Erik's review of The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel by Diane Setterfield
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It might have scored higher had I taken less time to read it. But I score these books subjectively and if a book doesn't inspire questions in me or personal reflection, it's hard to give it a high rating. Sometimes style can add a few points.
I found the plot interesting enough, and the characters just as much. There's mystery, some subtle romance, a bit of the supernatural, and plenty of human drama. The author's style was lyrical at times, enough for me to appreciate it anyway. It's the kind of story I could find myself forgetting about in the next few years, but maybe reading again and enjoying it a bit more the second time around.
The big disappointment (and really the ONLY one) centered around the story's narrator: a biographer working for elderly, ailing writer. The bulk of the novel is the writer's story, a Jane Eyre-esque plot with plenty of twists, turns, and drama. But the subplot is that of the narrator, whose growing melodramatic o...more
I found the plot interesting enough, and the characters just as much. There's mystery, some subtle romance, a bit of the supernatural, and plenty of human drama. The author's style was lyrical at times, enough for me to appreciate it anyway. It's the kind of story I could find myself forgetting about in the next few years, but maybe reading again and enjoying it a bit more the second time around.
The big disappointment (and really the ONLY one) centered around the story's narrator: a biographer working for elderly, ailing writer. The bulk of the novel is the writer's story, a Jane Eyre-esque plot with plenty of twists, turns, and drama. But the subplot is that of the narrator, whose growing melodramatic o...more
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