when I'm climbing the stairs (I'm so short that it takes me hours)
August 23, 2023
Nice, little story of a pleasant field trip away from the controlling husband turning into a horrifying ascending into the unknown, ending in a very unpredictable and disturbing way.
(Having a fear of heights, a certain passage made me feel uneasy as hell lol.)
Really like the subtle hints and foreshadowing about the events to come. The story is mostly symbolic, serving as a critique for patriarchy. Still, it might be interesting even for those who are not into any sort of symbolism.
(Having a fear of heights, a certain passage made me feel uneasy as hell lol.)
Really like the subtle hints and foreshadowing about the events to come. The story is mostly symbolic, serving as a critique for patriarchy. Still, it might be interesting even for those who are not into any sort of symbolism.
October 30, 2017
One could argue this was not a ghost story. All the same, it's a good tale about vertigo.
November 22, 2020
Proper creepy, gothic, and with plenty of ambiguity
January 16, 2021
I read the short story The Tower back when I was a kid, and it has stuck with me ever since. Today, on the Science Channel show Mysteries of the Abandoned, they featured “The Palace of Monteiro the Millionaire” in Sinta, Portugal, and when they showed the Initiation Wells, I immediately got thrown back to that story. The wells take you underground by circular staircases, but I could see getting stuck in the darkness, and continuing down with no bottom..
August 23, 2020
Chilling, fantastic ghost story!
September 19, 2025
I read just the short story for a book club, and I found it quite engaging, though the ending left something to be desired. The narrative revolves around Caroline, the new wife of the Italian Consul for Britain, who has been in Italy for three months. She embarks on a driving sightseeing tour, excited to showcase her driving skills on the right side of the road and to visit attractions her husband may not be familiar with. In particular, she’s determined to squeeze in a visit to an ancient tower before nightfall.
As she climbs the tower, she discovers it’s much creepier than she anticipated. Counting her steps to stay focused, she reaches around step 300 when the rusty handle begins to give way. Suddenly, she starts hearing a voice, experiences vertigo, and feels something brush against her shoulder—was it a bat?
While I appreciate horror stories with ambiguous endings, this one fell short for me. I found myself picking it apart, and it simply didn't hold together. For a twist to be effective, it needs to make sense, and in this case, it just didn't.
As she climbs the tower, she discovers it’s much creepier than she anticipated. Counting her steps to stay focused, she reaches around step 300 when the rusty handle begins to give way. Suddenly, she starts hearing a voice, experiences vertigo, and feels something brush against her shoulder—was it a bat?
While I appreciate horror stories with ambiguous endings, this one fell short for me. I found myself picking it apart, and it simply didn't hold together. For a twist to be effective, it needs to make sense, and in this case, it just didn't.
November 21, 2022
ocd (the counting), vertigo (the dizziness & spinning), acrophobia (fear of height), adrenaline rush (urge to keep going up despite the fear as if spooked)
and finally death of course, when the brain keeps counting past 470.
short & intense but makes little sense. this woman was kinda... dumb.
and finally death of course, when the brain keeps counting past 470.
short & intense but makes little sense. this woman was kinda... dumb.
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September 11, 2019Genre Fic
February 20, 2022
There was barely any plot in this short story! All though the vocabulary is very rich, the story doesn't make much sense...
October 16, 2022
This was a well written short story that aptly describes both the fear of heights as well as claustrophobia.
Read as part of Tea-and-Ink Blog's Oct 2022 Haunted Read-Along.
Read as part of Tea-and-Ink Blog's Oct 2022 Haunted Read-Along.
July 21, 2023
A powerful metaphor for a descent into marriage with a narcissist? A great horror story anyway!
August 7, 2023
Vertigo. Bats. The call of the void.
December 23, 2023
friggin' terrifying.
December 27, 2023
Audible/podcast narrated by Tony Walker. I can't recommend this one. It gets a hard take a pass on it.
February 3, 2024
Read:
The Tower - 4/5
The Tower - 4/5
May 11, 2024
This must have been an inspiration for Hitchcocks Vertigo
July 11, 2024
This one had me scratching my head...in puzzlement. Might have to reread carefully to understand the point.
September 18, 2024
I'm not really sure what else to say about this other than that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Must I elaborate more? It is an exquisite work.
4.8 stars, rounded.
4.8 stars, rounded.
April 4, 2025
A haunting short about anxiety and fear, with a subtly terrifying ending.
October 21, 2023
Though written in 1955, the themes of Patriarchal dominance unfortunately still stand in 2023. It's like no matter what you do, you can't get away from it.
October 20, 2023
Brought to mind Junji Ito—The Enigma of Amigara fault. Although, timeline wise, Junji Ito should remind me of this, only I happened to read "Enigma" first. A good, atmospheric gothic horror.
January 28, 2026
Reminiscent of Gothic romance by Anne Radcliffe
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews