What is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield about?

The Thirteenth Tale is a gothic suspense novel about biographer Margaret Lea who is hired to write the biography of dying novelist Vida Winter. Winter has spent decades concealing her past with elaborate lies, but now reveals dark family secrets involving twin girls, mysterious deaths, incest, and a haunted estate called Angelfield. As Margaret uncovers Winter's truth, she confronts her own buried family secrets about having lost a twin.

Who should read The Thirteenth Tale?

The Thirteenth Tale is perfect for readers who love gothic literature, psychological mysteries, and family sagas with dark secrets. Fans of Daphne du Maurier, the Brontë sisters, and atmospheric Victorian-era fiction will appreciate Setterfield's haunting storytelling. This novel appeals to those interested in stories about twins, unreliable narrators, and the complex relationship between biographer and subject. It's ideal for book clubs seeking discussion-rich material.

Is The Thirteenth Tale worth reading?

The Thirteenth Tale is worth reading for its masterful gothic atmosphere and intricate storytelling. Diane Setterfield's debut novel combines mystery, literary homage, and psychological depth in a story within a story structure. The book captivates with its exploration of family secrets, the nature of truth, and the haunting power of the past. Readers who appreciate character-driven narratives and slow-burn suspense will find it deeply satisfying.

Who is Diane Setterfield and what inspired The Thirteenth Tale?

Diane Setterfield is a British author whose debut novel The Thirteenth Tale became an international bestseller in 2006. The book reflects her academic background in French literature and her love for classic gothic novels, particularly works by the Brontë sisters. Setterfield creates a literary puzzle that pays homage to Victorian gothic fiction while exploring themes of identity, storytelling, and the secrets families keep hidden across generations.

What is the mystery of the thirteenth tale?

The mystery of the thirteenth tale centers on Vida Winter's collection titled "Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation," which actually contains only twelve stories. This discrepancy became a source of fascination for Winter's readers, who wondered about the missing thirteenth tale. Throughout the novel, Margaret seeks to understand why the tale was omitted. Only at the book's conclusion does Winter finally share the long-awaited thirteenth tale as a parting gift.

What are the main themes in The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield?

The Thirteenth Tale explores themes of truth versus deception, the psychological bond between twins, and how family secrets shape identity. The novel examines the power of storytelling and biography to reveal or conceal the past. Other significant themes include isolation, madness, obsessive love, and the gothic motif of the haunted estate. Setterfield weaves together ideas about memory, loss, and how confronting painful truths enables healing and closure.

Who are the twins in The Thirteenth Tale?

The twins in The Thirteenth Tale are Adeline and Emmeline March, daughters of Isabelle who grow up at Angelfield estate. Adeline is cruel and controlling, while Emmeline is docile and permissive. They communicate primarily in their own twin language and become increasingly feral after being neglected. The story reveals a shocking twist: Vida Winter is not actually Adeline, but a third child—the ghost-child and Charlie's illegitimate daughter who was raised in secret.

What does Angelfield represent in The Thirteenth Tale?

Angelfield represents the physical manifestation of family dysfunction, secrets, and decay. The estate where the Angelfield family lived embodies gothic isolation and serves as the setting for generations of tragedy, including incest, madness, and death. Its eventual destruction by fire symbolizes the devastating consequences of buried secrets and obsessive relationships. The ruined estate that Margaret later explores mirrors how the past continues to haunt the present until truth is acknowledged.

Le Treizième Conte

Une nouvelle

Diane Setterfield

3.98(328763 Reviews)

Aperçu de Le Treizième Conte

Un chef-d'œuvre gothique où la vérité et la fiction s'entremêlent. Ce best-seller vendu à trois millions d'exemplaires a trôné en tête de la liste du NYT pendant trois semaines, captivant les lecteurs dans 38 pays. Vanessa Redgrave et Olivia Colman ont donné vie à ses mystères envoûtants dans l'adaptation acclamée de la BBC - l'histoire de fantômes la plus séduisante de la littérature.

