Macbeth: A Novel by David Hewson and A. J. Hartley is very interesting take on the Macbeth story. The authors used Shakespeare's "Scottish Play" as the jumping off point for their novel. They did not simply convert the play into a novel. They also looked at the historical Macbeth and tried to bring in the world in which the characters lived. In some ways the characters are very different. We get to hear the name of Lady Macbeth. We learn why she hates Duncan so much. In many ways Macbeth is even more tragic here than in the play.
As a lover of history I loved the way that the authors weave the sordid world of the Scottish kingdom into the tale. Duncan recaptures his place as a rather reviled man. Macbeth is shown as the great hero who falls. In the book he falls a little slower than in the play, though far swifter than the fifteen years Macbeth actually reigned.
In addition to Macbeth and Lady Macbeth the Weird Sisters are given a prominent place in the book. They are even weirder here than in the play. I won't give away what the authors do with those strange creatures, but I certainly didn't see it coming.
I listened to it as an audiobook. It was made even better by the wonderful Scottish actor Alan Cumming. Fans of Masterpiece Mystery will recognize him as the host of that program. It was a good book and a lot of fun. An adventurous teacher might even use this in a class along with the play. Be warned, there is language, sex, and violence.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
