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The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

By RachelUndefined on September 13, 2008 • ( 1 )

Opening Sentence:It was November.
Synopsis:I opened the door and was about to step into the emptiness when, in a voice hoarse with something like fear, she launched the words that stopped me in my tracks. ‘Once upon a time there were twins…’

Reclusive author Vida Winter has created several ‘biographies’ for herself, each one different, but now she wants to tell the truth. When she asks Margaret Lea to write her biography Margaret is reluctant – not least because of the family secrets she herself is guarding so painfully.

Margaret’s research takes her to Angelfield House and into Vida’s enigmatic past – and what she uncovers sheds a troubling light on her own life.
Genre:Fiction
Rating:@@@@@
Pages:454
BCID:xxx-4965612
ISBN:978-0-7528-8194-2
Year:2007
Format:Paperback
Comments:The Thirteenth Tale is an amazing journey into one woman’s hidden past. Filled with beautiful language and wonderfully descriptive passages, this is an extraordinary first work by an incredibly gifted author.

Book lovers will relate well to the narrator Margaret Lea, and will enjoy the timeless gothic atmosphere and the enchanting prose as Vida’s life slowly unfolds. The Thirteenth Tale is a remarkable story that will be enjoyed by all.

I loved the language in this novel so much, I am including two of my favourite quotes:

“What succour, 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 lightning strikes shadows on the bedroom wall and the rain taps at the window with it’s 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.” Vida Winter in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

“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.” The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Thirteenth Tale – Book Review (bondwithbooks.wordpress.com)

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Categories: Impressions

Tags: book, books, diane setterfield, fiction, Margaret, Margaret Lea, November, Thirteenth Tale, vida winter

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How do I rate my books?

½ Star: I disliked it to the point where I didn’t even finish it and I would actively discourage others from reading it. This will definitely be released.
1 Star: I almost didn’t finish this book, but I powered through. I strongly disliked it and I would actively discourage others from reading it. This will definitely be released.
1 ½ Stars: I read this book, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it and I wouldn’t recommend it. This book will be released.
2 Stars: I don’t really have an opinion on this book. I didn’t particularly like it, but I didn’t particularly dislike it either. I won’t read it again and probably wouldn’t recommend it. This book will be released.
2 ½ Stars: This book is alright, I guess. Other people might enjoy it, but it’s not for me. I might mention it in passing, but I won’t reread it. This book will be released.
3 Stars: This book is average. I enjoyed it, but I’ll probably forget it within a year. I might recommend it to fans of the genre, but I won’t be rereading it. This book will be released.
3 ½ Stars: This book is above average but unexceptional. I enjoyed it, and I would probably recommend it, but I doubt I’ll read it again. This book will be released.
4 Stars: This is an excellent book. I enjoyed it quite a bit and would recommend it to others. I may or may not reread it. This book might be kept, or it might be released.
4 ½ Stars: This book is fantastic. I absolutely loved it and I fully intend to read it again. I would definitely recommend it to others. This book will be kept.
5 Stars: This is an amazing book which I’ll reread multiple times. I quite likely sacrificed sleep or skipped meals for this book and will shamelessly promote it to all and sundry. This book will definitely be kept, and I’ll probably buy an extra copy just to release it.

What books have I been reading?

The City & The City by China Mieville
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
V For Vendetta by Alan Moore & David Lloyd
The Black Death by Philip Ziegler
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
What Were the Crusades? Fourth Edition by Jonathan Riley-Smith
We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch
The Pelican History of Medieval Europe by Maurice Keen
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
12-21 by Dustin Thomason