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15th out of 129 books
—
181 voters
Lady Macbeth
by
Susan Fraser King (Goodreads Author)
I amgranddaughter to a king and
daughter to a prince, a wife twice over, a queen
as well. I have fought with sword and bow, and
struggled fierce to bear my babes into this world.
I have loved deeply and hated deeply, too.
Lady Gruadh, called Rue, is the last female descendent of Scotland’s most royal line. Married to a powerful northern lord, she is widowed while still car...more
daughter to a prince, a wife twice over, a queen
as well. I have fought with sword and bow, and
struggled fierce to bear my babes into this world.
I have loved deeply and hated deeply, too.
Lady Gruadh, called Rue, is the last female descendent of Scotland’s most royal line. Married to a powerful northern lord, she is widowed while still car...more
Hardcover, 340 pages
Published
February 12th 2008
by Crown
(first published January 1st 2008)
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Oct 14, 2011
Bettie
marked it as maybe
CELEBRITY DEATH MATCH REVIEW ONLY
Macbeth v 1984
A dark Cave. In the middle, a teapot boiling. Thunder.
Enter Mona Ogg and her two accomplices.
1 WITCH. Thrice the branded wool has knotted.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the dropped stitch fled.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!
1 WITCH. Round about the garter stitch go;
Knit Knit Purl then Bobble
No invoice, this is a hobble
W2 - What are you knitting Mistress Ogg?
W1 - I was making a sock puppet for a Hungarian client but she was banned from u...more
Macbeth v 1984
A dark Cave. In the middle, a teapot boiling. Thunder.
Enter Mona Ogg and her two accomplices.
1 WITCH. Thrice the branded wool has knotted.
2 WITCH. Thrice and once, the dropped stitch fled.
3 WITCH. Harpier cries:—'tis time! 'tis time!
1 WITCH. Round about the garter stitch go;
Knit Knit Purl then Bobble
No invoice, this is a hobble
W2 - What are you knitting Mistress Ogg?
W1 - I was making a sock puppet for a Hungarian client but she was banned from u...more
7 likes · like · see review
view all 14 comments
This was a real disappointment. In the hands of a better writer, this could have been an amazing story, but Susan Fraser King doesn't engage the reader at all. The main character, Gruadh (Lady Macbeth), is supposed to be a fierce warrior queen, so why does the author make her sound so sniveling, weak and, well, womanish? I didn't care a fig for the secondary characters either, and try keeping them all straight in your head - they have no distinguishing characteristics whatsoever. Not recommended...more
This book has nothing to do with Shakespeare's play. Instead it is a look at the real Lady Mac Beth and some of the more current scholarly theories about MacBeth himself and his Queen.
Instead of being known as Lady MacBeth, she is Lady Gruadh, the last female of Scotland's most royal line. When her first husband, Lord of powerful northern lands is murdered she is pregnant with her child and forced to marry her husband's murderer.
The image of Gruadh as a young woman is one of a warrior, not wil...more
Instead of being known as Lady MacBeth, she is Lady Gruadh, the last female of Scotland's most royal line. When her first husband, Lord of powerful northern lands is murdered she is pregnant with her child and forced to marry her husband's murderer.
The image of Gruadh as a young woman is one of a warrior, not wil...more
I LOVED this book. However much I love Shakespeare--and I DO LOVE SHAKESPEARE--the man was writing for the good graces and on the good will of the Tudors and the Stuarts. To do that, he often had to write Tudor-supporting propaganda (which is why Richard III is evil in his book, when actually he was quite an amicable man). Susan Fraser King wrote a novel more in line with historical fact. Her characters are flawed, they are human, but they have hearts and are pushed and prodded by circumstance m...more
Interestingly enough, I bought this book without even really knowing what it was about at a book signing.
I started reading it in the car ride home- and didn't put it down until I was finished!
It is a great historical fiction with an amazing and strong woman as the main character.
If you liked Mists of Avalon, you will LOVE Lady Macbeth. I actually enjoyed Lady Macbeth more because of the historical detail. You can tell the author did a lot of research to make this story seem very real.
I started reading it in the car ride home- and didn't put it down until I was finished!
It is a great historical fiction with an amazing and strong woman as the main character.
If you liked Mists of Avalon, you will LOVE Lady Macbeth. I actually enjoyed Lady Macbeth more because of the historical detail. You can tell the author did a lot of research to make this story seem very real.
I loved the book! I was hooked right from the beginning. The way that it's written it almost felt like poetry. I was experiencing everything that Rue was, the fear, the pride, the need for revenge and the emotions just kept on pilling up. And the setting was breathtaking, even the winter was something to be experienced.
