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Thirteen
Stephen Bardot is a taxi driver working the night shift in Brighton. Working such long shifts and driving exhausted, he starts to experience major alterations to his perception of reality. People start to take rides in his cab who know things they shouldn’t, and who ultimately may not even be real. He regularly gives lifts to Valerie—beautiful, haunting, but terminally ill—from 13 Wish Road to her "positive thinking classes" at the community center. When he is no longer asked to drive her, he fears that she is dead, and questions Sal, one of the night operators. Her response turns Stephen’s world upside down. "But Stephen," she tells him, "there is no such address. Wish Road doesn’t have a number 13." As time passes, the world gets weirder. People appear (and disappear) who know far too much about Stephen and his past, and who lure him further and further into the twilight world of Thirteen. But if he asks any questions, he gets hurt. Ultimately, he decides, for the sake of both his safety and his sanity, he must walk away—but Thirteen has no intention of letting him go
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 7, 2019
Una storia misteriosa, particolare, raccontata molto bene dallo scrittore.
Il romanzo inizia un po' raccontandoci il carattere e le abitudini del protagonista e questa parte mi aveva rattristato in un modo esagerato e quasi quasi lo stavo mollando, poi, la "scintilla", che fortunatamente mi ha fatto ricredere.
Un'idea interessante ed intrigante, cioè il protagonista viene "colpito" da alcuni avvenimenti collegati ad un numero, il 13, che cosa significherà?
Il romanzo inizia un po' raccontandoci il carattere e le abitudini del protagonista e questa parte mi aveva rattristato in un modo esagerato e quasi quasi lo stavo mollando, poi, la "scintilla", che fortunatamente mi ha fatto ricredere.
Un'idea interessante ed intrigante, cioè il protagonista viene "colpito" da alcuni avvenimenti collegati ad un numero, il 13, che cosa significherà?
July 24, 2015
Hani böyle insanı yoran kitaplar vardır ya, bu kitap onlardan biri değil. Hareketli ve ilgiyi üzerinde tutmayı başaran bir yapısı var.
Aralıklı olarak kahramanımızdan taksi müşterileriyle ilgili hatıralarını okuyoruz. Sonra esas temaya geri dönüyoruz. Nereye varacak demeye kalmadan yeni bir gizem, ona alışamadan başka bir olay filan. Enteresan ilerliyor yani :) Bir yandan da ilerlemiyormuş gibi bir his yarattı bende. Ama yarıdan sonra hikaye acayip bir hal aldı, elimden de bırakamadım. Öyle bitiverdi :)
Aralıklı olarak kahramanımızdan taksi müşterileriyle ilgili hatıralarını okuyoruz. Sonra esas temaya geri dönüyoruz. Nereye varacak demeye kalmadan yeni bir gizem, ona alışamadan başka bir olay filan. Enteresan ilerliyor yani :) Bir yandan da ilerlemiyormuş gibi bir his yarattı bende. Ama yarıdan sonra hikaye acayip bir hal aldı, elimden de bırakamadım. Öyle bitiverdi :)
March 4, 2016
A mind bending plot, in which you are never sure what is real and what isn't. Raced through the 250 pages in 3 days, and thoroughly enjoyed the story. Having done some night shift work, I know how the change in sleeping patterns can mess with your head. I found the ending ambiguous, but I suppose that was the point. An explanation and neat ending would have spoiled it. Still thinking about it 2 days later, which can only mean it got under my skin, and made me think. Recommended
July 31, 2014
Stephen Bardot is a taxi driver who works nights. He regularly picks up a woman he dubs “Valerie” from her address at 13 Wish Road in Brighton and observes her dying of cancer. When she stops calling, he fears the worst and asks the switch if she’s called recently. He is told that there is no 13 Wish Road.
Thirteen is not a number. It is a state of mind,
From here, we join Stephen on the most remarkable journey as he sees to discover the truth behind “Valerie” and the disappearing address. What unfolds is a foray into an extra dimension of existence, or madness.
