Synopsis: The world's most popular fiction author Vida Winter has fallen sick, and knowing she is nearing her death she hires Magaret Lea, a booklover who had never once read anything by her, to write her biography.
It isn't easy for Vida Winter to tell the truth about her past, as she is used to the fictional world. But slowly, she begins to tell the story of Angelfield House, hidden for centuries.
Magaret Lea tries to discover Vida Winter's connection with the house, unravelling many deep secrets.
My Opinion: The mysterious plot confused, and sometimes even bored me for the first half of the book. It isn't until the main secret is revealed that everything starts to make more sense and create a more easy-to-read and enjoyable story, but this doesn't happen until near the end. ( )

To describe The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield would require a string of adjectives more witty, but similar to spooky, complicated, mysterious, multilayered, and cozy. It’s reads like a car starting on a cold day, but once the engine warms up it’s a comfortable and enjoyable journey.Anyone who says they understood all of the subplots and minor mysterious is a smarter person than me, because I got lost several times over during the tale, but if it wasn’t complicated I would be complaining that it was too elementary.The character development is very thorough. In fact, the characters are so complex and self aware it’s easy to get lost in the pages of the character’s self reflection, since the novel jumps to different first person views very often.Overall, I enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to a reader that is looking for an engrossing read. It is not a shallow nightstand reader, because it requires too much concentration and reflection for a reader that might be drifting off to sleep as you turn the pages to the very long chapters. I recommend the book, but stay alert or you might get lost in the details. ( )

I know this book gets very good reviews, but I did not enjoy it. At best, it was OK. I read it about 6 months ago, I recall it was well written, but the story just didn't grab me. ( )

Wow! I couldn't put this one down! Absolutely loved it!! It was full of surprises til the very end!! ( )

A beautifully written book that anyone who enjoys the craft of writing, a bit of a mystery, and a good story will enjoy. Two of my favorite parts of the book: "Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you? You leave the previous book with ideas and themes--characters even--caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you" (289 - 290). "Books from any shelf, opened at any page, in which I would start and finish anywhere, mid-sentence sometimes. _Wuthering Heights_ ran into _Emma_, which gave way to _The Eustace Diamonds_, which faded into _Hard Times_, which ceded to _The Woman in White_. Fragments. It didn't matter. Art, its completeness, its formedness, its finishedness, had no power to console. Words, on the other hand, were a lifeline. They left their hushed rhythm behind, a counter to the slow in and out of Emmeline's breathing" (312). ( )

I agree with the publisher's review completely. It was a fun story. My biggest objection is with the recording itself. Ms Redgraves has such a strong variation in her voice that to be able to hear when her voice was soft, you had to turn the volume up which made other parts very loud. Both women did great jobs reading the book with its various characters. If the sound editing had been better, Had this book's recording been better, I might have rated it as "amazing". As was, I could only say "I liked it" with such marvelous characters and story line. The other problem was with the abridgement...some of the shifts seemed off balance. If I invest in another copy, it will have to be unabridged whether it be hard copy or audio. ( )

An enjoyable read. The tale jumps back and forth between the past and the present but with a clear logic. The plot proceeds quickly enough to keep the reader interested. ( )

A booklover, I like to read stories about booklovers. In this story, that is Margaret, from a book shop family, who is retained by a ‘famous’ living author, with a hidden, mysterious past, to write her biography.

Interesting divisions to the book: Beginnings, Middles, Endings, and then Beginnings. This is a story with, as previous reviewers say, shadows of the ‘gothic’; of ghosts and gardens, of Jane Eyre and libraries, and of twin-ness. I found the story engaging, up until the introduction of some very twisted characters, and the deviance from which they sprang. My sane, staid little world would like those parts to have been written differently. But if you can get past those indecencies, the Endings and the following Beginnings resolve very satisfactorily.

With writing like this:
“… she had that laugh, and the sound of it was so beautiful that when you heard it, it was as if your eyes saw her through your ears … . It was the sound of joy. He married her for it.”

