Macbeth: A Novel
An Audible Original
By: A.J. Hartley, David Hewson / Narrated By: Alan Cumming
Length: 9 hrs and 43 mins
Lady Macbeth as a sweet, tormented, lovable fuzzball? Actually, yessss!
I chose Macbeth, the novel, for our audiobook club cuz we’d just done an Alan Cumming book (You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams) and whereas it was universally reviled for its ridiculous amount of selfies and self-absorption, his narration was fun.
First, I had to apologize to my poor Mom for Cumming’s accent as he unabashedly wallows in the nitty gritty of Macbeth as warring general and wanting Thane. So, sorry ‘bout that, Mom…. :) And THEN, after all was said and done, I was left wondering, in a good way: Whaaaaa?!? And I had to dash off to get Macbeth the one-man show production of the play as performed by, once again, Alan Cumming. Cuz, see, we never did that particular play in high school, and I was dyyyyyying to know what all was different between the two.
Cuz, see, Lady Macbeth comes off as really quite okay in this novelized version. I mean, seriously. In the play, she’s a totally bonkers and conniving and evil sorta wench, but in the book? She’s a tormented soul, mourning the loss of her boy-child, mourning her barren womb, devoted in her love of Macbeth.
AND, she has a name!!! Skena!!! The authors kinda sorta just came up with that particular name, but their logic for it was based on the names of the time.
What else was different? Well, naturally, the novel goes into MUCH greater depth of battles, of conversations, and each character is fleshed-out oh so much more. Banquo’s son, Fleance, is given quite a part, and as it ends, it’s quite satisfying, tho’ very, very much in keeping with a Shakespearean tragedy (And as my mom and I told my poor sister who was looking for a moral: Shakespeare isn’t about morals; it’s AAAAALL TRAGEDY!). Banquo is a rather sad creature but is self-sacrificing through love and devotion. Macduff plays his trump card with HUGE dramatic flair as a one-time, shock-ya-till-ya-drop statement.
And the Three Witches? They’re creepy in the play, sure. But here in the novel, they’re downright loathsome and disgusting. There’s a haunting coupling where ya feel the Other Guy has been violated, cuz yes, they’re THAT creepy!!!
All in all, a really good time. Especially since the authors did such a beguiling job with Lady Macbeth. Quite ballsy of them, but isn’t it time the woman got some good PR?
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