Discussion Question #8
The Thirteenth Tale is a novel constructed of plots within plots, stories intersecting and containing other storie. Margaret’s story frames Miss Winter’s. Miss Winter’s story is itself constructed of two threads: the story of her past, which she is telling Margaret, and her present. Still other stories are drawn in around the edges: the story of Hester’s relationship with Angelfield’s doctor; Mrs. Love’s tale; even a brief biography of Ambrose, Aurelius’s father. Did you find that the structure of the book enhanced its telling, or was it a distraction?