The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
by Diane Setterfield
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Book Reviews of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
Book Review: A mystery that lingers...
Summary: 4 Stars
Lately, I've read a good number of books about books. The joy of the printed words, the delicious feel of being completely absorbed in a book, the hold certain characters can have on a reader long after their literary home has been shelved. As a book lover myself, naturally I agree with all of this.
"The Thirteenth Tale", while also about the power of stories, shows the darker side of written fantasy. The narrator, Margaret Lea, is not so much living her life through books as avoiding her life with the use of books. She works in her father's bookshop all day, lives above it at night, and seems to exist only for eight o'clock in the evening, when she can start to read for hours and hours. She prefers nineteenth century works - ones about a time long past, ones with a definitive beginning, middle and end. Ones with order, ones that don't leave the reader wanting or wondering.
"I pushed my pile of papers to one side, stroked Shadow and stared into the fire, longing for the comfort of a story where everything had been planned well in advance, where the confusion of the middle was invented only for my enjoyment, and where I could measure how far away the solution was by feeling the thickness of the pages still to come."
But this story, and the many stories contained within, do not promise an easily reached solution. There is doubt, uncertainty, suspicion, lies. The whole book moves between truth and fiction, between life and death, shadow and light. It is a vivid contrast between the stories that people live and the stories people tell.
"People disappear when they die. Their voice, their laughter, the warmth of their breath. Their flesh. Eventually their bones. All living memory of them ceases. This is both dreadful and natural. Yet for some reason there is an exception to this annihilation. For in the books they write, they continue to exist. We can rediscover them. Their humor, their tone of voice, their moods. Through the written word they can anger you or make you happy. They can comfort you. They can perplex you. They can alter you. All this, even though they are dead. Like flies in amber, like corpses frozen in ice, that which according to the laws of nature should pass away is, by the miracle of ink on paper, preserved. It is a kind of magic."
One day she receives a letter from Vida Winter, a famous novelist, asking her to come to Yorkshire and listen to her story, and so begins a ghostly adventure of mystery, sorrow and discovery. This story, as with all the stories Margaret reads, consumes her...but this one forces her to actively participate in order to reach a conclusion. And even then...there are still many questions.
Vida is a storyteller, first and foremost, and the truth is foreign to her. So many times she has been pressed for "the truth", and every time she has created another story. Stories, to Vida and to Margaret, have more life than life itself.
The reader is warned very early on that Vida may be unreliable when it comes to concrete facts, but Margaret, too, holds back. The ghost of the unspoken facts haunts this book along with so many other ghosts. Ghosts of lives lost, lives never lived, ghosts from other books (Jane Eyre and Rebecca, etc.)...this novel is truly haunted.
Time is ethereal as well. Not only is the time period of the book merely a rough sketch, the reader loses track of time through Margaret.
"The end of my nine o'clocks was another anchor in time gone. I listened to her story, I wrote the story, when I slept I dreamed the story, and when I was awake it was the story that formed the constant backdrop of my thoughts. It was like living entirely inside a book. I didn't even need to emerge to eat, for I could sit at my desk reading my transcript while I ate the meals that Judith brought to my room. Porridge meant it was morning. Soup and salad meant lunchtime. Steak and kidney pie was evening. I remember pondering for a long time over a dish of scrambled egg. What did it mean? It could mean anything."
I loved the gradual unraveling of this mystery. Reading this book was like sitting in an old library on a gloomy day in a comfortable, though slightly musty chair. Somewhere there is a fire and in the back of one's mind there is a thought of food and drink, but the story provides the warmth, the nourishment.
"Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you? You leave the previous book with ideas and themes - characters even - caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open a new book, they are still with you."
Yes, in fact, I do.
Book Review: "Tell Me the Truth..."
Summary: 4 Stars
Margaret Lea is an introverted and unworldly bookworm who is stunned to receive a letter from Vida Winters, the most famous, beloved, and best-selling author in Britain. In her correspondence, Miss Winter recounts her long-ago experience with a journalist who once cut through the authoress' usual imaginative storytelling and asked instead for the truth. Shocked by this, Miss Winter has never forgotten his request, and now she claims she's ready to share her life story with a biographer.
