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Macbeth
Den korrupte politimesteren som har styrt industribyen ned i en hengemyr av korrupsjon, kriminalitet og kaos, er endelig død. Med dette er folkets håp tent, og maktkampen i gang.
Førstebetjentene Macbeth og Duff, tidligere bestevenner fra barnehjemmet de vokste opp på, har begge markert seg i kampen mot byens to rivaliserende narkotikabander. Nå slåss de om samme høyere stilling i politiet. Imens legger Lady, byens mektige kasinoeier, ambisiøse og morderiske planer for seg og elskeren sin, Macbeth.
Førstebetjentene Macbeth og Duff, tidligere bestevenner fra barnehjemmet de vokste opp på, har begge markert seg i kampen mot byens to rivaliserende narkotikabander. Nå slåss de om samme høyere stilling i politiet. Imens legger Lady, byens mektige kasinoeier, ambisiøse og morderiske planer for seg og elskeren sin, Macbeth.
512 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2018
About the author
Jo Nesbø
184 books21.5k followersJo Nesbø is a bestselling Norwegian author and musician. He was born in Oslo and grew up in Molde. Nesbø graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics with a degree in economics. Nesbø is primarily famous for his crime novels about Detective Harry Hole, but he is also the main vocals and songwriter for the Norwegian rock band Di Derre. In 2007 Nesbø also released his first children's book, Doktor Proktors Prompepulver.
Series:
* Harry Hole
* Doktor Proktor
For exclusive content about Jo Nesbø and his books, register for the official fan newsletter: https://jonesbo.com/newsletter/
Series:
* Harry Hole
* Doktor Proktor
For exclusive content about Jo Nesbø and his books, register for the official fan newsletter: https://jonesbo.com/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,481 reviews
January 4, 2021
”There is only so much a man can take before he gives in, before he breaks every tattooed oath and does everything---absolutely everything---he thought he would never do. For eternal loyalty is inhuman and betrayal is human.”
The Sam Worthington and Victoria Hill Scottish Gangster version of Macbeth (2006) is my favorite Macbeth and probably the closest cinematic version to this novel.
Inverness.
1970s.
Setting: Run down industrial town with toxic air and poisoned earth. Crime is high as more and more of the population becomes addicted to an illicit drug called Brew, made in a witch’s caldron. (I know, heavy, right?) Hecate is the drug lord who, behind the scenes, manipulates everything.
Duncan is the police commissioner.
All Hail Duncan.
He is honest, and if given a chance, he will lead Inverness back to a happy better life.
So it all begins with a promotion that is given to a man named Macbeth. He is the head of SWAT, but they want to move him up to head of Organized Crime. It is a job that (Mac)Duff, his longest friend, has coveted. The decision is based off the fact that everyone in positions of power have come from the well educated, upper classes. Macbeth comes from the lower classes and was once completely strung out on Brew. Hecate, always one to sense opportunity, dispatches the witch Strega to Macbeth to share a prophecy with him. Hecate knows that Macbeth is the very guy he has been looking for to derail Duncan. ”The only person more predictable than a junkie or a moralist is a love-smitten junkie and moralist.”
Macbeth is love-smitten, indeed, with the lovely woman who calls herself Lady Macbeth. She has fiery red hair, elegance, and flair that makes men go weak in the knees. She owns the casino in town, but her ambitions go way beyond controlling gambling. She thinks Macbeth should listen to the prophecy and become police commissioner, but why stop there? Why not mayor, as well?
All Hail Macbeth.
Macbeth must become someone else, someone he fought, conquered, and left bleeding in the gutter of his past. ”He had to become that other Macbeth, the one he had buried so deep, that crazy flesh-eating corpse he had sworn he would never be again.” To be that man, he needs brew. He needs brew, sliding like silver snakes through his bloodstream, to give him the courage/cowardice to kill Duncan. ”Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
Ambition achieved and yet unearned creates anxiety. Who can rest easy on the bones of their enemies when they weren’t truly their enemies, but good men more deserving? As Macbeth does more and more to friends who know too much and to those who simply stand in his way, ”Red feathers were stuck to the walls around them;” paranoia becomes his constant companion, and his weaknesses become more evidence .
He is on a collision course with Duff, who becomes the only man who has a chance to stop him.
All Hail Duff?
Out of all the plays that I’ve read by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is my favorite. I haven’t read them all so I do reserve the right to change my Shakespeare affiliation as I work my way through the Bard’s amazing contribution to English Literature. It turns out to be a terrible alliance, due to the fact that Lady and Macbeth spur each other’s ambitions which, once achieved, turn out to be hollow and too highly priced. The greed for power is strong, and like a drug, people can start to want more, always chasing the feeling of that high when they first triumphed.
Inexplicably, I’ve always liked Macbeth. I find myself, whether it is a play, a movie, or this novel, rooting for him even though he isn’t really that likeable. I see the promise in him that is overcome by the evil in him. I’m always hopeful that some writer or movie producer will pull him back from the brink and set him down on a path to be the man I know he could be. Of course, redemption is not the theme of the play, nor of any movie or book starring Macbeth. He must be consumed by his own guilt and insecurities. He must ultimately be destroyed by the weight of his misdeeds.
There are ghosts, witches, and playful uses of characters. Seyton is transformed into some creature beyond the pale of human understanding. Everything I’ve read says that Shakespeare never intended the name Seyton to infer that he was Satan, but where the Bard may have let the opportunity flitter away in rewrites, Jo Nesbo did not. Nesbo certainly has fun with the characters. Caithness, a Scottish nobleman in the play, is cast as a woman in this novel, the lover of Duff. Hecate is a witch in the play, but becomes a male drug lord in this novel. Nesbo stays reasonably close to the original plot.
I loved the 2015 version of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender.
I’m really impressed with the first volume I’ve read in the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Hogarth was the original press owned by Leonard and Virginia Woolf. Next on my list will be Margaret Atwood’s retelling of The Tempest. The others in the series are Tracy Chevalier retelling Othello, Gillian FLynn retelling Hamlet, Howard Jacobson retelling The Merchant of Venice, Edward St. Aubyn retelling King Lear, Anne Tyler retelling The Taming of the Shrew, and Jeanette Winterson retelling The Winter’s Tale. If they have not commissioned your favorite play yet, stay tuned. This novel was a bloody blast. I set aside all other books to focus on reading it over the weekend and found it, frankly, invigorating. Shakespeare made into a page turner.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The Sam Worthington and Victoria Hill Scottish Gangster version of Macbeth (2006) is my favorite Macbeth and probably the closest cinematic version to this novel.
Inverness.
1970s.
Setting: Run down industrial town with toxic air and poisoned earth. Crime is high as more and more of the population becomes addicted to an illicit drug called Brew, made in a witch’s caldron. (I know, heavy, right?) Hecate is the drug lord who, behind the scenes, manipulates everything.
Duncan is the police commissioner.
All Hail Duncan.
He is honest, and if given a chance, he will lead Inverness back to a happy better life.
So it all begins with a promotion that is given to a man named Macbeth. He is the head of SWAT, but they want to move him up to head of Organized Crime. It is a job that (Mac)Duff, his longest friend, has coveted. The decision is based off the fact that everyone in positions of power have come from the well educated, upper classes. Macbeth comes from the lower classes and was once completely strung out on Brew. Hecate, always one to sense opportunity, dispatches the witch Strega to Macbeth to share a prophecy with him. Hecate knows that Macbeth is the very guy he has been looking for to derail Duncan. ”The only person more predictable than a junkie or a moralist is a love-smitten junkie and moralist.”
Macbeth is love-smitten, indeed, with the lovely woman who calls herself Lady Macbeth. She has fiery red hair, elegance, and flair that makes men go weak in the knees. She owns the casino in town, but her ambitions go way beyond controlling gambling. She thinks Macbeth should listen to the prophecy and become police commissioner, but why stop there? Why not mayor, as well?
All Hail Macbeth.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.
Macbeth must become someone else, someone he fought, conquered, and left bleeding in the gutter of his past. ”He had to become that other Macbeth, the one he had buried so deep, that crazy flesh-eating corpse he had sworn he would never be again.” To be that man, he needs brew. He needs brew, sliding like silver snakes through his bloodstream, to give him the courage/cowardice to kill Duncan. ”Is this a dagger which I see before me?”
Ambition achieved and yet unearned creates anxiety. Who can rest easy on the bones of their enemies when they weren’t truly their enemies, but good men more deserving? As Macbeth does more and more to friends who know too much and to those who simply stand in his way, ”Red feathers were stuck to the walls around them;” paranoia becomes his constant companion, and his weaknesses become more evidence .
He is on a collision course with Duff, who becomes the only man who has a chance to stop him.
All Hail Duff?
Out of all the plays that I’ve read by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is my favorite. I haven’t read them all so I do reserve the right to change my Shakespeare affiliation as I work my way through the Bard’s amazing contribution to English Literature. It turns out to be a terrible alliance, due to the fact that Lady and Macbeth spur each other’s ambitions which, once achieved, turn out to be hollow and too highly priced. The greed for power is strong, and like a drug, people can start to want more, always chasing the feeling of that high when they first triumphed.
Inexplicably, I’ve always liked Macbeth. I find myself, whether it is a play, a movie, or this novel, rooting for him even though he isn’t really that likeable. I see the promise in him that is overcome by the evil in him. I’m always hopeful that some writer or movie producer will pull him back from the brink and set him down on a path to be the man I know he could be. Of course, redemption is not the theme of the play, nor of any movie or book starring Macbeth. He must be consumed by his own guilt and insecurities. He must ultimately be destroyed by the weight of his misdeeds.
There are ghosts, witches, and playful uses of characters. Seyton is transformed into some creature beyond the pale of human understanding. Everything I’ve read says that Shakespeare never intended the name Seyton to infer that he was Satan, but where the Bard may have let the opportunity flitter away in rewrites, Jo Nesbo did not. Nesbo certainly has fun with the characters. Caithness, a Scottish nobleman in the play, is cast as a woman in this novel, the lover of Duff. Hecate is a witch in the play, but becomes a male drug lord in this novel. Nesbo stays reasonably close to the original plot.
I loved the 2015 version of Macbeth starring Michael Fassbender.
I’m really impressed with the first volume I’ve read in the Hogarth Shakespeare series. Hogarth was the original press owned by Leonard and Virginia Woolf. Next on my list will be Margaret Atwood’s retelling of The Tempest. The others in the series are Tracy Chevalier retelling Othello, Gillian FLynn retelling Hamlet, Howard Jacobson retelling The Merchant of Venice, Edward St. Aubyn retelling King Lear, Anne Tyler retelling The Taming of the Shrew, and Jeanette Winterson retelling The Winter’s Tale. If they have not commissioned your favorite play yet, stay tuned. This novel was a bloody blast. I set aside all other books to focus on reading it over the weekend and found it, frankly, invigorating. Shakespeare made into a page turner.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
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November 17, 2023
King of Norwegian crime fiction soaked in blood, Jo Nesbø is the perfect choice for a retelling of Shakespeare's Macbeth.
I say this having read a string of Jo's adrenaline pumping novels: The Snowman, The Leopard, Phantom, Police and The Son.
I'm in good company. James Shapiro has been teaching Shakespeare at Columbia University for nearly 40 years and his New York Times review of the novel is glowing: "One of the pleasures of reading this book is watching Nesbø meet the formidable challenge of assimilating elements of the play unsuited to realistic crime fiction, especially the supernatural: the witches, prophecies, visions, and the mysterious figure of Hecate."
As the 11th century of Shakespeare's Scotland contained those hair-raising supernatural elements, so in the 1970s of Jo Nesbø's unnamed Scottish city resembling Glasgow we have that all too familiar part of our modern world - hard drugs. And Jo adds to the list yet another eerie, freaky, mind-bender - "Brew," complements of Hecate and his three sinister assistants.
I can see why some readers, even Jo Nesbø fans, might give up on the novel - they simply have not read far enough. The action is always brisk but it really kicks into signature spellbinding Jo Nesbø gear AFTER the murder of Duncan. Holy Hogarth! Shimmering Shakespeare! What a difference. Jo does it again - this time a page-turner fueled by murder after murder after murder. By remaining faithful to the broad outline of the Bard's tragic play, Jo's Macbeth just might tally more murder victims than a fistful of his Harry Hole novels combined.
I trust everyone knows the story from high school English class so I'll make a quick shift to a number of Jo's creative highlights that make this novel one fabulous adaptation:
HECATE
Powerful drug lord, the "Invisible Hand” who rules the city. As diabolical old man Hecate reflects: “You have to make sure you becomes a god yourself. It is easier than you might think. The obstacle to most people achieving god-like status is that they are afraid and superstitious, and in their anxiety-ridden submission they believe there is a morality, a set of heaven-sent rules that apply to all people." No doubt about it, Jo Nesbø’s focus is on human psychology and morality, the conflict between a thirst for power versus conscience and a sense of humanity and decency. One example of Hecate in action: he demands a young boy addict cut out his own eye in exchange for a bag of Brew.