The intense atmosphere never lets up. Beaumont sucks you in. He slowly unravels the mystery a layer at a time, building steadily from Stephen’s piqued interest to the point of utter obsession. Each reveal, each deeper delve into this world, is incremental and wonderfully paced.
We meet four main characters from Thirteen: Valerie; The Nurse/Helena who attends her; Seymour, Helena’s brother; and Phoenix, the devastatingly beautiful girl that crosses his path. Each have a real gravitas so that whenever they are around, each line seems crucial and every scene is important.
Alongside the main story, Stephen shares some antidotes of his taxiing career which the introduction tells us are Beaumont’s true experiences. Occasionally they pop up at annoying times, but they are often poignant and interesting. Before each chapter is a brief snippet of what SB (both Bardot and Beaumont it seems) heard in the back of his cab. These throwaway gems from the commuting public provide some great comic relief.
As the plot progresses towards its climax, there are some genuine shocks that take you by complete surprise. The conclusion is mostly satisfying, answering many of the big questions at least partially but still maintaining an air of enigma. There are some things I would have liked more concrete answers to, but the spirit rather than the detail of Thirteen is more or less explained.
A fascinating journey into one man’s mind or madness, or neither or both, that never drops the ball for a second.
Thirteen is not a number. It is a state of mind,
From here, we join Stephen on the most remarkable journey as he sees to discover the truth behind “Valerie” and the disappearing address. What unfolds is a foray into an extra dimension of existence, or madness.
The intense atmosphere never lets up. Beaumont sucks you in. He slowly unravels the mystery a layer at a time, building steadily from Stephen’s piqued interest to the point of utter obsession. Each reveal, each deeper delve into this world, is incremental and wonderfully paced.
We meet four main characters from Thirteen: Valerie; The Nurse/Helena who attends her; Seymour, Helena’s brother; and Phoenix, the devastatingly beautiful girl that crosses his path. Each have a real gravitas so that whenever they are around, each line seems crucial and every scene is important.
Alongside the main story, Stephen shares some antidotes of his taxiing career which the introduction tells us are Beaumont’s true experiences. Occasionally they pop up at annoying times, but they are often poignant and interesting. Before each chapter is a brief snippet of what SB (both Bardot and Beaumont it seems) heard in the back of his cab. These throwaway gems from the commuting public provide some great comic relief.
As the plot progresses towards its climax, there are some genuine shocks that take you by complete surprise. The conclusion is mostly satisfying, answering many of the big questions at least partially but still maintaining an air of enigma. There are some things I would have liked more concrete answers to, but the spirit rather than the detail of Thirteen is more or less explained.
A fascinating journey into one man’s mind or madness, or neither or both, that never drops the ball for a second.
September 5, 2014
My feelings were, and still are, rather mixed on this book. I enjoyed it, I know that much. It's interesting and weird and actively makes you think and ponder, rather than being a passive reader. But also, ultimately, it left me unfulfilled. I can't exactly say why, either, because I don't know. It sets up these characters that, no matter how much we (slowly) learn of them, I constantly want to know more about. Strange and unexplained events occur, that even when the story is finished and everything seemingly revealed, are not explained. I was left with only questions. I wanted everything that had happened to be real, but had been given nothing that could allow me to believe that. It was also not stated that these people, these events, had been imaginary. Quite the contrary; it is stated unequivocally that they are real. So really, I was just left with a "Whaaaa?" feeling. But maybe that was the point, given that the author's day job is as a psychotherapeutic counselor, it wouldn't surprise me.
November 8, 2016
Kitabın dili çok hafifti, rahatça okudum. Yer yer merakımı da uyandırdı ancak sonu açık uçluydu. Yazar öyle bir yerde bıraktı ki nereye çekseniz oluyor. Sonu kitaba ayrı bir yakışmıştı, daha net olsa sevinirdim ama böyle de güzel oldu bence. Bu arada kitabın türü ne bilemedim, ne desem de oluyor, fantastik ögeler de var ancak fantastik değil, her şeyden biraz var ama hiçbiri değildi.
