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A review by tinaha083
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
5.0
This book blew my mind. I started it at first, and because I love The Thirteenth Tale so much (it’s one of my favorite books of all time) I was expecting this to be similar. It isn’t, and that almost made me judge the book unfairly. Luckily I put it down, stepped away from it for a time, and came back when my mind was more settled and ready for a fairy tale type of story. And, oh my goodness, I’m glad I did.
This book is beautiful. Almost painfully beautiful. There are lines in this book on the subject of stories and storytelling that took my breath away. I never write in books but I wrote in this one multiple times. Diane Setterfield is a master craftsman. While the stories in this and in TTT are completely different, there are themes run through both. I could see Vida Winter having written this book. I could see Margaret having read and loved it. The themes of memory, of family, of regret and grief are equally strong here. The writing is beautiful and just draws you in. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since I finished it, and I’ve already gotten (and begun) the audiobook version. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories. You won’t be sorry you read it.
This book is beautiful. Almost painfully beautiful. There are lines in this book on the subject of stories and storytelling that took my breath away. I never write in books but I wrote in this one multiple times. Diane Setterfield is a master craftsman. While the stories in this and in TTT are completely different, there are themes run through both. I could see Vida Winter having written this book. I could see Margaret having read and loved it. The themes of memory, of family, of regret and grief are equally strong here. The writing is beautiful and just draws you in. I haven’t stopped thinking about this since I finished it, and I’ve already gotten (and begun) the audiobook version. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves stories. You won’t be sorry you read it.