THREE WITCHES
"Double, double toil and trouble." Hecate has Strega, a creepy fortunetelling man-woman and two sisters with disease ravaged faces he found in an opium den in Bangkok. A la Shakespeare’s play, the sisters add toads’ glands, bumblebee wings and juice from rats to come up with their instantly addictive, super-high, hallucination producing cocaine concoction of Brew bubbling in a huge caldron in Hecate’s secret laboratory.
NORSE RIDERS
Armed to the teeth drug dealing motorcycle gang wearing their leather jackets and displaying their tattoos. Sweno, head of the Norse Riders, is a born killer who sets the tone for the gang - - raising hell and committing murder as the ultimate high.
POLICE AND MORE POLICE
The city's factories, warehouses and offices are nearly all shut down and boarded up. The unemployment rate soars. Meanwhile, in addition to the "regular" police, there's the Forensic Unit, Narco Unit, Homicide Unit, Gang Unit, Organized Crime Unit and SWAT. Atop this massive structure is Chief Commissioner Duncan, a good man whose primary aim is to clean up the city and bring back jobs along with a sense of civic pride. But, but. but . . . treachery, treason, corruption, double-dealing and power games within the force abound.
MACBETH
Unlike Shakespeare’s play, the shortest of his tragedies, Jo Nesbø’s 500-page novel provides ample opportunity to delve into the backstory of his characters, including Macbeth. Macbeth had a terrible childhood - raised in an orphanage, he was repeatedly sexually abused by the warden. Jo also adds many strokes of color: a one-time circus performer, Macbeth is an expert with a dagger; as a youth prior to joining the police, Macbeth was a drug addict; Macbeth was in love with Meredith, a young beauty who later left him to marry his dearest friend Duff (Macduff in Shakespeare).
As Chief Commissioner, urged on by Lady, Macbeth increasingly feels all the pressure. He must steel his nerves and resolve since his old insecurity in being raised as an orphan returns. Macbeth needs help, chemical help, that it. Macbeth turns to Hecate to fulfill his need – Brew. Ah, Macbeth has the perfect balance of medication and feels the power surging through his heart and brain. Now nothing can stop Macbeth. He can even deal with the ghosts he starts seeing both during the day and in his dreams at night.
Alas, there’s another consequence of snorting Brew – it makes the user paranoid. Here’s Macbeth telling Lady about Banquo, the man who brought him into the police force in the first place: “He loved me like a father loves a son, but that love turned to hatred when he drank the poison of envy. I passed him on the way up, and instead of him being my boss I became his. And as well as obeying my orders he has had to tolerate the unspoken contempt of his very own blood. Fleance, who has seen his father bow his head to the cuckoo in the nest, Macbeth.” Double toil and trouble - if paranoia goes too far, everybody you come in contact with becomes a threat, an enemy. And if the paranoid individual has unlimited power, watch out! The ultimate solution – murder.
LADY
In the novel, Lady Macbeth is always Lady. Lady isn’t so much a wife for Macbeth as she is the ravishing beauty with her long flowing red hair (nice touch, Jo!). Lady as the ultimate Femme Fatale. Similar to Macbeth, Lady’s backstory isn’t pretty: she was also brutalized and abused as a child. But what Lady lacks in background, she makes up in intelligence, cunning and ambition. Lady is the owner of a large, luxurious casino hotel, The Inverness, in the heart of the city. Unlike the Bard’s play, Macbeth and Lady only go back a few years. Their love still burns bright, an intoxicating flame.
For fans of Shakespeare and/or fans of Jo Nesbø, Macbeth is a must read. It is a long novel but well worth the investment of time and energy. And if you enjoy audio books, there’s good news: Euan Morton provides an excellent narration of the book using a Scottish accent. Again, I can’t stress enough – don’t give up on the novel too soon as the action truly revs up beginning one hundred pages in, in Chapter 10, with the murder of Duncan.
Jo Nesbø, born 1960
Macbeth speaking to Seyton: "You're not born of woman, you were made. Made of bad dreams, evil and whatever it is that wants to break and destroy." - Jo Nesbø, Macbeth
November 20, 2017
"You’re a better man than me, Macbeth."
Jo Nesbo's Macbeth is his contribution to the Hogarth Shakespeare Project. This book started slowly for me. Which is funny because the book opens to action but nevertheless it was S-L-O-W. There is a lot going on all at once and there are a lot of characters with their own agendas. I found I put this book down a lot in the beginning and turned to other books but kept coming back to this one. As I said I struggled in the beginning of this book as it was slow, but it didn't stay that way. This Mash up of Nesbo and Shakespeare was quite entertaining. After the first couple of chapters I was hooked. This book kind of snuck up on me. If you struggle in the beginning of this book as I did, stay with it, it's worth it as Nesbo unleashes his re-telling of Macbeth as only he can! It's gritty, dark and addictive (once you get past the beginning).
"It’s never what you want to do, but what you have to do."
Set in the 1970's, this book focuses on a police force attempting to shed its drug problem. A dangerous drug lord named Hecate has high connections in the city and will use them to get what he wants - absolute power. He is manipulative and clever. Macbeth is a man with demons. He has addiction issues and is prone to violence and paranoia. He also just so happens to be the head of the SWAT team. Hecate's plan involves manipulating Macbeth while putting him in a position of power. Hecate also owns one of the two casinos in the rainy industrial town which serves as the setting for this book. The other casino is owned by Macbeth's girlfriend, Lady.
"A last desperate act which, seen from the outside, is a sacrifice, but which deep down you hope will be rewarded with the forgiveness of your sins and opening of heaven’s gates."
A drug bust goes wrong at the beginning of the book and Macbeth and Duff, his childhood friend need to clean up the mess. It's not long after that drug bust when power, greed and guilt come into play. Ambitions can and do get the worst of people in this book. In one way or another various characters owe others debts and call them in. Soon greed, ambition, corruption, backstabbing, lies, murder, love, guilt and the need to be the top dog in the city get the best of many characters.
Nesbo puts his personal touches on Macbeth focusing on political ambition, greed, murder, and police procedures and corruption. I thought Nesbo’s re-telling was clever, entertaining and intelligent. Nesbo's Macbeth was well written and well thought out. I can’t imagine how much work it took to write such a re-telling. I think he pulled off the re-telling brilliantly.
I believe fans of Shakespeare's Macbeth will appreciate this book and also people who have not read Shakespeare's Macbeth will enjoy Nesbo's re-telling. In other words, I do not believe you need to be familiar with the original work to enjoy this version.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See More of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Jo Nesbo's Macbeth is his contribution to the Hogarth Shakespeare Project. This book started slowly for me. Which is funny because the book opens to action but nevertheless it was S-L-O-W. There is a lot going on all at once and there are a lot of characters with their own agendas. I found I put this book down a lot in the beginning and turned to other books but kept coming back to this one. As I said I struggled in the beginning of this book as it was slow, but it didn't stay that way. This Mash up of Nesbo and Shakespeare was quite entertaining. After the first couple of chapters I was hooked. This book kind of snuck up on me. If you struggle in the beginning of this book as I did, stay with it, it's worth it as Nesbo unleashes his re-telling of Macbeth as only he can! It's gritty, dark and addictive (once you get past the beginning).
"It’s never what you want to do, but what you have to do."
Set in the 1970's, this book focuses on a police force attempting to shed its drug problem. A dangerous drug lord named Hecate has high connections in the city and will use them to get what he wants - absolute power. He is manipulative and clever. Macbeth is a man with demons. He has addiction issues and is prone to violence and paranoia. He also just so happens to be the head of the SWAT team. Hecate's plan involves manipulating Macbeth while putting him in a position of power. Hecate also owns one of the two casinos in the rainy industrial town which serves as the setting for this book. The other casino is owned by Macbeth's girlfriend, Lady.
"A last desperate act which, seen from the outside, is a sacrifice, but which deep down you hope will be rewarded with the forgiveness of your sins and opening of heaven’s gates."
A drug bust goes wrong at the beginning of the book and Macbeth and Duff, his childhood friend need to clean up the mess. It's not long after that drug bust when power, greed and guilt come into play. Ambitions can and do get the worst of people in this book. In one way or another various characters owe others debts and call them in. Soon greed, ambition, corruption, backstabbing, lies, murder, love, guilt and the need to be the top dog in the city get the best of many characters.
Nesbo puts his personal touches on Macbeth focusing on political ambition, greed, murder, and police procedures and corruption. I thought Nesbo’s re-telling was clever, entertaining and intelligent. Nesbo's Macbeth was well written and well thought out. I can’t imagine how much work it took to write such a re-telling. I think he pulled off the re-telling brilliantly.
I believe fans of Shakespeare's Macbeth will appreciate this book and also people who have not read Shakespeare's Macbeth will enjoy Nesbo's re-telling. In other words, I do not believe you need to be familiar with the original work to enjoy this version.
Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See More of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
August 7, 2022
2.5 "hazy, lazy, Tarantino " stars !!
Second Most Disappointing Read of 2018 Award
Like a Tarantino film this has blood, gore, lots and lots of action, hot babes, strong dudes and kept you entertained from beginning to end. I am not sure that this is what I wanted from a re-telling of Macbeth.
I found this book lazy and hazy. Characters that had no depth, cheap psycho-babble explanations and tons of conveniences that would just pop up to carry the quick plot along.
On a beach this might be great fun but as a modern adaptation of a masterwork I found it severely lacking !!
Yes I liked it, yes I really did but I cannot in good conscience give it more than 2.5 stars !
I will give Nesbo another go at some point but I wished he had worked much harder on this one.
Second Most Disappointing Read of 2018 Award
Like a Tarantino film this has blood, gore, lots and lots of action, hot babes, strong dudes and kept you entertained from beginning to end. I am not sure that this is what I wanted from a re-telling of Macbeth.
I found this book lazy and hazy. Characters that had no depth, cheap psycho-babble explanations and tons of conveniences that would just pop up to carry the quick plot along.
On a beach this might be great fun but as a modern adaptation of a masterwork I found it severely lacking !!
Yes I liked it, yes I really did but I cannot in good conscience give it more than 2.5 stars !
I will give Nesbo another go at some point but I wished he had worked much harder on this one.
April 23, 2018
Jo Nesbo, with his Scandi-Noir credentials, reinterprets Shakespeare's Macbeth within the provinces of a police force in the 1970s in a bleak declining town riven with gang warfare, drug addiction, corruption and all other manner of darkest deeds and where little differentiates the cops from the criminals. This novel mostly follows the trajectory of the original play, albeit in a suitably blood drenched and twisted fashion. Nesbo gives us a tale of ruthless political ambition, betrayal, treachery and murder, with a mesmerising and compelling antihero in the ex-drug addict, Macbeth, as the head of the heavily armoured SWAT team with a troubled past from which he was rescued by Banquo. The Police Commissioner is none other than Duncan, with Malcolm as his deputy and Duff heads the Narcotics unit. Recently promoted after a policing debacle, Macbeth has a skill and penchant for daggers despite the armoury of weapons at his disposal. There is an intense, heavily atmospheric, menacing setting of a rain sodden anarchic town, infested with a dense, poisonous, and ominous mist providing the perfect background to the rivers of blood that are unleashed in Macbeth's path to power.
The manipulative Hecate is a drug lord serving up the addictive and lethal crack like 'brew' that so many need and cannot exist without. His 'witches' seduce the insecure power hungry Macbeth with the prophetic promise of the highest office of Police Commissioner, providing he leaves the drug business alone. Macbeth is egged on by the casino owner and his love, Lady, but needs to partake of the 'brew' to access the murkier qualities of his younger self to find the courage required to stab Duncan in his sleep, whilst laying the blame elsewhere. Macbeth succeeds beyond his wildest dreams, but all is not well. The delusional Macbeth's life begins to unravel at a startling rate with the rising tide of the dead as he descends into a drug fuelled psychotic haze of paranoia and hallucinations where everyone is suspect and a threat that has to be eradicated. If you are familiar with the play, then you will be aware of where all this is heading, although not quite perhaps in the way you might expect.
Nesbo succeeds in providing us with a thrilling version of a contemporary reworking of Macbeth, which is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, having first studied it at school. However, if you are in search of a tale that is anchored in reality, then you are doomed to be sorely disappointed. To get the most out of this retelling, you will need to suspend your disbelief on a number of occasions. I have seen many versions of Macbeth in a variety of settings through the years, Nesbo's Macbeth stacks up well with the best of them. It had me reading as fast as I could, desperate to find out how it all ends. Highly entertaining and providing you are not a purist, highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.
