The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a great book for anyone that loves books and reading. It is a complex story in the sense that the narrator, Margaret Lea, is almost a subplot of her own story. The plot focuses on a story that she is being told by Vida Winter, one of the great authors of her time. The story is supposed to be the story of Vida Winter’s life, but in this book as in life, the truth is ambiguous. Margaret is told a very convincing story that seems to be factual, but the reader can never be sure. The story is great and full of unexpected twists and turns. Some of the book is a little graphic and there are some rather depraved sexual relationships, but over all those things are secondary to the story.

I have read this book twice now, the first time back in 2006 when it was first released and again last month for my book club. I enjoyed it both times, but a couple of the people in my book club did not enjoy it. The characters are not very likable, but I am not sure the reader needs to like them to enjoy the story. It is a book that reminds us that a great story has real power, perhaps even more power or importance than the truth. I think that this is the underlying message of the novel. The book will definitely make you question what is true and what the truth means. Several of the characters struggle with the idea that maybe a great story is better than the truth. Is it better not to know the truth? That is an idea that comes up over and over in the novel.

Personally, I really enjoyed this book both times. I found it similar to The Shadow of the Wind (one of my favorite books of all time), and it brought to mind Life of Pi because that is another book where the reader needs to figure out what is true. It aloes reminded me that sometimes in life a great story at the right time is all we need. There is a difference between a great book and a great story and this is a great story.