The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
by Diane Setterfield
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Book Reviews of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
Book Review: a great story ABOUT storytelling
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard to categorize this book. Is it a mystery? Yes, in a way it's a mystery. The Thirteenth Tale is ALSO a ghost story. But not a ghost story about ghouls and goblins and specters. It's a story about ghosts of the past, loss, regrets and tales left unfinished.
Margaret Lea, a lover of books and somewhat of a writer herself is asked to write the true life story of one of England's most beloved and reclusive writers, Vida Winter. People adore her books but know little about the author and what they do know are just stories manufactured by Ms. Winter. Why does she weave fiction instead of telling facts of her own life to her loving fans? Why, she's a story teller naturally!
The thirteenth tale refers to a story by Ms. Winter that was never published. One of her most beloved books was supposed to contain thirteen short stories and was named as such, but when published, the book only contained TWELVE stories. This book reads like the thirteenth and previously unpublished story of Vida Winter herself and a host of other characters in the book.
It's difficult to narrow down what I enjoyed so much about this book. The characters are all mysterious in their own way, each with their own story to tell. Each page answers questions asked previously as well as bringing up more questions that beg to be answered. The reader's taken through a detailed account of Vida's life from a young girl to her current state as England's most appreciated (and ailing) author.
During the course of Ms. Winter's dictation of her life's events to Margaret, we learn more of Margaret's past and we also see how she gets completely consumed by Vida's mysterious past, family and home.
The most impressive thing about this book is how tightly it is plotted and how satisfyingly it wraps up. No character is abandoned by the end of the book. We learn what happens to each and every one of them.
As I said, this is a great book ABOUT stories, both reading them and inventing them. It's easy to get lost in this one as Setterfield weaves a great tale that is easy to get engrossed in.
Book Review: Solid start for a young writer.
Summary: 3 Stars
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a very intriguing novel that tells the story of family, twin-hood, devotion, deceit, and life. It is well written and there are many traces of an experienced author for this first time writer. However Setterfield's immaturity does show in a few areas for the experienced reader.
The Thirteenth Tale brings us one Margaret Lea, an obsessive reader and amateur biographer employed by her (even more obsessive) father in his book store - not just any book store however, one that specializes in books that you must search the corners of the earth to find. One day Margaret is summoned to pen the autobiography of acclaimed writer Vida Winter. Although she is a book enthusiast, she has yet to read any of Ms. Winters work. After much deliberation she decides to do it, but why her?
From this point on we experience two stories. One: Ms. Winters coveted story of her life, her loss, her obsessions, and her trials throughout a long, tumultuous life. Two: Margaret's battle with her past demons as she slowly sees more and more similarities between herself and this reclusive writer as she unfolds her tale.
I thought this story was well written, especially for a first-time author. She wrote different stories from different peoples' points of view and made them very clear through distinct differences in their mannerisms and overall writing. Some analogies she used were worthy of Hemingway (I'm a guy that loves a good analogy).
I did, however, see some things that I think some experience would help Ms. Setterfield in her future endeavors. The end of the book seemed to take forever to come about. It didn't just end; there were one or two more things that she kept telling you. She left a couple of loose strings and tied them together in the final 3 pages, a personal pet-peeve of mine. A book should unwind itself more smoothly.
I would definitely recommend The Thirteenth Tale (especially if you're a twin). I also think that future writings from this young writer will be worth reading and I personally am looking forward to reading them. Please enjoy.
Book Review: Passably Entertaining but Contrived
Summary: 3 Stars
A good, well-written mystery is a pleasure. The journey through the mystery's maze must be enticing and fun, and the answer to the puzzle must tie up all the loose ends in a surprising but believable way. THE THIRTEENTH TALE just squeaks by on both counts. In fact, I had to force myself to read it through to the end, although it did get easier to stay engrossed by midway. Part of the problem was the writing. Ms. Setterfield is not as disciplined, clear a writer as I would like. Her descriptions are often vague. For instance, I was uncertain what time period we were visiting in this book, although clearly it was not present-day. Why was this not delineated? Perhaps if I were English, I'd have an easier time of it, but as an American I had trouble visualizing the places and actions because of this omission.