For reasons beyond Margaret's comprehension, the world-renowned authoress has chosen *her*. It is not an invitation that one can decline. Furthermore, Margaret has her own family secrets that she wants to escape from, and so she travels to Miss Winter's secluded house in order to hear and transcribe the old woman's story...
What follows is a Gothic tale of an extremely troubled family (and that's putting it mildly), that includes obsession, abuse, incest, betrayal, elopement, bereavement, and two little girls - twins - whose relationship make up the crux of the book. Adeline and Emmeline are identical in practically every way, allowed to run wild through the countryside and wreck havoc both in the house and out of it. But there's something more troubling about these two, particularly Adeline, whose vicious games have a darkness to them that frightens those who come across her. The housekeeper and the gardener are the only staff that remains on the grounds, joined late in the game by a governess who tries to impose some semblance of order upon the household - with mixed results.
As the story goes on, Margaret becomes aware of her storyteller's failing health, and of the growing sense of an eerie presence in the house - or perhaps it's only vague memories of Margaret's own past intruding on the present. The answer lies in the thirteenth tale, the final story that Miss Winter is withholding until the gradual unfolding of her life story is complete.
Told in first-person narrative, but alternating between Margaret's point-of-view and the chapters that cover Vida's story, "The Thirteenth Tale" (which refers to a short-story publication of Vida's that is mysteriously missing its final chapter) is a real page-turner. Drawing on the likes of the Bronte Sisters, Wilkie Collins, Daphne DuMaurier, and other prolific Gothic writers for inspiration, Setterfield has woven a ghostly mystery that fits all its puzzle pieces together in a pleasing whole, whilst leaving a central enigma in place for the reader to ponder long after the book is complete.
The writing is evocative, but not exceptional, the characters are intriguing but not three-dimensional, the plot-twist is enlightening, but can be seen a mile away - and yet this is an above-average book, perfect for a cold winter day, with a swift plot, poignant resolution, and a great love of books that any fellow book-lover can appreciate.
That is, any lover of Gothic fiction. Suffice to say, if you are not a fan of this particular genre and the deliberate melodrama that it fosters, then you will not be impressed by this volume either. This is a Gothic story in the truest sense of the word, where emotions run high, intrigues are of the most scandalous sort, and everything takes place in a dark mansion that if not haunted by ghosts, has enough bitter, twisted, insane individuals to make up for it.
Only two things really bothered me: that the fascinating character of Isabelle leaves the story in a rather uncharacteristic and disappointing way, and that the final post script is pure cheese (I wish I'd stopped at the second-to-last chapter which ends on an appropriate note of dry humor, rather than read of a strange reunion that had already been resolved with another character's passing, and which shifted the book into the realm of pseudo-spirituality, all completely unnecessarily).
I read "The Thirteenth Tale" over the course of three days, which included a very long night, and I enjoyed it immensely. Is it life-changing literature? Of course not! And it's not trying to be: it's entertainment, pure and simple, with (as Miss Winter is clear to point out) a beginning, middle and an end.
Book Review: Spellbinding!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The "High Expectations" tag is a huge burden to carry for any book. But The thirteenth Tale does not disappoint even for a moment. I subconsciously kept waiting for the moment when I would say to myself that this book is good but not as good as I heard it was. That moment never came. In fact it was so much better than I thought it would be.
First of all, how can any book lover not love this book? With the beautiful writing and the numerous passages on libraries and books and stories and Jane Eyre, it's very difficult to disappoint. I stopped underlying phrases that caught my fancy after 20 pages. I would have ended up highlighting 50% of the book.
The Thirteenth Tale starts with a letter from a very famous author, Vida Winter to Margaret who is an amateur biographer and whose father owns an antique book store. Winter does not request but orders Margaret to come to her villa so that they can start working on her biography together. She entices Margaret with the words, `Tell me the truth`. But Margaret is skeptical. After numerous false biographies of Winter already in the market, she is not sure that she'll get to know the truth.
But she takes a chance. She reaches Vida Winter's villa and finds a frail and dying woman. As they start working towards the biography, Vida Winter spins a tale of her past. A past that is terrifying, sad and so ugly that it deserves to be kept in wraps.
The Thirteenth Tale was like a roller coaster ride. It's a gothic style mystery that will keep you turning the pages late into the night. It leaves a lot of blank spaces and doubts in your mind and you start guessing and doubting and making sense of the story with Margaret.
