the thirteenth tale

"People disappear when they die. Their voice, their laughter, the warmth of their breath. Their flesh. Eventually their bones. All living memory of them ceases. This is both dreadful and natural. Yet for some their is an exception to this annihilation. For in the books they write they continue to exist. We can rediscover them. Their humor, their tone of voice, their moods. Through the written word they can anger you or make you happy. They can comfort you. They can perplex you. They can alter you. All this, even though they are dead. Like flies in amber, like corpses frozen in ice, that which according to the laws of nature should pass away is, by the miracle of ink on paper, preserved. It is a kind of magic."

I'm only a few chapters in and already enchanted by Diane Setterfield's The Thirteenth Tale. Readers and writers will be smitten with this love letter to story—I highly recommend to all my fellow English majors out there!

Anyone read it? Thoughts (without giving anything away!)?

Comments

[Emma @ Poires au Chocolat]

Sounds interesting - I can't say I've heard of it. (Though these days most post-1530 literature escapes my notice.... oh dear).

I might just give it a try!

Hope your little boy is well :)

[Deelish Dish]

Emma - Wow, you're all about the early stuff. Impressive. High five from this English major.

The baby is very well, thank you! :)

[saskatch]

I need! I want! That excerpt drew me in... sounds like a great read!!

High five, chest bump.

[Nicole]

Oh! I just noticed this post because I was distracted by the lovely carrot cake :) I haven't read it, but love what you shared from it.

[thescrappybug]

Wow that excerpt is fantastic. You are drawn right in. This is going on the list.

[kcw081]

I loved the Thirteenth Tale! It's a mystery and a book about loving books!