The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield isn't a new book, it
was first published in the UK in 2006, but it's one that had crept
into the consciousness of people who consider themselves keen
readers and joined the virtual pile on the bedside table of books
that must be read sometime.
Our book club finally got round to it this month and it met with
universal approval.
Margaret Lea, a young but reclusive academic who works in her
father's bookshop and endures a strained relationship with her
mother, is approached one day by Vida Winter, the world's most
famous, prolific and revered living author. Winter, though, isn't
just a gifted story-teller, she is a notorious liar, weaving
endlessly varying fantasies to journalists who've interviewed her
over the years. No one has a clue who the real Vida Winter is, but
to Margaret, whom she hopes will write her official biography, she
promises to tell the truth.
Reluctant and unsure, Margaret travels to the Yorkshire Moors to
meet Winter and finds herself sucked in by the compelling presence
and the fascinating life story of this exceptional woman. The story
she hears and relates to us, is extraordinary.
The Thirteenth Tale is an unashamed Gothic novel (the best
kind!) full of dark passions, buried bones, warring families and
dangerous secrets. It is an intricate, clever and beautifully
written story, full of surprises, packed with twists that
continually keep the reader guessing and yet that, ultimately, are
resolved perfectly. It also has refreshing moments of humour, like
when the handsome young doctor tells Margaret that ladies of a
delicate disposition should not read the dark romantic classics
like Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights but fortify themselves with a
healthy dose of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Since I've become a writer, I've also become a very fussy
reader, knowing as I do, how much work goes into novels that are
even passably good. There are few contemporary novels (maybe one or
two a year) that get my wholehearted seal of approval. This one
does. It's wonderful.