The Thirteenth Tale, Wuthering High and other news

The Sacramento Bee reviews several books that appear this Fall. The Thirteenth Tale written by Diane Setterfield and published by Orion (in UK) / Atria (US) next September, is one of them. The reviewer is a little bit confused about who wrote what:

Here's a novel brimming with atmosphere and labyrinthine plotting that recalls the gothic-like chillers by Daphne du Maurier and Joyce Carol Oates, spiced with flavors reminiscent of "Jane Eyre" and "Wuthering Heights" by Charlotte Bronte (sic !!!!). The language is rich, the elements intriguing _ a secluded mansion populated by brooding characters, musty family secrets that must be unearthed, and ghostly presences that appear and vanish.

Vida Winter is a legendary author who over the decades has taken delight in making up stories about her past, most of which she tells during interviews with journalists. Now ill and aged, she wishes to tell the truth about her life. To that end, Winter commissions young but troubled Margaret Lea to move in to the ancestral estate, listen to her stories and write her biography. Lea, an amateur biographer, slowly learns that Winter's truth is far more bizarre than any of the fictitious versions she has fabricated.

Setterfield teaches French in England. "The Thirteenth Tale" is her debut novel, and was the subject of an international bidding war last year. Movie rights are expected to be snatched up soon.

On amazon.co.uk, a reviewer gives a more precise information of the Brontë connections:

This is, quite simply, a rattling good yarn and that is not meant to sound derogatory in any way. One of those unputdownable books that take the reader over from the first page and leave you feeling bereft at the end. The story has everything, twins, a governess, house on a remote moor, a governess, warring siblings, abandoned baby, a fire - from this, it is clear to see that the author loves Jane Eyre (in fact quotes and references to this book abound) and, in the general decay and characteristics of its inmates, we are forcibly reminded of Wuthering Heights. There is a sneaky reference to Henry James The Turn of the Screw that sets your thoughts off at another tangent, and, in case you think this sounds all too gloomy and gothic, there are descriptions of the grounds and the gardener that make you think of The Secret Garden.
(Elaine Simpson-Long)

The Independent mentions the infamous Bloomsbury's editions of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights that we have reported several times in the past.

Do you remember Cara Lockwood's Wuthering High? On ALAN online you can find an interview with the author:

Can you describe WUTHERING HIGH for our readers?
Wuthering High is the story of a haunted boarding school called Bard Academy. The ghosts are no ordinary ghosts, and while I don't want to spoil the ending, I will say that the lives of the students start to reflect classic books, like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. (...)

What are your plans for your next novel? Can you give us a peek? Yes! My next novel is a sequel to Wuthering High, and it's called The Scarlet Letterman. Miranda is back in book two, as well as love interests Ryan Kent and Heathcliff, who are still both trying to win her affection.

The Sydney Morning Herald's reporter Keith Austin travels around Lancashire County and visits Wycoller Hall:

My next stop is the car-free village of Wycoller (ancient bridges, old barns, Pierson's House - thought to be Ferndean Manor from Jane Eyre), which is an absolute delight. So all is well with the world. This is it, this is the green and pleasant land that you dream of, the England of myth made real.

Mark Richardson on Pitchford talks about the impact of listen to Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights in the late 70s:

But I heard "Wuthering Heights" and discovered that I wanted to live inside the song, to play it over again to see if I could figure out what made it so moving.

Categories: In_the_News, Books, References