Choisissez la façon de le raconter

Un livre. De nombreuses façons de l'écouter.

Les mêmes idées de Le Treizième Conte. Choisissez la voix, la profondeur et le rythme qui vous conviennent. Changez à tout moment.

Chapitre 1

The Haunting Melody of Untold Truths

Imagine receiving a letter from Britain's most enigmatic literary figure-a woman who has crafted fifty-six bestselling novels over five decades yet has never revealed her true life story. This is precisely what happens to Margaret Lea, a bookish biographer who specializes in obscure literary figures, when she receives a handwritten letter from the reclusive Vida Winter. The mysterious author, known for spinning different fabricated autobiographies for every interviewer she's ever met, now claims she's ready to tell the truth. "Tell me the truth," the letter implores-words that would haunt Margaret like a bird trapped in a chimney. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield's gothic masterpiece that sold over three million copies and spent weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, weaves a spellbinding narrative about the power of stories to both conceal and heal. Beloved by celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and praised by Stephen King as "a book for people who love books," this modern classic explores how the stories we tell-and those we hide-shape our very existence.

Chapitre 2

A House of Secrets and Shadows

Angelfield House stands as both a physical structure and metaphorical centerpiece of The Thirteenth Tale - a sprawling Elizabethan mansion whose very architecture embodies the twisted legacy of its inhabitants. The house's asymmetrical design, with its mismatched windows, uneven roofline of towers and turrets, and maze-like corridors, mirrors the fractured psyche of the family within. When we first encounter Angelfield through Miss Winter's narrative, the house exists in a state of elegant decay - thick dust coating once-gleaming surfaces, tarnished silver scattered throughout empty rooms, saucepans abandoned on sweeping staircases, and yellowed sheet music littering marble floors like fallen leaves. The house's physical deterioration serves as a haunting parallel to the Angelfield family's moral decay. George Angelfield, devastated by his wife's death in childbirth, retreats into a self-imposed exile within his library, leaving his son Charlie to grow wild while obsessively doting on his daughter Isabelle. This neglect proves catastrophic - Charlie develops increasingly sadistic tendencies, methodically terrorizing the housemaids by removing floorboards beneath their feet, setting elaborate traps in corridors, and conducting cruel psychological experiments. The household's descent into chaos accelerates as servants flee one by one, leaving only George, his troubled children, the aging housekeeper known as "the Missus," and the steadfast gardener John-the-dig to witness the family's dissolution. The library emerges as both the intellectual sanctuary and emotional epicenter of Angelfield. Its towering shelves house thousands of leather-bound volumes, creating a labyrinth of literature where the twins first discover their passion for stories. It's within these book-lined walls that Hester makes her first meaningful connection with the wild Adeline through their shared love of Jane Eyre. The library's transformation from haven to inferno - when the devastating fire that ultimately destroys the house begins among its precious tomes - serves as a powerful metaphor for knowledge's potential to both illuminate and destroy. The topiary garden, maintained with obsessive precision by generations of John-the-dig's family, represents humanity's futile attempt to impose order upon wild nature. The geometrically perfect hedges and mathematically precise patterns stand in stark contrast to the untamed spirits of the twins, who violently reject this artificial constraint. Their savage destruction of the carefully shaped plants - ripping, tearing, and uprooting decades of meticulous cultivation - becomes a visceral symbol of their rebellion against societal restrictions and conventional expectations. When Margaret explores Angelfield's ruins decades later, she encounters a ghostly palimpsest of its former grandeur - empty window frames gaping like hollow eyes, walls still bearing the black scars of fire, and birds wheeling freely through spaces where ornate ceilings once stood. Yet even in this skeletal state, Angelfield maintains its power as keeper of secrets, ultimately revealing its darkest truth during demolition - human remains hidden within its walls, providing tangible evidence of the tragedy that unfolded within this house of shadows.

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

Suivez facilement la lecture tandis que chaque mot de Le Treizième Conte s'illumine en temps réel.

