The Nature of Things

I know that I must have heard and read of this book when it came out in 2006, but when the facilitator at my local book club suggested it for reading in January, I did not remember it or the author. The book made quite a splash when it came out. It was Setterfield's first (and, apparently, so far only) novel. It garnered a good bit of praise from critics and was nominated for some literary prizes, so, after having it brought to my attention again, I looked forward to reading it. It started promisingly enough. Setterfield does have a talent for stringing words together and creating an atmosphere, and atmosphere is what this Gothic tale is all about. It has been compared to Jane Eyre , Wuthering Heights , The Woman in White  and other books of that ilk. Indeed, The Thirteenth Tale itself refers continually throughout to Jane Ey re and the plot hangs on that reference. Personally, it reminded me of Daphne du Maurier, one of my reading passions when I was a teenager. I loved her book...