The Thirteenth Tale

A Novel

By: Diane Setterfield

Narrated by: Bianca Amato, Jill Tanner

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)

enthralling

I found this book incredibly enjoyable and would highly recommend it. The story drew me in and kept me hooked throughout. The narration was fabulous.

Like her other book much more

This is a good story with lots of twists and in most regards I liked it. But unlike Once Upon a Time, I didn’t like anyone in this story and that colored my overall impression. I don’t know of the narrators made me not connect with Margaret. and like the other oil, I bet this would be easier to follow in book form. I got lost and to listen to sections again. But it’s a clever story overall and well written most of the time.

Intriguing

One of my favorite books to read every few years. It includes mystery, family and a number of plot twists. Readers are extremely good, bringing characters to life.

great read!

Great writing! The story line kept my interest from start to finish. Good character development.

Bravo!

Incredible book, wonderfully done. A joy for any lover of words & books; deserves to be shelved alongside the most involving classics.

Wow

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I'm ordering it in paperback so I have a hard copy in case of an apocalypse. Not joking.

What an engrossing read!

This novel was beautifully written and so engrossing that I had a hard time putting it down. So much in it that I’m going to go back to review the details in it as I need to fully grasp it. It is a beautiful narrated story that is heart braking, yet endearing and heart warming. I loved it!

Worth it!

I was not immediately hooked. The story was definitely strange. And while I thought I had it all figured out, the author worked in some things that surprised me. Definitely worth a listen!

Beautiful use of language; disappointing story

The author's use of language was delightful, truly mesmerizing. The narrators were more than equal to the task of bringing her words to life and were a delight to hear. Sadly, neither of these facts were able to help the fact that I did not find this story captivating in the least. I could develop no compassion for nor interest in any of the characters and I found the last two chapters to be a quick and unsatisfying attempt to tie up everything in a pretty bow. After the tone set by the entire book, this picture perfect ending was beyond trite, it was grossly out of place and felt abrupt and somehow dishonest. The writer's love of language comes through clearly (although it was a bit unsettling when modern turns of phrase appeared, they seemed rather out of place) and I did want to enjoy this book, but it seemed as if it did not know what it wanted to be - was it a mystery? Gothic horror? Victorian ghost story? It did not fit well into any of these categories. I do not regret the hours spent listening to this story, but all that will linger is the disappointment that it was just lacking that "something" to pull it all together.

Rare Book

It is rare to find a book that grabs your attention from the very beginning, keeps it all the way through, and ends with twists that are supported by the story. I have recommended this book and bought a copy for my sister.