“Do you know the feeling when you start reading a new book before the membrane of the last one has had time to close behind you? You leave the previous book with ideas and themes – characters even – caught in the fibers of your clothes, and when you open the new book, they are still with you. “

I am inclined to take another chance on this author. ( )

This story had a flavor to it that transported you back in time to some classic mystery/ghost stories of the 19th century. Heroine Margaret is described very much like the classic spinster governess (think Jane Eyre which plays a role in the novel as well) and it is not surprising that she becomes so totally immersed in the life of Miss Winter and the intrigue that revolves around her true story. In a nutshell, Miss Winter (a famous writer with many novels to her name) decides after many years that she will share her true life story with no other than Margaret. Margaret travels to Yorkshire to sit with Miss Winter and listen to her history before the author dies. I really enjoyed the storytelling aspect of the tale and how Margaret pieces the truth together by listening between the lines. I have to confess that the book falls just short of the hype and I think that we will be done rather quickly with the review for reading group. I am sure that we will have a lively discussion about the comparison between this book and "The Keep." ( )

This is a tale about woman who works with her father in an antiquarian book store until she has sent a letter from a famous English writer asking the woman to write the writer's autobiography. The writer, Vera Winter, is an elusive woman who has hidden her personal life and history from her thousands and thousands of fans. However, Winter is now terminally ill and wants to have her entire story told. Winter's story is intertwined with that of the woman writing the biography and the two stories expose the hidden truths, in both of their lives, that have laid dormant for decades. Issues surrounding illegitimate children, incestuous desires, "twinness", and other gothic elements are woven into these parallel plots.

It is written within the Gothic tradition with overly rich writing that is reminiscent of Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights (if even includes the burning down of a house!). While the writing and word choice is extremely discriminating and resonates throughout the pages, the characters fall flat and uninteresting. The most interesting characters in the story are only present in the first fourth of the novel. For the rest of the story, the characters are stereotypical and the plot turns can be seen a hundred pages away. While many reviews praised the novel for being reminiscent of the classic Gothic tales, I found that the book had more or less stolen the Gothic elements from other tales and had not developed them into the author's own story or craft.

In regards to the audiobook, I found the narrators to be exceptional. Though the story was dull and quickly became boring, it was the narrators who kept me listening. Their voices were enchanting and their reading of the story added more to the book than the actual text. However, not even the narrators could save me from the disappointment I felt when I reached the cliched ending. Overall, if you love Gothic fiction, you may be interested to read this book for the language and the allusions to Gothic classics. Yet, if you are looking for something comparable to Jane Eyre or other captivating classics, you have more luck just rereading the classics. ( )

The truth is, I've been fascinated with twins ever since Mary Ann and Kathy Ruane joined my kindergarten class lo those many years ago. They looked exactly alike! but they were not the same person! WTF?

Even MORE fascinating to me are twins who were separated before their memories are functional, but who live with a constant sense of loss. That's the underlying theme of this very well-written book, so it should have been right up my alley. In a way, it was: I read it all in one sitting (it was a trans-Atlantic flight, and my movie-viewer thingy was broken, which concentrates the mind wonderfully) and actually enjoyed it quite a lot. The book opens with a rather lost female writer being called to the home of a famously reclusive author, who, for some unknown reason, has decided to give her an exclusive - and possibly even truthful - interview. The reason, it soon becomes clear, is that both women share a devastating loss - but the nature of their losses is not clear, even to them.

Pretty interesting, huh? So why only three stars? Because the denouement was stupid. Not to be harsh or anything, but the book was darn good: why couldn't Satterfield have come up with a cooler and more satisfying ending? I YEARN to give a book five stars! Help me, Universe!(less) ( )

A thrilling book. ( )

A wonderful read. It is real page turner but not your typical page turner. Its a story about stories plus lots more. Its part mystery, part a celebration of literature. I loved it and highly recommend it. ( )

This is a great story for people who love books - it unfolds slowly and delicately, but still packs a punch once the truth is finally revealed. ( )

Interesting read. I found a little verbose, but it was imaginative and creative. A good read.

