The Thirteenth Tale

A Novel

De: Diane Setterfield

Narrado por: Bianca Amato, Jill Tanner

Winner of the 2007 Audie Award for Literary Fiction and Finalist for Multi-Voiced Performance

Instant #1 New York Times bestseller

“Readers will feel the magnetic pull of this paean to words, books and the magical power of story.”—People

“Eerie and fascinating.”—USA TODAY

Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.

Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and 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.

Great storytelling.

I really enjoyed this book. Interesting story with plenty of little turns. Great narration as well (although I do tend to listen at 1.25 speed). Hated to see it end.

Wonderful duet paired with a captivating story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Thirteenth Tale to be better than the print version?

Yes, simply because the way the narrative itself is set up. The setting of the story is a dying woman telling the story of her life to a biographer audibly. Since the story is constantly in this setting the audio version feels very natural within this the books particular context. Also there are two narrators which significantly enhanced the listening because you were able transition smoothly with the story. In reflection I don't think I would have preserved to the end if I was reading it while listening to it made it a totally different experience.

Who was your favorite character and why?

This is a hard question, but I would defiantly have to say Vida Winter. I appreciated her development throughout the book more than any other character. I don't want to give away spoilers so I'll try to be as vague as possible. She cleverly intertwines clues to the ending through out the beginning which makes that last two hours of the story that much more satisfying.

Have you listened to any of Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner ’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have never listened to their performances before but I thought they were marvelous. Specifically Bianca, did a great job and choosing specific voices for characters that were distinct without being cheesy. While Ms. Tanner did a wonderful job personifying Vida Winter's elderly frankness without loosing the character development along the way.

If you could take any character from The Thirteenth Tale out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Aurelius; Hopefully he would have made the meal, but he would be my first choice simply because of his natural warm demeanor. While I'm sure I would have a polite meal with Margaret, I feel like there would be a lot of awkward silences. Vida Winter would be my second choice because I would just ask her to tell me stories. Never the less Aurelius is my guy because we all need a little jollity don't we?

Any additional comments?

For my first audiobook, I thought this was a marvelous experience. I was originally intending to just try this for the free book then cancel. Unsuspectedly though it has really changed my commute in the morning to be significantly more enjoyable and less stressful. I really loved it and will continue with audible because of this recording.

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale is a novel that is at once beautiful, haunting, and unforgettable. I think it's not very easy nowadays to find something so elegantly written. It's not a comedy of manners, not a Jane Austen or Edith Wharton type of read (or listen in this case) but you have the pleasure of imagery so wonderfully told that you find yourself transported to another time and place.

The narrators Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner do a wonderful job. There is no interruption of mood because of a failed attempt to sound like a man or a child which sometimes happens in audiobooks. All you hear is the urgency or the sadness or even the fear.

I've listened to this audiobook several times and have never gotten tired of it. It's one that's worth revisiting over and over again.

Wonderfully written and narrated!

I loved listening to this book. It was wonderfully written and kept my attention throughout. So many unexpected twists and turns. The narration was also wonderful and so easy to listen to. Loved it!

great book

I love this book. I read it twice back to back. I'm so glad that I did. I highly recommend!