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Macbeth: A Novel
- Narrated by: Alan Cumming
- Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
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Editorial reviews
As British best-selling crime author David Hewson reflects in his introduction to this innovative project, "the Scottish play" is shrouded in mysteries that are not to be taken lightly. Shakespeare condensed and confused 17 years in the history of a beloved king into a play covering a few days rife with political intrigue and shadowy motivations. In The Bard's tragic canon, Macbeth stands as an anomaly for many reasons, including how short it is and how flat all the characters are besides Macbeth himself. With the help of A.J. Hartley, distinguished professor of Shakespeare at UNC-Charlotte and thriller novelist, Macbeth: A Novel is poised to provide a more complete and fleshy picture of this odd little play.
Going where many other actors would fear to tread is, of course, Alan Cumming. Cumming has a long history with daring characters on stage and on the big screen, as well as his fair share of Shakespeare with a previous turn as Hamlet. With an Audie Award already under his belt, he has the chops necessary to imagine and give voice to paranoid kings and conniving witches, but perhaps one of the greatest joys of his work on Macbeth: A Novel is just the fact of his naturally beautiful Scottish accent left unfettered. Nothing sets the landscape so clearly as listening to those long, rolling vowels come up from a part of the belly that only a Scot must have.
Cumming does not shy away from the devious depths of feeling that Hartley and Hewson have so carefully layered onto the play. No more off-stage murder, no more simply scary witches chanting, and quite a bit more sympathy for this story's many devils. Every poisonous cup and every stab wound are rendered in living battle colors. The three witches are not just weird, but positively demonic, each with their own dynamic contribution to the making of a king. Lady Macbeth and Banquo in particular have personalities that loom as large as Macbeth's familiar form.
A strikingly modern interpretation that nevertheless faithfully adapts Shakespeare's original, this audiobook will surely please a wide variety of listeners. Lovers of mysteries or political thrillers, teachers struggling to blow the dust off a classic for their students, and fans of Shakespeare will all find many reasons to enjoy Hartley and Hewson's fresh presentation. —Megan Volpert
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.
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For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.
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It's the characters that matter...
- By JC on 11-09-10
By: Tad Williams
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Forge of Darkness
- Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Steven Erikson
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Forge of Darkness takes listeners to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire and surrounds one of the Malazan world’s most fascinating and powerful characters, Anomander Rake. It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, where Mother Dark reigns above the Tiste people. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal. The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus.
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A Precursor Epic Fantasy - A Rewarding Beginning!
- By Michael on 11-08-12
By: Steven Erikson
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Dragon's Child
- The King Arthur Trilogy, Book 1
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- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
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The future of Britain is at stake. In the turbulent times of the Dark Ages, the despotic Uther Pendragon, High King of Celtic Britain, is nearing death, and his kingdom is being torn apart by the squabbling of minor kings. But only one man can bring the Celts together as a nation and restore peace - King Arthur. Artorex (Arthur) doesn't yet seem like the great man he will grow into. We meet him as a shy, subservient twelve-year-old living in the foster home of Lord Ector, who took in Artorex as a babe to protect him from murderous kin.
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A Dry, Dull Tale, Marred in "Realism"
- By Steven on 09-21-15
By: M. K. Hume
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Wars of the Roses
- Stormbird
- By: Conn Iggulden
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins
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Overall
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Story
In 1437, the Lancaster king Henry VI ascends the throne of England after years of semi-peaceful regency. Named "The Lamb," Henry is famed more for his gentle and pious nature than his father's famous battlefield exploits; already, his dependence on his closest men has stirred whispers of weakness at court. A secret truce negotiated with France to trade British territories for a royal bride - Margaret of Anjou - sparks revolts across English territory.
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100% Fiction and 0% Real History
- By Mary Elizabeth Reynolds on 04-25-18
By: Conn Iggulden
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The Briar King
- The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Book 1
- By: Greg Keyes
- Narrated by: Patrick Michael
- Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins
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Performance
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Story
Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The kings woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber.
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Good stuff
- By Jake on 06-10-10
By: Greg Keyes
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Deverry: Books 1-4
- By: Katharine Kerr
- Narrated by: Ruth Urquhart
- Length: 58 hrs and 7 mins
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Story
This boxed set includes books 1-4 in the the Deverry series: Daggerspell, Darkspell, The Bristling Wood, and The Dragon Revenant.
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Masterpiece
- By Luke on 09-05-22
By: Katharine Kerr
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Knights of Dark Renown
- By: David Gemmell
- Narrated by: Ben Onwukwe
- Length: 14 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The Knights of the Gabala were legendary protectors of the Nine Duchies - until they disappeared through a demon-haunted gateway between worlds. Manannan, the Coward Knight, held back. Now he lives in torment. Yet war is coming to the Duchies - and with it Manannan's chance for redemption. But to regain his honour and save his land, he will have to confront his deepest fear. He must ride through the gateway and seek out his lost companions in the unknown world beyond. And the secret he will learn there will tear his soul apart.