Chapitre 3

The Twisted Bonds of Twinship

At the core of The Thirteenth Tale lies a profound exploration of twinship-not merely as a biological phenomenon but as an existential state of being. The novel presents multiple twin relationships, each revealing different facets of this complex bond. For Adeline and Emmeline, being twins isn't simply about shared DNA but constitutes their entire identity. They speak in a private language unintelligible to others, move with uncanny synchronicity, and seem to regard single people as incomplete-"like amputees" compared to their twinned wholeness. Their bond is so fundamental that when Hester and Dr. Maudsley forcibly separate them for their psychological experiment, both twins experience it as a kind of death. Emmeline, who endures every painful second of the separation, slowly learns to exist independently-a transformation that permanently alters their relationship. When reunited, the twins initially fall back into their old patterns, but Emmeline's newfound independence eventually emerges, triggering Adeline's violent rage at what she perceives as betrayal. Margaret herself carries the physical and psychological scars of a lost twin relationship. The silver-pink crescent on her torso-"the shadow my sister had left behind"-serves as a constant reminder of her incompleteness. Throughout her life, she senses a presence to her right, an altered quality in the air, as though her dead twin continues to haunt her. When she looks in mirrors, she sometimes mistakes her reflection for her sister, experiencing the uncanny sensation of seeing someone both familiar and other. The novel suggests that twins possess a unique understanding of themselves as simultaneously one and two-a paradoxical state that single-born individuals can never fully comprehend. This duality creates both profound connection and potential for devastating loss. As Margaret reflects, "What could it mean to be a twin whose twin was dead?" This question haunts her throughout her life, making her feel like "an unnatural creature" who exists in a liminal state-"half-dead, exiled in the world of the living by day" while her soul "cleaves to its twin in a shadowy limbo" at night.

Chapitre 4

The Power and Peril of Stories

"I have closed my study door on the world and shut myself away with people of my imagination," Miss Winter confesses, revealing how for nearly sixty years she has lived through her fictional characters, witnessing their loves, misdeeds, and dreams. This meta-narrative about storytelling permeates the novel, examining how stories can both heal and harm, reveal and conceal. Miss Winter, who admits to disliking truth and preferring "the plump comforts of a story" and "the soothing, rocking safety of a lie," has spent her career crafting different biographical tales from "mere scraps from the bottom of my ragbag"-leftover plots and characters that kept journalists satisfied while maintaining her privacy. Her prolific writing serves as both escape and evasion, allowing her to avoid confronting her traumatic past. With each book completed, the crowd of characters thins, bringing her closer to the "pale, red-haired girl with green eyes" she has spent a lifetime avoiding. Stories function as survival mechanisms throughout the novel. After losing everything in the Angelfield fire, the nameless girl who would become Vida Winter reinvents herself completely, creating a new identity through fiction. "When one is nothing, one invents," she explains. "It fills a void." Similarly, the orphaned Aurelius invents an entire family to cope with his loneliness, creating imaginary parents and siblings because "what could be pleasanter than to have a mother!" Yet the novel also warns that unspoken stories can become dangerous-festering like wounds that never heal. "Stories need words," Miss Winter tells Margaret. "Without them they grow pale, sicken and die. And then they haunt you." This haunting manifests literally in the ghost that Margaret glimpses at Angelfield and in the five mysterious notes that drift through Miss Winter's garden-fragments of meaning seeking completion. The book itself embodies this theme through its structure-a story within a story, with Miss Winter's narrative framed by Margaret's. This layering reminds readers that all stories are constructions, filtered through the teller's perspective and shaped by their needs. Even as Miss Winter finally tells her "true" story, she carefully controls its unfolding, insisting on beginnings, middles, and endings in proper order, with no questions allowed.

