The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

This was a favorite of my mother's but I hadn't gotten a chance to read it before she passed away. I finally was able to get through my local library, and I'm so glad I did. It truly is great story...love, mystery, and a ghost - sort of. The writer does a great job of spinning a story, with a beginning, middle, and end. I love the characters, and how all the main characters are given the depths they so deserve. I would recommend this story to anyone who wants to be a engrossed in a mystery, with some thrills and some chills. It's not scary as some newer stories are, but one reminiscent of one from the early 1900s.

I did not expect to like this book. It had been recommended to me and is clearly popular, but I find myself shying away from super popular books because they're usually not very good.But then this one was on sale for $3 and that's cheaper than a sushi lunch and would take me longer to digest, so I bought it. And I'm glad I did.The story is certainly well crafted and grabs you. It is well written and lyrical. It has a plethora of well-fleshed out characters that keep you interested, and the ending is neat and tidy.Things that bugged me (note: I'm easily bugged):- The inter-generational abuse and neglect presented as normal.- Esoteric words chucked in there where simpler ones would do. .... Ok, OTOH, maybe the author fell in love with those particular words and needed to put them somewhere in homage. I can understand that. But it was still vaguely irritating.- The twin thing. Yes I know it was a major theme of the book, but really, I was happily truckling along, completely immersed in the story universe, and then there would be this whine about the twin and it totally yanked me out of the tale and plonked me firmly back into reality. Like seriously, maybe it's time to get over yourself, girl? This obsession is maybe not quite healthy? In that regard the very end had me rolling my eyes so far back in my head I nearly fell over.- There was something else but with my irritation about the twin thing I've forgotten what it was. Curses.The characters: I find it interesting that most of the male characters, barring Charlie, were extremely comfortable to be around. I liked Dr. Clifton very much. His amusement delighted me. I loved Aurelius not only because his name reminded me fondly of Marcus Aurelius, but because he was so caring and safe. Also the cake. That's pretty important. I liked John because he kept on doing the best he could.Charlie and Charlie's Dad, of course, both needed to be put out of their misery.Of the women, most of them were flawed. Even Hester, who brought cleanliness and order, also brought chaos. Missus cared and loved, but was inadequate. Isabella needed to be put out of her misery. And Margaret whined.I wonder what that was all about? The gender thing? Was it deliberate? Surely not. OH hey...Mrs. Love wasn't flawed. She was just lovely. <3OH! I remembered what the other thing was that irritated me. The vague hints that this was going to be a ghost story. My mind stamped a firm "NOPE" on that one and I got inwardly snarly whenever it came up.Anyway, I recommend this book. It's a good one. Interesting, compelling, no bad language or explicit sex. Just a really good story.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield centers around the life of reclusive author, Vida Winter, who has spent the last few years creating a series of alternate lives for herself. Now ill and nearing the end of her life, Miss Winter decides it is time to tell the truth and come clean about the events of her life. Thus she sets her sites on, Margaret Lea, a biographer more interested in the dead that lie in books and archives then in living subjects. However, when Margaret receives a letter from Miss Winter inviting her to her home, her curiosity is piqued and she begins reading Miss Winter's most famous collection of short stories. Margaret goes to see Miss Winter unsure of whether or not she should accept the offer to be the biographer of a woman who has lied to so many journalists in the past, and just when she thinks she makes up her mind, Miss Winter draws her in with one simple sentence: "Once upon a time, there were twins."The novel consists largely of Vida Winter's narration of her past telling the story of a house in Angelfield and of her parents, Isabelle and Charlie, and the staff The Missus and John-the-Dig. Miss Winter's narration of her past and Angelfield is juxtaposed with Margaret's own musings about her own twin sister. Told with the pace of the mystery, The Thirteenth Tale expertly weaves ends of several stories into a wonderful tapestry of sisterhood and friendship with books being the epicenter of this lovely novel.The book reads much like a work of classic literature with a setting that reminded me of an old estate and a large garden and the absence of any modern day technology to draw away from the drama and feeling of the story. In a sense the little aspects of this book are so subtle and slight that once the story concludes and the mystery of Vida Winter's wife is solves, the tiny insignificant things seem to have a greater purpose in the plot. In this fashion, The Thirteenth Tale remains a page turning experience while at the same time keeping the simple yet sophisticated narrative voice of reluctant Margaret Lea.In retrospect, it is hard for me to find anything at fault with the story, while some chapters did seem to rage on about certain niche areas of literary history, in hindsight, most of the prose and the theoretical games posed by Miss Winter's narrative are worthwhile and in the end leave the reader looking at symbols that are so slight and delicate that a reader with a cursory glance would never even register that they were there.I have to say that I was very sorry to see this book end. The story was so original and crafted so beautifully that I am looking forward to see what else Diane Setterfield has up her sleeve in her future literary efforts. In the meantime as we await another literary masterpiece by Setterfield, I recommend picking up a copy of Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger for another story of twins and ghosts that is sure to please those with insatiable appetites for books about sisters and ghosts.Final Grade: A-

I loved this book a lot! It’s very fast paced, the story has many interesting plot twists, it keeps you on your toes and always wondering. You never know what’s really happening. Loved it!

What a fantastic book. This had everything. Diane Setterfield writes absolutely beautifully, Her descriptions are almost poetic and you can visualise everything so clearly. Her characters are well developed and engaging enough for you to care about them. The plot........ Wow. This was so complicated and devious.I subsequently saw the TV film (which wasn't a patch on the book and I urge you to read the book first) which explained everything in a concise and abbreviated way, but it needed all the ramblings of the book to recreate the atmosphere properly. I couldn't work out from the book when it was set, I'd guessed the early 1900s but the TV film seems to be set after the war, so I'd guess maybe 1940s. There are no clues in the book relating to the time frame.I'd read Once Upon a River, which although not gothic, was similarly mysterious and again absolutely beautifully written, like a river meandering through the tale. The Thirteenth Tale, in my opinion, was even better and I can't wait to read her third book. This is a talented author for sure.

I’ve read this book 5 times in Spanish and 2 times in English. Every time I have found something new. Something that makes me appreciate the story in a whole different way. I love this book, and it is a must-read. 10/10.

I decided to buy the book after seeing the film by chance. I really enjoyed the film and so I did the book. I like everything,the storytelling,the plot, the way in which is written!

Lembro que li esse livro a primeira vez com 14 anos. Depois reli com 18. E novamente com 23. É um livro que gosto de ter por perto quando quero reencontrar alguns personagens. Diane Setterfield compôs uma história com um ambiente e uma atmosfera tão misteriosos que é impossível largar o livro, pois você precisa saber o que acontece no capítulo seguinte. Os personagens são ricamente construídos e é impossível não amar cada um deles, mesmo com seus defeitos.