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One of Gemmell’s earliest, one of the best
- By Robert on 04-04-18
By: David Gemmell
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Between Two Fires
- A Novel
- By: Mark Noce
- Narrated by: Barrie Kreinik
- Length: 12 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Saxon barbarians threaten to destroy medieval Wales. Lady Branwen becomes Wales' last hope to unite their divided kingdoms when her father betroths her to a powerful Welsh warlord, the Hammer King. But the fledgling alliance is fraught with enemies from within and without as Branwen becomes the target of assassination attempts and courtly intrigue.
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An epic tale!
- By Voracious Reader on 09-14-16
By: Mark Noce
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I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire
- Ravenloft: Strahd, Book 1
- By: P. N. Elrod
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
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Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for 300 years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.
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Love it...just one complaint....
- By Ryan Conrad on 03-15-14
By: P. N. Elrod
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Fire from Heaven
- A Novel of Alexander the Great
- By: Mary Renault
- Narrated by: Roger May
- Length: 18 hrs and 33 mins
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Story
Alexander's beauty, strength and defiance were apparent from birth, but his boyhood honed those gifts into the makings of a king. His mother, Olympias, and his father, King Philip of Macedon, fought each other for their son's loyalty, teaching Alexander politics and vengeance from the cradle. His love for the youth Hephaistion taught him trust, while Aristotle's tutoring provoked his mind and Homer's Iliad fuelled his aspirations.
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Renewed Pleasure
- By James on 01-28-15
By: Mary Renault
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Transformation
- Rai-Kirah, Book 1
- By: Carol Berg
- Narrated by: Kevin Stillwell
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Seyonne is a man waiting to die. He has been a slave for 16 years, almost half his life, and has lost everything of meaning to him: his dignity, the people and homeland he loves, and the Warden's power he used to defend an unsuspecting world from the ravages of demons. Seyonne has made peace with his fate. With strict self-discipline he forces himself to exist only in the present moment and to avoid the pain of hope or caring about anyone.
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Seriously Excellent
- By Sharon on 09-25-13
By: Carol Berg
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The Serpent Sword
- The Bernicia Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Matthew Harffy
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Beobrand is compelled by his brother's almost-certain murder to embark on a quest for revenge in the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. The land is rife with danger, as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. In the battles for control of the region, new oaths are made and broken, and loyalties are tested to the limits. With no patronage and no experience, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight with sword and shield. Relentless in pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man.
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Amazing story, needs a warning in the description.
- By Lisa Schilling on 04-12-17
By: Matthew Harffy
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Orion
- Orion Series, Book 1
- By: Ben Bova
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 11 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Story
John O'Ryan is not a god...not exactly. He is an eternal warrior destined to combat the Dark Lord through all time for dominion of the Earth. Follow him, servant of a great race, as he battles his enemy down the halls of time, from the caves of our ancestors to the final confrontation under the hammer of nuclear annihilation.
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Cornucopia of Genre's
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 06-10-12
By: Ben Bova
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Green Rider
- By: Kristen Britain
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Karigan G’ladheon, running away from school, is traveling through a deep forest when a galloping horse pounds up to her, its rider impaled by two black-shafted arrows. With his dying breath, he tells her he is a Green Rider, one of the magical messengers of the King. Before he dies, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the message he’s carrying, and gives her his green coat, with the symbolic brooch of his office.
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What a fantastic discovery!
- By GLENNO on 11-27-14
By: Kristen Britain
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The Grim Company
- By: Luke Scull
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 15 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Gods are dead. The Magelord Salazar and his magically enhanced troops, the Augmentors, crush any dissent they find in the minds of the populace. On the other side of the Broken Sea, the White Lady plots the liberation of Dorminia, with her spymistresses, the Pale Women. Demons and abominations plague the Highlands. The world is desperately in need of heroes. But what they get instead are a ragtag band of old warriors, a crippled Halfmage, two orphans and an oddly capable manservant: the Grim Company.
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Pretty bad, but not actively terrible
- By Travis Lamkin on 09-13-15
By: Luke Scull
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Lady Macbeth takes listeners into the heart of 11th-century Scotland, painting a vivid picture of Gruadh, the last female descendent of the country's most royal line. Married, pregnant, then quickly widowed, she is forced to wed her husband's murderer, the warlord Macbeth. Determined to protect her interests and those of her infant son, she vows to preserve her family's legacy at any cost.
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The epic tale of Macbeth. Macbeth and Banquo are Scottish generals returning home from a victorious war campaign. Their journey is interrupted when three strange witches come upon them and predict their futures. They claim that Macbeth will one day become King of Scotland! Macbeth is stirred by the prophesy.
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All of the Shakespeare plays within the Argo Classics catalogue are performed by the Marlowe Dramatic Society and Professional Players. The Marlowe was founded in 1907 with a mission to focus on effective delivery of verse, respect the integrity of texts and rescue neglected plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries and the less performed plays of Shakespeare himself. The Marlowe has performed annually at Cambridge Arts Theatre since its opening in 1936 and continues to produce some of the finest actors of their generations.
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Great collection marred by a few missing sections
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What listeners say about Macbeth: A Novel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jan
- 03-05-17
Gripping tale
What a story and the narration by Alan Cumming was spell binding. Being a transported Scot, the images of the highlands was so magical despite all the murder and mayhem. Great story.
