If tragedies and blood are your niche, you might be interested in Ava Reid’s “Lady Macbeth”. A fascinating reading, the scenario is filled with surprises and references that are worth reading if you know the tragedy of William Shakespeare “Macbeth”.
Lady Macbeth, or Roscille in the novel, is not like another lady in a royal or rich family. She has something hidden in her, or even better, something with which she was cursed. She is known to seduce men in madness with her dark eyes, although she covers them with a veil to hide.
Lady Macbeth fears for her husband, a ruthless man with cold blood, but Roscille is not the only one to have secrets, because Macbeth seems to have skeletons in his closet. Roscille cannot bear to see the murderous acts that her husband is trying to perform.
His cursed voice and eyes are the key factors to end this complete madness of tragedies.
Reid’s novel has important aspects that bind the emblematic piece, but there are key differences that make “Lady Macbeth” a completely different story.
In the original room, Lady Macbeth convinces her husband to kill King Duncan and to become King of Scotland. He fulfills the prophecy and puts an end to the king’s life, but leaves the scene with a horrified feeling in his intestine.
In “Lady Macbeth”, it is the complete opposite.
Macbeth threatens Roscille with force to use his powers to kill King Duncane, however, she rather uses them on the guards, also known as Chamberlains. Once the king is killed, Roscille tells the Chambellants to end others’ lives to give the impression that she was not the one behind the plan.
Reid does a great job by writing a completely different perspective for Lady Macbeth. She may have been the wicked in the original room, but the idea of giving her a different path of what her character should be an interesting development on the way Roscille has gone from an obedient woman to a rebellious witch .
However, a strange thing is that the development of his character is quite slow and can be frustrating for readers who prefer a faster rhythm. He is questionable and could leave the readers surprised.
The notable writing style and the layout of the book pays homage to the room. The diction is descriptive but theatrical and dramatic, bringing an idea of the era of the characters and where.
As for the arrangement of the novel, the chapters are cut by acts like the original piece. Even if the book has differences compared to the room, the acts in the cut give the impression that it is an alternative game of “Macbeth”.
Reid also implements a list of characters, typical in a game format, to help tell readers who are the characters and the places in the book. Most of the characters in this novel are the same as the original characters of “Macbeth”, but some names are slightly modified with a few additional letters or under a completely different name.
Amazing to give more spoilers, Reid has definitely reinvented the perspective of Lady Macbeth. She gave him an unimaginable voice and background story that makes her different and more powerful than in the original Shakespearean tragedy.