The manipulative Hecate is a drug lord serving up the addictive and lethal crack like 'brew' that so many need and cannot exist without. His 'witches' seduce the insecure power hungry Macbeth with the prophetic promise of the highest office of Police Commissioner, providing he leaves the drug business alone. Macbeth is egged on by the casino owner and his love, Lady, but needs to partake of the 'brew' to access the murkier qualities of his younger self to find the courage required to stab Duncan in his sleep, whilst laying the blame elsewhere. Macbeth succeeds beyond his wildest dreams, but all is not well. The delusional Macbeth's life begins to unravel at a startling rate with the rising tide of the dead as he descends into a drug fuelled psychotic haze of paranoia and hallucinations where everyone is suspect and a threat that has to be eradicated. If you are familiar with the play, then you will be aware of where all this is heading, although not quite perhaps in the way you might expect.
Nesbo succeeds in providing us with a thrilling version of a contemporary reworking of Macbeth, which is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, having first studied it at school. However, if you are in search of a tale that is anchored in reality, then you are doomed to be sorely disappointed. To get the most out of this retelling, you will need to suspend your disbelief on a number of occasions. I have seen many versions of Macbeth in a variety of settings through the years, Nesbo's Macbeth stacks up well with the best of them. It had me reading as fast as I could, desperate to find out how it all ends. Highly entertaining and providing you are not a purist, highly recommended. Many thanks to Random House Vintage for an ARC.
May 12, 2024
First up, I have to confess that I've read Shakespeare's Macbeth, just the once, and didn't really truly understand it. This re-telling by commercial bookselling and writing juggernaut Nesbo is very good. I presume he has retained all the character names with Macbeth, Banquo, Lady Macbeth, Duff, Hecate etc. all present, and so I am going to also presume that the story is pretty nailed on to the original work too. In light of that, I don't know whether I should be praising Nesbo or Shakespeare for this superb retelling, but Nesbo definitively gets credits for the modern settings and materials used in this story, especially the dramatic physical confrontations and very fine final confrontations! I think this might be a must-read for fans of both writers. 8 out of 12, Four Stars.
2024 read
2024 read
March 21, 2018
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Jo Nesbø, Hogarth, and Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Contributing to the Hogarth Shakespeare collection, Jo Nesbø has created a modern retelling of the Bard’s Macbeth. Set around 1970, the story opens with a police raid on a local gang running narcotics. When the authorities bungle things exquisitely, leaving blood and bodies scattered around the clubhouse, heads must roll within the police force. During the shake-up, Macbeth is brought on as the new head of Organised Crime, set to turn his men into a respectable arm of the force. Learning of her husband’s new position, Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to continue his climb, which is further supported by a high-level crime boss, Hecate. During one of Macbeth’s visits to Hecate, three substance-altered prostitutes foresee Macbeth’s rise to the position of Chief Commissioner, at the top of the entire police force. With a number of officials ahead of him, Macbeth is unsure how he will accomplish this, happy to run Organised Crime for the time being. Lady Macbeth can see a clear path to the top and knows her husband has it in him, if only he will bend the rules to better his chances. She convinces her husband to murder the current Chief Commissioner and frame another official, which he agrees to do while under the influence of narcotics. From there, one murder begets others to cover-up the trail being left. Even when the sought-after position is achieved, neither Macbeth or his wife are satisfied. However, their paranoia force more cover-ups and the need to constantly look over their shoulders. It would seem that power is the most addictive drug of all, one that cannot be sated by a simple snort or needle. Might the rise to power lead to a devastating crash into oblivion? Nesbø weaves quite the tale, using the framework Shakespeare made famous, providing his fans and those who enjoy the Bard’s work quite a great story. Hogarth did well picking Nesbø to explore this dark tale.
Nesbø has quite a dark side when writing for his adult audience, though is also well-versed in creating police thrillers that keep the reader engaged. Some love his writing—as well as the darker side of crime that emerges from the narrative—while others find his work too dense to enjoy, as it is not easily digested. I found myself straddling both camps here, though was able to forge ahead when I gained enough momentum (and time to read!). Macbeth is, of course a central character in the piece and Nesbø does a wonderful job portraying this man as someone who is in touch with his passions, but soon becomes swept up by all the power that is laid at his feet. One can only presume that it is the influence of his power-hungry wife and the influence of narcotics that led him down such a difficult path, one that would be paved in gold, only to reveal tarnished brass by the end of the book. Other characters emerge to support and block Macbeth’s climb to power, adding depth and flavour to the narrative, including those who see Macbeth for the corrupt leader he becomes. The story is strong and ties nicely into the original narrative laid out over four centuries ago. Using the same characters and most of their fates, Nesbø stays true while also modernising the story in an effective manner. Fans of Shakespeare will surely find their own weaknesses, but in an effort to entertain effectively, Nesbø is spot-on with his storytelling. Mixing short and longer chapters, the reader is able to develop a connection to the story and its characters, as long as a steady momentum is kept. As with all Nesbø pieces, the translation does not take away from the power of the message found within and, if anything, provides an even stronger piece.
Kudos, Mr. Nesbø, for another excellent piece of writing. While your style is an acquired taste, those with the patience for it are surely in for a wonderful adventure.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Contributing to the Hogarth Shakespeare collection, Jo Nesbø has created a modern retelling of the Bard’s Macbeth. Set around 1970, the story opens with a police raid on a local gang running narcotics. When the authorities bungle things exquisitely, leaving blood and bodies scattered around the clubhouse, heads must roll within the police force. During the shake-up, Macbeth is brought on as the new head of Organised Crime, set to turn his men into a respectable arm of the force. Learning of her husband’s new position, Lady Macbeth encourages her husband to continue his climb, which is further supported by a high-level crime boss, Hecate. During one of Macbeth’s visits to Hecate, three substance-altered prostitutes foresee Macbeth’s rise to the position of Chief Commissioner, at the top of the entire police force. With a number of officials ahead of him, Macbeth is unsure how he will accomplish this, happy to run Organised Crime for the time being. Lady Macbeth can see a clear path to the top and knows her husband has it in him, if only he will bend the rules to better his chances. She convinces her husband to murder the current Chief Commissioner and frame another official, which he agrees to do while under the influence of narcotics. From there, one murder begets others to cover-up the trail being left. Even when the sought-after position is achieved, neither Macbeth or his wife are satisfied. However, their paranoia force more cover-ups and the need to constantly look over their shoulders. It would seem that power is the most addictive drug of all, one that cannot be sated by a simple snort or needle. Might the rise to power lead to a devastating crash into oblivion? Nesbø weaves quite the tale, using the framework Shakespeare made famous, providing his fans and those who enjoy the Bard’s work quite a great story. Hogarth did well picking Nesbø to explore this dark tale.
Nesbø has quite a dark side when writing for his adult audience, though is also well-versed in creating police thrillers that keep the reader engaged. Some love his writing—as well as the darker side of crime that emerges from the narrative—while others find his work too dense to enjoy, as it is not easily digested. I found myself straddling both camps here, though was able to forge ahead when I gained enough momentum (and time to read!). Macbeth is, of course a central character in the piece and Nesbø does a wonderful job portraying this man as someone who is in touch with his passions, but soon becomes swept up by all the power that is laid at his feet. One can only presume that it is the influence of his power-hungry wife and the influence of narcotics that led him down such a difficult path, one that would be paved in gold, only to reveal tarnished brass by the end of the book. Other characters emerge to support and block Macbeth’s climb to power, adding depth and flavour to the narrative, including those who see Macbeth for the corrupt leader he becomes. The story is strong and ties nicely into the original narrative laid out over four centuries ago. Using the same characters and most of their fates, Nesbø stays true while also modernising the story in an effective manner. Fans of Shakespeare will surely find their own weaknesses, but in an effort to entertain effectively, Nesbø is spot-on with his storytelling. Mixing short and longer chapters, the reader is able to develop a connection to the story and its characters, as long as a steady momentum is kept. As with all Nesbø pieces, the translation does not take away from the power of the message found within and, if anything, provides an even stronger piece.
Kudos, Mr. Nesbø, for another excellent piece of writing. While your style is an acquired taste, those with the patience for it are surely in for a wonderful adventure.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
January 4, 2018
What a cast of ruthless psychotic killers!
Is anyone NOT a cold blooded assassin in Jo Nesbo's reimagined take of Shakespeare's MACBETH? Is there even a hero to root for? Well, you'll have to read it to find out. Having not experienced the classic myself, I have nothing to compare to, but will surely be reading it sooner than later. My interest is now peaked!
DARK and DEADLY from start to finish, I could not believe the betrayals....the backstabbing....the threats....the blackmail....the corruption, or the NUMEROUS egotistical power hungry political types. No human, regardless of age, is exempt from murderous annihilation....so beware, some parts are pretty tough to take.
I did have my ups and downs with this novel. At times, it felt a bit long and wordy, but then Nesbo would throw in another bizarre character type or development and I was hooked again.
As the story begins, it's raining....it's ALWAYS overcast and rainy in the small polluted town of 6,000. There's a wasteland of industrial factory closings and no jobs....except in the two rivalry casinos or law enforcement....or unless, of course, you're a drug lord or dealing junkie.
AND NOW, after 25 years, corrupt Police Commissioner Kenneth is finally dead, and it seems everyone is vying for his job or others that will become available bc of anticipated change....thus the battle for power begins. Who can clean up the town? Is there a savior?
Just remember, no one can be trusted in Nesbo's MACBETH and there's much going on here....lots of strange characters to follow. I have not even made mention of the Norse Riders, the mysterious Lady Macbeth, other worldly beings (that took me by surprise)....or the ending, hehehe, but enough said already. If Nesbo is your man, you have a little patience, and you're in the mood for a treacherously creative tale, you'll like this one.
Many thanks to NetGalley and CROWN PUBLISHING for the ARC COMING APRIL 10, 2018 in exchange for my review.
February 28, 2021
I always think Macbeth is one of the most memorable of William Shakespeare's plays. It has some of the most quotable quotes and outstanding characters. Who can forget Lady Macbeth washing her hands over and over, and that great scene on the moor with the three witches and the cauldron. Well Jo Nesbø takes all that and the rest and makes it into the best book!
However it is not a light read. There are many long, descriptive passages and the characters frequently dwell at length on their own particular ambitions or failures. To counteract this there is a heap of action, more murders than you can count, and the constant references to the original play which are just so well done.
I loved the setting of a dark, depressing northern industrial town. I admired the way Jo Nesbø managed to weave things like the witch's prophecies into his tale, especially the one about Birnham Wood. That was amusingly clever. I liked the way he kept each character so close to the way Shakespeare wrote them in mannerisms and ambitions even when he changed their gender.
I liked it all very much. In fact I am enjoying this whole Hogarth series very much. Looking forward to King Lear next.
However it is not a light read. There are many long, descriptive passages and the characters frequently dwell at length on their own particular ambitions or failures. To counteract this there is a heap of action, more murders than you can count, and the constant references to the original play which are just so well done.
I loved the setting of a dark, depressing northern industrial town. I admired the way Jo Nesbø managed to weave things like the witch's prophecies into his tale, especially the one about Birnham Wood. That was amusingly clever. I liked the way he kept each character so close to the way Shakespeare wrote them in mannerisms and ambitions even when he changed their gender.
I liked it all very much. In fact I am enjoying this whole Hogarth series very much. Looking forward to King Lear next.
April 4, 2023
3.5 stars
The Hogarth Shakespeare project invites current writers to update Shakespeare’s plays, setting them in modern times with modern characters.
"Macbeth" by Jo Nesbø is a retelling of Shakespeare's play "Macbeth", which was set in the Middle Ages. The original story centers around a high-ranking Scottish military leader named Macbeth who - urged on by his ambitious wife Lady Macbeth - secretly murders the King so he can take the throne. Afterwards, the usurper becomes a murderous tyrant who orders the death of anyone who opposes him or threatens his power. I'll admit that - to refresh my memory before reading Nesbø's book - I watched the 2010 movie "Macbeth" starring Sir Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood.
*****
Nesbø's retelling of Macbeth, set in the early 1970's, substitutes the police department of a downtrodden European city for the Scottish royal court. In Nesbø's story, Macbeth is the head of a SWAT team who - persuaded by his girlfriend Lady - murders the police department's Chief Commissioner to take over his position.
Macbeth then engineers the death of anyone who suspects him of murder or endangers his position.
Macbeth, in a magnificent feat of self-delusion, asserts that his ultimate goal is to clean up the city, wipe out corruption, and help the people - many of whom are addicted to a cocaine-like drug called 'Brew.' Unknown to Macbeth, however, his ascension to Chief Commissioner - as well as his ongoing ambitions - are being covertly manipulated by a major drug lord/drug manufacturer called Hecate.....who wants Macbeth in his pocket.