Şöyle böyle güzel ve farklı bir kitaptı. Durgundu ancak güzeldi, iyi bir değişiklik oldu, farklı bir şeyler okumak isterseniz size de öneririm. Sanırım ben kitabın en çok farklı oluşunu sevdim, kitap olarak farklı ama karakterler açısından ise bir o kadar sıradan. Çok etkilenmeseniz bile farklı ve hoş zaman geçirebilirsiniz.
Ayrıntılı yorum için; http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
Şöyle böyle güzel ve farklı bir kitaptı. Durgundu ancak güzeldi, iyi bir değişiklik oldu, farklı bir şeyler okumak isterseniz size de öneririm. Sanırım ben kitabın en çok farklı oluşunu sevdim, kitap olarak farklı ama karakterler açısından ise bir o kadar sıradan. Çok etkilenmeseniz bile farklı ve hoş zaman geçirebilirsiniz.
Ayrıntılı yorum için; http://yorumatolyesi.blogspot.com/201...
May 31, 2020
Really unique and unnerving. I liked the fact that i could never be sure what was really happening. This carried on through till the end and I'm still not sure what was real.
Such a surreal atmosphere where everything was just slightly not how it should be. Really interesting idea and I love how it was all expored through the time of the night when everything seems whimsical.
Such a surreal atmosphere where everything was just slightly not how it should be. Really interesting idea and I love how it was all expored through the time of the night when everything seems whimsical.
January 1, 2022
A mind bending story where it’s hard to keep up with what’s real and what’s in Stephen’s head. I’m local to Brighton & Hove so loved his descriptions of taxi journeys and where he was in the city. The story takes a sudden weird turn towards the end as Stephen struggles to deal with past trauma that I didn’t expect… but I was left feeling like I needed more closure and explanation at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2013
I liked the taxi stories and the fast-paced writing style. The more mysterious angle of the story, though, was a bit farfetched for me. I'm not a big fan of open endings either.
July 26, 2014
Strange dream-like quality. A bit weird.
April 19, 2020
I have really mixed feelings about this book. The writing is incredible, beautiful description and a powerful way of pulling you in. The anecdotes of real life taxiing experiences were a brilliant touch. Overall though, I just felt more frustrated than Stephen at the lack of answers to his questions throughout the book. And although I understand the ending was meant to be ambiguous and did answer some questions, it didn’t feel as satisfying as I had hoped but it was a really good book.
April 12, 2023
If you like inside no.9 you’ll like this and I did too! A sad,lonely taxi driver navigates the streets of Brighton and at times it reads like a love letter to the city and to all the weird and wacky characters we have. At times the depressed observations about life get a little bit trite BUT the magical realism element drives the story forward even if there are a few plot holes.
June 9, 2019
I picked this up from a charity shop, mainly because it's set in Brighton and Hove where I live. It was a good read but nothing mind blowing and the ending felt kind of unsatifying and like it's a plot twist I've seen a lot. Maybe if I hadn't read Eleanor Olliphant recently I'd enjoy it more.
October 23, 2023
Definitely a plot that will stay with me. I enjoyed trying to piece together what was happening along with the main character. The ending, though deliberately open-ended, didn't feel as satisfying as I had hoped.
April 25, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. A kind of distorted reality story that really gets you thinking about what is real and what isn't.
November 11, 2022
Taxi driver, nightcrawler and fight club lovechild
October 13, 2024
3.5
Intriguing but not what I wanted it to be.
Intriguing but not what I wanted it to be.
February 13, 2017
Çok çocukça yazılmış ve bir sürü yazım hatası var içinde. Pek beğenmedim, bitsin diye okudum.
January 14, 2021
Good read throughout but tailed off towards the end, could have been much more.
Stephen is a taxi driver in Brighton who experiences strange episodes whilst exhausted from doing the night shift. Are his experiences real? Are the people involved real?
An event that happened when Stephen was a child will resurface and have a bearing on whether the events happening in his life now are all in his head or that the Thirteen group actually exist.
Stephen is a taxi driver in Brighton who experiences strange episodes whilst exhausted from doing the night shift. Are his experiences real? Are the people involved real?
An event that happened when Stephen was a child will resurface and have a bearing on whether the events happening in his life now are all in his head or that the Thirteen group actually exist.
