The Thirteenth Tale

A Novel

By: Diane Setterfield

Narrated by: Ruthie Henshall, Lynn Redgrave

Length: 7 hrs and 9 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, and 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. All rights reserved (P)2006 Simon and Schuster Inc. All rights reserved

Critic reviews

• Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Literary Fiction

"Setterfield...offers graceful storytelling that has its own pleasures." (Publishers Weekly)

Twins?

Most enjoyable tale, well written and performed. Most unusual characters. A bit like a fairytale, but it's not.
Worth a listen if you like the unusual and appreciate a gifted writer and performers.

Wonderful story beautifully performed

This is one of my favorite books; I have read it three times. To hear it come to life so beautifully was a fabulous experience. I highly recommend it for anyone who love a good story.

Gorgeous prose with suspence

Would you consider the audio edition of The Thirteenth Tale to be better than the print version?

Yes. The delivery was lush and riveting.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The narrator was completely believable. I would follow her anywhere.

Which scene was your favorite?

The descriptions were so beautifully written and the metaphors, creative. I could not possibly choose one scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It's one to savor.

Any additional comments?

God bless Lynn Redgrave.

Readers were great. Story was good.

I liked the story but the way it was written seemed a little awkward and confusing. The performance lifted it a lot.

I wanted to love this book...

So I bought this book because it was recommended to me under books like Historian. Which this book is sort through of like Historian in the smallest of ways.... it is kind of like The Historian. Old haunted houses, the old scientific debate on the connection of twins, having to prove 3 scientific facts with old new papers and the help of a historian.... But it falls very short of The Historian. now some of the book had genius ideas on life itself. Some of the phrases and ideas thought of by this old woman really where interesting. The characters were ok... the plot was ok... was it cliff hanging or a book I couldn't but down... no. The awesome narrorators from Audioble did very well. the voices matched the story and gave it some heft that would have been missed without it... I wanted sometimes to love this book... but I liked it so I guess that's well enough.

It was very British

It is a keep calm and carry on sort of book. I am sure I'll not listen to or read again. Bur, it did waste the hours away listening while I crafted.

Confused

I was confused through most of this story. In the end it all came together, but feel I need to listen to it again if I really want to understand it all.

LOVED it!

I liked this audio book so much I purchased the book after listening to it, and read it on my own. The narration was very good and helped to move this interesting story along.

* WONDERFULY To LISTEN TO..KEEPS YOU GUESSING*

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

#FASCINATING - SUSPENSEFUL - ENJOYABLE#

What other book might you compare The Thirteenth Tale to and why?

DIANE SUTTERFIELD'S NEXT BOOK WILL BE OUT SOON. I'M WAITING TO SEE HOW THAT NEXT BOOK WILL COMPARE.

Which character – as performed by Ruthie Henshall and Lynn Redgrave – was your favorite?

## LYNN REDGRAVE voice is so strong and clear that any charter she performed will always make them the most prominent favorite person in any story. in this case it's VIDA WINTERS .... Do I get a yes to this!!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

## A STORY OF CURIOSITY,# COMMENDATORY.# REALIZATIONS OF SECRETS # OF THINGS LOST AND FOUND# AND LOTS OF TWISTS AND TURNS....

Any additional comments?

THE CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVED WIT H EACH CHAPTER

Fairy Tale or ?

What an awesome book and the narrators were brilliant. I could not stop listening. You will laugh and cringe, sigh and maybe shed a tear, but you will not want it to end.