The Thirteenth Tale

A Novel

By: Diane Setterfield

Narrated by: Bianca Amato, Jill Tanner

Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

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)

Kept my attention

Not my usual type of book, but it was good and kept my interest.

Wonderful

Wonderful! What more can you say about this book? It has made me want to go and re-read the classics mentioned in the story. Mystery, romance, suspense....as well as a ghost story. Simply fabulous!

Gothic Ghost Story

I read this book about 10 years ago and I remembered that I really liked it. I didn’t remember the details of the story, or why I liked it so much, only that I had read it and passionately enjoyed it. I just finished the audio and enjoyed it again, but I don’t feel as passionate about it this time around. It’s a good book, but I suspect that I have matured as a reader in that time.

The story itself is distinctly gothic in style. Almost to the point of being cliche. It has ALL the elements one might expect. As a rule I enjoy the gothic classics, and this book shares in the same kind of themes, plots, settings, characters, etc. In a way it feels to me as if it was intentionally written on the framework of and contrived to be gothic fiction. As if one of the main objectives of the author was to write a gothic ghost story, and here it is. The writing is fine, it isn’t notably good or bad. There are some slow points, but later in the book you’re glad you stuck through them and they do pay off. Overall the story is satisfying and unpredictable, and the characters are well developed. I would recommend it to friends who like this kind of literature, but with the above commentary.

The narration is good. It isn’t phenomenal, but both narrators do a good job. I was familiar with and liked both narrators going into this book. There are two main distinct voices and each narrator reads for one. The voices and style of reading are well matched to the character each narrator reads. The one annoying point that stuck out to me throughout was the ridiculously long pauses between chapters. It’s just long enough for you to wonder if it’s accidentally paused, get out your device and navigate to the app and then it carries on. Honestly, it’s a pretty minor post-production issue that can be easily tolerated, but I did find it annoying.

love at first read

If you love Jane Eyre, you'll love this book. I'm on my 4th reread/listen and am still enamored. The narration is perfect, the story engaging.

Just too Weird for Me

Although The 13th Tale has nothing to do with Emily Bronte, there was sort of a feeling of being out on the moors in a Bronte-esque style of writing. The plot is well-developed and at the end many disparate elements are pulled together to make an interesting ending.

Two narrators worked very well and added greatly to the performance.

In spite of these strengths, the story requires a significant suspension of belief and none of the characters are particularly likeable.

Gothic tale chills and thrills.

If you could sum up The Thirteenth Tale in three words, what would they be?

mystery, family intrigue, books

What about Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner ’s performance did you like?

Authentic voices--beautifully told story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me cry several times.

Any additional comments?

I was entranced for a week!

do you believe in ghosts?

Surprisingly complex for a straight forward story.
Not my typical read but I really liked it.

Spellbinding

This is a memorable story, full of heart-wrenching love and tragedy, described with palpable emotion.
Many twists and turns through the entire story. Wonderful narration by both Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner. I listened to this at night and found it kept me awake long past when I should have been asleep, and stayed in my thoughts throughout the days following. Will definitely look for more from Diane Setterfield.

Best so far this year!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Had my attention from the first sentence! Colorful characters, mystery, insanity, family, big old houses, amazing gardens, and I found myself relating to the multiple characters as the story unfolded. I did cry and I did laugh and I found myself thinking I'd figured it all out only to listen a bit more and discover I had it all wrong. A great beginning and an even better ending. I'll re-listen again soon to see which bits I missed. This would make a fantastic movie or mini-series!

What did you like best about this story?

I liked having two narrators for the two main characters. The phrasing and pace are perfect.

Which character – as performed by Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner – was your favorite?

It is difficult to choose between the two characters. They are both amazing story-tellers!

If you could take any character from The Thirteenth Tale out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I'd like to have dinner with Aurelius and we could discuss what it was like to be a foundling but only if he'd let me try some of his desserts!

Any additional comments?

I'm eager to see what other novels Ms. Setterfield has published. I hope there are many!

Twists and Turns

Keeps you going from start to finish. Won't want to get to the end but... need to know......???