Macbeth: A Novel

By: A. J. Hartley, David Hewson

Narrated by: Alan Cumming

Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Macbeth: A Novel brings the intricacy and grit of the historical thriller to Shakespeare’s tale of political intrigue, treachery, and murder. In this full-length novel written exclusively for audio, authors A. J. Hartley and David Hewson rethink literature’s most infamous married couple, grounding them in a medieval Scotland whose military and political upheavals are as stark and dramatic as the landscape on which they are played.

Macbeth is a war hero and a patriot, doing everything in his power to hold together Duncan’s crumbling kingdom, which is beset by sedition from within and with threats from overseas. But when Duncan, contrary to ancient Scottish tradition, turns to building a family dynasty instead of rewarding those who have borne the brunt of the fighting, Macbeth and his powerful wife, Skena, make plans of their own, plans designed to hold both the nation and their strained relationship together. Sinister figures who claim supernatural knowledge spur them on, but the terrible outcome is as much about accident and failure as it is malevolence. Soon Macbeth and his wife find themselves preeminent in all the land, but struggling to hold themselves and their country together as former friends turn into bitter and deadly enemies.

This is Macbeth as you have not heard it before: fresh, edgy, and vital. It is a story of valor in battle, whispering in shadows, witchcraft in the hollows of an ancient landscape, and the desperate struggle of flawed people to do what they think is right.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

A. J. Hartley, a professor of Shakespeare at the Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte, is the author of the “Will Hawthorne” fantasy series as well as several thrillers.
David Hewson is the best-selling author of 16 novels, including the Rome-based “Nic Costa” crime series.

ABOUT THE NARRATOR

Alan Cumming stars in CBS's The Good Wife, for which he received an Emmy nomination, and is the host of PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery. He was honored with the 2011 Audie Award for Best Male Narrator.

The Irish folk song “She Moved Through the Fair” is performed by Heather O'Neil of the Irish Repertory Theater.

©2011 A.J. Hartley, David Hewson (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Not only is the novel an amplification of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, but it also fills in many of the gaps and gives a new perspective on Macbeth….Alan Cumming reads in a luscious Scottish brogue, which adds authenticity to the narration. His subtle changes of voice for different characters provide a full cast for this story of ambition and hubris. This is a wonderful novel of the human condition, read with ardor and enthusiasm.” ( AudioFile)

Great Adaptation

This is the best version of the great tale I've ever came across. The narration is superb.

Nicely done!

Very loving and interesting interpretation of The Scottish Play. All the familiar elements and characters are here, just much more fleshed out and detailed, explained or inserted with care. The setting has remained the same, in 11th century War torn Scotland. The Weird Sisters are, in my opinion, the most interesting element explored more fully. Highly recommend for long time fans of The Bard or someone who is looking to understand a famous play more clearly.

Not Shakespeare but still excellent.

Macbeth the Novel is prose, not poetry so don't expect the spectacular wordplay and philosophizing characteristic of the Bard. This work is a slightly different version of what we know of the historical Macbeth, who really was king of Scotland for about a decade. It focuses less on the supernatural and more on the politics of Macbeth's time, although the Witches still play a central role in this conception.

In fact, my favorite part of the work is near the end when Macbeth seeks out the Witches for answers with no one else around. They convince Macbeth to drink a potion of herbs and a distillation of mushrooms which results in a marvelous, hallucinogenic encounter which I found delightful.

Alan Cumming is wonderful as the narrator, showing off his skill with all voices male and female and performing a variety of Scottish and English accents for each character. You can understand each word, don't worry about an almost unintelligible accent like Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United exhibits.

This is one I will listen to again, I am glad I purchased it.

A True Feat of Amazement

I remember Shakespeare from high school English and I remember it being very confusing. However this renewed version is simply amazing! The narrator added so much to this story! Audible should push for more Shakespeare stories like this! And Alan Cumming should read more for audible too! I am going to explore the next title Romeo and a Juliette narrated by Richard Armitage.

Actors Don't Always Make Very Good Narrators

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Not the audiobook. The novel itself is very interesting. I've always wanted to see Macbeth as a novel vs. a play. However, as wonderful a character actor as Jim Cummings is, he is not that great of a narrator. His Scottish accent is so thick it is hard to understand and he doesn't distinguish the characters by doing the different voices very well (the big reason I almost exclusively read audiobooks these days).

What other book might you compare Macbeth: A Novel to and why?

Braveheart. Pillars of the Earth. I don't usually read novels like this, but it compares to any of the other good, medieval historical fiction I have read.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The voices and less of an accent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it's very long and hard to listen to. The narrator's strong accent makes it difficult to do anything else while listening because you have to concentrate on his words so much in order to understand what he's saying.

Totally Enjoyed!

It was a great story built from a great play. The narration was stellar. Loved it.

Can I give it 6 stars?

Absolutely brilliant. It's not a play, with confusing four century old English, it's a narration, a story, adapted from the play. And I was glued to it from start to finish. Loved it.

Loved this book

I have to admit I bought this by mistake. I was cast in Macbeth and wanted to get the audio version to help me get my lines down. After getting my lines down I started to listen to this story while jogging. Alan Cummings narration is spot on and makes the countryside come alive. The story follows the Shakespeare line but fills in the blanks. It was a happy mistake and I am recommending it to all.

Powerful, compellingly narrated rendition

Fabulous audiobook, surely the equal of "Hamlet - the Novel" by the same authors. Anyone interested in Shakespeare will find these more fleshed-out versions of the plays to be interesting. Anyone intimidated by Shakespeare, especially reading or watching the plays with their Elizabethan english, will find these books very approachable, suitable for the layman, and supremely entertaining. Macbeth will give you an unparalleled lens to the period and it will confirm the suspicion that Shakespeare may have been the greatest writer in the history of the english language. The narration is excellent.

An brutally vivid retelling of the tragedy...

I greatly enjoyed the dark embellishments and fleshing out of characters Shakespeare had little time to detail. Scotland, itself, was given a role. The carnal haunting of the witches was chilling. The brutality of war and hand to hand combat was only matched by the gruesome conniving of the Porter's gang. I can't wait to see more from the authors!