I'm a huge fan of Shakespeare and Macbeth is one of my favorites of his plays. I read it originally in high school and have since seen 5 different productions of it. When I heard that A.J. Hartley (who has written about Shakespeare) and David Hewson had worked on an audio-only novelization, I was cautiously optimistic. When it went on sale at Audible.com, I jumped in.Hartley and Hewson did a great job at bringing the play to a novel. As Hartley said in the Afterword, they added parts where they

Thought this was a great way to read Shakespeare. I read the play in high school but due to the complicated language most of the plot and dialogue went right over my head. If asked what happened in the play I wouldn't have been able to say much more than that there were three witches and Lady Macbeth said the line "Out damn spot." I didn't even know that the play is based on some fact (Macbeth, King Duncan, Banquo et al were real as were some of their actions). Highly recommend this to anyone wh...

I like the idea of this, turning Macbeth into a novel, and in some respects, I thought the authors did an excellent job. Specifically, the way a novel can supply so much more about a character than a play allowed them to make the story really plausible. The Shakespeare tragedies often leave me feeling that no-one would act as their tragic heroes do, no-one be so gullible, or so blind, or so foolish. In this version, the Macbeths are quite ordinary people, with thwarted ambitions of non-pathologi...

Think you know the tale of Macbeth? Think again. This retelling of the tale by David Hewson and A J Hartley is just simply amazing. Bringing a new depth to the story, this is no repeating the original Shakespeare but an inspired reworking, incredibly bought to life by the vocal talents of Alan Cumming.

I hope I have the chance to see the play again soon.

‘Macbeth brought down his sword and the army roared into life.’Duncan’s kingdom is crumbling: beset by sedition internally and overseas threats externally. Macbeth, war hero and patriot, is doing his best to hold the kingdom together. But when Duncan’s thoughts turn towards establishing a hereditary dynasty, contrary to ancient Scots tradition, Macbeth and his wife Skena make their own plans. Encouraged by the weird sisters, they make their own choices. But choices have consequences, and lead Ma...

Audible had a sale a little while ago in which ten editors each chose ten books to sell for $4.95. I got the email saying "books from your wishlist are on sale!" but the link didn't take me to any of them, so I ended up clicking through the ten pages to see what was out there. And when I landed on one page that featured Macbeth: A Novel and hailed it as "The Perfect Audiobook", I closed the tab without looking further. If this person thinks that is the perfect audiobook, our tastes are clearly i...

Who would you choose to narrate this novelization of Macbeth if you had your druthers*? Why Alan Cummings, of course! Who else could pronounce the word "crennalated" with the same Scottish panache? This is my favorite narration of the year.What does a novelization of this well known Shakespeare play offer that makes it worthwhile? For me, the details of places in Scotland brought it alive - the Cairngorms, and the Grampian ranges, the inhospitable weather, the yearning of characters for the land...

Audiobook. 5 stars.Alan Cumming is brilliant.

Great adaptation of Shakespeare's play. Really fleshes out the Macbeths.

I listened to the audio version of this. Perfect to cook to. I have to say that listening to Alan Cumming use his luscious Scottish accent is really delightful.I love the approach of revisiting one of Shakespeare's plays, but still making it a new piece of writing. The book accomplishes things the play does not; but it also loses some things. The characters are a little more rounded because we get to live with them a little longer, and understand their reason for doing things. I think, though, t...

"Macbeth: a Novel" is a gripping, tense, violent, sexy novel, with battle scenes and brutal butchery, yet also shows a tender relationship between Macbeth and his Lady, named Skena here. This isn't a retelling of the Shakespeare play, according to the authors; it is based on the same sources Shakespeare used, however. But if you look at my notes and highlights, you'll see some nearly direct quotes from Shakespeare and paraphrasings, including my favorite Shakespearean soliloquy, beginning "Tomor...

If you like Shakespeare and if you enjoy audiobooks, this is a must listen! I rate books by their written content, but this one is an exception; here I am rating the audiobook. As a finished product, it is excellent. You are not getting a book that happens to be read, but a production that is made to be narrated. Alan Cumming’s Scottish narration is absolutely perfect. The story is set in Scotland. Quite simply, what I am saying is that I do not think you should read this; you should listen to t...

A great read and fantastic narration by Alan Cumming, this convincing version of Shakespeare’s masterpiece successfully communicates the dark atmosphere and the themes of passion, treachery, murder, ambition and the madness of the original. I will read more books by this author. A full 4 shiny stars, and possibly even 5. Highly recommended

As intimidating as he can be, I love Shakespeare and have since I first read Romeo and Juliet. While I have felt I never really understood all of his writing, his words and use of the English language were worth reading or listening to just for their own sake. For this reason, I had my doubts about reading/listening to this book. I mean how can you improve on Shakespeare for god's sake. Well I was not disappointed. This is one incredible book and made even better in audio-form by Audible.This ps...

Seriously amazing. I couldn't put it down. A brilliant piece of evocative writing. The first scene with the witches on the heath is stunning. It's both resonant of the best of Shakespeare but also original. A masterful retelling, highly recommended!

I wasn't sure I'd like a re-telling of "The Scottish Play", but this was an incredible listen, made especially great by Alan Cumming's engaging narration. The author of this book, a Shakespeare scholar, has fleshed out the characters and some of the scenes beyond what is possible in the play. I was reminded how much the prose and the events of this play continue to influence us today. Oh! And that "something wicked this way comes" is uttered by one of the "weird sisters". If you're a Lord of the...

Great narration by Alan Cumming on this expanded version of the "Scottish Play"I completely enjoyed this in any case, but having Alan Cumming narrate it with a Scottish burr kicked it into 5 star territory for me. Some may not see the point of a novel-sized expansion to Shakespeare's "Scottish Play," but I found Hartley's & Hewson's to be both respectful of the original material and inventive in its enhancements.There is a whole long prelude of the war with Norwegian King Sweno (actually Svein K...

A must for every Macbeth fan! Entirely enthralling in content and narration. The writers give Macbeth and his entourage flesh and bones, taking the play to a grittier level that, at the same time, opens doors to understanding the tragic couples's actions. This is not a descent into madness, but a fatal journey triggered by blind ambition and wrong decisions. Masterful!

The authors keep very much to the Shakespearian story in this novel, which makes you wonder what it has to offer. Well, the characters and the storylines are fleshed out making some, such as Lady Macbeth more sympathetic and others, such as the witches, more unsettling. This is a very atmospheric novel - you imagine without any problem the heath, the howling winds, the damp dark weather and the endless wars and violence. Excellent book, with lots of information at the end about who Macbeth reall...