Like I mentioned before I was never a big fan of William Shakespeare's MacBeth. I can't really pinpoint exactly what turned me off of the play, it could have my teacher or could...more
Like I mentioned before I was never a big fan of William Shakespeare's MacBeth. I can't really pinpoint exactly what turned me off of the play, it could have my teacher or could...more
Nov 07, 2010
Stephanie Dray
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
historical-fantasy
The first chapter of Lady MacBeth should humble any historical fiction writer. With prose so lyrical that you’ll want to re-read each sentence to enjoy its cadence and artistry, Susan Fraser King gives us a compelling introduction to a fascinating queen.
Lady MacBeth is a wonderful example of what historical fiction does best. It corrects the errors of Shakespearian tradition, creates a plausible narrative by filling in the gaps in the historical record, and teaches us something about a woman who...more
Lady MacBeth is a wonderful example of what historical fiction does best. It corrects the errors of Shakespearian tradition, creates a plausible narrative by filling in the gaps in the historical record, and teaches us something about a woman who...more
I love a good historic novel. Susan King delivered a solid story in Lady Macbeth. This is the story of Gruath, her journey toward becoming the wife of Macbeth and information through his battle to become the King of Scotland.
If you are wanting a Philippa Gregory-type historic novel, this is going to disappoint you. There are lots of names (many of them very difficult to pronounce), lots of facts and the characters are more dry than Gregory's. However, if you are like me, and enjoy Sharon Kay Pen...more
If you are wanting a Philippa Gregory-type historic novel, this is going to disappoint you. There are lots of names (many of them very difficult to pronounce), lots of facts and the characters are more dry than Gregory's. However, if you are like me, and enjoy Sharon Kay Pen...more
It took me a year to get the courage to purchase this and I am so glad I finally did. Not being a fan of Shakespeare (cannot stand the prose), I was weary of this. It is nothing like Shakespeare at all. The prose is written just like any other novel. I will even compare it to Phillipa Greggory. The story may have taken ideas from the Shakespearan play, but little is really known about the real life Lady Macbeth (Gruadh) and the author did wonders with what she could find. It is the tragic story...more
May 14, 2009
TheFountainPenDiva
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Shelves:
genre-historical-fiction,
settings-scotland
Just as amazing as The Mists of Avalon, and for me that's saying quite a bit.
This isn't Shakespeare's "out damn'd spot" schemer. This Lady Macbeth, known as Gruadh (that's Groo-ath), is more in keeping with earlier historical traditions. Proud, loyal, fierce and unwavering, Gruadh lives and loves in a world of steel, blood, magic and fire. As a girl child, she is abducted and taken as a potential bride by Orkney. She trains as a warrior, in spite of her father's misgivings as she insists the Cel...more
This isn't Shakespeare's "out damn'd spot" schemer. This Lady Macbeth, known as Gruadh (that's Groo-ath), is more in keeping with earlier historical traditions. Proud, loyal, fierce and unwavering, Gruadh lives and loves in a world of steel, blood, magic and fire. As a girl child, she is abducted and taken as a potential bride by Orkney. She trains as a warrior, in spite of her father's misgivings as she insists the Cel...more
There are many things about this novel that I found intriguing. The first being that the characters of historical figures can be compromised by the writers of historical periods who must please the reigning monarch. This often means that historical record is fudged to demonize or marginalize royal predecessors of different lineages. Women are commonly marginalized when they deserve better attention for the historical record. The writer must pay attention to what records exist, compare them, and...more
Until I recently read Lady Macbeth, my only knowledge of ancient Scottish history was Shakespeare's play , "Macbeth." This play was written in 1605 (550 years after the facts) for the pleasure of the English King James I. While Susan Fraser King's book is historical fiction, it helps to correct the historical record while offering an excellent read. Macbeth was a good guy who ruled as King of Scots for 17 peaceful years until Malcolm Canmore killed him. Lady Macbeth did not commit suicide or run...more
I wanted to love this book (and I did love the last portion), but something kept me from being fully engaged in the story emotionally...intellectually it was interesting throughout. The last 70 pages of this book were outstanding. If the whole book was written the same way I would rate this a resounding 5 stars. With the exception of the last 70 pages there were other pages/paragraphs that were beautifully written, but the majority didn't evoke much emotion in me - for the characters. That being...more
This book is an interesting exploration into the life of the real Lady Macbeth and how she gained power and authority in the kingdom that she and her husband shared. I picked this book up simply because of the fact that I teach Macbeth just about every year and it piqued my interest at a library book sale. It was not nearly as good as I had the hopes for - but I do have to say that the book itself is an easily digestible history of the Macbeth court that keeps one from going and researching thro...more
This was thoroughly enjoyable--but very much like a lot of books I've read in the past. Strong woman character--medieval(I guess this is even earlier than 'medieval') historical fiction--a bit of celtic/gaelic magic, etc. etc. I also liked it because it had a character family tree (which is very helpful when their names all start to sound the same) and a map of Scotland. The author apparently tried to make it as accurate as possible based on the historical references available. I liked reading i...more
I did not know there was another story of Lady Macbeth, queen of Scotland. I thought Shakespeare's account was the true account, but research is uncovering a different story of this remarkable woman and her tumultous life. The story is told by Gruadh, the future Lady Macbeth, daughter of an 11th century Scottish prince...royal blood running through her veins. She is strong and determined to uphold her Celtic traditions--even learning to fight alongside the men. She survives incredible loss with...more
I really liked this book. King creates the plot from the sparce historical record of Lady Macbeth, not from Shakespeare's tale, so offers a very different version of that lady. The character's passion and struggle to live amdist turbulent times is described in vivid detail that is neither too graphic nor too perverse--a relief to me as a reader. Far too many authors of historical fiction equate great writing with sensationalism.