August 13, 2009
Since this doesn't seem to have a synopsis, I'll paste one from Bookcrosser Netstation, who is responsible for my having picked up this book.
Thirteen is not a number, it is a state of mind. "Thirteen" is the story of Stephen Bardot, a taxi driver working on the night shift in Brighton. He works such long shifts that he is often driving while exhausted, and it is then that he starts to experience major alterations to his perception of reality. People start to take lifts in his cab who know things they shouldn't, and who ultimately may not even be real, although the question of what constitutes reality forms one of the basic themes of the novel.
He regularly gives lifts to Valerie - beautiful, haunting, but terminal - from 13 Wish Road to her 'positive thinking classes' at the Cornerstone Community Centre on Palmeira Square. When he is no longer asked to collect her, he fears that she is dead, and queries this with Sal, one of the night operators. Her response turns Stephen's world upside down. 'But Stephen,' she tells him, 'there is no such address. Wish Road doesn't have a number thirteen.' She's right. Wish Road's odd numbers are 7, 9, 11, 11a, 15, 17... And number 11a looks totally different from the house he thinks of as number Thirteen. So where has he been collecting Valerie from all this time? A house that doesn't exist? As time passes, the world gets weirder. People appear (and disappear) who know far too much about Stephen and his past, and who lure him further and further into the twilight world of Thirteen. But if he asks any questions, he gets hurt. Ultimately, he decides, for the sake of both his safety and his sanity, he must walk away. But "Thirteen" has no intention of letting him go...
It's a book with two distinct worlds: although they theoretically overlap there is a clear demarcation between them in terms of style as well as material.
Stephen's tales of his fares when he is awake are amusing or/and interesting, clearly autobiographical but, to someone who has a friend who is a Canberra cabbie, not at all surprising. They are concise vignettes that would make a good blog or collection of anecdotes to sell to tourists wanting a flavour of Brighton.
The surreal story is, I'm afraid, not so convincing: Stephen seems to struggle to find different ways to describe it so, although he finds out more about how it works, his knowledge of what it is - or at least ours - never seems to get any clearer. It's consistent and as complete as it needs to be, but the world of Thirteen lacks a reason for being there, a rationale, and so feels like a bolt-on or a recurring dream sequence rather than the sort of convincing alternative reality in which say Murakami's characters find themselves. Magic realism is a difficult thing to write methinks.
Thirteen is not a number, it is a state of mind. "Thirteen" is the story of Stephen Bardot, a taxi driver working on the night shift in Brighton. He works such long shifts that he is often driving while exhausted, and it is then that he starts to experience major alterations to his perception of reality. People start to take lifts in his cab who know things they shouldn't, and who ultimately may not even be real, although the question of what constitutes reality forms one of the basic themes of the novel.
He regularly gives lifts to Valerie - beautiful, haunting, but terminal - from 13 Wish Road to her 'positive thinking classes' at the Cornerstone Community Centre on Palmeira Square. When he is no longer asked to collect her, he fears that she is dead, and queries this with Sal, one of the night operators. Her response turns Stephen's world upside down. 'But Stephen,' she tells him, 'there is no such address. Wish Road doesn't have a number thirteen.' She's right. Wish Road's odd numbers are 7, 9, 11, 11a, 15, 17... And number 11a looks totally different from the house he thinks of as number Thirteen. So where has he been collecting Valerie from all this time? A house that doesn't exist? As time passes, the world gets weirder. People appear (and disappear) who know far too much about Stephen and his past, and who lure him further and further into the twilight world of Thirteen. But if he asks any questions, he gets hurt. Ultimately, he decides, for the sake of both his safety and his sanity, he must walk away. But "Thirteen" has no intention of letting him go...
It's a book with two distinct worlds: although they theoretically overlap there is a clear demarcation between them in terms of style as well as material.
Stephen's tales of his fares when he is awake are amusing or/and interesting, clearly autobiographical but, to someone who has a friend who is a Canberra cabbie, not at all surprising. They are concise vignettes that would make a good blog or collection of anecdotes to sell to tourists wanting a flavour of Brighton.
