SugarHouse Mama

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I'm a sucker for a good, 19th century gothic novel, so I loved reading The Thirteenth Tale. A bonus: it was really well written. I was surprised to learn today that this is Diane Setterfield's first book. Wow. I'm going to be looking forward to more writing from her, that's for sure.

Yes, the protagonist is a little melodramatic (but what gothic protagonist isn't, really) and yes, there is a tad too much focus on Jane Eyre. But I still loved reading it.

I intended to read it on the plane back from Africa, but quickly became so engrossed in it, that I devoured the whole darn thing between changing my flight a million times and spoiling Ajua. :)

I stayed up half the night reading while she slept next to me (and I think I will always remember that about this book).

Anyway, if you want a great page-turner to read during the Halloween season, this is the perfect one to choose. But beware: it's really popular at the library, so you might need to get on the list now, or just go buy it.

Oh, and I feel I must point this out: such a lovely cover!

*Sorry there isn't much by way of an actual review, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello. I found your blog via another blog via another blog...you know how it is sometimes. :) I'm glad you liked this book - I really loved it. I have been hesitant to widely recommend it, just because there are some elements (ie: the brother/sister relationship) that some people would find unsettling. I thought the writing was beautiful, though, and a compelling story. Glad to find your blog! Take care.