The Thirteenth Tale Book Review

By Christina Good, Austin, TX

I’m going to preface this review by stating unequivocally that this novel is weird. I say this not to degrade the book or dissuade any possible readers from picking it up in their local bookstore. No, it’s the result of experiencing a story so full of mystery, unexpected plot twists, and a string of oddities that you must read the entire book before you can even attempt to understand what is happening.

Throughout the story the reader is unaware of exactly what time period the events are occurring. You may assume it’s occurring in present-day; however, the entire novel is void of technology. The characters call upon each other via letter and have conversations about classic novels, particularly Jane Eyre. The reader must also face tawdry incest family-drama that would make Jerry Springer blush.

Diane Setterfield writes about Vida Winter, who she describes as Britain’s most accomplished living writer. She has a mysterious past and a reputation for fabricating this past with grandiose stories . Her readers are captivated by her tales but really yearn to discover more about the woman behind the tales.

Margaret Lea is a middle aged, introverted, bookworm; working in her fathers’ antique bookstore near Cambridge when she receives a hand written letter from Miss Winter requesting her to compose her biography… the true story.

Vida Winter’s story is captivating and as I described, weird. This book would be more appealing to the 50-something-year-old WASP crowd who would enjoy the allusions to classic novels . Younger audience must rely on the mild suspense that manages to keep you intrigued.

The Thirteenth Tale is an unnecessary 400 pages long. It starts off slow, but manages to finish strong. It’s a good read but not a page-turner. I could definitely put it down.