Review of “Lady Macbeth” by Ava Reid
A Gothic and Fantastical Retelling of the Shakespearean Classic
Wandering Sheep in Western Denmark, 2021
A gothic, haunting retelling of Shakespeares’ classic, “Macbeth”. We follow the soon-to-be Lady Macbeth, beginning on the eve of her wedding to Macbeth. The story embeds itself in the age old tradition of political, arranged marriages and highlights the cunningness required of newly wed, political brides. Lady Macbeth is simply navigating the court, her own survival, and finds herself pulling the threads in this pursuit of being a cunning political player and most importantly, alive. It’s wonderfully written and feels reminiscent of the women of “Game of Thrones”, learning to play the game as nothing but a young girl from a powerful family, understanding the consequences of diplomatic failures, use their strengths to their advantage, and carefully craft a web of pull to both protect themselves and others.
The twisted, fantastical elements of the book—Lady Macbeth as a witch, (The next sentence has a spoiler!) the Fates locked below being former wives, the dragon (end spoiler!)—are told in this dark, gothic way that fits the dreary, cold nature of the highlands of Macbeth’s castle. Overall, an enjoyable read and an excellent reimagining of what could have actually happened in Macbeth with a touch more magic. It captures the nuance of politics, the corruption of a man seeking to commit regicide, and unravels and complicates the undue blame placed on the young Lady Macbeth in a male-dominated society in the original text.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
