MovieChat Forums > The Thirteenth Tale (2013) Discussion > Only one question I need clearing up?

Only one question I need clearing up?

posted 11 years ago by timstar
5 replies | jump to latest

Whose body did the police find in the grounds of the old house?

I suspect it was the old gardener?

[–] Carl-LaFong 11 years ago

Charlie's. The three girls' father. The one who shot himself in the woods.

Redgrave had found his body but said she'd never told anyone else about it and had just left it there. (Presumably so that outside adults would assume he was still alive so they'd be less likely to take the girls away from the house.)

You`re my wife now.

[–] enangatrade 11 years ago

They found the real Adeline's remains in the room where she had started the fire. (And consequently, in the next scene, Margaret Lea realizes there had been a third girl in the house - otherwise there would have been no bones there to find.)

[–] Patty1234 11 years ago

I assumed it was Charlie's body, because the living twin was looking for her sister under the earth (so was she buried somewhere?) Presumably Charlie's body was just left to rot where it lay.
It's been so long since I read the book, I don't remember if it was explained in there.

[–] enangatrade 11 years ago

Didn't Charlie kill himself further in the woods in some kind of thicket, so that his body couldn't have been found so near the house?

But this question does get complicated: which twin was it that survived the fire, and what was she looking for, digging in the garden? Here are some interesting theories and some discussion of the film and this question of the body they found, too: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/90664-spoiler-alert-was-it-adeline-or-emmeline

I listened the audiobook only a year ago but apparently didn't notice how open-ended it all was, just took it for granted that it was Emmeline who survived. ;)

[–] mereiriz 11 years ago

You are absolutely right about the twins. I came here to talk about it because I noticed there was no mention of it. In the book it is implied that Adeline could've been the one who survived the fire. I've read the book many times because I really love it and I've always thought that Emmeline died and Adeline survived. Although it's not clear-cut, I prefer this theory because it makes the story even darker.