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

Recevez des idées chaque jour parmi plus de 100 000 leçons
Les mots s'illuminent au rythme de l'audio
Votre bibliothèque sauvegardée sur tous vos appareils

Chapitre 5

The Mystery of Identity

"Who are you?" This seemingly simple question reverberates throughout The Thirteenth Tale, as characters struggle to understand themselves and others. Identity in the novel is rarely fixed or singular-it shifts, fractures, and sometimes dissolves entirely. The twins represent the most extreme example of fluid identity. Though physically distinct, Adeline and Emmeline sometimes seem interchangeable, especially to outsiders who struggle to tell them apart. During Emmeline's pregnancy, Adeline undergoes a sympathetic physical transformation, developing "plump curves and full breasts" that make the twins occasionally indistinguishable. Their identities blur further when Adeline sets fire to Angelfield, and Miss Winter saves one twin but cannot determine which one-the burned face before her unrecognizable, unresponsive to both names. Miss Winter herself embodies this theme of fractured identity. Born Adeline March, she reinvents herself completely after the fire, shedding her former self "as surely as though she had perished in the flames." Her numerous fabricated autobiographies-daughter of a priest, child of a Parisian courtesan, orphan raised in a Swiss convent-suggest identity as performance rather than fixed essence. Even her chosen name reflects this fluidity: "Vida" from Latin meaning "life" (though Margaret thinks of the French "vide" meaning "empty"), and "Winter"-evocative of death and endings. Aurelius represents another facet of the identity quest-someone literally searching for his origins. His meager inheritance-a yellowed infant's gown, a torn page from Jane Eyre, a dried feather, and a scrap of paper with a faded ink stain-constitute the only clues to his past. He spends his life trying to decode these fragments, creating elaborate systems to find meaning in them. His certainty that Angelfield is his birthplace comes not from concrete evidence but from an intuitive recognition: "This is home. This is where I come from." Margaret's identity crisis stems from her status as a surviving twin. Having discovered at age ten that she had a twin who died, she feels permanently marked by this absence-her identity defined as much by who is missing as by who remains. Her professional work as a biographer allows her to temporarily inhabit others' lives, perhaps as a way of escaping her own incomplete existence.

Chapitre 6

The Burden of Family Legacy

The Angelfield family history unfolds like a Greek tragedy, with each generation inheriting and amplifying the dysfunctions of the previous one. George Angelfield's excessive grief over his wife's death leads to his emotional abandonment of Charlie and unhealthy fixation on Isabelle. This warped upbringing produces children incapable of normal relationships-Charlie develops sadistic tendencies while Isabelle grows into a beautiful but amoral young woman who manipulates everyone around her. When Isabelle returns to Angelfield with twin daughters, the cycle continues. The twins, raised without proper socialization or education, develop their own peculiar worldview where only they truly exist. Charlie, now their guardian, remains locked in his nursery rooms where "he and his memories of Isabelle festered in squalor." The household staff-the Missus and John-the-dig-do their best to maintain some semblance of normalcy, but they too are trapped in the family's dysfunctional patterns. The novel suggests that family legacy operates not just through genetics but through stories-the narratives we inherit about who we are and where we come from. When these stories are incomplete or deliberately falsified, as in the case of both Margaret and Aurelius, identity formation becomes problematic. Margaret's parents' refusal to acknowledge her dead twin creates a void in her understanding of herself, while Aurelius's complete lack of origin story leaves him adrift, inventing elaborate fantasies to fill the gap. Yet the novel ultimately offers hope that destructive family patterns can be broken. When Aurelius discovers his true parentage and meets his half-sister Karen and her children, he gains not just a family but a chance to create new, healthier narratives. Similarly, when Margaret finally confronts the truth about her twin, she begins the process of integrating this loss into her identity rather than being defined by it.

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

Suivez facilement la lecture tandis que chaque mot de Le Treizième Conte s'illumine en temps réel.

