Can you name the book by the characters? Here’s an easy one…Harry Potter? How about Bella, Jacob, and Edward? Perhaps a little harder… Diana Bishop? One more question, what do all of these characters have in common? They are all supernatural beings, a mix of sorcerers, vampires, werewolves, and witches. They are quite popular with readers these days and their stories make for spine-tingling Halloween reading. But whatever happened to the good old-fashioned ghost story? I was looking for a modern ghost story for October’s MUSE group and found it in “The Thirteenth Tale” (2007) by Diane Setterfield. Perhaps you recognize the names Vida Winter and Margaret Lea?
“The Thirteenth Tale” is considered a gothic novel. The gothic genre, characterized by a brooding fearful atmosphere, is often set in an old castle or decaying mansion, features characters with secretive, mysterious pasts, and includes a touch of the supernatural in the form of real or imagined spirits. Think Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Dracula, and Rebecca. Those four top the list of GoodReads’ “Best Gothic Reads of All Time.” The Thirteenth Tale is number ten on this list, making it one of only two modern novels to achieve this distinction. (Interview with a Vampire is the other one, placing ninth on the list)
Vida Winter is a dying, best-selling British author who contracts with antiquarian bookseller Miss Lea to write her biography. Daily, in the library of Vida’s home, the lives of the Angelfield family are revealed by Vida. There is the dark-hearted violent Charlie with his obsession for his sister, the beautiful and willful Isabelle, and Isabelle’s feral twins Adeline and Emmeline. Secret gardens, crumbling ruins, misty landscapes and ghostly apparitions chill the pages. The time setting is unclear, the story is bizarre and the biographer (or reader) is never certain that Vida is telling the truth. One reviewer called The Thirteenth Tale, “A good story written by a very good writer about a good story told by a very good writer.” Confused, read the book!
Join the MUSE group on October 25th, 6:30pm to discuss this book with other readers. We'll meet in the Dean’s Conference Room in the Main Building, 400 East Fourth Street.
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