When Margaret Lea opened the door to the past, what she confronted was her destiny. 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.
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I read this long ago but I remember enjoying it.
I read this book when it first came out! I devoured it in 2 days… A Great Read…
Fresh off the back of reading Once Upon A River, I decided to try another Diane Setterfield and was absolutely not disappointed. The Thirteenth Tale is the story of a young biographer who is asked to record the life history of a dying novelist, who before then has only ever lied about her past. t’s a tale of family intrigue, damaged people, and …
Quite a page turner and kept me guessing!
I highly, highly, recommend this book. Brilliantly written, and beautifully told, this is a story wrapped in a story, and it is oh so easy to allow yourself to get lost in it. A wonderful book for a rainy day and evening and night. Diane Setterfield proved to me that she is a master storyteller, besides being an awesomely gifted writer.
Fabulous book!
Not good at writing reviews but enjoyed it immensely. Really well written with some twists I didn’t see coming.
This book kept me guessing until the very end — I did not figure out the ending before-hand.
This book kept me interested from beginning to end.
So lyrical. Read it for the beauty of the words if for no other reason.
Kept you wondering to the end.
I usually read and pass on but this book was a keeper whhich means I’ll read it again.
Loved it! Would give it 4.5 stars if I could. I loved the writing style. I liked the way that everything ended up being related (I like tidiness). It had a happy ending. I enjoyed the unexpected twists and turns. A story about a girl and a family and love and rage and sadness and longing and loneliness.
A haunting mystery within a mystery unravels a gripping tale this reader could not put down. This was my kind of book; well written, great detail and description, hidden clues, interesting characters and a great plot. I look forward to reading more from this author.
A great mystery! I enjoyed this immensely! Great intelligent writing with surprising twists. Admittedly, I felt compelled to read this twice to fully comprehend the ending. Enjoyed it even more after the second read. Told from the perspective of a writer who has landed a rare interview with a famous novelist who is a recluse. As the movelist’s …
The feeling of this book is Gothic even though it’s obviously set in the 20th century. Mysterious, stories within a story.
This is a fantastic book, a real page turner. I was really drawn into the life of the main characters. It was incredibly hard to put down. Great story line and very different. A must read.
I own a hard copy of this one. Read it years ago and loved it. So great!!
One of my favorite books of all time.
My, but this was a slow burner. Beautifully written and in the style of Daphne Du Maurier, this atmospheric gothic tale about the Angelfield family started slowly but had me hooked before I knew it. It required some concentration, but the characterisation was excellent and the writing flawless—one for those long winter evenings.