In fact Macbeth himself soon becomes addicted to 'Brew'.....and later to an even stronger drug called 'Power.' (LOL)
Macbeth has no loyalty and no conscience. Early in the story Macbeth orders the death of Banquo, a father figure who took Macbeth in when he was a homeless teenage addict.....and cleaned him up. Later on, Macbeth sends his henchmen to wipe out Duff, a steadfast friend from childhood who saved Macbeth from a child predator in their orphanage.
No evil is too base for Macbeth, who's ultimately responsible for the murders of numerous men, women, children.....and a baby. Though Macbeth's depravity is off the charts, he stoically claims that - in the long run - 'it's for the public good.'
All manner of things are seen in this book, including: ghost appearances; witches; spying; double dealing; gambling; drug snorting; a motorcycle gang; Gatling gun massacres; sleepwalking; adultery; a demon; and more. There's a wide variety of action and intrigue....and even a bit of seduction and romance.
Overall, Nesbø's book (more or less) faithfully follows the trajectory of the original play, so - if you're familiar with that - you'll have an idea of what happens.
Jo Nesbø is the best-selling author of the 'Harry Hole' detective series - about a troubled, alcoholic Norwegian cop whose cases always involve gruesome murders. Thus, it's natural for Nesbø - who seems very familiar with the politics of law enforcement - to set his updated "Macbeth" in the environs of a police force.
Nesbø's tale is well-written, compelling, and held my attention throughout. That said, the book feels overlong - with so many murders and battles that they feel repetitive. Moreover, the continuous treachery and barbarity becomes hard to stomach (for me).
Nevertheless, I'd recommend Nesbø's "Macbeth" to readers who enjoy Shakespeare; the Hogarth series; and/or thrillers. It's well worth reading.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Jo Nesbø), and the publisher (Knopf Canada) for a copy of the book.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
December 10, 2020
**4.5-stars rounded up**
A tour de force of brutality & ambition!!!
I was so excited when it was announced that the Hogarth Shakespeare series was adding Macbeth to its line up.
It is my favorite of all Shakespeare's tragedies and I was looking forward to seeing how Nesbo would give it a modern twist.
I have never read any of his books before, but having heard good things, I went into this with high expectations. He certainly did not disappoint me!
The action takes place in a crime-ridden city in the 1970s. Drug dealers and local crime lords hold as much power and sway over the people as do the police and politicians.
The whole atmosphere is dark and visceral; you can smell and feel the dankness and despair.
You are instantly dropped into this world and admittedly, at first, I was confused.
However, it didn't take long before the tale truly starts to take shape and for me, I was so engrossed, I couldn't put it down.
The characters are true to their roots and I felt that the main premise of the action was extremely well planned and executed.
The modern versions of the plot points were richly imagined and expertly woven into the final narrative.
Macbeth, a dichotomy of traits, so strong, yet weak at the same time. So influenced by his Lady, easily steered, brutal yet kind, haunted and driven.
Ughhh, it was soooo good!
No one is safe once Macbeth and Lady were set on their ultimate drive to power.
Aspirations and political intrigue, love for one another, plagued by their pasts, their relationship was just so spot on, there is no better way for me to describe it.
Finally, Slytherin book recommendation all day long.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it.
I cannot wait for this one to hit the streets, everyone needs a dose of this. Shakespeare himself would be proud!
A tour de force of brutality & ambition!!!
I was so excited when it was announced that the Hogarth Shakespeare series was adding Macbeth to its line up.
It is my favorite of all Shakespeare's tragedies and I was looking forward to seeing how Nesbo would give it a modern twist.
I have never read any of his books before, but having heard good things, I went into this with high expectations. He certainly did not disappoint me!
The action takes place in a crime-ridden city in the 1970s. Drug dealers and local crime lords hold as much power and sway over the people as do the police and politicians.
The whole atmosphere is dark and visceral; you can smell and feel the dankness and despair.
You are instantly dropped into this world and admittedly, at first, I was confused.
However, it didn't take long before the tale truly starts to take shape and for me, I was so engrossed, I couldn't put it down.
The characters are true to their roots and I felt that the main premise of the action was extremely well planned and executed.
The modern versions of the plot points were richly imagined and expertly woven into the final narrative.
Macbeth, a dichotomy of traits, so strong, yet weak at the same time. So influenced by his Lady, easily steered, brutal yet kind, haunted and driven.
Ughhh, it was soooo good!
No one is safe once Macbeth and Lady were set on their ultimate drive to power.
Aspirations and political intrigue, love for one another, plagued by their pasts, their relationship was just so spot on, there is no better way for me to describe it.
Finally, Slytherin book recommendation all day long.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Hogarth, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it.
I cannot wait for this one to hit the streets, everyone needs a dose of this. Shakespeare himself would be proud!
April 10, 2018
ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ! Για την κριτική του βιβλίου θεωρώ ότι γνωρίζετε πως ο Μακβεθ είναι μια τραγωδία του Σέξπιρ όπου οι περισσότεροι ήρωες σκοτώνονται με τραγικό τρόπο και πως ο ομώνυμος ήρωας τρελαίνεται. Για τηλεοπτική μεταφορά προτείνω Φασμπέντερ-Κοτιγιάρ (και ξερό ψωμί).
ένα εκπληκτικό re-telling της γνωστής ιστορίας από τον μάστερ του αστυνομικού θρίλερ... ανατριχιαστικές περιγραφές και πολύ πετυχημένα δοσμένη η παράνοια του ομώνυμου ήρωα... εκπληκτικός και ο ρόλος των υπόλοιπων ηρώων σε ένα βιβλίο 600+ σελίδων που διαβάζεται μονορούφι!
Update: Έχοντας συνέλθει ελαφρώς από το πασχαλινό κατσίκι, το τσουρέκι και το σοκολατένιο αυγό (δεν μου πήρε η νονά μου, μόνη μου αγόρασα - ένα bitter κι ένα γάλακτος) και το συνεχόμενο διάβασμα-μαραθώνιο-ούτε-εκκλησία-να-ήταν, συνεχίζω
Ο Μακβεθ στο ρόλο ενός αστυνομικού που ανέρχεται στην ιεραρχία από εκεί που δεν το περιμένει και ξάφνου χάνει τη γη κάτω από τα πόδια του: επηρεαζόμενος από την αγαπημένη του Λαίδη νομίζει ότι αυτός θα σώσει τον κόσμο, σκοτώνει όποιον νομίζει ότι του στέκεται εμπόδιο και απειλεί θεούς και δαίμονες, προκειμένου να φτάσει στο σκοπό του, ο οποίος μακάρι να ήξερε και ο ίδιος ποιος είναι....
Από τα ονόματα όσοι ξέρετε την ιστορία του Σαίξπηρ μπορείτε να καταλάβετε το ρόλο των ηρώων, όπου νομίζω ότι όλους τους έχει δέσει στο σήμερα και στην ιστορία πάρα πολύ ωραία. Ναρκωτικά και διαφθορά της αστυνομίας είναι από τα θέματα που ο Νέσμπο χειρίζεται τέλεια ούτως ή άλλως, ενώ - προς μεγάλη του χαρά - αυτή τη φορά πρέπει να ξεκάνει ένα ολόκληρο αστυνομικό τμήμα και κάποιες αθώες οικογένειες μαζί!!! Προσωπικά βρήκα πιο εμπνευσμένη μεταφορά χαρακτήρα τις τρεις μάγισσες.
Επίσης, επειδή είχε γίνει κάποια σχετική συζήτηση τις προάλλες σε κριτική μου για τον Ράνκιν, εδώ έχουμε ΣΚΩΤΙΑ (δεν ονομάζει την πόλη, κάπου δίπλα στο Φάιφ είμαστε, αλλά και το Εδιμβούργο εκεί κοντά είναι) και ΣΥΜΜΟΡΙΕΣ και ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΑΡΧΗΓΟ ΤΟΥ ΕΓΚΛΗΜΑΤΟΣ. Εδώ που ο Νέσμπο συναντάει τον Ράνκιν για μένα λοιπόν!!
Και τέλος, σπόιλερ-που-δεν-είναι-σπόιλερ: Αφήνει υπονοούμενα για συνέχεια στο τέλος!!!!!!
ένα εκπληκτικό re-telling της γνωστής ιστορίας από τον μάστερ του αστυνομικού θρίλερ... ανατριχιαστικές περιγραφές και πολύ πετυχημένα δοσμένη η παράνοια του ομώνυμου ήρωα... εκπληκτικός και ο ρόλος των υπόλοιπων ηρώων σε ένα βιβλίο 600+ σελίδων που διαβάζεται μονορούφι!
Update: Έχοντας συνέλθει ελαφρώς από το πασχαλινό κατσίκι, το τσουρέκι και το σοκολατένιο αυγό (δεν μου πήρε η νονά μου, μόνη μου αγόρασα - ένα bitter κι ένα γάλακτος) και το συνεχόμενο διάβασμα-μαραθώνιο-ούτε-εκκλησία-να-ήταν, συνεχίζω
Ο Μακβεθ στο ρόλο ενός αστυνομικού που ανέρχεται στην ιεραρχία από εκεί που δεν το περιμένει και ξάφνου χάνει τη γη κάτω από τα πόδια του: επηρεαζόμενος από την αγαπημένη του Λαίδη νομίζει ότι αυτός θα σώσει τον κόσμο, σκοτώνει όποιον νομίζει ότι του στέκεται εμπόδιο και απειλεί θεούς και δαίμονες, προκειμένου να φτάσει στο σκοπό του, ο οποίος μακάρι να ήξερε και ο ίδιος ποιος είναι....
Από τα ονόματα όσοι ξέρετε την ιστορία του Σαίξπηρ μπορείτε να καταλάβετε το ρόλο των ηρώων, όπου νομίζω ότι όλους τους έχει δέσει στο σήμερα και στην ιστορία πάρα πολύ ωραία. Ναρκωτικά και διαφθορά της αστυνομίας είναι από τα θέματα που ο Νέσμπο χειρίζεται τέλεια ούτως ή άλλως, ενώ - προς μεγάλη του χαρά - αυτή τη φορά πρέπει να ξεκάνει ένα ολόκληρο αστυνομικό τμήμα και κάποιες αθώες οικογένειες μαζί!!! Προσωπικά βρήκα πιο εμπνευσμένη μεταφορά χαρακτήρα τις τρεις μάγισσες.
Επίσης, επειδή είχε γίνει κάποια σχετική συζήτηση τις προάλλες σε κριτική μου για τον Ράνκιν, εδώ έχουμε ΣΚΩΤΙΑ (δεν ονομάζει την πόλη, κάπου δίπλα στο Φάιφ είμαστε, αλλά και το Εδιμβούργο εκεί κοντά είναι) και ΣΥΜΜΟΡΙΕΣ και ΜΕΓΑΛΟ ΑΡΧΗΓΟ ΤΟΥ ΕΓΚΛΗΜΑΤΟΣ. Εδώ που ο Νέσμπο συναντάει τον Ράνκιν για μένα λοιπόν!!
Και τέλος, σπόιλερ-που-δεν-είναι-σπόιλερ: Αφήνει υπονοούμενα για συνέχεια στο τέλος!!!!!!
April 11, 2018
This is a brutal, blood soaked reimagining of Shakespeare's classic play. And when I say there's some death in it, I seriously mean it, once the book gets going you'd be forgiven for thinking there might not be anyone left by the end. Of course, if you've read Macbeth, you know how at least three of the characters end up (everyone always remembers the main three). Still, that does nothing to negate the constant sense of danger that pervades the book, the who's-next paranoia such as that felt by Game of Thrones readers/viewers. My paperback copy of this is even red-edged, exacerbating the feeling that real blood might well start seeping from the pages at any moment.
However, it does has a slow start, and more than that, there are some issues with either the writing or the translation that separate the reader from the story and characters in some way. I wanted to like this one and I was worried. Then suddenly you realise you've gone from 'this is hard work' to being so involved you're barely noticing anything but the momentum of the plot and wondering just how crazy this is going to get. Answer: very. It's deliciously dark right to the end.
Macbeth starts out a SWAT team leader in a dank and decaying 1970s Scotland, while his Lady runs the most opulent casino in town with a mixture of intelligence and cunning; yet their schemes aim much higher. The whole place stinks of corruption, full of backstabbing, personal vendetta, and ambition at all costs. As with the original, it is a masterful take on human psychology: the physical, emotional, and intellectual damage done by the relentless acquisition of power. This modern version adds addiction to the mix, effectively quickening Macbeth's decline into immorality and psychosis. While Macbeth falls, his childhood friend, Duff, rises, his character particularly well developed though the book, evolving under pressure as he is asked again and again to analyse his own principles. Each person is constantly challenged, the reader seeing the extent to which their choices reflect or reject their personal morality, such as it is.... It is exceptionally well done, the reimagining fitting perfectly with the themes of the original while offering insights and more than a little fun to the contemporary reader.
