The Thirteenth Tale

A Novel

By: Diane Setterfield

Narrated by: Bianca Amato, Jill Tanner

Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

All children mythologize their birth... So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter's beloved collection of stories, long famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale. The enigmatic Winter has always kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, she summons a biographer to tell the truth about her extraordinary life: Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth remains an ever-present pain.

Disinterring the life she meant to bury for good, Vida mesmerizes Margaret with the power of her storytelling. Hers is a tale of gothic strangeness, featuring the Angelfield family, including the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, and a devastating fire. Struck by a curious parallel between their stories, Margaret demands the truth from Vida, and together they confront the ghosts that have haunted them.

The Thirteenth Tale is a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter, and in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life.

©2006 Diane Setterfield (P)2007 Simon & Schuster Audio

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2007

"Bianca Amato is stunning as Margaret....[her] respect for the power of story and the written word is heard in every utterance. Jill Tanner accomplishes a tour de force as the enigmatic and mysterious Vida. In conversation her voice has the hesitancy and fragility of an elderly woman, but her voice takes on the strength and power of a master storyteller as she weaves her spellbinding life story." (AudioFile)
"Readers will be mesmerized by this story-within-a-story tinged with the eeriness of Rebecca and the willfulness of Jane Eyre. The author skillfully keeps the plot moving by unfurling a new twist in each chapter and leaves no strand untucked at the surprising and satisfying conclusion. A wholly original work told in the vein of all the best gothic classics. Lovers of books about book lovers will be enthralled." (Booklist)

Best Debut Novel

I was skeptical after reading some of the reviews on this book - especially since it is a debut. Well, I sure am glad I decided to listen. The first 15 - 20 minutes almost convinced me that people must be right - but DON'T let those first few minutes sway you - have a few more minutes of patience and this book will grab you! Wow what a debut - I find it hard to think that Ms. Setterfield can top this!

5 stars, not enought !!!!

If you have become starved for the art of storytelling, then feast on this book.The narration is perfect. Tanner & Amato could make the phone book sound intriguing but with this caliber of writing,its magic.

Really good

Engaging and surprising, the writing is beautifully done and delivered. Satisfying through the very end.

Highly recommend.

What Books Should Be

This book happily reminded me of what it was to read good literature. The language is rich, the story-telling well thought out and the characters unforgettable. This is what a book can be when an author's love of writing is intertwined with her love of books. It made me want to go back and read the classics and wonder why I've been wasting my time with authors like Patterson and Grisham!

The narration was first rate, the two different narrators clearly delineating the past and the present parts of the story. I finished the book this morning and will miss not only the well-crafted characters but the women whose voices brought them to life.

Absolutely Worth it!

What did you love best about The Thirteenth Tale?

The plot twist! This book has the best kind of plot twist: the kind where you could have picked up on it if only you'd been paying enough attention.

What other book might you compare The Thirteenth Tale to and why?

Maybe to the Shadow of the Wind by Miguel Ruiz Zafon. Not for any similarities in the plot or setting, but because of the feeling one gets having finished them. I was so wrapped up in both stories and amazed in how each author ties together so many loose ends at the conclusion of the book and multiple, disparate plot lines come together in the end. I also had a bit of trouble getting into both books; it takes a while to set up so satisfying an ending.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner ?

Jill Tanner: in a heartbeat. She was absolutely amazing as Vida Winter.
Bianca Amato: possibly. She wasn't a poor narrator, but she pales in comparison to Jill Tanner.

Who was the most memorable character of The Thirteenth Tale and why?

Vida Winter. She is the enigmatic protagonist and unreliable narrator in her own right. To say more, would be to spoil the discovery for future readers.

Any additional comments?

At first, I was afraid that I had made a mistake in choosing this book. I'm not a big fan of gothic novels. I've never been able to get into Jane Eyre or Rebecca, and when this book started out slow and focusing on a wishy-washy, overly sentimental narrator, I thought I was in big trouble.

But I kept reading. And then I became engrossed in the story of Vida Winter and forgot all about my dislike of Margaret and her story. I'm not entirely sure if that's because Margaret's story improved or because I was so enthralled with Vida's story that I endured Margaret's to get back to it.

The twist for this story was so good that I want to listen to it again just to follow along all the clues that foreshadowed it

Hot and cold

I have to admit I'm hot and cold about this book. The narration was very well done, but I didn't like the main characters at various points in the book. For a while in the beginning I liked the biographer, but not the subject, then later I reversed and didn't care for the biographer but grew more sympathetic to the subject. The story was laid out well and seemed to flow nicely; there were a lot of twists and turns that were exciting. But, I was glad when it was finished.

I really enjoyed this

I bought this on sale (and it's on sale for one more day, if you're interested), and am glad I did. I needed something involving but not too demanding. This is a gothic mystery, which is not usually my kind of thing. But. It's quite well-written, has a great story, and terrific narration. Both narrators are excellent, but I was especially taken with Bianca Amato. What marvelous delivery! So of course I look to see what else she has done (nowhere near enough considering how good she is . . hello? Audiobook empire, please take notice!) and it's a lot of books I wouldn't normally pay attention to. Do I need to start reading Philippa Gregory? I don't know. Maybe. Anyway, I dithered over getting The Thirteenth Tale, as it seemed not really to my taste, but it's a darned good yarn, narrated beautifully.

I've listened three times...so far

This is one of my favorite books. It's very rich with complicated characters and interactions. The story that the author weaves is twisted and sometimes quite dark, but it never fails to be interesting and to hold your attention. The narration is also very good...each character has a distinct voice and temperament. The combination of a great story and beautiful narration make for a book that you shouldn't miss. I'll be listening again soon, I'm sure. This is one that I always come back to.

Gothic-style mystery

Overall, the story was interesting. Definitely kept me guessing until the end. Some parts seemed a bit too drawn out or wordy.

Needed another narrator

The story is wonderful. If you liked Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights you'll like this. While the narration is easy to understand and the different characters' voices are delineated, the voices are non-emotive. So even when the words being spoken indicate emotion there is none in the narrator's voice. It would be great with a narrator who could both delineate the different characters and show emotion.