Chapitre 7

The Transformative Power of Truth

"Tell me the truth," the young journalist supposedly asked Vida Winter-words that would echo throughout the novel as both plea and challenge. The Thirteenth Tale explores truth not as a simple factual matter but as a powerful force with the capacity to both destroy and heal. For most of her life, Miss Winter avoids truth at all costs, preferring the safety of fiction. Her numerous fabricated autobiographies serve as protective barriers, keeping the painful reality of her past at bay. Yet as she nears the end of her life, something changes-truth begins "growing inside" her, insisting that "It is time." This compulsion to finally tell her story suggests that while fiction may provide temporary comfort, only truth offers the possibility of genuine resolution. The novel presents truth-telling as a painful but necessary process. When Miss Winter finally allows herself to grieve for John-the-dig-the man who might have been murdered by her own hand-she experiences a cathartic breakdown, her body convulsing with "primal, animal sounds" as decades of suppressed emotion pour out. This raw, physical response illustrates how deeply buried truths can become embodied-"fossilized" within us until circumstances force their emergence. For Margaret, confronting the truth about her twin sister's death proves equally transformative. Though her mother believed that "a weightless story is better than one that's too heavy," Margaret discovers that acknowledging her loss, however painful, allows her to move forward rather than remaining trapped in a liminal state between past and present. The novel's resolution hinges on multiple revelations of truth-the discovery of Charlie's remains at Angelfield, the confirmation of Aurelius's parentage, and Margaret's disclosure of her own twin history. Each of these truths, long buried, creates the possibility for healing and new beginnings when finally brought to light. As Margaret tells Aurelius, "once you know, it's impossible to go back"-but moving forward becomes possible only after truth is acknowledged.

Chapitre 8

Gardens as Metaphor for Growth and Decay

Throughout The Thirteenth Tale, gardens serve as powerful metaphors for the human condition - spaces where growth and decay, order and chaos, cultivation and wildness coexist in perpetual tension. The topiary garden at Angelfield, maintained for generations by John-the-dig's family, represents humanity's attempt to impose order on nature's inherent wildness. Its meticulously shaped hedges and geometric patterns reflect Victorian ideals of control and propriety. When the twins savagely destroy this garden - branches hacked off, shapes ruined, centuries of careful cultivation undone in hours - they reject not just the physical structures but the social constraints they symbolize. Their violent act becomes a rebellion against the suffocating propriety of their class and era. Miss Winter's own magnificent gardens, which Margaret explores during her stay, reflect both homage to John-the-dig and perhaps lifelong penitence for his death. These gardens blend formal structure with carefully planned wildness, suggesting Miss Winter's complex relationship with order and chaos in her own life. The rose garden, with its carefully grafted varieties, mirrors her crafted stories, while the untamed corners echo the wild truths she's kept hidden. The winter garden where Margaret discovers Emmeline digging in the moonlight becomes a liminal space where the boundaries between living and dead blur - a place where Emmeline can communicate with ghosts through her mysterious five-note melody. This haunting garden scene, with its frost-covered statues and skeletal trees, emphasizes the thin line between presence and absence, memory and reality. Gardens in the novel also mark the passage of time and the cycles of life, serving as living calendars of loss and renewal. When Margaret returns to Angelfield in spring, she notices snowdrops beginning to emerge through the frozen ground - symbols of renewal and hope pushing through the aftermath of tragedy. These resilient flowers, breaking through soil enriched by decay, embody nature's endless cycle of death and rebirth. It's here, among these first signs of new life, that she and Aurelius bury the ashes of the past and forge connections for the future, their own story beginning as winter yields to spring. The novel's final image of Shadow the cat gazing longingly out the bookshop window at the distant moors echoes this theme of contained versus wild nature. Like the carefully tended garden, the bookshop represents civilization and order - a place where stories are cataloged and preserved. The moors beyond embody wildness and freedom, the raw material from which stories emerge. The tension between these states - between the comfort of the known and the call of the unknown, between cultivation and wilderness - remains unresolved, suggesting that human life always exists in this productive tension. Just as gardens require both structure and organic growth to thrive, so too do human stories need both order and wilderness to flourish.