Copy via Bookmarks reader panel.
However, it does has a slow start, and more than that, there are some issues with either the writing or the translation that separate the reader from the story and characters in some way. I wanted to like this one and I was worried. Then suddenly you realise you've gone from 'this is hard work' to being so involved you're barely noticing anything but the momentum of the plot and wondering just how crazy this is going to get. Answer: very. It's deliciously dark right to the end.
Macbeth starts out a SWAT team leader in a dank and decaying 1970s Scotland, while his Lady runs the most opulent casino in town with a mixture of intelligence and cunning; yet their schemes aim much higher. The whole place stinks of corruption, full of backstabbing, personal vendetta, and ambition at all costs. As with the original, it is a masterful take on human psychology: the physical, emotional, and intellectual damage done by the relentless acquisition of power. This modern version adds addiction to the mix, effectively quickening Macbeth's decline into immorality and psychosis. While Macbeth falls, his childhood friend, Duff, rises, his character particularly well developed though the book, evolving under pressure as he is asked again and again to analyse his own principles. Each person is constantly challenged, the reader seeing the extent to which their choices reflect or reject their personal morality, such as it is.... It is exceptionally well done, the reimagining fitting perfectly with the themes of the original while offering insights and more than a little fun to the contemporary reader.
Copy via Bookmarks reader panel.
October 31, 2022
Shakespeare retold as a modern crime fiction. Although I'm not a fan of thrillers I quiet enjoined this book. The characters constantly competing who's the shadiest and who's motives are the most questionable. And they die as often as in the Game of Thrones. For those who love dark depressed read with a bit of happy end.
Read
April 10, 2018Άθελά μου έπεσα σε κριτική γεμάτη σποιλερ. Την επόμενη φορά που θα διαβάσετε ένα βιβλίο και θέλετε να εκφράσετε την αποψή σας, να είστε πιο προσεκτικοί.
Δεν έχω διαβάσει Σαίξπηρ, έίναι ανάγκη να αραδιάζετε ορισμένοι όλη την πλοκή?
Δεν έχω διαβάσει Σαίξπηρ, έίναι ανάγκη να αραδιάζετε ορισμένοι όλη την πλοκή?
March 11, 2018
When I was in high school, I was that weird girl in your english lit class who actually liked Shakespeare. The Hogarth Shakespeare project gave 8 authors a chance to recreate one of the Bard’s classic plays & when I heard Jo Nesbo was taking on MacBeth, I had to read it. And he’s done a remarkable job.
It’s a daunting challenge. After all, we already know who did what & how it ends. But Nesbo has given it a modern facelift by turning it into a dark, violent tale of cops vs criminals set in an unnamed city drowning in drugs & corruption. Poor old Duncan is the shiny new Chief Commissioner of police while MacBeth heads up the SWAT team. Other familiar names have been assigned to characters on both sides of the law, their roles staying true to the originals.
I won’t dwell on the story except to say this is decidedly bloodier than “the Scottish play”. But there are several things that make it work. First, the setting. Nesbo vividly describes his city & it’s a pretty bleak place. Relentless rain, dark streets full of skeletal junkies & rusted out factories litter the landscape. Now add in cops & politicians who have been bought & paid for by the rival drug gangs that rule the city. The result is a grim & gripping read that practically oozes moral decay.
And that of course is the point. Shakespeare wanted to shine a light on the psychological & physical ramifications for those who seek power for power’s sake, how ambition without morality leads to carnage. He also distinguished between the sexes. Not that women can’t be just as reprehensible. It’s just their methods that differ. In this story, MacBeth’s wife may not care to actually get her hands dirty but she’s more than capable of inciting violence with well chosen words whispered in the right ears.
Nesbo has nailed the themes & even sneaks in symbolic moments such as blood that won’t wash off. What I found most startling is how relevant something written over 400 years ago still is. But then all you have to do is read the news to find modern examples of his characters. It’s not an easy read but Nesbo pulls it off with style. The only negative for me was the abundance of long descriptive passages that stalled mounting tension at times.
As always, the wonderful Don Bartlett has done an outstanding job of translation. Recommended for fans of Shakespeare and/or gritty crime drama. If you’re keeping track of this series, next up is Gillian Flynn of “Gone Girl” fame taking on “Hamlet”.
It’s a daunting challenge. After all, we already know who did what & how it ends. But Nesbo has given it a modern facelift by turning it into a dark, violent tale of cops vs criminals set in an unnamed city drowning in drugs & corruption. Poor old Duncan is the shiny new Chief Commissioner of police while MacBeth heads up the SWAT team. Other familiar names have been assigned to characters on both sides of the law, their roles staying true to the originals.
I won’t dwell on the story except to say this is decidedly bloodier than “the Scottish play”. But there are several things that make it work. First, the setting. Nesbo vividly describes his city & it’s a pretty bleak place. Relentless rain, dark streets full of skeletal junkies & rusted out factories litter the landscape. Now add in cops & politicians who have been bought & paid for by the rival drug gangs that rule the city. The result is a grim & gripping read that practically oozes moral decay.
And that of course is the point. Shakespeare wanted to shine a light on the psychological & physical ramifications for those who seek power for power’s sake, how ambition without morality leads to carnage. He also distinguished between the sexes. Not that women can’t be just as reprehensible. It’s just their methods that differ. In this story, MacBeth’s wife may not care to actually get her hands dirty but she’s more than capable of inciting violence with well chosen words whispered in the right ears.
Nesbo has nailed the themes & even sneaks in symbolic moments such as blood that won’t wash off. What I found most startling is how relevant something written over 400 years ago still is. But then all you have to do is read the news to find modern examples of his characters. It’s not an easy read but Nesbo pulls it off with style. The only negative for me was the abundance of long descriptive passages that stalled mounting tension at times.
As always, the wonderful Don Bartlett has done an outstanding job of translation. Recommended for fans of Shakespeare and/or gritty crime drama. If you’re keeping track of this series, next up is Gillian Flynn of “Gone Girl” fame taking on “Hamlet”.
November 11, 2017
Full review to come! For now, find my top 3 reasons this book belongs on your 2018 TBR here: http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2017/1...
HOLY COW. This book is freaking brilliant. It’s a dense read to be sure - but that is NOT a flaw. In fact I think that’s necessary in order to capture the moral complexity of Shakespeare’s play. This book has action thriller scenes, political machinations, and Nesbø’s trademark superb character development. I loved it!!!
HOLY COW. This book is freaking brilliant. It’s a dense read to be sure - but that is NOT a flaw. In fact I think that’s necessary in order to capture the moral complexity of Shakespeare’s play. This book has action thriller scenes, political machinations, and Nesbø’s trademark superb character development. I loved it!!!
February 27, 2018
The combination of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Nesbo' s dark brand of crime writing should have been a match to die for - but somehow this novel just doesn't work for me. The most successful of the Hogarth series (and imitative adaptations and appropriations more generally) take the Shakespeare text as their starting point but invest the appropriating text with a life of its own: that's what made Atwood' s Hag-Seed: The Tempest Retold and Jacobson' s Shylock Is My Name both so wonderful - they do innovative and creative things with the originary text, they don't simply retell the story in another form, time and place. The intertextual points of contact are surprising and meaningful - and the interrelationships add weight and insight to both Shakespeare and the modern retelling.
Nesbo, on the other hand, seems overly wedded to Shakespeare's Macbeth, simply displacing the plot and characters into a 1970s grim Scottish town where the height of ambition is to be Police Commissioner. There are no surprises here, and the original play feels shoehorned awkwardly into this revised setting. Hecate is now a master-criminal, Lady a casino owner, and Birnam Wood becomes a ... steam engine named Bertha Birnam! This sense of bathos permeates the book: everything feels too simple and superficial ('He had to become the other Macbeth, the one he had buried so deep, the crazy flesh-eating corpse') with too much being 'told' to us: 'he was courageous and a ruthless man of action, but he had failings that could prove costly. A lack of evil.' The occasional quotation, usually paraphrased, from Shakespeare simply isn't enough to give this much-needed depth.
Macbeth is a relatively short play; this is over 500 pages and feels it - what was taut and thrilling becomes drawn-out and plodding: did we really need the back story of how Macbeth and Lady first met, for example? More importantly, the characters here are unconvincing in psychological terms: I just didn't believe that this Macbeth could be so easily bullied into a murder he does not want to commit, for example.
So not one of the more successful Hogarth Shakespeares for me - but plenty of other reviewers have loved it.
Thanks to Hogarth for an ARC via NetGalley.
Nesbo, on the other hand, seems overly wedded to Shakespeare's Macbeth, simply displacing the plot and characters into a 1970s grim Scottish town where the height of ambition is to be Police Commissioner. There are no surprises here, and the original play feels shoehorned awkwardly into this revised setting. Hecate is now a master-criminal, Lady a casino owner, and Birnam Wood becomes a ... steam engine named Bertha Birnam! This sense of bathos permeates the book: everything feels too simple and superficial ('He had to become the other Macbeth, the one he had buried so deep, the crazy flesh-eating corpse') with too much being 'told' to us: 'he was courageous and a ruthless man of action, but he had failings that could prove costly. A lack of evil.' The occasional quotation, usually paraphrased, from Shakespeare simply isn't enough to give this much-needed depth.
Macbeth is a relatively short play; this is over 500 pages and feels it - what was taut and thrilling becomes drawn-out and plodding: did we really need the back story of how Macbeth and Lady first met, for example? More importantly, the characters here are unconvincing in psychological terms: I just didn't believe that this Macbeth could be so easily bullied into a murder he does not want to commit, for example.
So not one of the more successful Hogarth Shakespeares for me - but plenty of other reviewers have loved it.
Thanks to Hogarth for an ARC via NetGalley.
May 14, 2018
Το ό,τι θα βαριόμουνα τη ζωή μου διαβάζοντας Νέσμπο ούτε στα πιο τρελά μου όνειρα… αλλά ποτέ μην λες ποτέ τελικά… βαρέθηκα τόσο πολύ τη ζωή μου που μέρες λιβάνιζα τις τελευταίες 50 σελίδες γιατί ειλικρινά δεν έβρισκα κανένα λόγο να τις διαβάσω…
Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν αριστουργηματική ιδέα ή απλώς η εύκολη λύση όταν υποφέρεις από το σύνδρομο της λευκής σελίδας, το retelling μιας all time classic σαιξπηρικής τραγωδίας, εν προκειμένω του «Μάκβεθ». Θέλοντας προφανώς να πετάξει από πάνω του για λίγο ή πολύ δεν έχει σημασία τον Χάρι Χόλε (αυτό είναι η ευχή και η κατάρα των πετυχημένων sequel ηρώων, να παγιδεύουν τον ίδιο τον δημιουργό τους), ο Νορβηγός συγγραφέας δοκιμάζει κάτι άλλο, πάντα στα πλαίσια του νεσμπουκικού περιβάλλοντος, αστυνομικοί καλοί και κακοί, αίμα πολύ αίμα, διαφθορά, ναρκωτικά, μια πόλη σε παρακμή.
Ο Νέσμπο πατάει ακριβώς πάνω στ’αχνάρια του Σαίξπηρ, χρησιμοποιεί ακριβώς τα ίδια ονόματα στους ήρωες του, τα ίδια πάθη και λάθη, δημιουργεί ένα ‘ευφάνταστο’ εύρημα όπου η εξουσία – το αιώνιο ναρκωτικό, πλέκεται με τον κόσμο των dealers, των junkies κι ενός νέου ναρκωτικού στην πιάτσα, του ‘φίλτρου’.
