Customer Rating:  
Summary: Pseudo-Gothic Cr*p
Comment: I spent too much time slogging through this trash to want to spend another minute writing about it, but I felt it would be a public service to register a minority view. For an alternative read, I recommend The Observations by Jane Harris (try it--you'll thank me).
Customer Rating:
Summary: Raising the bar
Comment: Every once in a while, I'll read a book that raises the bar for me and inspires me to want to be a better writer, either because of the prose or the premise. Books that come to mind are Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Robert Cormier's Fade, Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods, Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist, Jodi Picoult's Second Glance, and now, Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale.
This contemporary gothic novel alternates narrators between the reliable Margaret Lea and the unreliable Vida Winter. As Vida, a novelist at the end of her life, tells the story of her life to Margaret, a biographer, the reader is led on a series of twists and turns through a gravyard, the shell of a burned-out mansion and a childhood peopled with cooks, gardeners and other staff at the Angelfield manor.
Even more haunting is the audio version of the book, narrated by Bianca Amato as Margaret and Jill Tanner as Vida. It's the perfect book to transport you to a completely different time and place. Best read on a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea.
Customer Rating:
Summary: a great story ABOUT storytelling
Comment: 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 This book reads like the thirteenth and previously unpublished story of Vida Winter herself and a host of other characters in the book.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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A good mystery
Comment: Margaret is a biographer who works in her father's bookshop. She loves all things books and reads constantly. But she isn't one for popular fiction. However, when she is contacted by a famous author who wants Margaret to write her biography, Margaret is intrigued. The author, Vida Winter, is one of the most popular fiction writers of her time and Margaret has never read any of her work. She settles down to read Ms. Winter's collection of short stories which is supposed to consist of 13 tales. However there are only 12. And they haunt Margaret who sets off to learn the truth of Vida Winter's background. What Margaret discovers is a long story with twists, turns, secrets, and ghosts.
This book is a great example of fine storytelling. The author weaves and winds through the plot brilliantly and keeps the pages turning. At the same time, it is a sophisticated plot and not the type of suspense novel that is typically called a beach read. My only complaint is that there are times when it drags a bit, but still you are intrigued enough to keep going. Good surprises along the way make for a very good novel.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Thirteenth Tale
Comment: Diane Setterfield's novel is based on the story Vida Winter, a well-renowned author in England. Her dark and tormented past led her to finally divulge her story to Margaret Lea, a quiet, passionate librarian. Even though both women seem to be complete opposites, the readers discover that they both suffer from separation from family and the death of a twin which gives them more in common than they expected.
The Thirteenth Tale is a story about a dysfunctional family, where the birth of a girl named Isabelle led to incestuous feelings from a brother, and the birth of two twin girls; Adeline and Emmeline. However, the readers find out that there are more secrets in the house than just the strange twins. There is a presence of a ghost that drives away the mistress, Hester, and the strange transformation of the radical Adeline into a smart, sensible mistress of the mansion. During Winter's recollection, the readers discover her true identity and the mystery of the twin is resolved.
As for Margaret, she has her own set of troubles to deal with. Her mother's coldness towards her existence and her father's indifference was something she had to endure all her life. The readers discover a hidden passion within Margaret, despite her bland introduction, and as the story progresses, she begins to take charge of her situation and actively solves the mystery behind Winter's life. During her work, she encounters a man named Aurelius, who is connected to the family and towards the end of the novel, they both find a family in each other.
The book was an enjoyable read, and even though the content matter seemed too dramatic at first, Setterfield's use of subtlety left the readers wondering in the end. A plot based on an average family is marvelously unraveled as secrets begin to pour out and I believe the readers will find something to relate to in this book, especially those who are twins or are close to their siblings.
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