The Thirteenth Tale

Additional The Thirteenth Tale Information

All children mythologize their birth...So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.

The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself -- all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune but have kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she at last wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter's story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.

As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized. It is a tale of gothic strangeness featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire.

Margaret succumbs to the power of Vida's storytelling but remains suspicious of the author's sincerity. She demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.

The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.

What Customers Say About The Thirteenth Tale:

Without giving too much away, there are some pretty huge twists in the last few pages that make the slow journey of getting to that point worthwhile. It took me a few months to get through this book. But if you can appreciate a story that unfolds slowly, then you just might enjoy The Thirteenth Tale. I found the ending to be satisfying (and, more importantly, plausible in the context of all that had come before).If you like fast-paced action, this is not the book for you. It was slow in spots, and though the story was interesting, perhaps it didn't suck me in as much as I'd expected (or hoped) it would. I'm glad I stuck with it, though.

I would place the book down for a day, refusing to begin another chapter which would hasten by journey to the last page. I rarely find a book that saddens me to end. Ms Setterfield raised my expectations as a reader, making it all the harder for her contemporaries.I wait impatiently for her next. I was pulled into the pages by the love of writing that was so brilliantly shown.I closed the book on the last word, changed as a reader, moved as a twin. I will smile at the end of a good book, pleased at having read something so enjoyable, but Ms Setterfield's tale is in another league. As I moved through the book, totally immersed, I began to see my progression towards the end and was overtaken with panic.

Beyond interesting, keeps you turning the pages. This has to be one of the best books I have read in a long time.

True, it's not very believable but neither is Jane Eyre or the Secret Garden.I can't identify with any of the characters in the book - not the shy biographer Margaret with a secret of her own, nor the reclusive famous writer Vida Winter - but the author was skillful enough to transport me to an entirely different world. The only place I didn't read it was in that bathroom because that's gross. This book is a definite page turner with a timeless style of writing. When I started, I couldn't put it down until I was done - this meant I was reading in class, in meetings, and while I was on the phone.

Very mod-gothic feeling. I loved this book. It was really easy to read, quick paced, but had a quirky story line.