Το βιβλίο δεν κατάφερε να με κερδίσει ουδόλως και στίβω το μυαλό μου να καταλάβω το γιατί. Κατέληξα στους εξής πεντακόσιους πιθανούς λόγους:
1. Αίμα, πολύ αίμα, σελίδα και σκοτωμός και δολοφονία, χωρίς όμως λόγο και αιτία (έτσι – έτσι – έτσι να ‘χαμε να λέγαμε)
2. Η πόλη που συμβαίνει το όλο στόρυ, είναι μια πόλη βγαλμένη από τη φαντασία του συγγραφέα, με τους δρόμους της, τα στενά της, τα καζίνο της και το δήμαρχό της, δίχως όνομα… κι ακριβώς επειδή δεν ήταν πραγματική, δεν μπορούσα να την κάνω εικόνα, έφτιαξα μια εικόνα δυστοπική, ζοφερή και τρομακτική που μου ταίριαζε μια χαρά σ’ένα μετα-αποκαλυπτικό θρίλερ μα όχι σε τούτο το στόρυ. Δεν μπόρεσα να εμπλακώ…
3. Πολλά, πολλά μα πάρα πολλά ονόματα, ιδίως στις πρώτες 100 σελίδες, που το μυαλό μου έγινε αχταρμάς και δεν ήξερα τι διάβαζα – ποιος είναι ποιος, ποια η θέση του στην Ιεραρχία, ποιοι είναι οι κολλητοί και ποιοι οι εχθροί
4. Η εξέλιξη του Μάκβεθ και της Λαίδης του, πως από άνθρωποι που ενδιαφέρονται για την πόλη τους εν μια νυκτί μεταμορφώνεται σε paranoiacs επειδή μεθύσανε από την εξουσία, τόσο χαζά δομημένη που θα την δικαιολογούσα μόνο σε πρωτοεμφανιζόμενο συγγραφέα
5. Αυτή η τριγωνική μετάφραση από νορβηγικά – αγγλικά και στο βάθος ελληνικά, χαθήκαμε αδέλφια στη μετάφραση (μου έλειψε το spirit)
6. Και εν τέλει, I really didn’t understand, what the fuck βιβλίο ήταν… αστυνομικό δεν ήταν (αφού δεν υπήρχαν άγνωστοι δολοφόνοι να τους κυνηγάνε οι αστυνομικοί, να ψάχνουμε κι εμείς οι κακόμοιροι να τους βρούμε), ψυχολογικό δεν ήταν (γιατί δεν υπήρχε καμία λογική για τις πράξεις των ηρώων), αισθηματικόν δεν ήταν (εντάξει μην μου πείτε για τον έρωτα – εμμονή του Μάκβεθ)… μόνο επιστημονική φαντασία στο μυαλό του Νέσμπο ήτανε…
Με το ζόρι πιάνει τη βάση γιατί είναι Νέσμπο και δεν πάει στην τσιγγάνα μου καρδιά να τον καταβαραθρώσω… αχ! πολύ φοβάμαι πως οι παλιές αγάπες σύντομα θα πάνε στον παράδεισο!
Δεν ξέρω αν ήταν αριστουργηματική ιδέα ή απλώς η εύκολη λύση όταν υποφέρεις από το σύνδρομο της λευκής σελίδας, το retelling μιας all time classic σαιξπηρικής τραγωδίας, εν προκειμένω του «Μάκβεθ». Θέλοντας προφανώς να πετάξει από πάνω του για λίγο ή πολύ δεν έχει σημασία τον Χάρι Χόλε (αυτό είναι η ευχή και η κατάρα των πετυχημένων sequel ηρώων, να παγιδεύουν τον ίδιο τον δημιουργό τους), ο Νορβηγός συγγραφέας δοκιμάζει κάτι άλλο, πάντα στα πλαίσια του νεσμπουκικού περιβάλλοντος, αστυνομικοί καλοί και κακοί, αίμα πολύ αίμα, διαφθορά, ναρκωτικά, μια πόλη σε παρακμή.
Ο Νέσμπο πατάει ακριβώς πάνω στ’αχνάρια του Σαίξπηρ, χρησιμοποιεί ακριβώς τα ίδια ονόματα στους ήρωες του, τα ίδια πάθη και λάθη, δημιουργεί ένα ‘ευφάνταστο’ εύρημα όπου η εξουσία – το αιώνιο ναρκωτικό, πλέκεται με τον κόσμο των dealers, των junkies κι ενός νέου ναρκωτικού στην πιάτσα, του ‘φίλτρου’.
Το βιβλίο δεν κατάφερε να με κερδίσει ουδόλως και στίβω το μυαλό μου να καταλάβω το γιατί. Κατέληξα στους εξής πεντακόσιους πιθανούς λόγους:
1. Αίμα, πολύ αίμα, σελίδα και σκοτωμός και δολοφονία, χωρίς όμως λόγο και αιτία (έτσι – έτσι – έτσι να ‘χαμε να λέγαμε)
2. Η πόλη που συμβαίνει το όλο στόρυ, είναι μια πόλη βγαλμένη από τη φαντασία του συγγραφέα, με τους δρόμους της, τα στενά της, τα καζίνο της και το δήμαρχό της, δίχως όνομα… κι ακριβώς επειδή δεν ήταν πραγματική, δεν μπορούσα να την κάνω εικόνα, έφτιαξα μια εικόνα δυστοπική, ζοφερή και τρομακτική που μου ταίριαζε μια χαρά σ’ένα μετα-αποκαλυπτικό θρίλερ μα όχι σε τούτο το στόρυ. Δεν μπόρεσα να εμπλακώ…
3. Πολλά, πολλά μα πάρα πολλά ονόματα, ιδίως στις πρώτες 100 σελίδες, που το μυαλό μου έγινε αχταρμάς και δεν ήξερα τι διάβαζα – ποιος είναι ποιος, ποια η θέση του στην Ιεραρχία, ποιοι είναι οι κολλητοί και ποιοι οι εχθροί
4. Η εξέλιξη του Μάκβεθ και της Λαίδης του, πως από άνθρωποι που ενδιαφέρονται για την πόλη τους εν μια νυκτί μεταμορφώνεται σε paranoiacs επειδή μεθύσανε από την εξουσία, τόσο χαζά δομημένη που θα την δικαιολογούσα μόνο σε πρωτοεμφανιζόμενο συγγραφέα
5. Αυτή η τριγωνική μετάφραση από νορβηγικά – αγγλικά και στο βάθος ελληνικά, χαθήκαμε αδέλφια στη μετάφραση (μου έλειψε το spirit)
6. Και εν τέλει, I really didn’t understand, what the fuck βιβλίο ήταν… αστυνομικό δεν ήταν (αφού δεν υπήρχαν άγνωστοι δολοφόνοι να τους κυνηγάνε οι αστυνομικοί, να ψάχνουμε κι εμείς οι κακόμοιροι να τους βρούμε), ψυχολογικό δεν ήταν (γιατί δεν υπήρχε καμία λογική για τις πράξεις των ηρώων), αισθηματικόν δεν ήταν (εντάξει μην μου πείτε για τον έρωτα – εμμονή του Μάκβεθ)… μόνο επιστημονική φαντασία στο μυαλό του Νέσμπο ήτανε…
Με το ζόρι πιάνει τη βάση γιατί είναι Νέσμπο και δεν πάει στην τσιγγάνα μου καρδιά να τον καταβαραθρώσω… αχ! πολύ φοβάμαι πως οι παλιές αγάπες σύντομα θα πάνε στον παράδεισο!
June 27, 2024
I love everything about this retelling except for the image of a dog attacking a human being that Macbeth dreams about. Also, please read the trigger warnings before reading this book.
March 14, 2019
“Thou hast it now: king, Cawdor, Glamis, all,
As the weird women promised, and I fear
Thou played’st most foully for ’t. Yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them—
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine—
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.”
Banquo’s famous lines shed light on the treachery within treachery within treachery that makes Shakespeare’s Scottish play so intriguing. The Hogarth Shakespeare series commissioned modern writers with the task of recreating some of the Bard’s most compelling plays into a contemporary setting.
The Hogarth folks picked Jo Nesbo for the retelling of Macbeth and his selection was where this amazing book started off on the right track. A Norwegian crime writer best known for his gritty Nordic Noir hero Harry Hole, Nesbo brought his style and uniquely dark presence to this decidedly morose and gloomy tale.
Nesbo’s Macbeth is a police inspector in the 1970s. His kingdom to be won by ambition and perfidy is the chief commissioner seat in a town far away from the shining lights of the Capital, a town overrun by crime and ruled from the shadows by Hecate. The corruption described also made me think of Don Winslow’s 2017 bestseller The Force.
Nesbo follows Shakespeare’s story but adds timely flavor and color, while also retaining some of the mystical elements of the play. Lady Macbeth is just Lady, a former prostitute and madam who now runs a swanky casino on the outskirts of town. The tale of blind, reckless ambition and the guilt that comes with winning at all costs is as good now as it was 400 years ago.
A recurring theme in Nesbo’s work is addiction and he seems to have a firm grasp on how to describe this obsessive disorder and how it affects not just the addict but those around them.
Bloody, sometimes gruesome, dark and foreboding, this is another excellent story from the Hogarth collection. For Nesbo and Shakespeare fans and anyone who enjoys good crime fiction.
As the weird women promised, and I fear
Thou played’st most foully for ’t. Yet it was said
It should not stand in thy posterity,
But that myself should be the root and father
Of many kings. If there come truth from them—
As upon thee, Macbeth, their speeches shine—
Why, by the verities on thee made good,
May they not be my oracles as well,
And set me up in hope? But hush, no more.”
Banquo’s famous lines shed light on the treachery within treachery within treachery that makes Shakespeare’s Scottish play so intriguing. The Hogarth Shakespeare series commissioned modern writers with the task of recreating some of the Bard’s most compelling plays into a contemporary setting.
The Hogarth folks picked Jo Nesbo for the retelling of Macbeth and his selection was where this amazing book started off on the right track. A Norwegian crime writer best known for his gritty Nordic Noir hero Harry Hole, Nesbo brought his style and uniquely dark presence to this decidedly morose and gloomy tale.
Nesbo’s Macbeth is a police inspector in the 1970s. His kingdom to be won by ambition and perfidy is the chief commissioner seat in a town far away from the shining lights of the Capital, a town overrun by crime and ruled from the shadows by Hecate. The corruption described also made me think of Don Winslow’s 2017 bestseller The Force.
Nesbo follows Shakespeare’s story but adds timely flavor and color, while also retaining some of the mystical elements of the play. Lady Macbeth is just Lady, a former prostitute and madam who now runs a swanky casino on the outskirts of town. The tale of blind, reckless ambition and the guilt that comes with winning at all costs is as good now as it was 400 years ago.
A recurring theme in Nesbo’s work is addiction and he seems to have a firm grasp on how to describe this obsessive disorder and how it affects not just the addict but those around them.
Bloody, sometimes gruesome, dark and foreboding, this is another excellent story from the Hogarth collection. For Nesbo and Shakespeare fans and anyone who enjoys good crime fiction.
October 13, 2017
For several years now, modern authors, acting under the auspices of the Hogarth Shakespeare Project, have reimagined Shakespeare's classic plays some 400 years after he wrote them. Before reading this book I was entirely unfamiliar with either the Hogarth Project or any of Nesbo's books.
Let me be entirely frank when I say that Nesbo hit a grand slam with this amazing noir-filled literary masterpiece. For those who know MacBeth, it's all here from the grimy foggy moors to the haunting dreams to the three witches of prophesy to the deaths escalating till there's few left to the Lady MacBeth washing her bloody hands over and over again till they are scraped raw.
But the genius of Nesbo's work here is that, even if you put Shakespeare aside, it's a powerful feast of dark gritty crime fiction, delving into waves of power-hungry madness, guilt, betrayal, and loyalty. From the very first pages setting the stage in this stagnating old industrial town where the harbor is filled with rotting carcasses of rusty freighters to the back alleys filled with drug addicts desperate for their next fix, this book is tremendous. There's biker gangs and casinos and SWAT teams and a scramble for leadership in a rotting corrupt police department.
Every page is chock full of depth and meaning. The first Nesbo book I ever opened, but absolutely not the last. Many thanks to the people at Crown Publishing for providing an advance copy for reviewing.
Let me be entirely frank when I say that Nesbo hit a grand slam with this amazing noir-filled literary masterpiece. For those who know MacBeth, it's all here from the grimy foggy moors to the haunting dreams to the three witches of prophesy to the deaths escalating till there's few left to the Lady MacBeth washing her bloody hands over and over again till they are scraped raw.
But the genius of Nesbo's work here is that, even if you put Shakespeare aside, it's a powerful feast of dark gritty crime fiction, delving into waves of power-hungry madness, guilt, betrayal, and loyalty. From the very first pages setting the stage in this stagnating old industrial town where the harbor is filled with rotting carcasses of rusty freighters to the back alleys filled with drug addicts desperate for their next fix, this book is tremendous. There's biker gangs and casinos and SWAT teams and a scramble for leadership in a rotting corrupt police department.
Every page is chock full of depth and meaning. The first Nesbo book I ever opened, but absolutely not the last. Many thanks to the people at Crown Publishing for providing an advance copy for reviewing.
May 8, 2018
γι'αυτό και ο κύριος Νέσμπο είναι ο κυρίαρχος του παιχνιδιού, ακόμα και στο retelling σαρώνει!
buddy-reading με την Geo <3
brace 2018 για την τετράδα με βιβλία με όνομα στον τίτλο
buddy-reading με την Geo <3
brace 2018 για την τετράδα με βιβλία με όνομα στον τίτλο
September 20, 2018
“They had lost their way, but there had to be a way back, back to where they had come from.”
