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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, War
I really enjoyed this. It isn't the kind of book I usually read, I stumbled across it from a twitter recommendation. (That seems to be happening a lot recently). Anyway, I haven't seen or read the Shakespeare play for a very long time, so it was almost like coming to the story fresh. It came to life, One of those stories where you know it is heading for tragedy and still find yourself hoping for a different outcome. I found the character of Macbeth believable and understandable. Lady MacBeth also came to life, and the Witches were disturbing in a very good way. A clever idea well executed.
This is the second-best Shakespeare adaptation I have ever read, next to Margaret Atwood's Hag-Seed.
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
MACBETH was the second Shakespeare play I ever read. It was the first one I taught -- to advanced students, traditional students, and remedial students. I think in some ways that experience with those struggling readers cemented my career choices. So, I have history with the play.
This audible book was superb. Alan Cumming reading, giving the words a deeper meaning, made it even more fun...if reading MACBETH can be fun.
We see Macbeth, Banquo, Lady Macbeth. We see Duncan and his toady sons. We are allowed inside their heads and hearts in ways that even the most gifted actors just can't pull off. We get back stories. These characters seem real...larger than life, for sure, but real.
We understand why Lady Macbeth is so frustrated and resentful of Duncan, so quick to want him to suffer. We see this friendship between Macbeth and Banquo -- two warriors who really had no ambitions until the Witches enter the scene. They were proud of their abilities on the battle field and trusted each other implicitly. Since the reader is aware of how this will all end, it makes every scene with the two even more bittersweet.
I think the power of the book rests in the fact we KNOW. There will be no surprises (except the lovely backstories, and the expanded roles of the Witches). The story moves toward its inevitable conclusion, one step, one decision, at a time.
I appreciated the incorporation of many of the important lines from the play, not quoted, but woven into the story.
That first time I taught the play, there were two moments I've never forgotten, both in the remedial class. We listened to the scene of Macbeth's men slaughtering McDuff's family, and his response...these kids GOT that kind of family horror at a personal level, and they cried with McDuff.
And, when we finished the play, one of my boys said, musingly, "What if, when they do this on the stage, the director had the Witches back in the very back corner of the stage, up above the actors on the stage, just to remind the audience that this WILL happen again." Genius!
Well, the authors do just that...they end with the Witches, completely blameless in their own minds, only revealing to humans what is already there in their hearts and heads.
This audible book was superb. Alan Cumming reading, giving the words a deeper meaning, made it even more fun...if reading MACBETH can be fun.
We see Macbeth, Banquo, Lady Macbeth. We see Duncan and his toady sons. We are allowed inside their heads and hearts in ways that even the most gifted actors just can't pull off. We get back stories. These characters seem real...larger than life, for sure, but real.
We understand why Lady Macbeth is so frustrated and resentful of Duncan, so quick to want him to suffer. We see this friendship between Macbeth and Banquo -- two warriors who really had no ambitions until the Witches enter the scene. They were proud of their abilities on the battle field and trusted each other implicitly. Since the reader is aware of how this will all end, it makes every scene with the two even more bittersweet.
I think the power of the book rests in the fact we KNOW. There will be no surprises (except the lovely backstories, and the expanded roles of the Witches). The story moves toward its inevitable conclusion, one step, one decision, at a time.
I appreciated the incorporation of many of the important lines from the play, not quoted, but woven into the story.
That first time I taught the play, there were two moments I've never forgotten, both in the remedial class. We listened to the scene of Macbeth's men slaughtering McDuff's family, and his response...these kids GOT that kind of family horror at a personal level, and they cried with McDuff.
And, when we finished the play, one of my boys said, musingly, "What if, when they do this on the stage, the director had the Witches back in the very back corner of the stage, up above the actors on the stage, just to remind the audience that this WILL happen again." Genius!
Well, the authors do just that...they end with the Witches, completely blameless in their own minds, only revealing to humans what is already there in their hearts and heads.
I chose this audiobook largely based on the narrator Alan Cumming. I was really taken with the idea of hearing a Scot read a version of Macbeth. I only realized later that this apparently exists exclusively as an audible audiobook. I while I’m familiar with Shakespeare's version and even picked up a couple of direct quotes in the book, I have not read the play. According to the authors’ forward and afterward, this expands into details left to interpretation in the play especially MacBeth and Lady MacBeth motivations and I believe it also expands the timeline. It was entertaining, and I’m curious to go back and read the play at some point. Its quite a bit bloodier than I normally like especially in audio format, but I was expecting that given the inspiration for the story. The narration was also great as I hoped.
This is one of my top "go to" audible listen. My favorite to play at half speed to fall asleep. Perfect for a mood re-set or just a quick escape.
A fun fill-in of Shakespeare Rather than a reimagining.
Listened to this on audio book in one sitting and it definitely improved the reading experience for me. The voice actors were brilliant and the sound effects really brought the story to life. Also David Tennant was the Porter and did an amazing job! I'm definitely tempted to now pick up the physical novel by A.J. Hartley which I believe incorporates the speech from the original Macbeth (my favourite of Shakespeare's plays).
This was great. For a while I was wondering if I should have reread the play first. But then it didn't matter because it's great as its own version of actual history.
Alan Cumming is always an amazing narrator.
Alan Cumming is always an amazing narrator.