“Vengeance is not a wooden cup that empties, it is a jeweled chalice which endlessly spills over”

One of the things with stories that I am a complete sucker for is a Shakespeare retelling. Taking these characters that have stood the test of time and adapting them into similar but different versions of themselves. “Lady Macbeth” by Ava Reid is the next in a long line of Shakespearean adaptions whose mission is to introduce these Old World stories to a new audience, with updated and modern themes. While not perfect, Reid’s step into this unique genre is an engaging crack with overtures to women’s struggles.

This reclamation project changes Macbeth from this man who does not have the nerve to do what is needed to be done to wear the crown, to a bullish brute who gets trapped by a prophecy of royal consequence, who then is betrothed to Lady Roscille (Lady Macbeth) and uses fear of what he might do to her to have her fall in line with his ultimate prophecy: being King thereafter.

While this does not make Lady Macbeth out to be a great person, it gives her more depth the the original character. It gives her the guile and influential insight that her character has always had, without the without the overture of evil that the original character had. This line that Reid balances on is a fine one, that she sometimes missteps but overall is able to stick the landing.

There are probably some things that if I had a deeper understanding of Macbeth as a whole, would have resonated more with me, but I don’t think it is a must to have expert level knowledge of the play to enjoy this reinvention. Something that really takes this to enjoyable levels is the gothic prose that Reid uses. This is one of the best “written” books that I have read this year, and will be pretty hard to top. Also there is a Spotify playlist that the author crafted to listen to while reading and it is such a vibe!

If you are looking for a short read to get you into a gothic, fall vibe, you can do a lot worse than this!