“Macbeth” is the second book in the Hogarth Shakespeare series that I have read. The Hogarth project sees “Shakespeare’s works retold by bestselling novelists of today.” The premise of “Macbeth” is clever. It takes place in the 1970s in a dingy postindustrial town and Macbeth is a Police Inspector, who rises very quickly to the top Police Commissioner’s spot through the machinations of a drug lord (Hecate). The Inverness Castle of Shakespeare’s play becomes a casino run by Macbeth’s wife (Lady). There are a myriad of crafty devices like this in the novel. It works well, and I enjoyed seeing Jo Nesbø incorporate those little details throughout the text. The problem is, I am not sure that if I was not enjoying the book for this aspect if I would have liked it all that much. Do Nesbø fans if they do not know anything of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” like this novel?
A highlight is Chapter 10, which depicts the murder of Duncan, Macbeth’s boss in this version. Nesbø captures very well in this chapter that moment of “no return”. The moment a decision is made that there is no coming back from. It is tense! Another nice element is the constantly changing point of view. We jump inside multiple character’s heads in each chapter, which keeps the plot moving along and the ever changing perspective is more interesting for the reader. Hecate in the text is a drug lord (who seems to be in Nesbø’s hands a stand in for the Devil and his corrupting power). Compared to the role Hecate plays (mostly offstage) in the source material it is an idea that works well.
Some criticisms include a stupid scene in chapter 22. In it we get treated to a press conference that feels like it is from a movie script. And that is not a good thing. It is a very hackneyed moment. The last two chapters of the book are also glaringly weak considering what preceded it.
When I finished the text I was kind of blasé about it. I have read better Nesbø. But there are lines like the following scattered throughout that made me take a moment. “But do you know what is lonelier than never having anyone? It is believing you had someone, but then it turns out that the person you thought was your closet friend never was.” That says a lot right there.
There were more than a few such examples of moments like that in “Macbeth”, which I think make it worth your time.
“Macbeth” is the second book in the Hogarth Shakespeare series that I have read. The Hogarth project sees “Shakespeare’s works retold by bestselling novelists of today.” The premise of “Macbeth” is clever. It takes place in the 1970s in a dingy postindustrial town and Macbeth is a Police Inspector, who rises very quickly to the top Police Commissioner’s spot through the machinations of a drug lord (Hecate). The Inverness Castle of Shakespeare’s play becomes a casino run by Macbeth’s wife (Lady). There are a myriad of crafty devices like this in the novel. It works well, and I enjoyed seeing Jo Nesbø incorporate those little details throughout the text. The problem is, I am not sure that if I was not enjoying the book for this aspect if I would have liked it all that much. Do Nesbø fans if they do not know anything of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” like this novel?
A highlight is Chapter 10, which depicts the murder of Duncan, Macbeth’s boss in this version. Nesbø captures very well in this chapter that moment of “no return”. The moment a decision is made that there is no coming back from. It is tense! Another nice element is the constantly changing point of view. We jump inside multiple character’s heads in each chapter, which keeps the plot moving along and the ever changing perspective is more interesting for the reader. Hecate in the text is a drug lord (who seems to be in Nesbø’s hands a stand in for the Devil and his corrupting power). Compared to the role Hecate plays (mostly offstage) in the source material it is an idea that works well.
Some criticisms include a stupid scene in chapter 22. In it we get treated to a press conference that feels like it is from a movie script. And that is not a good thing. It is a very hackneyed moment. The last two chapters of the book are also glaringly weak considering what preceded it.
When I finished the text I was kind of blasé about it. I have read better Nesbø. But there are lines like the following scattered throughout that made me take a moment. “But do you know what is lonelier than never having anyone? It is believing you had someone, but then it turns out that the person you thought was your closet friend never was.” That says a lot right there.
There were more than a few such examples of moments like that in “Macbeth”, which I think make it worth your time.
August 23, 2018
Εξαιρετικό retelling της γνωστής ιστορίας του Σαίξπηρ. Θα μου πείτε πως το λέω έτσι ελαφρά την καρδία δεδομένου ότι δεν έχω διαβάσει τον Μάκβεθ του Σαίξπηρ αλλά γνωρίζω απλά σε γενικές γραμμές την ιστορία. Θεωρώ εν τούτοις ότι ο Νέσμπο έχει κάνει με αρκετή δεξιοτεχνία την προσαρμογή στο σήμερα στήνοντας μια σύγχρονη ιστορία δράσης που διαβάζεται άμεσα και εύκολα δίνοντας έτσι τη δική του πινελιά στην διάσημη σαιξπηρική ιστορία. Δεν είναι εύκολο να πιάσεις μια τόσο κλασσική ιστορία και να τη φωτίσεις με το δικό σου τρόπο και να την κάνεις ελκυστική δεδομένου ότι γνωρίζεις προκαταβολικά τι θα συμβεί. Το βιβλίο που θα πάρετε στα χέρια σας δεν είναι το τέλειο αστυνομικό βιβλίο και η ιστορία που δε θα ξαναδιαβάσετε ποτέ αλλά περισσότερο το βλέπω ως την πόρτα αν θέλετε που άνοιξε ο συγγραφέας στο να γράψει εκτός του δικού του στυλιζαρισμένου ύφους και να πειραματιστεί με την ανάγκη του να δημιουργήσει νέες ιστορίες. Δεν είναι πολύ εύκολο μεταξύ μας να πάρει�� μια έτοιμη ιστορία πόσο μάλλον του Σαίξπηρ και να την κάνεις δική σου. Είχα διαβάσει σχετικά πρόσφατα και την τρικυμία του Σαίξπηρ δια χειρός Μάργκαρετ Ατγουντ και δεν μπορώ να πω ότι ενθουσιάστηκα.
Εν τούτοις έχω την αίσθηση ότι σαν βιβλίο υπάρχει πιθανότητα να μην καλύψει στον απόλυτο βαθμό τους πιστούς νεσμπομάνιακς που περιμένουν με αγωνία κάθε του βιβλίο. Μην περιμένετε ότι θα ξεπεταχτεί ο Χάρι Χόλε ούτε ότι θα διαβάσετε βιβλίο πανομοιότυπο με την σειρά ιστοριών του διάσημου πλέον αστυνομικού ήρωα. Μέσα στο Μάκβεθ θα βρείτε γνωστά στοιχεία της γραφής του Νέσμπο όπως για παράδειγμα την κινηματογραφική εξέλιξη των γεγονότων αλλά παράλληλα θα βρείτε και την ανάγκη για αλλαγή.
Τι σου είναι πάντως το ανθρώπινο μυαλό ε; Είτε στα χρόνια του Σαίξπηρ είτε στα χρόνια του Νέσμπο η διαχωριστική γραμμή μεταξύ τρέλας και λογικής παραμένει το ίδιο λεπτή και έτοιμη να σπάσει ανά πάσα στιγμή.
Εν τούτοις έχω την αίσθηση ότι σαν βιβλίο υπάρχει πιθανότητα να μην καλύψει στον απόλυτο βαθμό τους πιστούς νεσμπομάνιακς που περιμένουν με αγωνία κάθε του βιβλίο. Μην περιμένετε ότι θα ξεπεταχτεί ο Χάρι Χόλε ούτε ότι θα διαβάσετε βιβλίο πανομοιότυπο με την σειρά ιστοριών του διάσημου πλέον αστυνομικού ήρωα. Μέσα στο Μάκβεθ θα βρείτε γνωστά στοιχεία της γραφής του Νέσμπο όπως για παράδειγμα την κινηματογραφική εξέλιξη των γεγονότων αλλά παράλληλα θα βρείτε και την ανάγκη για αλλαγή.
Τι σου είναι πάντως το ανθρώπινο μυαλό ε; Είτε στα χρόνια του Σαίξπηρ είτε στα χρόνια του Νέσμπο η διαχωριστική γραμμή μεταξύ τρέλας και λογικής παραμένει το ίδιο λεπτή και έτοιμη να σπάσει ανά πάσα στιγμή.
September 9, 2018
When a drug bust turns into a bloodbath, it's up to Inspector MacBeth and his team to clean up the mess. He's also an ex-drug addict with a troubled past.
This is quite a brutal and blood soaked remake of Shakespeare's play. If you have read the original book then you already know that there is a lot of blood shed. This book has been given a modern take to it, turning it into a dark and brutal story of cops versus criminals. This book has more blood shed in it. It's all here in this novel; the foggy moors, Lady MacBeth washing her hands over and o read until they bleed, the three witches of prophecy to the deaths which escalate until you think there will be no one left.
This book stays true to the classic. Jo Nesbo has done a great job with this classic. It has a dark and gritty storyline. It must have been daunting rewriting this classic. Jo Nesbo seems to have done it effortlessly. I loved this book even though it seemed a bit slow to start with.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and the author Jo Nesbo for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is quite a brutal and blood soaked remake of Shakespeare's play. If you have read the original book then you already know that there is a lot of blood shed. This book has been given a modern take to it, turning it into a dark and brutal story of cops versus criminals. This book has more blood shed in it. It's all here in this novel; the foggy moors, Lady MacBeth washing her hands over and o read until they bleed, the three witches of prophecy to the deaths which escalate until you think there will be no one left.
This book stays true to the classic. Jo Nesbo has done a great job with this classic. It has a dark and gritty storyline. It must have been daunting rewriting this classic. Jo Nesbo seems to have done it effortlessly. I loved this book even though it seemed a bit slow to start with.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and the author Jo Nesbo for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 14, 2018
Αιματηρό! 😜 Δυνατό! 😎 Καταιγιστικό! 😎 Και διαβάζεται μονορούφι! 🚔🚔
Ένα βιβλίο με κινηματογραφική δράση, με ιδιαίτερους και καλοδουλεμένους χαρακτήρες, ζωντανούς διαλόγους, και την απολαυστική πινελιά του NESBO! 🚔😎😜🚔
Το συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα !!! 😎🚔😜
Ένα βιβλίο με κινηματογραφική δράση, με ιδιαίτερους και καλοδουλεμένους χαρακτήρες, ζωντανούς διαλόγους, και την απολαυστική πινελιά του NESBO! 🚔😎😜🚔
Το συστήνω ανεπιφύλακτα !!! 😎🚔😜
September 17, 2018
Αντικειμενική με βιβλίο του Jo Nesbo δεν θα μπορούσα ποτέ να είμαι και αυτό το βιβλίο δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση. Αν και για να πω την αλήθεια σε μια ακρούλα στο πίσω μέρος του μυαλού μου διατηρούσα μια μικρή αμφιβολία κυρίως γιατί ο Μάκβεθ ανήκει στο Hogarth Shakespeare Project.
Έχοντας διαβάσει άλλα δύο βιβλία από τα εν λόγω project και μη μένοντας ευχαριστημένη με κανένα από τα δύο για τους ίδιους σχεδόν λόγους είχα ορισμένες επιφυλάξεις. Γιατί ναι μεν Nesbo, Hogarth Shakespeare Project δε!
Ευτυχώς όμως ο Jo Nesbo για άλλη μια φορά επιβεβαίωσε τη φήμη του και διέλυσε τις αμφιβολίες μου από τις πρώτες κιόλας σελίδες!
Ο συγγραφέας πατώντας πάνω στο θεατρικό έργο γράφει μια αστυνομική ιστορία με όλα τα στοιχεία που τον χαρακτηρίζουν: σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα, κινηματογραφικές εικόνες, ψηλοκατεστραμένοι χαρακτήρες, αιματοβαμμένες σκηνές εγκλημάτων και φυσικά δεν λείπουν και τα κοινωνικά θέματα που τον έχουν απασχολήσει και σε άλλα του βιβλία, όπως το θέμα των ναρκωτικών, που ειδικά στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο παίζουν ιδιαίτερα σημαντικό ρόλο.
Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα υπέρ του βιβλίου για μένα, ήταν ότι παρ' όλο που ήξερα τι θα συμβεί(έχω διαβάσει το πρωτότυπο) όχι μόνο δεν βαρέθηκα αλλά αντίθετα διάβαζα με αγωνία λες και υπήρχε έστω και μια μικρή πιθανότητα να αλλάξει κάτι. Παρ' όλο το μέγεθός του έχει γρήγορο ρυθμό και συνεχείς εξελίξεις (ειδικά για κάποιον που δεν γνωρίζει την υπόθεση) και ανατροπές (ειδικά μια δεν την περίμενα με τίποτα!!) που -όσο κλισέ κι αν ακούγεται- δεν σου επιτρέπουν να αφήσεις το βιβλίο από τα χέρια σου!
