Lady Macbeth: A Novel
by Susan Fraser King
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 175)
Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
Anyone interested in Scottish history or Macbeth
This book really deserves a proper review, but I am afraid I don't have the time to do one at the moment. What I can say is that the story quickly draws you in and brings you close to the persona of the infamous Lady Macbeth. Of course here she is the main character and heroine and though at times leaning towards an over-romancing of Scotland's Celtic ancestry, her story tends towards the believable since it is not too hard to think of Lady Macbeth truly imagining herself as the inheritor of t...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Jodi by:
another stellar Tattered Cover employee, who's name escapes merecommends it for: Wicked fans, Shakespeare aficionados
Maybe it's because I'm in full Shakespeare mode for the kids' Shakespeare Clubs at school, but I found this book fascinating! As I've written before, I LOVE books that take a 'familiar' story & look at it from a completely different perspective, which is exactly what this book has done. It begins with Gruach (the Saxon/Shakespeare spelling...it is Gruadh, the Celt spelling for most of the book) as a very young girl, being kidnapped by Vikings (distant relatives even), so they can marry her...more
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Read in June, 2008
I typically enjoy books with a strong feminist heroine (Mists of Avalon, Red Tent), but this story felt too contrived for me. It was a quick read about the perils of Lady Macbeth, set against a classic plot of young kings usurping thrones and the cost it brings to women and children. Of course, Lady Macbeth is able to fight alongside her men and has greater freedom than most men, though the author goes to great lengths to mention ancient tribes with female warriors to justify the historical a...more
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Read in March, 2008
I've just started the book. It sounds intriguing, but thus far it is VERY slow going. I am really hoping it picks up the pace....
The storyline has picked up, but it still isn't as quick of a read as I normally read. However, I am thoroughly enjoying this piece of historical fiction as it recounts the story of MacBeth and his second wife, Gruadh and their battle to keep Scotland in the manner they think it should. I really am enjoying this book!!
Really, really enjoyed this book. Had a ...more
The storyline has picked up, but it still isn't as quick of a read as I normally read. However, I am thoroughly enjoying this piece of historical fiction as it recounts the story of MacBeth and his second wife, Gruadh and their battle to keep Scotland in the manner they think it should. I really am enjoying this book!!
Really, really enjoyed this book. Had a ...more
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This is not correlated to the Shakespeare play, but rather to the historical record of Scotland's King Macbeth. This is a good book, with lots of intrigue; however, the intrigue takes place among the men with the women left at home. It made me think about two things:
1. The heroine, Lady Macbeth, is fiery, hot-headed and impetuous. I guess you can get to be of a certain age and still be that way when you have no actual power to assert your will. The men are forever talking her down off th...more
1. The heroine, Lady Macbeth, is fiery, hot-headed and impetuous. I guess you can get to be of a certain age and still be that way when you have no actual power to assert your will. The men are forever talking her down off th...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
anyone who thinks Shakespeare's version is the be-and-end-all
According to William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth was cruelly ambitious – pushing her husband to murderous deeds, which lead to her guilt-ridden madness and suicide. Not so, according to Susan Fraser King, who creates a loving and protective Lady inspired by “the most accurate historical evidence available,” according to the note at the prologue of “Lady Macbeth.”
