The Thirteenth Tale (novel)
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| The Thirteenth Tale | |
 First edition cover |
|
| Author | Diane Setterfield |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Gothic, Suspense |
| Publisher | Atria |
| Publication date | September 12, 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) & Audio book |
| Pages | 416 pp |
| ISBN | ISBN 0743298020 |
The Thirteenth Tale is a gothic suspense novel that was published in 2006. It is Diane Setterfield's debut novel.
Contents |
[edit] Plot introduction
Vida Winter, allegedly the most famous novelist in England, and quite possibly the world, has never been forthcoming when it comes to her past. Her entire life is a secret, and for fifty years reporters and biographers have attempted to discover the truth. With her health quickly fading, Ms. Winter hires an unknown, bookish biographer, Margaret Lea, to bear witness to the tragic story of the Angelfield family, their eccentric beginnings as well as their demise. Margaret, who has family secrets of her own, must unravel the mysteries of the past in order to reconcile not only Ms. Winter with her ghosts, but also Margaret with hers.
[edit] Characters
- Margaret Lea: the daughter of a bookstore owner who is asked to write Vida Winter's biography
- Vida Winter: the famous writer who has eluded reporters as to her true past, and is now ready to reveal its secrets to Margaret
- Isabelle Angelfield: the younger of George Angelfield's two children, she gives birth to twins, Emmeline and Adeline
- Charlie Angelfield: Isabelle's older brother who harbours a dark passion and love for his sister.
- Emmeline March: the less violent of Isabelle's girls
- Adeline March: the more violent of the twins
- Aurelius Love: resident of the Angelfield area who befriends Margaret
- John-the-dig: Angelfield's longtime gardener
- the Missus: Angelfield's aged housekeeper
- Hester Barrow: governess of Adeline and Emmeline
- Dr Maudsley: town doctor, whose misguided attempts to help the twins do more harm than good
- George Angelfield: Charlie and Isabelle's father who ignores the former and dotes on the latter
- Roland March: Isabelle's husband
- Mathilde Angelfield: Charlie and Isabelle's mother who dies giving birth to Isabelle
[edit] Reception
After only being published for one week, the novel became #1 on the New York Times #1 bestseller in 2006. [1]