The book shows Lady Gruadh at a crossroads in Scotland's history as...more
The book shows Lady Gruadh at a crossroads in Scotland's history as...more
Like most people, my knowledge of Lady MacBeth comes only from the Shakespeare play where she appears as the Machiavellian power behind the throne. In this book, the story is told from her point of view and is based on the actual history of Scotland in the 11th century. Lady MacBeth still appears as a strong character who did indeed have some influence over her second husband, MacBeth, but not in the way that Shakespeare presents her.
In the 11th century, Scotland is a country of feuding warlord...more
In the 11th century, Scotland is a country of feuding warlord...more
The first chapter of 'Lady Macbeth' should humble any historical fiction writer. With prose so lyrical that you'll want to re-read each sentence to enjoy its cadence and artistry, Susan Fraser King gives us a compelling introduction to a fascinating queen.
'Lady Macbeth' is an amazing example of what historical fiction does best. It corrects the errors of Shakespearean tradition, creates a plausible narrative by filling in the gaps in the historical record, and teaches us something about a woman...more
'Lady Macbeth' is an amazing example of what historical fiction does best. It corrects the errors of Shakespearean tradition, creates a plausible narrative by filling in the gaps in the historical record, and teaches us something about a woman...more
Lady MacBeth is a very heavy novel with more battle and heartache than fanciful moments. Conspiracy, murder, and paranoia are key elements that infuse every moment and every word. As per the times, you never feel truly safe for the characters you care for most. The only trouble I had while reading the novel was the time jumping which was frequent at the beginning (setting up Lady MacBeth's childhood) and occurred again toward the end which gave you a plot twist and then segued back in time to ex...more
This is definitely one of the best historical fiction I have read in some time! It's also one of those books that I had a hard time putting down ... I am so fortunate to have a husband who understands my passion for reading.
This is not a novel based on Shakespeare's play, though the title did get me intrigued (as well as a recent discovery that my husband's family is descended from the Scots of old). This is about a young woman who was raised in the old tradition of Scots nobility. She was desce...more
This is not a novel based on Shakespeare's play, though the title did get me intrigued (as well as a recent discovery that my husband's family is descended from the Scots of old). This is about a young woman who was raised in the old tradition of Scots nobility. She was desce...more
This is probably one of the best historical fiction books I've read in years.
Always fascinated by the character of Lady Macbeth, I dove at this book full force. King is a brilliant writer, weaving a time and place that is so wonderful you can smell the lush green grass and the wonderful sights of Scotland.
Immediately you are swept into Rue's story, and she is captivating. Her love for her family, and the battles she fought to maintain her birthright make her a woman to admire and fear, as you'...more
Always fascinated by the character of Lady Macbeth, I dove at this book full force. King is a brilliant writer, weaving a time and place that is so wonderful you can smell the lush green grass and the wonderful sights of Scotland.
Immediately you are swept into Rue's story, and she is captivating. Her love for her family, and the battles she fought to maintain her birthright make her a woman to admire and fear, as you'...more
Lady Macbeth is the story of Queen Gruadh, who with her husband King Macbeth, rose to power in 11th century Scotland. I am not familiar with Shakespeare's version of Macbeth, so I did not have any preconceived notions about the characters other than I had heard that Susan Fraser King's version is more historically accurate, whereas Shakespeare took some liberties in order to please his English benefactor.
