The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

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The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

Editorial Review

Sometimes, when you open the door to thepast, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchantingstories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate livesfor herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about herextraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret forso long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her ownpainful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret ismesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautifuland willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.

There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:

"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."

She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."

"I am a biographer, I work with facts."

The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told. --Valerie Ryan

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
• As Promised...
  I would order from seller again. Book arrived as promised in the same condition advertised.
• Astonishing Novel
  
  This truly is one of the finest novels I've ever read--well worth all the hoopla.
  The main narrator has a smooth voice that is easy to get lost in, and I loved the theme of the importance of "story tellers" in our society. I loved the stories within stories within stories.
  This is a clear and easy read, but the multiple levels of the novel and character development are brilliant.
  I would highly, highly recommend this book for anyone to enjoy with a cup of hot chocolate on a rainy... more info
• Quick delivery, fair condition
  The product was delivered quickly and not in boxy packaging however the cover was in a lamanate casing that was irritating to deal with while reading. I knew it would be hardcover but I would've liked to know that it had a plastic casing.
• Great story!
  I read the book and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to sit back and let someone else tell it to me.

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