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The Thirteenth Tale (Abridged): A Novel Audiobook
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(3.00) - 122,078 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Winner of the 2007 Audie Award for Literary Fiction and Finalist for Multi-Voiced Performance
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller
“Readers will feel the magnetic pull of this paean to words, books and the magical power of story.”—People
“Eerie and fascinating.”—USA TODAY
Sometimes, when you open the door to the past, what you confront is your destiny.
Reclusive author Vida Winter, famous for her collection of twelve enchanting stories, has spent the past six decades penning a series of alternate lives for herself. Now old and ailing, she is ready to reveal the truth about her extraordinary existence and the violent and tragic past she has kept secret for so long. Calling on Margaret Lea, a young biographer troubled by her own painful history, Vida disinters the life she meant to bury for good. Margaret is mesmerized by the author's tale of gothic strangeness—featuring the beautiful and willful Isabelle, the feral twins Adeline and Emmeline, a ghost, a governess, a topiary garden and a devastating fire. Together, Margaret and Vida confront the ghosts that have haunted them while becoming, finally, transformed by the truth themselves.
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"Any book that can keep me on the treadmill for my entire lunch hour is a winner! The story just sucked me in, the moors, the ruins, the books, the secrets,the storytellers....a little suspense, sadness, romance, and the promise of a happy ending for some of the characters. Including Shadow the cat."
— Mary (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Setterfield, a former professor of 20th-century French literature, is a deft stylist and talented technician. Both her love for literature and the depth of her learning enliven her debut novel.”
— Washington Post -
“Beautifully written and highly intelligent. Blissful escapism for literate (and literary) females who love an old-fashioned story.”
— Times (London) -
“Setterfield proves a mistress of the craft of storytelling and her musings about the pleasures of reading are beguiling.”
— Guardian -
“Setterfield’s first novel is equally suited to a rainy afternoon on the couch or a summer day on the beach.”
— Library Journal
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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A 2007 Dilys Award Finalist
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Winner of the 2007 YALSA Alex Award
The Thirteenth Tale Listener Reviews
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" I liked the genre--an English mystery. "
— Diana, 2/19/2014 -
" Excellent! Lots of twists! "
— Michellelynnhooper, 2/2/2014 -
" Drags on and on and on... "
— Christy, 2/2/2014 -
" One of my favorite books to date! "
— Renae, 1/31/2014 -
" Beautiful and mysterious. "
— Mandey, 1/12/2014 -
" utterly utterly beautiful "
— Ruby, 12/19/2013 -
" It was a really good read! I could hardly put this down. It does get a little bit first book-ish at the end, but still a very haunting tale. "
— Tsukiori, 12/11/2013 -
" I LOVED this book. This is one of those books you want to read for the first time over and over again. "
— Courtney, 12/1/2013 -
" It was sometimes hard to keep up with. My book club - no one agreed about the ending but.... I think that is one of the things that makes it a great book. It is a book that I still think about from time to time. "
— Tara, 11/29/2013 -
" Very quick read, very similiar to The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morten. Definately recommend it! "
— Diana, 11/4/2013 -
" Fantastic fiction. "
— Renee, 10/15/2013 -
" Just one word to describe it... weird! "
— Christina, 8/12/2013 -
" Read to the end! "
— 2ridges, 8/1/2013 -
" Though it was quite disturbing in parts, it was a good book. "
— Missy, 7/13/2013 -
" I am not a mystery fan but this book knocked my socks off! loved it!! "
— Letizia, 5/2/2013 -
" I absolutely loved this book! One of a few great books that I have read lately. I found that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't seem to figure out what was going to happen next. "
— Andrea, 3/5/2013 -
" Loved it! Couldn't put it down. "
— Wendy, 1/23/2013 -
