Review
Setterfield's erudite first work of fiction has
all the hallmarks of a classic gothic novel, including the
creepy ruined house, long-kept secrets, a madwoman in the attic
and a dabbling of ghosts, Set in present-day England it has
drawn comparisons to novels by the likes of Daphne du Maurier,
Wilkie Collins and Charlotte Bronte. Speaking in an interview
shortly after
The Thirteenth Tale was published,
Setterfield says, "I read French literature almost exclusively
for more than a decade, so when I left academia, I really wanted
to go back to the English classics which I loved so much as a
teenager. It was very nostalgic for me to write in that sort of
style."
With short chapters often ending on cliff hangers, a female
protagonist with a knack for cracking codes, and a large cast of...
Beyond the Book
What is a gothic novel?
Definitions of a gothic novel abound but
most sources agree that it is one in
which supernatural horrors and an
atmosphere of terror are pervasive, and
where the action usually takes place in
a dark, mysterious building, typically a
castle built in the Gothic architectural
style*.
Horace Walpole's
The Castle of Otranto (1764) is
considered the first gothic novel, but
it was Ann Radcliffe who popularized the
form with novels such as
The Mysteries of Udolpho.
During the 19th century there was a
Gothic revival in...
