Book Review: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I found this book somewhat unsatisfying and actually rather annoying in the way it was written.  The author was obviously writing the book from the eyes of the main character, Margaret Lea.  However, one chapter to the next would jump from having Margaret’s story as the current text to Vida Winter’s story as the current text with no clear destinction between the two.  This confused me several times.  

I also don’t see how Adeline can be suggested as Vida Winter’s childhood name/character through about three quarters of the book when all along she isn’t.  How then does Vida Winter tell her story as Adeline to Margaret if she isn’t that person?  

The book doesn’t appear to be placed specifically at any point in time, but I felt that it must have been set in a victorian period.  No modern facilities are mentioned at least.  

How people with such serious mental illnesses can be left to their own devices for so long by authorities (even in victorian or older times) seems totally unrealistic.  Doctors are mentioned throughout the book, why on earth didn’t the doctor have Adeline and the uncle, Charles, committed for such serious mental problems?

I found the book long winded, unrealistic, tedious and confusing.  Not my sort of thing at all.

My score:  2 out of 5