The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

I am a repressed ghost fanatic. I don't think I've ever acknowledged that before, even to myself. Ghost stories never fail to hold my attention. Despite the fact that I scare easily, I am unable to turn away. Movies, books, and segments in historical study will be twice as interesting to me if there is even the possibility of the presence of a ghost.

I opened The Thirteenth Tale not expecting a ghost story. Somehow I overlooked the fact that the Editor's Review on Amazon.com begins with the words, "Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story..." But the ghosts in this book are not the sort that haunt the pages of Stephen King or Peter Straub. They are the sort of ghosts that mirror those that haunt our own lives: the ghosts of stories left untold, the ghosts of people we used to be, the ghosts of things that could have been. They are those sort of ghosts as well as the sort that lurk in corners or behind curtains.

On the pages of this book, the character Miss Winter says, "You are at liberty to say nothing, if that is what you want. But silence is not a natural environment for stories. They need words. Without them they grow pale, sicken and die. And then they haunt you."

That is the sort of ghost that haunts the pages of this book, and it is the sort of ghost that has haunted my mind since I read the final page. This is the sort of book that leaves a residue even after you've placed it back on the shelf, even after you've taken up another book. In this way Diane Setterfield harkens back to those who have haunted minds for centuries. This book gives the illusion of being a classic despite its recent release, despite its somewhat contemporary setting.

The story is that of a young, bookish woman (which is what got me reading the book) who works in her father's antiquarian bookshop. Margaret Lea loves to read the diaries of obscure people of the past and has written the biographies of several of these people. A few of them have been published, and because of this, Vida Winter, "the world's most famous living author" writes to her to commission a biography. Miss Winter has never told her own story. She has given dozens of personal interviews in which she gave the reporter a story, but each of the stories she provided was a fabrication. However, Miss Winter knows she is nearing the end of her life and therefore feels the need to finally tell the truth so that her story might not die with her.

Being the reader of diaries and other antiquarian books, Margaret has never read any of Miss Winter's books. Having been asked to write the novelist's biography, she feels obliged to familiarize herself with what she has written. She begins with Vida Winter's debut, The Thirteen Tales. She is engrossed, and as she approaches the end of the book, she realizes that there are only twelve stories within it. This is only one of the mysteries that make Miss Winter so famous (aside from the fact that her books are fantastically written). "The Thirteenth Tale" is her story.

I really need to read another not so great book to review because all of my reviews seem to end the same way: "I recommend this book." If you enjoy books like Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights, you will enjoy The Thirteenth Tale. The resolution of the mystery is sure to surprise you, but it doesn't come out of nowhere. The clues are laid out for you to find. Setterfield never pulls the answer out of thin air. It was there all along. That, I think, is the only sort of mystery worth reading.

Disclaimer: Most of this book was read while I should have been doing homework. However, all of said homework was completed in time for class. There is no need to worry.

Peter Pan in Scarlet by Geraldine McCaughrean

If you've read or even looked briefly at my book list, you know that Peter Pan is at the top. For a long while, it was my official favorite book, and my online moniker was "iluvpeterpan" for an even longer while. I was a member of an online fan club, a drawer of fan art, and a hater of all superficial fans (ie., people who "love" Peter Pan but haven't read the book).

A couple years ago, while I frequented an extensive fan website (peterpanfan.com), I read about a worldwide search being conducted by the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (which holds the rights to J.M. Barrie's play and his novel) for an author to pen the first authorized sequel to the novel Peter Pan. After I wrote three mediocre lines of a sample chapter, I put the idea out of my mind and proceeded to forget entirely about the imminent sequel.

Then, the night before it was released, while browsing Amazon.com, I was informed that I still had time to pre-order a copy of Peter Pan in Scarlet, and seeing as I have a passion for children's literature (especially classical), I did.

Now that I have read the book, I'm not sure what to say. I know a lot of Peter Pan fans are a bit wary of the book (I was) because (obviously) it isn't authored by the magnificent Sir James Matthew Barrie. In spite of my hesitation, which in many cases would have sealed the fate of a book before I ever opened it, I was delighted by this book. Geraldine McCaughrean pays great homage to Barrie throughout her novel, from the dedication to the afterword. The tone and diction are incredibly similar to that of the original. Elements are incredibly nonsensical in the most logical way. You say to yourself, “Well, of course that's how an adult would get to Neverland.”

The basic story is that Wendy, John, and the Lost Boys (who, in case you only know the Disney movie, are adopted by the Darlings) have grown up, but they begin to dream of Neverland and wake up to find Neverland “souvenirs” tucked away in their bedclothes or hidden under their pillows. At one point, the Twins awake to find themselves wearing warpaint. The Lost Boys (or the Old Boys as they are now called) are lost as to what this could mean, but Wendy, in the typical Wendy way, knows that something must be amiss in Neverland. Thus, they undertake to find a method by which to return to Neverland in order to offer help in righting whatever is wrong.

McCaughrean introduces hoards of new characters that seem to be knit into the Neverland lore as if they had always been a part of it, and she paints familiar characters in such a new light that you do not know them when they look you in the eye.