Good Book. Good Read. ( )

engaging read. ending was a let down. ( )

Favorite Quote Site:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quote... ( )

Reviewed by K. Osborn Sullivan for TeensReadToo.com

This is a fascinating and rich Gothic mystery about a young Englishwoman who is hired to write the biography of a famous, dying author. The author has always kept her past a secret from her millions of fans, and the biographer is about to find out why. The young woman moves into the old author's home in the remote English countryside, and spends the ensuing weeks compiling details of the author's bizarre and disturbing early years. As the dying author tells that one final tale, her biographer finds herself working through some of her own demons. Interestingly, the biographer's demons at times bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the ones she is writing about for her employer.

THE THIRTEENTH TALE is a modern-day story, but it is written in an old-fashioned, Gothic style that takes its time to reveal its many secrets. It includes all the elements of a classic Gothic novel: a crumbling haunted house, English moors, dense fog, and a young heroine who finds herself in a potentially dangerous situation. It is gripping, at times frightening, and always interesting. I was kept guessing about how the story would eventually be resolved, and was pleased by how skillfully the author pulled all of the pieces together.

My biggest complaint about THE THIRTEENTH TALE is that the main character felt somewhat one-dimensional. It is possible, however, that the characterization might have been intentional. The main character has been damaged by her own past, so maybe this was demonstrated by making her seem less-than-complete. In any case, that is a minor complaint for the book because many of the other characters are so well drawn.

This is an excellent book for readers who like a good, unusual mystery. There was even a happy ending for those characters who were capable of enjoying happy endings. Be warned, though, that this novel is written for adults. Its dreaded "adult themes" include (vague, not graphic) references to incest, sex, and children born out of wedlock, as well as (explicit) mental illness. But if you're willing to overlook those issues, this is a great story and a fascinating mystery for older readers. ( )

A very, very fun read. Well, a very, very fun listen. I listened to it on my commute. And it was perfect for the task. Heartbreaking and English, the moors are there and dark family secrets and, as the author insists, proper beginnings and middles and ends. ( )

Margaret Lea, a reclusive young woman who works with her father in a bookshop, is contacted to do a biography of England's most prominent writer. She accepts the contract, goes to stay with Miss Vida Winter at her home and listens as the dying Miss Winter unfolds the never-before-told tale of her life. Predictably, Margaret becomes involved in solving the mysteries that surround her patroness' life and, perhaps, resolving some of the mysteries in her own.

Setterfield has captured the Gothic tone of the classics to which she so often refers. The pacing of the story is good, mysteries abound, the language is well done and, if a few segments are a bit overdone? Well, that really doesn't spoil the fun. This is a real find for bibliophiles. ( )

Others have recounted the story, so i will not attempt another summary. Instead I will try to list the things that I liked about the book: Ms. Setterfield's love of books and language is evident throughout. The book is for the most part a pleasure to read, in spite of some pretty unpleasant events. I tend to enjoy books that make use of other books that I have read and liked, and her use of Jane Eyre was very well done, enriching the current story. She takes Margaret away from her subject just enough to develop Margaret as a character (something I wish she had done a bit more) and link the historical story to its effects in the present "real" world, without letting us be too distracted or distanced from the story Ms. Winter is narrating. Her linking of the gothic story of Angelfield to a fairy tale reminds us of the cruelty that we often gloss over in hearing fairy tales. The pace of revelations is handled very well, as is Margaret's gradual insinuation into the life of Ms. Winter's household. The links between the tale Ms. Winters tells and Margaret's life are carefully drawn; as mentioned above, I would have liked a bit more of Margaret's own tale, but that might have ruined the balancing act the author performs. The style, the plot, the atmosphere, and the characters work very well together to create a memorable reading experience. ( )

I loved, loved, loved the language! Beautiful words. I want to read more, Ms. Setterfield. ( )

Not really into mysteries, but this is definitely one of the best books I've read. Just couldn't put it down. My only disappointment is that she hasn't written any other tales. ( )