" Really enjoyed this. Review to come. "
— Sarah, 10/29/2012 -
" very absorbing, very creepy mystery. as a book lover i identified, best fiction i've read in a while. "
— Stedwards, 10/27/2012 -
" Ho adorato questo libro...l'incontro tra due donne di generazioni diverse, ma legate da un dolore comune, cattura completamente il lettore che insieme alla protagonista scopre pagina per pagina questo racconto meraviglioso di una vita intera. "
— Ire, 10/21/2012 -
" A great book for people who really like to read. "
— Beth, 9/23/2012 -
" A lot of people I know liked it, so I picked it for my turn in book club and I could barely finish it!! In my opinion .... Boring "
— Crystal, 6/10/2012 -
" A fun read- sucks you in and won't let you go til you finish! "
— Elizabeth, 11/23/2011 -
" One of the best books I've read in a long time! "
— Loradonna, 10/4/2011 -
" LOVE LOVE LOVE! <br/>Mystery, love story all in one. Kept me trying to figure it out the entire way through. Loved the writing style. Definately would recommend. It pulls you in and engulfs you! "
— Carrie, 5/31/2011 -
" Slow to start but picks up nicely after about 30 pages. "
— Lisalee27, 5/31/2011 -
" Definitely on the dark side wrt plot and some of the characters, by the end of the story I felt more sympathetic towards the protagonist. Kept my interest throughout. Would recommend to others. "
— Eileen, 5/30/2011 -
" This is one of my favorite audio books. The readers really brought the two main characters to life. I loved the insights into the joy of books & reading. "
— Marcella, 5/30/2011 -
" I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down. A very interesting read! "
— Tanya, 5/30/2011 -
" Gothic & well-written beach read. I should have figured out all the secrets much sooner- but (alas) I did not. Hmmph. "
— Elizabeth, 5/27/2011 -
" Wow. I was not expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did- a pleasant surprise! What a great story. It was told well, and had interesting characters that were easy to empathize with. I think my favorite character is Aurelius (his story is wonderful!). "
— Kelly, 5/26/2011 -
" This book was do captivating, I couldn't put it down. It was full of mystery and intrigue. "
— Cynthia, 5/26/2011 -
" An enjoyable read. The tale jumps back and forth between the past and the present but with a clear logic. The plot proceeds quickly enough to keep the reader interested. "
— Milla, 5/26/2011 -
" A super fun gothic read. Fascinating story line, nicely tied up at the end. Jane Eyre fans will love this book. Great vacation read. "
— Ruth, 5/25/2011 -
" Read this for book club during the month of October. Good "scary" halloween story. "
— Carrie, 5/24/2011 -
" If I could have I would have given this a 4.5. I really liked it. Might have helped that I read it on a weekend away, so was able to get "swept up" in the story. Good read :) "
— Debbie, 5/23/2011 -
" Interesting how the author takes you back through her father's love of antique books and then she finds herself in a rescue of an unusual amount of antique books that leads her to a story of death, betrayal and mystery. Different than anything I have read before. "
— Kelly, 5/23/2011 -
" I read this awhile ago and I remember enjoying it but couldn't tell you what it was about. So ... good at the time, but not memorable. "
— Kristy, 5/22/2011
About Diane Setterfield
Diane Setterfield is a former academic, specializing in twentieth-century French literature. She lives in Yorkshire, England.
About the Narrators
Lynn Redgrave, a member of Britain’s greatest acting family, is internationally known for her work on stage, screen, and television. As narrator of the World of Philosophy series, she brings to life the timeless and vital themes of the world’s great philosophical traditions.
Ruthie Henshall’s multiaward-winning career has seen her star in New York and London in the most popular musicals of the past twenty-five years, including Cats, Miss Saigon, Crazy for You, She Loves Me, Marguerite, Oliver!, A Chorus Line, Les Misérables, and Chicago. She also has had successful roles in plays, in concert, and on television. She won an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in She Loves Me at the Savoy Theatre, and she was voted London’s Theatregoers Award for the most popular musical actress of the past twenty-one years. She is the author of the book So You Want to Be in Musicals.