The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

Author - Diane Setterfield ... [Goo?] [Posters]

This Paperback Book item from Washington Square Press was reviewed on 24-Jul-2008.

Search ISBN:0743298039 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel Reference Book. Classifications : Contemporary Literature & Fiction Subjects Books Literary Literature & Fiction Subjects Books Historical Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Subjects Books Friendship Women's Fiction Literature & Ficti . Click the following link to view the cover of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel.

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1) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. Many other reviewers have adeptly described the plot of this book (though none of have given away its deep, dark secrets - thanks so much), so I won´t spend time there.

If you´ve ever wanted to read a book where Jane Eyre meets the heroine from Rebecca in a vaguely Faulkner-Dickens-esque novel, than this book is just the thing for you!

Stunning language, profound character development, and of course a little mystery to grab hold and refuse to let you go, even once the last page is read.

I have but one complaint - when can we expect the a new book from Setterfield?

ENJOY - it´s a treasure!
¤

2) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. Another fun reading. A lot of references to the English literature and the outcome works fairly well. Not very deep, but I enjoy reading it.¤

3) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. I can´t think of any book I enjoyed more than the mysterious "The Thirteenth Tale." Beautifully written- I read the whole thing in a day! If you love the classics "Wuthering Heights" and "Jane Eyre" you will be spellbound by this book. I have passed it on to several people and enjoy the lively debate regarding the possibilities of what actually happened, and what the major themes are in the book. AMAZING buy it and enjoy it.¤

4) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. I truly enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. The story has characters that slowly build and are finely written.

The story is reminiscent of a gothic ghost story and the beauty is that the mystery is doled out in parcels. I appreciated the way that the author built the unfolding of the mystery little by little and had a nice twist at the final revelation.

The interplay between the characters furthers the story and is genuine. You are exposed to a well written description of the times and society.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a gothic mystery and can appreciate a story that takes time to build and draw you in.¤

5) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. I found this to be such a beautifully written book. I fell in love with the characters and did not want to put it down. I would very much like to see more from this author. .......simply beautiful.....¤

6) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. Sometimes, when you open the door to thepast, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchantingstories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate livesfor herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about herextraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret forso long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her ownpainful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret ismesmerized by the author´s tale of gothic strangeness -- featuring the beautifuland willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess,a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.¤

7) Paperback Book The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Washington Square Press. Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield´s debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.

There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father´s shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it´s the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:

"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."

She [Vida] shrugged. "It´s my profession. I´m a storyteller."

"I am a biographer, I work with facts."

The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida´s plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story´s end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told. --Valerie Ryan¤

Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 21-Aug-2008, 07432980399780743298032, 181-8

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