When Margaret Lea receives an unexpected letter from the famous author Vida Winter, she is a little perplexed. As an amateur biographer and clerk working in her father's bookstore, she thinks Miss Winter's request for her to create an uncensored biography of her life to be a little odd, as she has had little to no experience in writing professional biographies. In the past, Winter has been very elusive and wily regarding attempts at chronicling her life and seemed as content to feed her inquisitors a pack of lies as to ever give them the truth. Margaret, knowing this about the author and far from being a Vida Winters fan, is unsure if she is the right person for the job. Reluctantly, she agrees to take the commission and heads off for Miss Winter's large estate on the moors. When she arrives, she finds that Winter has become an invalid and that she wishes to finally tell the uncensored events of her life before her illness carries her away. As Winter beings the strange tale of her life, Margaret becomes entranced with the amazing story of the author and her twin sister. It is a Gothic tale of forbidden love, dark secrets, and dangerous jealousies that spark shocking betrayals, a tale that is full to the brim with madness. But as Margret delves deeper, she begins to discover that this tale doesn't only live in the past, for there are strange occurrences and sightings at the estate. As Margaret begins digging into the odd history of the family, she uncovers more strange and unexplained events that she must decipher for herself, and she finally discovers the secret and shocking truth about Vida Winter's past.

I was pleasantly surprised by my reaction to this book. Though there were some aspects that I felt to be a bit over dramatized, I thought the author did a really great job of crafting a modernly Gothic story. The dark and fierce energy that permeated the narrative added a lot of ambiance and flavor to the story and I think that is what really gave the book it's genuinely Gothic feel.

The were a lot of pieces to this puzzle, and instead of divulging them all at once, the revelations and mysteries wound themselves though the narrative to be exposed slowly. The tale of Vida Winter's life began with the story of her parents, two people who were mired in an illicit relationship and who were most certainly mad. I found that these sections were a bit bitter to digest, but beautifully crafted. Later sections dealt with the strange lives of the twins and the unbreakable bond they shared throughout their lifetime. This was where the story really picked up steam for me. The tale of the two girls was extremely unusual and interesting, while also being very sad and intense. I found they lived their lives in a very shocking and distressing manner, and it was not surprising to me that they turned out as they did after reading about their situation.

There was a lovely subtlety about this story. Some aspects of the plot were not exactly spelled out for the reader, but rather implied with hints and suggestions. I think using that technique gave the story a lot of depth and penetration, and it was one of the reasons that I so greatly admired this book. The narrative was much more focused on plot, rather than the character-driven novels that I usually seek out, but I found this to be a pleasant change. I was pleased to see that the character creation was not given short shrift even though the book was mainly focused on plot, and felt that the characters were fully three dimensional and sympathetic.

One of the remarkable things about this book was the way that the author was able to hold the tension throughout the entire narrative. As the book progressed and the suspense of the story grew, it was only slightly alleviated by minor revelations and able to continue it's growth toward the final chapters uninterrupted. This made for a very explosive and emotional climax, which I fully relished. The storytelling also had a very natural feel to it, and instead of the artificial style that you get in so may stories of this type, it was a much more organic and measured narrative. I didn't get the sense that the story was overly contrived, and despite the heightened drama, the story didn't feel manipulative.

There were also a huge number of twists in the story. I have had other reading experiences where I felt that the author tried to do too much in one book, and ended up feeling that the author had used the ploy of engaging too many plot twists as a substitute for intelligent and moving writing. This is not the case for The Thirteenth Tale. Though there were many entanglements in the story, I didn't get the feeling that the author was trying to hide shabby writing with their inclusion. Instead it felt as though they were a perfect fit for the tangled life that Miss Winter had led.

One of the other things that I really liked about this book was its focus on the pleasures of reading. Throughout the narrative, many of the characters digressed on their intense love of books and stories, and many of the story's scenes were related to literature and the written word. For a book lover like me, this was a great treat. I found the conclusion of the book to be satisfying as well. The author made sure not to leave any loose ends for the reader to speculate on, choosing instead to follow each thread of her story on to the very end.

This was incredibly well crafted story that had a great sense of plot and action. It was also extremely well written and engrossing. I am probably the last to have read this book, and I'm sorry to have waited as long as I did to get to it. For those readers who really enjoy a plot driven book with a lot of juicy details and a well developed atmosphere, I think this book is a winner. A terribly good read ( )