The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

Read by: Juliet Stevenson

Published by: Orion

Price: £14.99

Diane Setterfield offers an engrossing story with The Thirteenth Tale. It’s told as a story within a story, about the dark and terrible secrets of the Angelfield family. It’s tinged with a gothic foreboding which reflects the melancholy of our narrator, Margaret Lea.

Margaret is a young woman who works in father’s antiquarian bookshop. She herself has a disturbing past, resulting in her not being able to celebrate her own birthday; and of which has led to an estrangement between herself and her mother. Her father comes across as a rather weak character – hovering in the background of both the bookshop and her life.

Margaret, herself an amateur biographer, receives a letter from Vida Winter, a popular but recluse fiction writer inviting Margaret to write her biography. Winter has never told the truth about her past, making up stories for inquisitive journalists. Now, terminally ill, she wants to tell all.

Margaret has to travel from London to Yorkshire to hear Vida Winter’s story. Her Uncle, Charlie has an unnatural obsession with his beautiful sister, Isabelle. Growing up, they are both almost feral, so when Isabelle disappears, only to return months later with a set of twins as a widow – it’s almost as if no eyebrows are raised. The twins, Adeline and Emmeline are just as wily as their mother – who is later consigned to a mental asylum. They have an unnatural, almost horrifying relationship culminating in possible murder and a fire that destroys the family home. The trauma is so descriptive you’re drawn in to watch the fire ripping through the fire, experiencing the pages catching fire.

Juliet Stevenson, our reader, expertly crafts the characters of both Winter and Lea. We discover that some aspects of their pasts are not too dissimilar. Both have a love of books, a sentiment that is carried through the novel in snippets of literary references to Charlotte Bronte and Henry James. Both have experienced the cost of being a twin. Listening to this novel, Stevenson manages to carry off the distinctive ‘library’ atmosphere. It doesn’t quite work with a CD, but you almost want to put your nose to the CD player and sniff the old paper, flick through the pages, and then run your finger across the wood of the book case.

Well aware of Winter’s fondness for storytelling, Lea checks up on her tale. She also reads one of Winter's books, The Thirteenth Tale. Although, there are only twelve tales in her copy - she will hear the last first hand. In the course of regular 'interviews' Lea uncovers why Winter changed her name from Adeline to Vida. We’re drawn in and out of the past as she visits Winter’s old home, putting together the pieces of truth and ultimately meeting what remains of Winter’s family in Angelfield.

A great bonus with some audio books is the bonus track. This audio includes and interview with our reader, Juliet Stevenson and Diane Setterfield. Juliet tells us how she gets into character for her reading, while Diane reveals what inspired her to write The Thirteenth Tale.

This is a perfect story for audio, steeped with eloquent verbosity the listener is drawn into the tale, and ultimately to Margaret Lea. Ironically, something that wouldn’t come across in its written form.

This is one to remember to recommend to friends.