Wednesday 4 April 2007

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I thought this was going to be one of those quick-read, shallow, chick-lit books so I steered my book group away from it. This was a gross error of judgement. Big mistake. BIG! HUGE! I have now finished this book and am dying to have someone else to discuss it with.

I really enjoyed the book and other than the strange references to the existence of ghosts it was a captivating mix of history and mystery with a bit of literature thrown in for good measure. It is a bit of a gothic romance but with a modern setting (sort of). The 2 main characters are strong, powerful, witty, clever women. The men are definitely on the side of their lives. There is a subtle undercurrent about the relationship between mothers and daughters and a not so subtle one about fathers and daughters. I won't spoil the ending because it surprised me and I hadn't an inkling of how it was going to end. I just wished it didn't.

Give it a read!

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