The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale
Summary: 5 Stars
I just could not put this book down. Quite the most riveting book I have read for some time.Book Review: a rattling good read - literate and literary
Summary: 5 Stars
I came to this book through 'newbooks' magazine - in itself an excellent read (www.newbooksmag.com)!
What bibliophile could resist the opening chapters: a dusty bookshop and the murky workings of the antiquarian books trade; the protagonist's thrill at discovering a new and prolific author; and literary references aplenty? I, for one, was hooked by page 2!
The author creates an impressively dark, gothic atmosphere with echoes of the Victorian greats, the Brontės in particular, but without ever sinking into pastiche. I loved the way she wove in Jungian elements (the shadow, the anima, individuation...and so on).
I could have romped through it at a sitting...pity about work!
Book Review: Highly Entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an exceptional book for all types of reading preferences. It has a wonderful story quality that I just absolutely loved, with meaningful points made within the very entertaining story. The characters delighted me. I was a little disappointed in the ending but that might have been that I just didn't want the book to end. You will not be disappointed in this book. And I agree with another reviewer who also recommended Nancy Madore's Enchanted, another fantastic must read for women, and another one that i would add is Fairest by Gail Levine. Book Review: tremendous
Summary: 5 Stars
I always wish I could go back and read all my favorite books again as if for the first time. With the Thirteenth Tale I felt as if I was. This book has a plot as exciting as reading the famous five was when i was a child, as gothic as wuthering heights and jane Eyre, it conjours up scenes like Rebecca etc etc. But this book is not just a copy of any of those, it is wonderful in its own right too. I finished reading Thirteenth Tale 3 days ago and it is with me still, the characters are like ghosts around me, just as diane Setterfield describes in the book. I will have to just go and read it again.Book Review: Amazing and wonderful
Summary: 5 Stars
I can't remember the last time I was so gripped by a novel. This one had me from page 1. The author, through her beautiful and compelling narrative, leads you ever deeper into a labyrinth of relationships and mysterious events - absolutely spellbinding. The story of the charismatic author Vida Winter, now dying, is told to the biographer she herself has chosen, a lonely and withdrawn spinster who has spent her life immersed in the volumes in her father's antiquarian bookshop. But both women share a secret heartbreak, and their personal tragedies emerge through a series of revelations - some of which were so unexpected, I actually gasped as I read them. As Margaret Lea, the biographer, journeys into the darkness of Vida Winter's hidden past, and the truth of her life is revealed, new possibilities for healing the wounds of her own past emerge as well. The Gothic flavour of the novel is reminiscent of "Jane Eyre" -- to which there are numerous references, and which even plays a part in the plot. Diane Setterfield is a master storyteller. I loved this book and recommend it unreservedly -- READ IT!!!!