Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Thirteenth Tale
by Diane Setterfield
416 pages
Publisher: Doubleday
ISBN 0743298020
Back in the fall I finished this book, and it took 2 copies to do so!
Summary:
When Margaret Lea opened the door to the past, what she confronted was her destiny. All children mythologize their birth… So begins the prologue of reclusive author Vida Winter’s collection of stories, which are as famous for the mystery of the missing thirteenth tale as they are for the delight and enchantment of the twelve that do exist.The enigmatic Winter has spent six decades creating various outlandish life histories for herself — all of them inventions that have brought her fame and fortune, but kept her violent and tragic past a secret. Now old and ailing, at last she wants to tell the truth about her extraordinary life. She summons biographer Margaret Lea, a young woman for whom the secret of her own birth, hidden by those who loved her most, remains an ever-present pain. Struck by a curious parallel between Miss Winter’s story and her own, Margaret takes on the commission.As Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good, Margaret is mesmerized.
The work is the first book by Diane Setterfield and is told in a variety of first person views. Our main character, Margaret, is our main voice but we constantly get Vera’s story recounted in her voice. There is one other excursion into another character, but I will leave it at that to keep plot points as much out as I can.
The writing style is fluid and classic and you can tell the books Ms Setterfield is truly in love with: The Jane Erye, the Pride and Prejudice; The Bronte’s and Austen’s of literature. The book unfolds as a story that shift gears because of the narrative voice changes and the mystery of the story along with the tension of if and what will be finished. The character of Vera is very fleshed out and more and more is uncovered, like a mystery novel in that way. The plotting, once you get into the story and its legs are under it, is well done and solid, never ripping ahead and never caught in its own self-righteousness.
For the most part, her writing is good and you can tell a lot of time was placed crafting this book. I am presuming from the way the book is crafted (and promoted) that the editing and effort from the publisher was pretty serious. The book’s website is very extensive and is beyond your typical “First Author” project. Of course, unless you are deemed “the next big thing”.
I have two complaints, one is there are times where you “catch her writing” , you can feel the constructs and thesaurus and theory getting applied. It makes certain passages seem awkward. It is more prevalent in the early parts of the book. I think she is more comfortable with the Vera parts. The other is the “ending”. I will leave it at that but there is a certain level of “plot convenience playhouse” happening.
It is a very enjoyable read and I can see the appeal and why the success. Because of its classic leaning, there is an entire group of people that would be a “target audience” for it.
