Although there are certainly mysterious elements to be uncovered, there is also a very Jane Eyre-like tone of gothic romance. The Thirteenth Tale is being marketed as a mystery, but I think it has a much broader appeal. I would attribute this to a combination of the very British voice, the female point of view, Vida Winter’s forthright and unapologetic attitude, and finally, the quirky characters. The whole plot was so unpredictable, and I loved being taken by surprise by new twists.Īlthough not humorously written, the writing reminded me strongly of Fay Weldon’s. Although, as in any good mystery, the author doesn’t hide any facts crucial to the reader’s solution of the puzzle, I still found myself surprised at every new development.
I had no trouble identifying with the bibliophile Margaret, and although our reading tastes differ, I somewhat envied her quiet life among books.Īlthough Vida Winter purportedly tells the true, unedited facts of her life, there are many mysterious details that Margaret must attempt to unravel on her own.
The story is told in first person, and Setterfield seamlessly switches from Margaret’s voice to the tale being narrated by Vida Winter. Margaret also finds a way to take control of her own life, and to make decisions rather than just letting her life pass. Over the course of their arrangement, Margaret learns as much about herself as she does about the incredibly fantastic past of her new employer, a story that includes all the classic elements: love, betrayal, scandals, and secrets. A recent article brought her name to the attention of the elderly Miss Vida Winter, an incredibly famous and prolific but secretive author who demands Margaret’s presence at her mansion so she can dictate her life story to Margaret.
She spends some of her time conducting biographical research on the ancient names she uncovers in her reading, and has even managed to have some work published. In England, protagonist Margaret Lea is a reclusive woman who lives over her family’s antiquarian bookshop, and is content to spend a quiet existence surrounded by the written word and in her father’s peaceful company. Although it’s not overly long, it took me several weeks to read for I found it so intense that I would just read a couple of chapters a night, while it affected my thoughts all the next day. It’s complex, engrossing, improbable and yet appealing, especially to my fellow bibliophiles. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield’s debut novel, is without reservation the best book I have read all year.
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