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)

Chilling work

Any additional comments?

I had a visceral reaction to this work. Alan Cummings brings the listener into the action. And that action is horrible and human and sad. The dismay of Lady Macbeth at the consequences of her actions and the evilness of Fergus stood out to me. Highly recommended.

Wow! Buy this, you'll want to listen to it again!

This is great! The narrator has a beautiful accent that perfectly fits the characters yet is easily understandable. It's Macbeth in modern English so there's not all that Elizabethan English to plod through that normally detracts from being able to understand the plot. Not historically accurate, one must remember that Shakespeare was writing to please Queen Elizabeth I so his plays were designed to degrade Elizabeth's enemies which would include the Plantagenets and the Scots. With this in mind, this is a beautiful listen. The lilting prose practically becoming poetry in the process.

Fantastically Tragic

Would you consider the audio edition of Macbeth: A Novel to be better than the print version?

I believe this novel was always written to be recorded. A good tactic, as the end result was riviting.

What did you like best about this story?

Poor MacBeth's downward spiral... you keep rooting for him even though you know he's doomed.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The accent! Very affecting. Also, the correct pronunciation of several locations.

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

If I could have, I certainly would have, however, I listened while walking and cleaning and folding laundry -- all things abhor -- and the time passed much more pleasantly.

Any additional comments?

Do not expect this to be Shakespeare's version. The authors have purposely made this their own, allowing themselves to be influence by the play and history itself. All of this is explained in the Afterwards, which is definitely worth a listen.

Absolutely Brilliant

What made the experience of listening to Macbeth: A Novel the most enjoyable?

Alan Cumming. He was absolutely amazing. Also, I adored having the play fleshed out. It's so much more layered than the play. I just loved this audiobook.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

First off, his voice is beautiful. And Cumming can act, which he definitely brings to the novel. I could listen to him all day.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not necessarily a particular moment, but more the spiraling down of MacBeth in toto.

Any additional comments?

Buy it. Seriously, just get it.

Alan Cummings is what makes this book

This is a hard book to review. In one sense it is very compelling and certainly the narration by Alan Cummings make the story more vivid than another narrator would.

The background premise of turning Shakespeare's play into a novel is somewhat less successful. I think the role in the story played by the 3 witches is overdone and they are far too prominent in the story. I guess somehow I prefer Shakespeare's play or Verdi's Opera to this novel.

The first part of the books is much better than the end -- after the murder of King Duncan I think the books goes downhill very rapidly and degernates into just mindless descriptions of slaughter interspersed with the witches. The books really takes too many liberties of Shakespeare and with history to be a satisfying book.

A compelling book to listen to

Short and sweet: Alan Cumming gives a spectacular performance, taking the familiar story of Macbeth and transforming it. This version focuses on the characters and their motivations rather than just the events of the play. There is a sprinkling of some of the more famous lines from Shakespeare, but the goal here is to dive into the characters and what makes them tick, and Cumming makes this version jump off the page.

A great listen!

Mind blowing

If you could sum up Macbeth: A Novel in three words, what would they be?

Very grim tragedy

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, it is a tie between Macbeth and the witches (in a sense the weird sisters are a single character, though the youngest one is the primary one). The weird sisters are wise and repulsive, cunning and honest at the same time. And Macbeth, it is hard not to feel sorry for his poor soul - he had the heart, but not the stomach of a monarch.

Which character – as performed by Alan Cumming – was your favorite?

Again, the weird sisters. I can imagine how tempting it must have been to deliver them in an over-the-top way, but his performance was spot on, never striking a false note.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The last words of the weird sisters to Lady Macbeth gave me goosebumps. It is not very often that you can honestly say this, but I really did not see that coming.

Any additional comments?

As the authors stress, it is an adaptation, not a slavish translation. I have not read the original, but I would love to, after reading this adaptation. Kudos to everyone involved. It was brilliant all around.

A story for every Scotsman

We were in the areas of Scotland where the story takes place. It was great fun listening to the stories of where we were. What was more fun is that I'm a second generation Scot and listening to the Scottish accent.

The reader of this book brought me through the Grampians, into the towns of Fores and Inverness and all over nothern Scotland.

If you're of Scottish descent I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed it.

Not Bard at All

A well thought out expansion and update of an old story. Some purists might take offence and should stay away because once you've read this you'll never watch the play the same way again. The gaps are filled or at least bridged in a "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" manner but far more so and seamlessly. The supernatural is expanded on, given a malevolent grey face and made all the more disturbing as learn far more about the witches than we should care to. They lurk over the whole story like demented vultures.

You know how it starts, you know how it ends, (If not, spoiler everyone dies) but if you read this you'll know why and care that much more.

Fantastic whether you like Shakespeare or not

What made the experience of listening to Macbeth: A Novel the most enjoyable?

This brought the story to life, far better than the play. This story filled in the gaps left to the imagination in a stage play. The characters' actions made sense. The performance and the story itself were great. Even if you're bored by Shakespeare and by plays, you'll love this.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Macbeth: A Novel?

Sorry, no spoilers. But from the opening scenes, these guys will have your attention.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt I was there. I've read Macbeth, seen it, seen it in movies, taught it, and listened to it on audiobook. This was the first time it was a genuine pleasure and not "work."

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

ditto.

Any additional comments?

This makes me want to beg the guys who did it to do more of Shakespeare's plays this way. I think the bard would be honored by this adaptation.