LADY MACBETH

by Ava Reid

You all know from our many reviews of the Hogarth series and others (read reviews here) how much we love a Shakespeare adaptation. So when I saw Lady Macbeth at the checkout of a bookstore in Stratford, Ontario, it wasn’t just the hot pink-edged pages that caught my eye. Also, Macbeth has always been one of my absolute favorite plays, and I have seen it performed at least 10 times. So I wasn’t going to miss a novel that tells the story from Lady Macbeth’s perspective.

Reid's Lady Macbeth begins before her marriage, as she arrives to marry Macbeth in his cold, dark castle on the northern tip of Scotland. She sets the story in medieval times and the mix of historical detail and stark, dramatic settings sets a spine-tingling tone. The story follows the play quite loosely, but the author dives right in. Before she allows Macbeth in her bed, Lady Macbeth asks for a necklace, knowing he will have to invade Cawdor to get it. This sets in motion the battle where Macbeth becomes Thane of Cawdor, fulfilling the first of the witches’ prophecies.

And speaking of the witches, Reid does an incredible job weaving the Weird Sisters into the story in an original way that both explains their origins and keeps their magic mysterious. In fact, she adds several elements of witchcraft to Lady Macbeth’s story, including the rumor that men will go mad if they gaze directly into her eyes. Reid’s background as a fantasy writer serves her well in this and in the sexual dynamics that can turn violent in an instant. 

I think my background knowledge of Macbeth added to my enjoyment of Lady Macbeth, but isn’t required for you to enjoy the novel. This is a suspenseful tale of a young women trapped in a brutal world of battle, magic and ambition. I definitely recommend it. (Lily)