The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel

I am surprised that I did not like it better than I did. Something was missing for me... I forced myself to keep reading at times, and I did not particularly like any of the characters. I found the narrator's obsession with her twin disturbing, considering she only learned of her existence years after their "separation".

I just wish I could have enjoyed it more... had such high hopes.

This novel is chock full of gothic elements - twins, ghosts, the moors, madness, mysteries - and gives many nods to Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights to name a few. If you're a fan of those books, this will be a fun read. Not believable at all, but a fun escape!

While the major story being revealed to the protagonist is intriguing and tantalizing enough that you don't want to put the book down, the secondary story in her own life (don't want to give too much away here) is overdone and just a bit tacky. An overwrought attempt at linking the protagonist's experience to her subject's and really just brings the book down, rather then enhances it. Still an interesting read, but would have been much better without that subplot.

On a side note, it'd probably help if you've read Jane Eyre before reading this book. It's not absolutely necessary, but there are so many references to it that otherwise you might get lost in the details.

This is a book for readers and bibliophiles, and it is fun and a bit of mystery as well. The author is clearly pulling from some classic books like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and the settings and feelings that those conjure up, but she doesn't seem to imitate them so much as give a nod to their influences.

It sounds silly, but it was really nice to not have a love story in the book. It focuses on sibling relationships and familial ties.

Very few authors manage to fracture the English literature world with a powerful debut novel, and I consider Diane Setterfield as one of those few. The Thirteenth Tale combines the elements of gothic stories and the arousing voice of ghost tales with a hint of mystery in an exquisite narrative that doesn’t take itself too seriously (which is good). Those who love books that talk about the love of reading books will find something special within the pages of this novel.

The Thirteenth Tale is about the power of stories as much as it’s about the darker side of written fantasy. The narrator, Margaret Lea, is not so much living her life through books as avoiding her life with the use of books, especially since she runs her family bookstore. One day she receives a letter from Vida Winter, a famous novelist, asking her to come to Yorkshire and listen to her story and write her autobiography before she leaves the world of the living. And so begins a ghostly adventure of mystery, sorrow and discovery that consumes Margaret’s life and forces her to actively participate in the story in order to a reach a firm conclusion, and discovers the answers for her many questions.

Obviously, the main characters of this novel are Margaret Lea and Vida Winter, and both of them were brought to life nicely due to the simple and yet intricate writing. The most prominent aspect of the novel is the smart gradual unraveling of this mystery. It’s really hard to put down once you reach a part where you starve to know the next, and there are many parts that challenge you to do so. This is truly a pleasant book to read with extremely satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

I was thoroughly surprised by how engrossed in this story I got. I read it fairly quickly, which is something that is hard given my reading schedules (usually at work during breaks and lunches and that's it) and I found the characters to be interesting... At least in Miss Winter's story. Margaret herself was rather dull. I found her to be annoyingly obsessive about some things, irritatingly determined about liking books more than other humans. It was nice when she actually started to have conversations with other people instead of living in her world of books, siblings, and utter misery. Irregardless though, the book is excellent and I highly recommend it!

The tone of 'Thirteenth Tale' confused me, and I never really liked the narrator. Nor did I care about the characters as much as I felt like I was supposed to. Also, I found the writing style occasionally a bit hard to take seriously. I almost quit halfway through. However, by the time I reached about the 2/3 mark, the intricate, mysterious story had hooked me, and I had to read to the end to get the answers. It's a pretty good book, honestly. I think I began expecting something different, which is hardly the author's fault.

This is the first book that actually describes how, "books come to life as we read them". Family mysteries unfold weaving a tale of insanity, heartbreak, secrecy, loyatly and love. I would recommend to any and all!!!!

Dark but beautiful. The story stayed with me even when I wasn't reading. So much detail and plot twists that I want to go back to read it again and see all the connections I missed the first time.

Was really looking forward to this book after reading such inspired reviews of it. The plot itself was interesting but the settings where the tale took place were rather bleak or that's the impression I got. Hence the atmosphere of the book was heavy even if the narrative was good and made a comfortable read.