2014 Book 2: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
UK Cover Book 2: The Thirteenth Tale.
Author: Diane Setterfield, 2006.
Genre: Gothic Mystery. Period Fiction.
Other Details: Paperback 456 pages and Unabridged Audio (14 hrs, 15 mins) Read by Jenny Agutter.
Margaret Lea is surprised to receive a letter from one of Britain's most prolific and well loved writers, Vida Winter, requesting that Margaret travel to her Yorkshire home with the view to writing her authorised biography. Margaret is not a well-known biographer and is perplexed as to why Miss Winter has chosen her. She prefers classics to modern literature and has not even read any of Miss Winter's books. While pondering whether to accept she opens her father's rare copy of Miss Winter's Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation and is enchanted by what she reads. She discovers that there is no thirteenth tale and intrigued by this mystery decides to meet with Miss Winter.
She finds out quickly that Miss Winter is dying and is eager for her life story to be recorded. Miss Winter promises her a ghost story and a story about twins and it is this that finally convinces Margaret to stay as she had discovered at the age of ten that she had a twin, who had died shortly after their birth. It turns out to be a story full of dark family secrets centred on Miss Winter's childhood home Angelfield, a now burnt-out estate near Banbury, Oxfordshire. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in this strange and troubling story.
Audio Cover The novel's narrative voice switches between Margaret's as she records Miss Winter's story and investigates the events at Angelfield House and the stories recounted by Miss Winter. It is a novel that consciously references the Gothic tradition yet does so with a modern awareness. It is the kind of novel with an appeal for bibliophiles as novels such as Jane Eyre, The Woman in White, and Henry James' haunting 'The Turn of the Screw' are mentioned as literature as well as their elements being incorporated as part of the narrative.
It was certainly was an accomplished début. Its time setting seems to be deliberately obscured as it seems to be set in the near past though the author quite clearly avoids mentions that would evoke any specific date and no references to the 21st century are present. Margaret writes letters and uses the telephone so no mobiles or computers. It is an intelligent, multi-layered story exploring themes of loss, death and the sense of identity gained from family and place.
I am so glad that I finally got around to reading this atmospheric mystery. I have had it for ages but this winter was spurred into action by the BBC showing its adaptation over Christmas. I knew from the novel's reputation that it was important to stay spoiler-free, which I did and I am glad that I read the full work before watching the drama, especially as there were some changes in the screenplay.
Diane Setterfield's web page on 'The Thirteenth Tale' - includes link to opening chapter.
Cross-posted to 50bookchallenge.