Friday, September 25, 2009

Thirteenth Tale

What a week! Jury duty through early next week, with today off (other court obligations), which meant going to work and madly catching up. Since anything else I'll have to say about myself will be a big snooze, I'll talk about an incredible book I recently finished listening to: The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.

If you were raised on the Bronte sisters, gothic romances, or even if you just love Thursday Next (Miss Havisham, anyone?), I think you'll appreciate this mesmerizing novel. Going in, I only knew this somehow involved a ghost story. Coming out, this is an incredible novel filled with definitely woven layers of complexity. At any given point, you realize you're in the middle of several different levels of what haunted or romance or dysfunction or ghost or love means. I was sort of anticipating the end, while not possibly being able to anticipate the end - that's the kind of twist that I adore!

This is such a beautifully written book - and beautifully read! The narrators (two women) did a phenomenal job. Although I'm now dying to immerse myself in the written word, but am so glad I listened to this. I recommend both! This is the ideal novel to curl up under your comforter under and stay up until 2 am, possibly even crying as hard as I was at the end (and I was on the way to work! arrived with red eyes!).

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great review-it makes me want to read! Thank you

June Shin said...

I'm always looking for books to read, so thanks for the reco! I'm putting it on my list.

Summer said...

I was wondering what I might read next...and this just may be it! Thank you Brenda!