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

Recevez des idées chaque jour parmi plus de 100 000 leçons
Les mots s'illuminent au rythme de l'audio
Votre bibliothèque sauvegardée sur tous vos appareils

Chapitre 9

The Healing Power of Connection

In a novel filled with isolation and loss, genuine human connection emerges as a rare but powerful healing force. The characters who suffer most - Adeline, Charlie, Margaret - are those who remain trapped in solitude, unable to forge meaningful bonds with others. Their isolation manifests in different ways: Adeline retreats into her own world of mirrors and shadows, Charlie loses himself in obsessive gardening and silence, and Margaret builds fortress walls of books around herself. Yet the story demonstrates how even the most profound isolation can be breached by authentic human connection. The relationship between Margaret and Miss Winter transforms from professional distance to profound intimacy through their shared experiences of loss and storytelling. Initially bound by the formal constraints of biographer and subject, they gradually recognize in each other kindred spirits marked by grief. When Margaret cradles Miss Winter's hands during her breakdown, whispering "Hush, it will pass. You're not alone," she recreates the healing circle of empathy her father once provided - demonstrating how comfort can be passed forward like a torch through generations. This moment of vulnerability allows both women to lower their carefully constructed defenses, leading to deeper understanding and mutual healing. Dr. Clifton emerges as another crucial figure in the web of connection. His simple acknowledgment to the snow-covered Margaret - "I know" - carries the weight of shared experience while respecting the uniqueness of individual grief. His presence throughout the novel serves as a steady anchor, offering both practical help and emotional understanding without demanding anything in return. The doctor's quiet wisdom helps bridge the gap between past and present, between loss and healing. For Aurelius, whose identity has been shaped by abandonment and an endless search for belonging, the discovery of his biological family provides more than mere genetic answers. Karen's introduction of him to her children as "their uncle" represents a profound shift from isolation to inclusion. The children's immediate acceptance, expressed through their eagerness to share stories beginning with "Once upon a time," demonstrates how new connections can help rewrite personal narratives of loss into stories of belonging. Their unconditional welcome offers Aurelius what money and success never could - a sense of genuine connection to others. Even the mysterious Shadow, the cat who moves between worlds, embodies the complex nature of connection. His dual existence - shared between Yorkshire and the bookshop through Dr. Clifton's thoughtful intervention - suggests that true love sometimes means letting go of absolute possession. As Margaret observes, "I believe Shadow will get his happy ending yet." This arrangement symbolizes how authentic relationships often require compromise and trust rather than control, and how connection can exist across distances both physical and emotional. Throughout the novel, these moments of genuine connection serve as counterpoints to the gothic elements of isolation and loss. They suggest that while suffering may be inevitable, healing becomes possible through the bridges we build to others. Whether through shared stories, simple gestures of understanding, or the creation of new family bonds, human connection emerges as the most powerful antidote to the weight of past traumas.

Chapitre 10

The Thirteenth Tale: Stories Left Untold

The novel's title refers to Miss Winter's first published work, Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation, which mysteriously contained only twelve stories. This missing thirteenth tale becomes both literal mystery and powerful metaphor for all that remains unsaid in our lives-the stories we cannot or will not tell. For most of her career, Miss Winter's thirteenth tale represents her own true story-the one narrative she could not bring herself to share. When she finally reveals "Cinderella's Child" to Margaret-"a harsh, brilliant fragment about a girl born of violation, abandoned in a garden"-it completes not just her literary legacy but her personal one as well. This act of completion allows her to die in peace, having finally acknowledged all parts of herself. The thirteenth tale also symbolizes those aspects of experience that resist neat narrative closure. Despite Margaret's careful documentation of Miss Winter's story, certain elements remain ambiguous-who tampered with John-the-dig's ladder? Which twin actually survived the fire? These deliberate gaps remind us that some truths remain elusive, that stories, however comprehensive, can never capture the full complexity of lived experience. Margaret's decision not to publish Miss Winter's biography but to preserve it for Aurelius's children reflects this understanding. Some stories belong not to the public but to those whose lives they directly touch. Her commitment to eventually sharing the manuscript with Tom and Emma when they're grown suggests that truth, while sometimes delayed, should ultimately find its audience. The novel ends not with definitive closure but with possibility-Shadow gazing out the window, Dr. Clifton proposing a month-long spring holiday, the children at Karen's house still undecided about which story to play. These open endings remind us that stories, like lives, continue beyond the final page-that for every tale told, countless others remain waiting to be discovered.