The surreal story is, I'm afraid, not so convincing: Stephen seems to struggle to find different ways to describe it so, although he finds out more about how it works, his knowledge of what it is - or at least ours - never seems to get any clearer. It's consistent and as complete as it needs to be, but the world of Thirteen lacks a reason for being there, a rationale, and so feels like a bolt-on or a recurring dream sequence rather than the sort of convincing alternative reality in which say Murakami's characters find themselves. Magic realism is a difficult thing to write methinks.
April 22, 2024
I liked the mystique, and thought overall it built up nicely. The main character was quite relatable and well-described. There were some good "twists", and information was released at just the right speed. The ending was too short/abrupt.
October 1, 2008
This was a book I picked by browsing Myrmidon's website - the small independent UK publisher of the marvelous Gift of Rain and the funny Isambard Smith series - and its description about a night shift taxi driver and his journey into surreality intrigued me and then the excerpt hooked me.
The novel is excellent - page turner but also makes you think and I had to reread it once to pick up some extra clues and even then and the ending while quite fitting left me wondering a lot.
Stephen Bardot a down on his luck Englishman in his late twenties - he was the CEO of his dad's company since he was 20 and his father died and rode the technological wave into bankruptcy - lets school friend Graham pick up a job for him as a last resort to get out of his extended depression.
Graham asks Stephen to work a year as a night shift taxi driver, and soon his excursions into unreality start when he discovers that a house at number thirteen on Wish Road where he used to pick a young dying woman for her treatment does not exist.
Investigating the mystery, Stephen enters the world of Thirteen and meets its denizens, leading him to great joy but great danger too, especially that once you enter, Thirteen does not look kindly upon you if you want to leave...
Superb book and Mr. Beaumont's new novel The Juggler due Nov 08 became a buy on publication read on arrival book for me
The novel is excellent - page turner but also makes you think and I had to reread it once to pick up some extra clues and even then and the ending while quite fitting left me wondering a lot.
Stephen Bardot a down on his luck Englishman in his late twenties - he was the CEO of his dad's company since he was 20 and his father died and rode the technological wave into bankruptcy - lets school friend Graham pick up a job for him as a last resort to get out of his extended depression.
Graham asks Stephen to work a year as a night shift taxi driver, and soon his excursions into unreality start when he discovers that a house at number thirteen on Wish Road where he used to pick a young dying woman for her treatment does not exist.
Investigating the mystery, Stephen enters the world of Thirteen and meets its denizens, leading him to great joy but great danger too, especially that once you enter, Thirteen does not look kindly upon you if you want to leave...
Superb book and Mr. Beaumont's new novel The Juggler due Nov 08 became a buy on publication read on arrival book for me
January 18, 2011
Thirteen is a very very bizarre book, that I still can’t make up my mind whether I would recommend to anyone or not. I”d probably read it again myself, but probably just so that I can be sure that I’ve really taken it all in.
It starts off with the story of a guy who loses everything and for very odd reasons, becomes a cabbie in Brighton. He does permanent night shifts and ends up ‘zoning’ and seeing people/things that aren’t necessarily there and experiencing stuff that’s inexplicable – all connected to a house at 13, Wish Road which isn’t always there.
I am not going to pretend that I understood absolutely everything that happened but there were some good psychological messages in amongst all the weirdness. It ended up going in a completely unpredictable direction, which personally I like as I don’t always like everything to be obvious from the outset.
If you are a fan of ‘odd’ books, then give it a go – you wont be disappointed.
It starts off with the story of a guy who loses everything and for very odd reasons, becomes a cabbie in Brighton. He does permanent night shifts and ends up ‘zoning’ and seeing people/things that aren’t necessarily there and experiencing stuff that’s inexplicable – all connected to a house at 13, Wish Road which isn’t always there.
I am not going to pretend that I understood absolutely everything that happened but there were some good psychological messages in amongst all the weirdness. It ended up going in a completely unpredictable direction, which personally I like as I don’t always like everything to be obvious from the outset.
If you are a fan of ‘odd’ books, then give it a go – you wont be disappointed.