Much of the theme, as in the original, is that of growing up, and though some may argue the contrary, I think that much of Barrie's point in his novel (and play) is that growing up is essential and good. McCaughrean also shows us that point but in a more obvious way. However, the idea is that growing up is essential in time. Growing up too fast or before the appropriate time is a betrayal of goodness and beauty.

What really struck home to me is that much of the story focuses on those who have broken the Rule and have grown up. They think there is no going back. Neverland and Peter Pan are lost to them, but McCaughrean tells us that we can return. While Barrie ended his book with the declaration that Wendy cannot return because she has grown up and forgotten how to fly, McCaughrean sends the grown ups back to Neverland by having them simply stop being grown up. (Why didn't I think of that?)

In the end, I was very satisfied with this book. More than satisfied. I think that the first page of this book could be read immediately after reading the last page of Peter Pan without the change of authors being noticeable. All Peter Pan fans and fans of classical children's literature in general should pick up this book.

Check out PeterPanInScarlet.com for more information.

A Book List: Intensified

Now, a good long while after I posted my first list of books, I think I'll add a bit to it. I think I'll go through the list and give some explanation of the book (what it's about, why I like it, etc.), and I may add some books and leave some out. We'll see.

Peter Pan by Sir James M. Barrie
As I said in my original post, this is forever on my list and near the top. It's a classic, but it isn't often found alongside classics. It is a familiar children's story (who hasn't seen the movie, musical, or play?), but there is so much more to it. Barrie interjects wit amid the action-packed story with insights into childhood, adulthood, and womanhood.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
This is the title I provide when asked my favorite book. I found it by accident when I was seventeen, and I knew (magically) that this would be my favorite book after reading the opening line: "I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." Cassandra Mortmain is seventeen and an aspiring writer (which is exactly what I was when I picked up this book). Her father is well known himself for having written a groundbreaking novel but since writing it, hasn't written a thing. Their family, which includes an older sister, a younger brother, and a stepmother, has fallen into near-destitution. Luckily for them, a pair of wealthy American brothers arrive in town (in the most Austen-ish way imaginable), and things start to look up. However, nothing is ever that simple.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Have you heard of this book? I hope so. After The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, this is my vote for the Great American Novel. It is an epic story that focuses mostly on Francie Nolan, an Irish-Austrian American girl living in Brooklyn in the second decade of the 20th century, but it also traces her story back to its roots in the stories of her mother, father, and even grandparents. Betty Smith is like an American Dickens, painting portraits of even the most insignificant characters. There is no one two dimensional. Once I had finished reading, I felt like I had spent a lifetime in Brooklyn. As many very good novels do, this one touches on some heavy subjects, so I wouldn't recommend this book for anybody under maybe thirteen.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris
This book on the other hand is fabulous for kids of any age, including 19-going-on-20 year olds. It's a funny, easy to read novel that tells the story of Christian, a young inventor who blackmails a kindly troll into letting him live in his cave because at home "there're too many stupid rules." As Christian grows up, he falls for Marigold, the princess who lives in the castle across the river. They've never met, but Christian watches her with his telescope and sends her notes using homing pigeons. You can probably guess how the story will end, but it's the getting there that really makes this book great (and there are still plenty of surprises that will catch you off-guard). This fairytale shows what it means to love another person in a way that classic fairytales never even attempted.

The Piano Tuner: A Novel by Daniel Mason
A quiet piano tuner from London is hired to travel to Burma to tune the piano of an officer stationed deep in the jungle. All throughout his journey, there is something that no one will tell him, but still he journeys on, blindly following the instruction of the British army. Meanwhile, his artist soul falls in love with the Burmese country and its people, and he changes entirely from a blind follower to a man who takes a stand. My summary does this novel little justice. Daniel Mason (on whom I've developed a clandestine infatuation) paints a vivid picture of the landscape, atmosphere, and people. This book put Burma (or Myanmar) on my list of places to go before I die.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Okay, so maybe this is second on my list of Great American Novels. I can't decide. I probably don't need even to write about this one. Mockingbird is one of those books that becomes part of you once you have read it. Jean Louise Finch, better known as Scout, is one of my favorite narrators ever. She is a small girl in segregated Alabama. Her father, the renowned Atticus Finch, is a lawyer whose sense of right and wrong is practically divine. The novel, for the most part, tells the story of a controversial trial in which Atticus Finch defends a black man who most everyone has already decided is guilty, but what changes the story from a courtroom drama to (almost) a coming of age novel is that the point of view is that of a child. Rather than let us as rational adults say, "Yes, I know this is right and that is wrong," we are forced to learn for the first time along with Scout that people can be cruel and the good guys don't always win.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
If you love the movie, you must read the book. It's just like the movie except that there's more. The characters you love are given backgrounds of such depth that after reading the book, it's hard to comprehend that viewers of the movie can be satisfied with just what is shown there. William Goldman also wrote the screenplay, so you need not worry about plots changing between the two. There really isn't anymore to say. If you like true love or dazzling swordfights or brilliant rescues or seemingly hopeless plights, there is no question that you will enjoy this book.

So that's fewer than I intended, but really, I can't go on. I have actual academic reading to do for class, and my room mate is beginning to give me odd looks. I've been sitting at this computer for too long.