The only thing I didn't get was probably Margaret's obsession with her own past. I understand why her relationship with her mother is the way it is, but what I don't understand is her obsession and attachment with her twin sister whom she has never even seen. Another thing was that I thought Vida's Winter's story was purposely told in a scandalous way. The thing that Margaret discovers at the end should ideally be told with the main story itself. I don't see how you can omit that. But then that's how Vida Winters character was like. She was a storyteller and she told the story in the most interesting and haunting way she could. That's the only explanation I could come up with.
My favorite character though was neither Margaret nor Ms. Winter. It was Aurelius, the baking giant. He was the one whom I felt most sympathy for and I was definitely satisfied with the ending that the author gave him.
Favorite passages: (without spoilers)
I read old novels. The reason is simple: I prefer proper endings. Marriages and deaths, noble sacrifices and miraculous restorations, tragic separations and unhoped-for reunions, great falls and dreams fulfilled; these, in my view, constitute an ending worth the wait. They should come after adventures, perils, dangers and dilemmas, and wind everything up nice and neatly. Endings like this are to be found more commonly in old novels than new ones, so I read old novels.
There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.
My gripe is not with lovers of the truth but with truth herself. What succor, what consolation is there in truth, compared to a story? What good is truth, at midnight, in the dark, when the wind is roaring like a bear in the chimney? When the lightning strikes shadows on the bedroom wall and the rain taps at the window with its long fingernails? No. When fear and cold make a statue of you in your bed, don't expect hard-boned and fleshless truth to come running to your aid. What you need are the plump comforts of a story. The soothing, rocking safety of a lie.
Our lives are so important to us that we tend to think the story of them begins with our birth. First there was nothing, then I was born...Yet that is not so. Human lives are not pieces of string that can be separated out from a knot of others and laid out straight. Families are webs. Impossible to touch one part of it without setting the rest vibrating. Impossible to understand one part without having a sense of the whole.
Book Review: Reminiscent of A.S. Byatt's "Possession"
Summary: 3 Stars
To start, a disclaimer. I was hesitant to give this book only three stars because as I neared the end, despite the parts I disliked, I began to feel a sense of empathy towards the writer. I'm not a person who writes fiction often, actually I never have, but I frequently have litters of ideas that never come to fruition. So I view myself as writer and think of how I would want others to view my work, something I've spent days, years nurturing. I respect the author for the complexities she tried to incorporate into her story.
Similarities to Possession, in case you really want to know: wolf analogy, the number three, Dr.Maudsley/Maud Bailey, forbidden love child is given away, setting (England/France), fairytales (mermaids), famous fictional authors, solitude-characters don't have a life outside of themselves or literature, overdramatic mystery, following a paper trail (most of them were there because I was looking for them...)
Without further ado, my book scale.
1. Writing Style/Readability - Since the author herself knew a lot about 19th century literature, it's no surprise that her story would contain many similar elements of style to books of that time period. Very romantic and fanciful descriptions, which could be viewed as cheesy. Pace is steady, not fast, but not obnoxiously slow. I wasn't really pulled into the mystery of it until towards the end when all secrets were being revealed. I think this was mostly due to the fact that the plot and characters lacked in the, "Why should I, the reader, care?" factor.
2. Plot - The tying together of all the mysteries reminds me of a Dicken's novel (and also the theme of twins/doubles, like Tale of Two Cities). I liked the themes and motifs and all that because I felt smart for recognizing them, even though they were made blatantly obvious. I think a lot of the literary references slipped past me though as I have yet to read many classics. I felt somewhat cheated by the conclusion at the end, but I appreciated all the small details she included to make me go, "oh so that's because earlier she said-" and "so that's why-". However, I thought it didn't make sense for Vida Winter to be so melodramatic about it, but without withholding information, there'd be no suspense for the reader.
3. Characters - I hated the two main characters. Margaret comes across as a very simple girl (I'm guessing she's in her early 20s?) and is unnecessarily angsty about her twin. However, this is mainly due to the fact that her life is so uncomplicated. She has no existence outside of her father or books. Doesn't have a real job, no life aspirations or any interest in the social world. Maybe she wouldn't feel so "lonely" if she actually made the effort to connect with the millions of other people in the world. She embodies the human desire of wanting to believe that we have some dark secret to hide from the world and our hope that others will be intrigued by our mystery.
