Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Dianne Setterfield
Blurber Blabber Review: Buy it used or on sale!
Blurb: The Thirteenth Tale is a debut novel by Diane Setterfield that pays respect to predecessor gothic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca. Contrary to some misleading descriptions, this book is not a true ghost story. Metaphors people! After a lifetime of lies and mysteries, a famous author named Vida Winter tells her “true” life story to Margaret, a random bookstore owner’s daughter. The book is interspersed with some present day sections following Margaret’s own less interesting story. Vida Winter’s tale, on the other hand, contains oh so dysfunctional family members, sociopathic twins, ghostly mysteries, warped love, suspicious deaths and surprising twists. What more can you ask for? Savor some well written moments as Setterfield manages to capture various small emotions perfectly with words. Some flaws are that Setterfield’s language may be a bit overdramatic at times (especially for audiobook people) and sometimes her unique and strange characters kind of disappear and fall flat at the end. Book lovers will enjoy immersing themselves in the world of boutique bookstores and dilapidated mansions and will appreciate the nods to classic literary pieces.
Series: Nope - standalone.
Language/Writing Style: Margaret's story is in the third person while Vida Winter tells her story in the third, and then first, person. Setterfield's writing style is reminiscent of gothic classics like Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and The Turn of the Screw, and while very descriptive and eloquent at times, there is still a lack of overall polish compared to the classic precedents.
Adult Content: There are deaths, rapes, self-mutilation (think of it as extreme self tattoo-ing), and hints of incest.
Rereadability: This is sooo rereadable! I read it a few years ago and then reread it recently for a book club after I'd forgotten most of the plot. Even once I started remembering things, I still enjoyed seeing the twists and turns unfold. I also like the way Setterfield writes - it can be a bit overdramatic at times, but that fits the whole quasi gothic theme, and she really makes you feel like you're there in that moment. Ideally you want to reread it a couple years later after you've forgotten some plot points so that you can rediscover the surprises.
Published: 2006
Length: 416 pages
(Read on for the more detailed and SPOILER-filled "blabber" review)