Lady Graudh was a Celtic warrior queen, ambitious in her pursuit of the throne, fierce in p...more
Lady Graudh was a Celtic warrior queen, ambitious in her pursuit of the throne, fierce in p...more
Lady Gruadh is born in 11th century Scotland into a royal (although not ruling) family, taught about--and proud of--her Celtic and Pictish heritage, groomed to become Queen of the Scots. She is a woman of her times and her culture: familiar with death and danger at an early age, a believer both in Christianity and in the Gaelic goddess Brigid--and in magic--ambitious and strong, she understands marriage as a political alliance rather than a romantic commitment, and is gifted (she hopes) with vis...more
1 like · like · see review
I'll be honest, I didn't play real close attention to this one. I had it playing over the weekend while doing housecleaning and such.
I borrowed this form the library because I love Shakespeare and I've always found MacBeth to be one of my favorites of the tragedies. The Lady MacBeth here is nothing like the one immortalized by Shakespeare. Instead it tells about all that led to her marrying MacBeth, including her first marriage and the murder of her first husband by Macbeth himself. Her hate of...more
I borrowed this form the library because I love Shakespeare and I've always found MacBeth to be one of my favorites of the tragedies. The Lady MacBeth here is nothing like the one immortalized by Shakespeare. Instead it tells about all that led to her marrying MacBeth, including her first marriage and the murder of her first husband by Macbeth himself. Her hate of...more
I listened to this book on the audio version, which was very entertaining due to the skill with which the narrator reads.
I am a fan of the play so I was disappointed with the cardboard natures of all of the characters save for Lady and Lord Macbeth. If the narrator was not such a good voice actress I would not have been able to tell the difference between any of the other characters.
The beginning of the book was also a bit slow. I finished reading it out of habit. I had to judge the book on it...more
I am a fan of the play so I was disappointed with the cardboard natures of all of the characters save for Lady and Lord Macbeth. If the narrator was not such a good voice actress I would not have been able to tell the difference between any of the other characters.
The beginning of the book was also a bit slow. I finished reading it out of habit. I had to judge the book on it...more
Years ago I got up and walked out in the middle of Braveheart because of the needless violence. Well, King put all that in perspective. If her research is halfway correct, those Scots were a blood-thirsty bunch. In this book King attempts to makes sympathetic characters of Mr. and Mrs. MacBeth. Even implies that the Stuart kings, such as they were, might not even have been a blemish on the royal bloodlines, if MacBeth had been king and his heirs (what heirs?) had been the ones to propagate their...more
I'd give this 3 1/2 stars if I could. I don't think it quite earned four but we'll go with it. I loved learning about 11th Century Scotland and I loved the characterization of Gruadh as a fiesty, strong, and brave girl grown into a queen. Her relationship with MacBeth is both tender and practical as well as being very believable. I love it when authors can spin a fictional historical tale filling in the gaps in history with logical conclusions about what could have really happened. Some stories...more
This is a great story of Lady Macbeth and the times she lived in. This author really made the history come alive and was so fascinating. I think strong, female characters are usually perceived as bitches and it was nice to read one that is a competent, talented ruler who was proud of her bloodline.
I was in Scotland last year and visited many of the sights mentioned including Scone Palace, Elgin, Cawdor Castle and viewed the Stone of Destiny. It made the story even more interesting for me.
This is...more
I was in Scotland last year and visited many of the sights mentioned including Scone Palace, Elgin, Cawdor Castle and viewed the Stone of Destiny. It made the story even more interesting for me.
This is...more
The author, obviously enamored of Scottish history, spent way too much time impressing me with her knowledge of Gaelic tradition than weaving a thoughtful, engaging story. Too many people are introduced without one shred of notable/memorable information as to who they are or why they might be important later or transversely, she gives you oodles of info that is overwhelming about another character which is entirely superfluous.
The idea of constructing a story out of the historical Queen of Scots...more
The idea of constructing a story out of the historical Queen of Scots...more
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| Beyond Mr. Darcy:...: June 2013 Group Read: Lady Macbeth | 7 | 6 | Jun 11, 2013 09:57am |
Susan King is the bestselling, award-winning author of over 20 historical novels and novellas, each one praised for historical accuracy, storytelling quality and lyricism. Her first novel, The Black Thorne’s Rose, was published in 1994, followed by many historical romances written as Susan King and as Sarah Gabriel. As Susan Fraser King, she is the author of Lady Macbeth: A Novel, and Queen Hereaf...more
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“Sorrow and life go hand in hand.”
—
5 people liked it
“When I need it, I can call bitterness around me like mail armor, every thought a knot of steel, shielding the tenderness I have learned to hide as a daughter, mother, wife, and queen among warriors.”
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2 people liked it
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