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- Marie Ann Bailey
- 06-09-17
Fascinating, riveting, tragic
I enjoyed this narrative very much, an interpretation of the play that gives greater humanity to the Macbeths, but does not excuse them. Alan Cummings is a wonderful narrator, skillfully moving among many diverse characters.
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- Monica Reichl
- 07-12-15
imaginative retelling of the classic
just a wonderful take on the play that is true to Shakespeare but also manages to expand it.
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- Derek Albright
- 06-20-18
This is pretty much Alan Cumming's natural voice.
this was actually a really good at apptation of the Scottish play you get to really follow along with it and you get more of an understanding of what is happening. Alan (Up and) Cummings gives a fantastic performance in what is from my understanding pretty much his natural accent he is such an amazing actor in performer that you get a real sense that you're listening to Scotsman.
if your Shakespeare fan like I am this is really something to add to your collection.
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- William
- 12-29-19
What if Macbeth were the good guy?
Don’t mistake this book for just a more modern-sounding version (translation) of Shakespeare’s play. In the title, it tells you clearly that it is a novel, not a play. But, it’s also not the same story. It is close, but with a different twist. In this book, Macbeth is less of an ambitious schemer and more of a patriot. No one likes King Duncan, but they serve him as their lord and respect him as their king, and none more than Macbeth. Macbeth is a hero who has many times saved the kingdom for various invaders and internal plots. In Scotland, the King was not a hereditary ruler. He was chosen by the lords on the death of the previous king. But, Duncan has another idea and proclaims that he should have the right to choose his successor, and his choice is his son. Macbeth, with his wife, decides to kill King Duncan in order to preserve the Scottish tradition which he, and the other nobles, believe is the foundation on which the strength of Scotland lies. The king should be one who has already proven himself as the best and not just the one accidentally born to the current king. But, like the play, everything deteriorates from there. Macbeth has no trouble killing in battle, but he struggles with committing murder, especially the murder of a king. If you know how Shakespeare’s play goes, you’ll enjoy the different twists that occur in this book. It’s not genius, but still good reading.
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- Amazon Customer
- 10-21-15
Medieval thriller
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. It's a fun, fast paced thriller.
Would you be willing to try another book from A. J. Hartley and David Hewson ? Why or why not?
I have. I listened to Hamlet which I liked a lot.
Have you listened to any of Alan Cumming’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No
Any additional comments?
This is a fast paced but gory thriller about curmudgeonly people killing other curmudgeons in early Scotland. The witches are fun. The story is straightforward and easy to follow but just a wee bit formulaic. Overall a good listen but not Dostoevsky.
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- Matthew
- 08-06-18
Filling in the blanks
Somewhat along the lines of "Rosencranz & Guildenstern are Dead," this fleshes out Shakespeare's tale, putting it in the context of medieval Scotland. Macbeth gets an inner voice, Lady Macbeth gets a persona. The performance is in pitch-perfect Scottish-inflected English. Great fun.
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- Jules
- 01-30-22
Great take on the play!
I like Shakespeare, but I'll admit to avoiding the work and being intimated by the language. This book made it accessible; the language is not a barrier to understanding. Thank!
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- moira dolan
- 01-12-24
Entirely engaging
This is a superbly narrated creative novel built on the bones of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, providing depth and enriched storylines to possibilities only suggested by the play. It is very well written, with the inclusion of details that place the listener “in” the scene, dark wet stone walls of drafty hallways and all. For all of the romantic heroic ideals that the enchanting Scottish landscapes with fife and bagpipes may evoke, this version of Macbeth exposes the gritty truth that emerges from a study of actual history: centuries of gang warfare marked by infidelity, treachery and cruelty, but here told through the minds eye of rather ordinary people. Thus the novel is engaging because it exposes that maybe the listener, too, would be capable of such bad choices as made by the Macbeths. The Afterword is especially appreciated, giving insight into the creative collaboration of the coauthors. I’m all, it was throughly enjoyable!
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- A
- 12-29-11
An interesting experiment
You always remember your first--and way back in 5th grade, Macbeth was my first venture into Shakespeare. Miss Weil loved Shakespeare and she introduced her class to the magic. Macbeth--in iambic pentameter-- was our 5th grade play. It is still my favorite Shakespeare. That said, I was just not sure how I would react to a novelization of the story.
Surprisingly, I stuck it out to the end-- and surprisingly, I didn't hate it. I didn't love it entirely either but that was because there were places where I just didn't agree with Hartley and Hewson's interpretation of events and motivations. However, I learned a lot about the historical background of the play and perhaps got a better idea of what life was like in those times. In short, it gave me a better understanding of the play.
Nonetheless, the novel stands on its own; its a good read. You don't need to know Shakespeare's play to get through the story. You don't have to be a Lit. major to enjoy it. In fact, you might even be better off not arriving with so much baggage.
Finally, kudos to the narrator Alan Cummings--and to the person who chose him. The book may have been written in prose but it read like poetry. Not since I heard Lisette Lescat read the 'No.1 Ladies' Detective' series have I heard such a perfect pairing of material and reader.
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15 people found this helpful