★★★★★

Vous êtes arrivé au bout de Le Treizième Conte

Adopté par plus d'un million d'apprenants

“Cela fait 23 jours et je l'utilise tous les jours. Cette application fait désormais partie de ma routine.”

jayallen

Thèmes clés dans Le Treizième Conte

gothic family secrets
twin identity crisis
literary legacy
unreliable narrators
decaying ancestral estates

Citations de Le Treizième Conte

All children mythologize their birth. It is a primal urge. They want to know they are special.
Tell me the truth.
A book for people who love books.
The plump comforts of a story.

Personnages de Le Treizième Conte

Margaret LeaA bookish biographer and the novel's narrator
Vida WinterA reclusive and enigmatic bestselling author
AdelineOne of the wild and inseparable Angelfield twins
EmmelineThe other Angelfield twin with a complex bond

À propos de l'auteur

Diane Setterfield est l'autrice britannique à succès du roman Le Treizième Conte, un mystère gothique qui est devenu numéro 1 des ventes du New York Times. Née en 1964 et ayant grandi dans la campagne du Berkshire, en Angleterre, Setterfield a apporté sa profonde expertise littéraire à la fiction après avoir obtenu un doctorat en littérature française à l'Université de Bristol, où elle s'est spécialisée dans les structures autobiographiques de l'œuvre d'André Gide.

Son premier roman est écrit dans la tradition gothique, faisant écho à des classiques littéraires tels que Jane Eyre et Les Hauts de Hurlevent — un témoignage de son parcours académique et de sa passion pour la narration explorant les sombres secrets de famille, l'identité et le pouvoir des livres. Avant de devenir romancière, elle a enseigné la littérature française dans plusieurs établissements en Angleterre.

Les romans suivants de Setterfield incluent Bellman & Black (2013), un récit victorien défiant les genres, et Il était un fleuve (2018), établissant davantage sa réputation pour sa fiction atmosphérique et magistralement élaborée. Le Treizième Conte s'est vendu à plus de 3 millions d'exemplaires dans le monde, a été publié dans 38 pays et a été adapté en téléfilm par la BBC avec Vanessa Redgrave, Olivia Colman et Sophie Turner.

Telecharger le resume de Le Treizième Conte

Obtenez le resume de Le Treizième Conte en PDF ou EPUB gratuit. Imprimez-le ou lisez-le hors ligne a tout moment.

Les utilisateurs ont aussi aimé

Sally Hepworth

Paula Hawkins

Ruth Ware

Jennifer Hillier

Just Another Missing Person

Gillian McAllister

Daisy Darker

Alice Feeney

The Teacher

Freida McFadden

Tras la Puerta/ the Locked Door

Freida McFadden

FAQ sur ce livre

Découvrir plus

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

The Evolution of Gothic and Epic Storytelling

This path is essential for literature enthusiasts and writers who want to understand how narrative traditions shifted from heroic epics to psychological horror. It offers a deep dive into the human psyche, making it perfect for those interested in cultural history and the mechanics of atmospheric storytelling.

2 h•4 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

Mastering the Gothic Castle Romance

This plan is essential for novelists looking to elevate their romance writing with atmospheric depth and psychological complexity. It is specifically designed for authors who want to move beyond cliches to create immersive, haunting worlds and compellingly flawed leads.

1 h 30 m•3 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

Gothic Shadows and Psychological Depths

This learning plan offers a deep dive into the evolution of literary terror, tracing how horror transitioned from external threats to internal psychological struggles. It is ideal for literature students, creative writers, and fans of the macabre who want to understand the mechanics of fear and the complexity of the human soul.