One thing that I liked about Margaret though was her appreciation for "insignificant" people and her belief that she was helping to keep them alive. I've always had a fetish for reading books about people who love books. Margaret's character is annoying, but in a way, that makes her more interesting.
As for the characters in the Angelfield story, they were appropriately like characters out of a fairytale (or a Dicken's novel) and their characterization made them entertaining.
4. Value - Made me think a lot about reclusive people, death, and the desire to be remembered, among other things.
5. Overall Originality - Yes, definitely...especially with the type of symbols that I'm only used to seeing in old literature. But this book was much less painless to read than Possession or The Scarlet Letter.
6. Enjoyment - to be honest, I thought it was too long to be worth finishing. Still, I ignored my duties for the day and instead kept on reading, although I'd occasionally space out as I read (which I don't normally do...). I think the only person that I'd recommend this book to would be my English teacher. I wanted to enjoy it, but it didn't captivate my interest enough.
BOTTOM LINE: Overdramatic and anti-climactic, but had a few interesting aspects. If you hate it after the first 100 pages, stop.
Book Review: Overrated Tripe
Summary: 1 Stars
Robert Graves once said: "A thing that's remarkable about Shakespeare is that he is really very good, in spite of all the people who say he is very good." This quote carries a lot of truth, and it is a remarkable thing about Shakespeare, because if you judge books by their Amazon reviews, nothing that's generally considered very good ever turns out to be. This applies to the The Thirteenth Tale. Despite all the people who said it was great, it turned out to be just the opposite. In fact, it was utter tripe. Though I fully expect to be torn apart because of my dissenting view on a book many seem to adore, I must say I found it to be completely awful.
The story centers around Margaret, a completely boring character of no or little account, who really likes to read. She loves Jane Eyre (this trend of title-dropping in novels is starting to annoy me, especially since it always seems that it's a Bronte or an Austen title that gets dropped randomly into the mix just to show that the characters can read classics). She was born a conjoined twin and was the only one of them to survive birth. Her dead twin "haunts" her. The other main character is Vida Winter, a famous author who has never told the truth about her life but wants to tell it now to Margaret, who is an amateur biographer. The story of Vida's life takes up the main plot of the book, and it is a overly-dramatic, badly written, pseudo-Gothic tale of one-dimensional maniacs. I don't have a problem reading about people who are a little, or even very, insane. After all, I love Philippa Gregory's Wideacre. But when every single character is either messed-up, repulsive, moronic, or boring, (or, actually, all four of these things at once) it makes for painful reading.
[SPOILERS AHEAD] Vida and Margaret are both uninteresting and they do not play a great part in the story really. The other characters, however, are just irritating. From Isabelle and Charlie (the siblings who have a freaky relationship that's implied to be incestuous) to Adeline and Emmeline (Isabelle and Charlie's twins who are mentally unstable-- Adeline, especially, is abusive, jealous, and fond of ripping apart topiary gardens and stealing perambulators with babies inside them). There was no depth to their stories. Nothing was revealed about their characters, their emotions. The most complex of all the characters, in fact, was Hester, the governess who is merely a background character. Besides this flat characterization and the author's obvious yet failed attempt at utilizing a Gothic shock-factor, if you will, there is the problem of the author's prose, which is cliche-ridden and embarrassing to read. Margaret often waxes lyrical on the subject of her dead twin, and Vida Winter, who is supposed to be a genius of tremendous proportions, reveals parts of her writing that are mediocre at best. Finally, the last few chapters are handled so clumsily that it seems as though the author wrote it all in about a week and never revised. The big plot twist basically undermines everything in the rest of the story and is basically the disappointing and weak "ta-da" moment at the end of an unimpressive magic trick. And more to the point, it positively bored me. [END SPOILERS]
This novel is an insult to the reader's intelligence. It tries to make itself sound profound and smart but it fails miserably and instead sounds inane. It was largely filled with pop psych on twins, which sounded as if it had been taken out of a book written by a New Age Freud wanna-be. It was completely ridiculous. None of the characters were likable or realistic or, worst of all, engaging. And the writing was messy. I see no reason why I should recommend it at all, so I would say, if there's absolutely nothing else to read except a copy of The Thirteenth Tale, find a cereal box and read the back of that instead.