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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Never have I read such a twisting plot with such well defined characters, plus a surprise at the end. I could not put it down. Masterful writer!
This book blew me away! I really enjoyed reading this. The ending blew me away. I would read it again!
I really enjoyed this gothic novel. It is written with tension, good pacing, well done story development, and characters so well developed that I felt I heard them and saw them.
This was written like a gothic fairy tale and I found it very hard to read. It felt like it just kept droning on and on and took forever to make any headway. I found myself really plowing through it just to finish. The plot is quite good but just had to keep pushing to get through it.
I loved, loved this book. The story was convoluted and sometimes difficult to follow but I loved the way the author used language to pull me in and make me part of the story. Didn’t want it to end.
If you love a writer who knows how to use language you might possibly like this book. The writing is yummm
Wow. I dislike books I can predict. There is no predicting what comes next in this book
I truly enjoyed this book. I felt the writing was extremely fluid but challenging. I enjoyed this on my kindle and plan to keep it to read again. Truly a haunting and tragic story.
Vida Winter is a famous and loved author, but very little is known about her. Countless interviews turn out to be simple stories she uses to keep her past hidden. As her life is reaching it’s end, she decides to finally tell her story.
Vida chooses Margaret Lea, a young biographer who has yet to tell the story of a living person. She lives with …
Superb writing! This author has a true gift for weaving a tale that draws the reader in without letting go.
Beautifully written and conjures the feeling of reading Jane Eyre. This was a page turner and one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. It’s mysterious, haunting and at times disturbing. I highly recommend this book.
I wasn’t sure I liked it for the first 20 or so pages. I want sure I was going to finish it. THEN, I was captivated by the story within the story.
It was an excellent book I did not want to put down.
Fans of Jane Eyre will enjoy this book. It has all the classic features of a novel from that time incorporated into a modern novel. The author is adept at painting a landscape, room description and mood and drawing you in
A well done book in the Gothic style. Wrecked families with odd, twisted secrets and a sad, bookish writer hired to write the biography of a notoriously guarded author make for a fairly compelling read. A little slow in places, but worth the battle.
Beautifully written
Loved the book! Didn’t want to put it down once I started it!
Just a dreamy book for me, loved it!!! Could not put down! I loaned it to someone and never received back, I was so upset. Just a fantastic tale, can’t imagine anyone not being thrilled.
I couldn’t put this one down. The plot is original and the characters are likable, and there are some sneaky twists and turns you don’t see coming. Worth reading.
this book is a keeper….one to be re-read more than once
Very well written! Love the atmosphere created.