Ms. Setterfield likes to use repetitive sentence fragments. Does she think it makes the writing more like actual thought, that it moves the action along faster, or that it signifies intensity? To me, it makes the book read in spots like a cheap, mass-market paperback.
The most serious problem is that the resolution of the mystery, while definitely surprising, is not very plausible. I just didn't buy it. And the neat way in which the pieces are tied up at the end felt contrived. In addition, it's a risky conceit to make a world famous author the central character, and then have to produce examples that are supposed to demonstrate the famous author's brilliant writing style. I, the reader, am forced to take on faith that the sample of said writer's work that's provided at the end is actually top-drawer.
Lastly, the degree of overwrought psychobabble regarding the narrator's childhood trauma just got on my nerves. Over-the-top melodrama is not necessarily deeply thought or felt.
As I write this, I see that I disliked THE THIRTEENTH TALE more than I thought I did. But, since I finished it and it gave me a few days' worth of diversion, I'll let my 3-star rating stand.
Book Review: Well-Crafted and Rewarding
Summary: 4 Stars
I'd heard good things about this book, and, after my mother insisted I read it, I finally gave in. I'm happy to report that The Thirteenth Tale was indeed a fantastic read.
I must admit that I was a little skeptical at first. A book about a culture's greatest writer is dangerous ground, for what if the character of the greatest writer is badly written? But, Setterfield pulled it off nicely. Setterfield also blended well-written, formal language with believable dialogue in such a way that it was very pleasant to read. In fact, she straddled the line between good description and over-indulgence to the point I was afraid she would teeter over the edge, losing me forever, but she kept her imagery pertinent and never veered off into ramblings. Her myriad allusions, thorough characterization, and complicated, rewarding plot made The Thirteenth Tale a fast, enjoyable experience.
The story itself has the makings of a classic. Vida Winter, England's greatest writer, is about to die from natural causes and she wants her story taken down by an amateur biographer, Margaret Lea. A mystery soon emerges as Lea listens to Winter's tale and she must piece together a tapestry that discerns fact from fiction. A tale of incest, fire, death, ghosts, and trickery ensues, all while Lea is struggling with her own inner demons.
Personally, I found the climax and resolution rewarding and consistent with the rest of the book. Some feel that Setterfield left things too ambiguous, but I think the reader must take an active part in the story and make up his or her own mind. I don't mind a little elusiveness in a story such as this. I especially appreciated that many details Setterfield included early on in the novel played an important role as the mystery unveiled.
I think you'll find The Thirteenth Tale both a well-crafted novel by a capable author and a flat-out exciting story. Enjoy.
~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant
Book Review: Delighted with this Tale
Summary: 4 Stars
This was a rare find online; it cost me a dollar and after reading it, I have discovered it was well worth the money.
The story has multiple main characters with Margaret and Vida being the top two. Their lives come together when Vida writes Margaret a letter telling Margaret she has been chosen to write her life story. Uncertain at first, Margaret decides to accept this offer and travels to Vida's estate.
The tale then goes into the past for both Margaret and Vida. It switches from one life to the next and from one time period to another yet the reader is never confused about the characters, the time line, or the story. It is well written and it engages you. It was a book I couldn't really put down for long and I am sure my other books laying on the nightstand were pretty sad each night as I reached for this one over and over again.
The story had a few surprising twists and during some of the narratives I found myself guessing at what the outcome would be. Truth be told that before the "surprise" ending was written, I had guessed it but that didn't take away from the story and there were other areas where I hadn't made the best guess and was pleasantly surprised when I read these twists to the tale.
I would happily recommend this to any reader who likes stories weaved within stories. I would recommend this to the reader who likes to try to solve the puzzle before the last page is read. And I'd recommend this to those people who say they don't like to read because they can't seem to get into the story. If you see yourself in any of those readers mentioned, then this is the book for you! I know you will thoroughly enjoy it!
I now happily place the book back on my shelf...but because I enjoyed it so much, I will take note of the author - Diane Setterfield - as she just added a new fan with this book!
For more reviews by MaryEllen please visit Portraits of M.E. at [...]