Lady Gruadh inghean Bodhe is married, orphaned, widowed, forcibly remarried to her husband’s killer and becomes a mother...more
Lady Gruadh inghean Bodhe is married, orphaned, widowed, forcibly remarried to her husband’s killer and becomes a mother...more
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Read in June, 2008
Having spent three weeks in Moray, Scotland, last summer looking for connections between the Picts and the historical Macbeth (not the Shakespearean version), I found the landscape of this book familiar. Unfortunately, what was also familiar was the rather tired idea that "some women were really tough back then in Ye Olden Days!"...so what if the woman who became Lady Macbeth trained as a warrior? Her relationship with Macbeth seems as hollow as a wooden practice sword on a practice ...more
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Read in April, 2008
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
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MacBeth is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, but I know that it is historically incorrect. According to Scottish history, MacBeth was a good King (much better than Duncan, whom he killed), and he ruled a peaceful Scotland for 17 years. Malcolm III, who eventually killed MacBeth was backed by Edward the Confessor, King of England, so of course MacBeth would be written as the villian by Shakespeare. Even though this book is fiction, and not much is known of Gruadh (Lady MacBeth), it is based o...more
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Read in May, 2008
I picked this up because I enjoy historical fiction, and this was pretty good. It traces the life of Lady MacBeth, from when she is about 13 or so until just after MacBeth's death. I love seeing the intersections of history & literature, and this provided exactly this example. There's not a whole lot known about Lady MacBeth, and so the scholar had to go on what she could find and expand on that given what we know about the time. There's not really anything that ties this directly to the tal...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommended to Kami by:
Green Parenting book clubrecommends it for: anyone who enjoys historical fiction or strong female characters
This was a pretty good read. There was a lot of background information about Scotland and the Celts. I never knew too much about Lady Macbeth. This book really explored the historical figure and who she was and why she did what she did. In the play Macbeth seems like a horrible person trying to get ahead and not afraid to step on people to get ahead, and Lady Macbeth is the one who convinces him to murder the king. In this book, Macbeth is totally justified in killing the king and he does so in ...more
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Read in February, 2008
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.
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Read in March, 2008
Shakespeare borrowed from historical sources for many of his plays. Ms King also looks at historical sources for her novel with different results. Told from Lady Macbeth's perspective, we learn her destiny is determined more by politics than her own desire to continue in the tradition of a warrior-queen. (Celtic traditions are confronted by Saxons and Roman Catholic values.) The first person narrative seems odd at times, like when she starts explaining customs or historical facts to the reader.
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Read in May, 2008
This was the sort of book you read at high speed to see what happens next-the counterpoint to Shakespeare's story is interesting and this version is plausible. I do agree with another reviewer, though, that the characters are somewhat underdeveloped, for all the book's length. It was a good read, the plot moved quickly, but I don't expect these characters to stay with me as others I have read. I was not noticeably moved by their joys or sorrows-they were just part of the story.
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Read in March, 2008
Actually, good historical fiction this one. I'd thought I would probably not like it much but it was actually interesting and well done. Not one reference to anything Shakespeare--no ghost,no damn spots. The author seems to have done a lot of research on dark age Scotland and a real war lord named Macbeth. I'm guessing a lot needed to be filled in but I learned a lot on succession in the ancient Scottish monarchy, life in dark age Scotland (no thanks!) and learned quite a bit.
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
people who like strong female characters
I really, really enjoyed this book. An alternative story of the infamous power couple. It's on the premise that the winner writes the history. It's also a romance and portrays a wonderful description of 11th Century Scotland. The conflict between the Celtic way and the "Roman" way is a backdrop through every chapter.
It was hard to put down and it even inspired me to watch Shakespeare's play again, just so I can compare things.
It was hard to put down and it even inspired me to watch Shakespeare's play again, just so I can compare things.
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Read in May, 2008
Lady Macbeth is a story about an 11th century Scottish woman with royal bloodlines. When her husband is killed, the man who kills him, Macbeth, takes her to be his wife. This story shows the struggles, hardships and scheming of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in their quest for the throne. The author has some great insights into life in the 11th century that I thought were fascinating. But the ending felt a little rushed.
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
those who like historical fiction
I really enjoyed this historically based book. It tells the story of the Celtic princess that is based on historical documents, rather than the fictional character of Shakespeare's invention. The characters are very well draw and it gives a sense of the life of the Celts as the Roman church and England exerted pressure on their culture and kingdom.
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Read in April, 2008
A really good book. It started out a little slow (or maybe I was just having concentration problems), but I was definitely interested by chapter 2 or so. The characters are nicely complex, interesting and likeable. Great for anyone who loves historical fiction, particularly the history we don't hear about as much.
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Extremely well-written exploration of what the real Lady Macbeth may have been like, as opposed to the Shakespearean version. A bit like some good novels about the real Richard III vs Shakey's politically correct (for the times) take on him.
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