[TSS]: The Thirteenth Tale

One of the things I was drawn to when I first saw this book was the beautifully rich cover. Usually, I don't base my reading choices on that critiria, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't factor into it. I had read some reviews from other bloggers and it was apparent that it was a well received book, but when I started reading Diane Setterfield's THE THIRTEENTH TALE, I had no idea how much I was going to love reading this story. And what a story it was!

There are two protaganists in this book; Vida Winter, the elderly, most famous novelist in all of England and the amateur biographer she commissions to write her life story, Margaret Lea. The problem for Margaret is that 19 previous biographers had been hired by Ms. Winter to write her life story and they all turned out to be just that - stories. How would Margaret know if she was being told the truth?

Naturally, Margaret is very skeptical of Ms. Winter but reluctantly decides to take the job. She moves into Ms. Winters house and as the days pass she delves into the life of this mysterious woman. She learns some astonishing things about her - and is surprised to find parallels to her own life. She soon finds herself being pulled into the story and the more she investigates, the more questions she has.

One of the most impressive things about this book is the writing. It is amazing. In my opinion, it is hard to believe this is Diane Setterfield's first novel. I was so caught up in her words, I felt like I was there with Margaret trying to figure things out. This book holds a mystery that has many twists and turns and continues to unfold right up until the very end. I was engrossed by the unique and unusual cast of characters that were very well developed. Though the author doesn't smother the reader in descriptive details, she still creates a mental image that is so vivid, you can almost smell the old books of the library, where much of the story takes place. However, the exact year is purposly not revealed, leaving the reader wondering even more. But this is about so much more than a mystery. There's a gothic element that brings a ghostly feel, secrets of a family that seem to never end, and the sadness of truth that make this an incredible read.

I carried this book around with me everywhere I went hoping for a chance to read a page here or a page there. I didn't want to put it down. I read many books, but I consider THE THIRTEENTH TALE a great story. Some people just have natural storytelling talent and Diane Setterfield certainly is one of them. She completely engrosses you on so many levels. I just love this book! My only disappointment is with myself that I waited so long to read it. If you haven't read it, I can't encourage you enough to do so. I promise it will be time well spent.

I will say, however, that I did come across some reviews of this book while snooping around on GoodReads that surprised me. Some reviewers didn't like the book or felt the story was too drawn out. I never felt that way. I was never bored with the story or felt like I was being led around needlessly. To those people, I say 'Were we reading the same book?' I adored this book and wish that every story I read had the imagination, creativity and writing skill as Ms. Diane Setterfield. Many of the negative reviews I read seemed to pick apart certain aspects that were part of the 'make believe' element of the story. I believe, they missed the point. This is one of those books that you simply can't take too seriously. If you've read this book, please leave me a comment and let me know if you liked it or not.

Here are some reviews from other book bloggers you might like to read:
Final Haven
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Caribousmom

THE THIRTEENTH TALE
Author: Diane Setterfield
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: September 12, 2006
Pages: 416
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars: Excellent!