November 26, 2008
I had high hopes for this one, but somehow it felt a bit short.
I liked reading about an area I was familiar with. However the weakness came for me by Beaumont trying to do two things at once. In part a collection of taxi-driving anecdotes coupled with a rather creepy tale. Perhaps either would have worked on their own, but together they clunked a bit.
I think Beaumont's writing was strongest when retelling events that had actually happened to him. It had a clear autobiographical tone. When it came to the more imaginative passages the prose felt a bit dull. At times he seemed to be using the same phrases again and again as if a little unsure how to stretch his writing.
I feel sure he has great potential to develop and gain confidence in his written voice, and look forward to seeing where his next novel takes us.
I liked reading about an area I was familiar with. However the weakness came for me by Beaumont trying to do two things at once. In part a collection of taxi-driving anecdotes coupled with a rather creepy tale. Perhaps either would have worked on their own, but together they clunked a bit.
I think Beaumont's writing was strongest when retelling events that had actually happened to him. It had a clear autobiographical tone. When it came to the more imaginative passages the prose felt a bit dull. At times he seemed to be using the same phrases again and again as if a little unsure how to stretch his writing.
I feel sure he has great potential to develop and gain confidence in his written voice, and look forward to seeing where his next novel takes us.
July 15, 2009
An interesting mish-mash of a book this one. The grounded, real-life tales of being a night time taxi driver in Brighton mix with the hazy, surreal depictions of the world of Thirteen that the narrator can only reach once sleep deprived until the line between the two becomes completely blurred. I found it all rather evocative of Haruki Murakami what with the bemused male narrator, the succession of compelling yet unsettling women and the use of magic realism and though it doesn't quite matc up to his work neither does it suffer for the comparison.
It certainly picks up pace in the second half, though as others have said the conclusion doesn't quite live up to what has preceded it. Although I wasn't expecting definitive answers I did find it a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Overall a fascinating tale which really draws you into its world and definitely left me wanting more!
It certainly picks up pace in the second half, though as others have said the conclusion doesn't quite live up to what has preceded it. Although I wasn't expecting definitive answers I did find it a somewhat unsatisfying ending. Overall a fascinating tale which really draws you into its world and definitely left me wanting more!
May 15, 2016
The two main draws of this book are the authors' ability to accurately describe various states of mind that are engendered during prolonged periods of staying awake, and his stories of the strange ways people behave when they're out late at night. Sebastian Beaumont is a man who understands the appeal of being out during a cold, rainy night. Pretty thematically interesting, too; I'd say the main question this novel posed is whether introspection or relentless activity is the key to a happy life. Decent psychological mystery plot, nothing that really surprised me, but it wasn't terrible. Only the main character is really developed. Picked this up for 50 cents at a library sale, at that price it was definitely worth it.
July 31, 2015
Oh look, it was interesting enough and there were some creepy and surprisingly dark moments. It wasn't tied up neatly with a bow and certain aspects seem irreconcilable, which is fine. However, the trick with ambiguity and irreconcilability is to get the balance right and this book doesn't quite do that.
There was a quaint moment towards the end when the narrator needed an Internet cafe because he had to send an email—ah were we ever that young?
There was a quaint moment towards the end when the narrator needed an Internet cafe because he had to send an email—ah were we ever that young?
October 23, 2008
This was really wholesome dark, psychological fun. Described as Edgar Allen Poe driving a taxi cab, the premise of the book becomes obvious somewhere in the middle, but you still want to work with the protagonist to work out his inner demons, and the line between real and not is blurred in a decidedly different way than Garcia-Marquez and Poe before him.
July 27, 2011
A great premise, but I don't think Beaumont did enough with it. The revelation towards the end didn't pack the punch it was supposed to and I was left disappointed.
I did love the real life quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and the driving anecdotes though. An author with huge potential for the future.
I did love the real life quotes at the beginning of each chapter, and the driving anecdotes though. An author with huge potential for the future.
March 6, 2012
I was really taken in by the story. Some of the oddity's I've experienced my self and so felt a connection with the characters but sadly the ending, the moment of revelation was very predictable. It fell and failed at the final hurdle.
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