Book Review (fiction): The Thirteenth Tale

Book review of The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

I don't read enough fiction these days. Between the kids, work, this site, knitting projects for Christmas, and 8 million other things, I pretty much only have time for non-fiction, with some memoir thrown in for fun. So I was a little hesitant when the MotherTalk people asked if I wanted to review The Thirteenth Tale. It's 400 pages, and I doubted I'd get very far in.

Well, I'm not quite to the end yet (which is good, so I don't reveal the ending inadvertently), but the book really sucked me in, almost from the beginning. It's good that I had you all contributing holiday ideas this week, because I was spending too much time reading this book. And my current knitting project is just lying there while I read.

It's written from the point of view of Margaret, a British used-book-seller and reader who has written a small biography of two long-dead brothers. One day she receives a letter from England's greatest living author of fiction, Vida Winters, whose books Margaret has never read. Winters has given false stories of her background and history to reporters throughout her career, and no one knows anything about her. But she claims that she wants to "tell the truth" and that she wants to tell it to Margaret. Winters summons Margaret to her house on the moors the next week.

So Margaret goes to the house. She and Winters have a little showdown, in which the pivotal event of the author's life, and what led her to change her name and begin writing, is revealed. Partially. We know some of the end, but not exactly, and we don't know how it all happened. So the rest of the book reels out the story.

If you've ever read and loved a Barbara Vine mystery, you will enjoy this book. Knowing the outcome of the story, but not how it transpired, allows for suspense but a more thorough, richly-layered storytelling pace. And the theme of the book is storytelling. Winters' position is that story reveals more truth than truth itself. And that's an interesting idea to consider.

Warning: One of a pair of twins has died in infancy as the background of the story (it's revealed in the first chapter of the book, so no spoiler), so beware if that's a sensitive topic for you.

Also, it's billed as a "ghost story," and I don't really get that. To me it was more of an eerie mystery, and a great book for reading while drinking cocoa or tea while it's snowing or raining outside and someone else is entertaining your kids. You won't be scared, but you will be sucked into wanting to find out what happened.

Comments

[cagey]

I really enjoyed this book. There was something about it that just sucked me right in. A great guilty pleasure that actually makes you think (a bit, but not too much). I would definitely bill it a Valentine to Reading. If one is a reader, they will be nodding their heads furiously through the sections the protagonists talks about her love for reading in general.

Also, I should note this would make for a good book club selection because it provided for a thoughtful discussion on many different fronts.

[vickie]

I'm not a big fan of mysteries, but I looooved this book. It kept me guessing and wondering!

[Nell]

I'm so happy to see this review -- I read it a month or so ago, and really enjoyed it. I think it is a perfect book for a winter's evening or weekend.

[Corey]

I loved this book also!! It reminded me a little of "Great Expectations" and "Shadow of the Wind."

[En]

I'm not a big fan of these long extended reviews.

[Alison]

Thanks for the review! I will definitely read the book.

[Lisa C.]

It's definitely a good one!

[Melis]

This was one of those books bought on the cheap through Doubleday and I'm glad I got it, although I had difficulty following it when I read it. However, my local library happened to have a brand spankin' new copy on audio and I scooped it right up. Liked it so much I had to share it with several coworkers and kept renewing it since nobody seemed to realize it was available in that form. I thought it was just an eerie mystery too-nothing ghostly about it.

[heather]

thanks for the review! i've been looking for some new books to read.