1 h 12 m•3 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

The Raven: A Descent into Gothic Madness

This plan offers a deep dive into the psychological horror and literary craftsmanship of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poem. It is ideal for literature students and fans of the Gothic genre seeking to understand the mechanics of madness and grief.

1 h 30 m•3 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

The World of Three Pines

This plan is essential for readers and literary enthusiasts who want to look beyond the mystery and understand the profound human themes of Louise Penny’s work. It is ideal for aspiring writers, book club members, or fans of the series seeking a deeper analysis of Armand Gamache’s character and the healing power of community.

1 h 30 m•3 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

Reading Dark Romance

Dark romance has emerged as a powerful literary genre that explores the shadows of human desire and complex relationship dynamics. This learning plan helps readers understand the psychological appeal of taboo themes, power imbalances, and morally ambiguous characters while developing critical analysis skills for this controversial but increasingly popular genre.

3 h 20 m•4 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

Civil War & Victorian Gothic Learning Feed

This learning plan offers a richly atmospheric alternative to passive social media consumption, transforming screen time into a deep dive through one of history's most fascinating and macabre centuries. It's ideal for history enthusiasts, gothic literature fans, horror game players interested in understanding Bloodborne's inspirations, or anyone drawn to the darker intersections of war, medicine, mortality, and the supernatural in the Victorian era.

4 h 49 m•4 Sections

PLAN D'APPRENTISSAGE

The Road to Canterbury

This plan provides a comprehensive deep dive into the literary architecture and social commentary of medieval England. It is ideal for literature students and history buffs looking to understand how satire and genre were used to challenge the power of the Church and nobility.

1 h 30 m•3 Sections

Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco

LOVED BY

1,000,000+ curious minds.

4.7

avg rating

1M+ learners

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

Decouvrez comment BeFreed est discute sur le web

Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco

LOVED BY

1,000,000+ curious minds.

4.7

avg rating

1M+ learners

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

@Matt, YC alum

108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

4.5K

"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

@SofiaP

"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"

@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

@OojasSalunke

"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."

@Leo, Law Student, UPenn

483

"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

@Cashflowbubu

Decouvrez comment BeFreed est discute sur le web

Commencez votre parcours d'apprentissage, maintenant

Chapitre 9

Le Treizième Conte

AperçuAperçu de Le Treizième Conte

Un livre. De nombreuses façons de l'écouter.

The Haunting Melody of Untold Truths

A House of Secrets and Shadows

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

The Twisted Bonds of Twinship

The Power and Peril of Stories

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

The Mystery of Identity

The Burden of Family Legacy

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

The Transformative Power of Truth

Gardens as Metaphor for Growth and Decay

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

The Healing Power of Connection

The Thirteenth Tale: Stories Left Untold

Vous êtes arrivé au bout de Le Treizième Conte

Thèmes clés dans Le Treizième Conte

Citations de Le Treizième Conte

Personnages de Le Treizième Conte

À propos de l'auteur

Telecharger le resume de Le Treizième Conte

Les utilisateurs ont aussi aimé

FAQ sur ce livre

What is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield about?

Who should read The Thirteenth Tale?

Is The Thirteenth Tale worth reading?

Who is Diane Setterfield and what inspired The Thirteenth Tale?

Découvrir plus

1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

Un livre. De nombreuses façons de l'écouter.

The Haunting Melody of Untold Truths

A House of Secrets and Shadows

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

The Twisted Bonds of Twinship

The Power and Peril of Stories

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

The Mystery of Identity

The Burden of Family Legacy

Voyez chaque mot au fil de l'écoute

The Transformative Power of Truth

Gardens as Metaphor for Growth and Decay

Profitez davantage de Le Treizième Conte

The Healing Power of Connection

The Thirteenth Tale: Stories Left Untold

Vous êtes arrivé au bout de Le Treizième Conte

Les utilisateurs ont aussi aimé

Découvrir plus

Aperçu de Le Treizième Conte