William W. (wdwilson3) reviewed on 1/13/2011 + 8 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

This isnt the type of book I normally read (or, in this case, listen to) but I was genuinely impressed with Diane Setterfields first novel. Ive seen references to it as gothic fiction, but it really is missing both of the typical gothic elements, horror and romance, at least in the traditional sense of the genre. Rather, its an atmospheric mystery, in the sense that the truth about a famous novelists past is gradually revealed. Its a complex telling, as the novelist dictates her biography to our protagonist. Each revelation seems to raise more questions and more suspicions. There are some gruesome aspects to the story, but the overall feeling Setterfield arouses is curiosity what happened, who is who and what is the novelists true identity?

Setterfields language is refined, elegant, and evocative. In that sense, The Thirteenth Tale does invite comparison with Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights. While I was a little let down by some of the eventual revelations (too anticlimactic in my view) and on coincidental encounters, those flaws did not diminish my enjoyment much. I listened to the unabridged CD version of this book in my car, and I confess to taking the long way home a few times so that I could hear more of the story. The CD employs two women as readers, and both of them (Bianca Amato and Jill Tanner) are superb, articulate and expressive.

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