A review by branch_c
Macbeth by A.J. Hartley

3.0

Having last seen or read the play more than twenty years ago, this works for me almost as an original piece of historical fiction - not quite, of course, since it's hard not to be familiar with the basics of such a famous story. But I didn't remember all the details, and this novelization does a fine job with those details (even adding some of its own, such as Lady M's first name) while making the story quite accessible and readable compared to the original. Of course, there's a reason this story is a tragedy, and that makes it fairly unpleasant to read in places - there's no getting around the fact that the plot hinges on some really bad decisions with horrific results. That's what made Shakespeare's version so powerful, and that power is evident here as well. This version may even do a better job in making Macbeth and his wife complex and even sympathetic characters, although I still found it hard to go along with their justifications of their actions. Anyway, even if not the most enjoyable read, it's certainly a well-executed novelization.