Κάτι άλλο που μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ ήταν οι χαρακτήρες. Πρώτον ο τρόπος που από μεσαιωνικούς βασιλιάδες και στρατιώτες μετατράπηκαν σε αστυνομικούς, αρχισυμμορίτες, εμπόρους ναρκωτικών κλπ. Και δεύτερον η εξέλιξη των εν λόγω χαρακτήρων. Το πώς από λογικοί και ηθικοί οδηγούνται σιγά σιγά στην παράνοια, εθισμένοι στην δύναμη, διψασμένοι για εξουσία χωρίς να σκέφτονται το κόστος, τις επιπτώσεις, τις ανθρώπινες ζωές και το αίμα που θα χυθεί. Και χύνεται άφθονο...Διεφθαρμένοι ή αδιάφθοροι, φίλοι ή εχθροί, εγκληματίες ή αθώοι δεν έχει σημασία ποιος ή τι είναι αρκεί να μπαίνει εμπόδιο στον δρόμο που οδηγεί στην κορυφή. Κι όλα αυτά στο όνομα της δικαιοσύνης και του λαού.
Το θέμα είναι ότι ακόμη κι εγώ έπιανα συχνά τον εαυτό μου να σκέφτεται όχι! Μη! Ας μην τον ανακαλύψουν ακόμη! Ας μην καταλάβουν ότι το έκανε αυτός! Ας μην προλάβει να μιλήσει αυτός που ξέρει! Ας προλάβουν να τον σκοτώσουν πριν πει το οτιδήποτε! Κι είναι περίεργο γιατί ε��ώ ξέρεις ότι όλο αυτό είναι λάθος εσύ ζητάς κι άλλο θάνατο! Κι ας ξέρεις ότι όλο αυτό μάλλον δεν θα έχει καλή κατάληξη...
Τέλος κάτι άλλο που με ικανοποίησε ιδιαιτέρως ήταν ο τρόπος που ο Nesbo χειρίστηκε την μαγεία που υπήρχε στον Shakespeare και μάλιστα βρήκα τον τρόπο ιδιαίτερα ευρηματικό! Δεν ήθελα να δω καθόλου κάποιο φανταστικό/μεταφυσικό στοιχείο και δεν είδα!
Εάν έπρεπε να βρω κάτι που δεν μου άρεσε ήταν ένας χαρακτήρας, ο Σέιτον, ο οποίος είχε κάποιες ικανότητες οι οποίες δεν κατάλαβα πού αποσκοπούσαν ή γιατί ο συγγραφέας επέλεξε να του τις “δώσει”. (μικρολεπτομέρειες δηλαδή!)
Εν τέλει ο Μάκβεθ αποδείχθηκε από τα πιο πετυχημένα retellings που έχω διαβάσει καθώς πατάει με πολύ έξυπνο τρόπο πάνω στο αρχικό έργο και ταυτόχρονα ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει και διατηρεί το ύφος και τα στοιχεία που τον χαρακτηρίζουν χωρίς να φαίνεται στιγμή ότι περιορίζεται από το πρωτότυπο.
και λίγες spoiler σκέψεις μου:
η άποψη μου και εδώ:
https://wordpress64426.wordpress.com/...
Έχοντας διαβάσει άλλα δύο βιβλία από τα εν λόγω project και μη μένοντας ευχαριστημένη με κανένα από τα δύο για τους ίδιους σχεδόν λόγους είχα ορισμένες επιφυλάξεις. Γιατί ναι μεν Nesbo, Hogarth Shakespeare Project δε!
Ευτυχώς όμως ο Jo Nesbo για άλλη μια φορά επιβεβαίωσε τη φήμη του και διέλυσε τις αμφιβολίες μου από τις πρώτες κιόλας σελίδες!
Ο συγγραφέας πατώντας πάνω στο θεατρικό έργο γράφει μια αστυνομική ιστορία με όλα τα στοιχεία που τον χαρακτηρίζουν: σκοτεινή ατμόσφαιρα, κινηματογραφικές εικόνες, ψηλοκατεστραμένοι χαρακτήρες, αιματοβαμμένες σκηνές εγκλημάτων και φυσικά δεν λείπουν και τα κοινωνικά θέματα που τον έχουν απασχολήσει και σε άλλα του βιβλία, όπως το θέμα των ναρκωτικών, που ειδικά στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο παίζουν ιδιαίτερα σημαντικό ρόλο.
Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα υπέρ του βιβλίου για μένα, ήταν ότι παρ' όλο που ήξερα τι θα συμβεί(έχω διαβάσει το πρωτότυπο) όχι μόνο δεν βαρέθηκα αλλά αντίθετα διάβαζα με αγωνία λες και υπήρχε έστω και μια μικρή πιθανότητα να αλλάξει κάτι. Παρ' όλο το μέγεθός του έχει γρήγορο ρυθμό και συνεχείς εξελίξεις (ειδικά για κάποιον που δεν γνωρίζει την υπόθεση) και ανατροπές (ειδικά μια δεν την περίμενα με τίποτα!!) που -όσο κλισέ κι αν ακούγεται- δεν σου επιτρέπουν να αφήσεις το βιβλίο από τα χέρια σου!
Κάτι άλλο που μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ ήταν οι χαρακτήρες. Πρώτον ο τρόπος που από μεσαιωνικούς βασιλιάδες και στρατιώτες μετατράπηκαν σε αστυνομικούς, αρχισυμμορίτες, εμπόρους ναρκωτικών κλπ. Και δεύτερον η εξέλιξη των εν λόγω χαρακτήρων. Το πώς από λογικοί και ηθικοί οδηγούνται σιγά σιγά στην παράνοια, εθισμένοι στην δύναμη, διψασμένοι για εξουσία χωρίς να σκέφτονται το κόστος, τις επιπτώσεις, τις ανθρώπινες ζωές και το αίμα που θα χυθεί. Και χύνεται άφθονο...Διεφθαρμένοι ή αδιάφθοροι, φίλοι ή εχθροί, εγκληματίες ή αθώοι δεν έχει σημασία ποιος ή τι είναι αρκεί να μπαίνει εμπόδιο στον δρόμο που οδηγεί στην κορυφή. Κι όλα αυτά στο όνομα της δικαιοσύνης και του λαού.
Το θέμα είναι ότι ακόμη κι εγώ έπιανα συχνά τον εαυτό μου να σκέφτεται όχι! Μη! Ας μην τον ανακαλύψουν ακόμη! Ας μην καταλάβουν ότι το έκανε αυτός! Ας μην προλάβει να μιλήσει αυτός που ξέρει! Ας προλάβουν να τον σκοτώσουν πριν πει το οτιδήποτε! Κι είναι περίεργο γιατί ε��ώ ξέρεις ότι όλο αυτό είναι λάθος εσύ ζητάς κι άλλο θάνατο! Κι ας ξέρεις ότι όλο αυτό μάλλον δεν θα έχει καλή κατάληξη...
Τέλος κάτι άλλο που με ικανοποίησε ιδιαιτέρως ήταν ο τρόπος που ο Nesbo χειρίστηκε την μαγεία που υπήρχε στον Shakespeare και μάλιστα βρήκα τον τρόπο ιδιαίτερα ευρηματικό! Δεν ήθελα να δω καθόλου κάποιο φανταστικό/μεταφυσικό στοιχείο και δεν είδα!
Εάν έπρεπε να βρω κάτι που δεν μου άρεσε ήταν ένας χαρακτήρας, ο Σέιτον, ο οποίος είχε κάποιες ικανότητες οι οποίες δεν κατάλαβα πού αποσκοπούσαν ή γιατί ο συγγραφέας επέλεξε να του τις “δώσει”. (μικρολεπτομέρειες δηλαδή!)
Εν τέλει ο Μάκβεθ αποδείχθηκε από τα πιο πετυχημένα retellings που έχω διαβάσει καθώς πατάει με πολύ έξυπνο τρόπο πάνω στο αρχικό έργο και ταυτόχρονα ο συγγραφέας καταφέρνει και διατηρεί το ύφος και τα στοιχεία που τον χαρακτηρίζουν χωρίς να φαίνεται στιγμή ότι περιορίζεται από το πρωτότυπο.
και λίγες spoiler σκέψεις μου:
η άποψη μου και εδώ:
https://wordpress64426.wordpress.com/...
April 10, 2018
Τελικά δεν ξέρω αν είναι καλύτερο να ξέρεις την υπόθεση του έργου του Σαίξπηρ πριν ξεκινήσεις αυτό το βιβλίο ή όχι...🤔
Από την μία, απολαμβάνεις να βλέπεις ότι ο βασιλιάς της σύγχρονης αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας έχει "πατήσει" καλά πάνω στο πρωτότυπο έργο και έχει κάνει μια υπέροχη διασκευή, αλλά από την άλλη χάνεται η μαγεία γιατί έχεις ένα τεράστιο σπόιλερ και ξέρεις την κατάληξη!
Όπως είπα και νωρίτερα, το Μάκβεθ του Nesbo είναι μια καταπληκτική διασκευή του σαιξπηρικού Μάκβεθ, τοποθετημένο σε μια πόλη της Σκωτίας κάπου στο 1970. Ένα βιβλίο με καταιγιστική κινηματογραφική δράση, αγωνία (για όσους δεν ξέρουν το αρχικό έργο), με καλοδουλεμένους χαρακτήρες, ωραίους "σαιξπηρικούς" διαλόγους και την ιδιαίτερη πινελιά του Nesbø! Άκρως απολαυστικό!
Βαθμολογία : 9.5/10
Από την μία, απολαμβάνεις να βλέπεις ότι ο βασιλιάς της σύγχρονης αστυνομικής λογοτεχνίας έχει "πατήσει" καλά πάνω στο πρωτότυπο έργο και έχει κάνει μια υπέροχη διασκευή, αλλά από την άλλη χάνεται η μαγεία γιατί έχεις ένα τεράστιο σπόιλερ και ξέρεις την κατάληξη!
Όπως είπα και νωρίτερα, το Μάκβεθ του Nesbo είναι μια καταπληκτική διασκευή του σαιξπηρικού Μάκβεθ, τοποθετημένο σε μια πόλη της Σκωτίας κάπου στο 1970. Ένα βιβλίο με καταιγιστική κινηματογραφική δράση, αγωνία (για όσους δεν ξέρουν το αρχικό έργο), με καλοδουλεμένους χαρακτήρες, ωραίους "σαιξπηρικούς" διαλόγους και την ιδιαίτερη πινελιά του Nesbø! Άκρως απολαυστικό!
Βαθμολογία : 9.5/10
May 8, 2018
Τα τελευταία χρόνια έχουν κυκλοφορήσει αρκετά retellings κλασσικών βιβλίων και παραμυθιών τα οποία, επί του πρακτέου, δεν αποδείχθηκαν ιδιαίτερα πετυχημένα. Σε προσωπικό, τουλάχιστον, επίπεδο, με απογοήτευσαν οικτρά, με το ένα να είναι χειρότερο από το άλλο. Όταν, λοιπόν, έμαθα πως θα κυκλοφορήσει το "Μάκβεθ", η πρώτη μου σκέψη ήταν πως το να πει κάποιος από την αρχή μια ιστορία που έχει γράψει ένας εκ των κορυφαίων συγγραφέων της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας, ο Shakespeare, δεν είναι απλά ρίσκο, αλλά κάτι σχεδόν αδιανόητο. Και όμως, ο Nesbo, απέδειξε πως όχι μόνο γίνεται, αλλά και πως το αποτέλεσμα μπορεί να προκαλέσει ρίγη ανατριχίλας και έναν ενθουσιασμό που δεν είμαι σίγουρη αν κάποιος άλλος συγγραφέας θα μπορούσε αν βρισκόταν στη θέση του.
Σ' αυτήν την σύγχρονη εκδοχή ενός των εκ των πλέον κλασσικών έργων της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας, συναντάμε τον επιθεωρητή Μάκβεθ -ο οποίος είναι πρώην τοξικομανής, εκτός των άλλων- που, μαζί με την ομάδα του, επιτυγχάνουν να ξεσκεπάσουν μία απ' τις μεγαλύτερες σπείρες εμπόρων ναρκωτικών και να οδηγήσουν στη σύλληψή της. Η μεγάλη αυτή επιτυχία θα του αποφέρει την αναγνώριση που ο καθένας θ' αποζητούσε στη θέση του, δόξα, μεγαλεία, χρήματα, μα και τον σεβασμό όλων όσων βρίσκονται γύρω του. Όμως, παρά που φαινομενικά έχει τα πάντα, η παράνοια τού χτυπά την πόρτα, αρχίζει να πιστεύει πως μόνο εκείνος μπορεί να σώσει τον κόσμο και πως ακόμα δεν έχει κατακτήσει ό,τι του αξίζει, και όλα αυτά μαζί τον οδηγούν σ' έναν δολοφονικό κι αιματηρό κατήφορο από τον οποίο δεν υπάρχει επιστροφή.
Θέλω να πιστεύω πως η πλειοψηφία των αναγνωστών έχει διαβάσει το κλασσικό έργο του Shakespeare, ή αν δεν το έχει κάνει, πως γνωρίζει, με τον έναν ή τον άλλον τρόπο, την κατάληξη αυτής, που δεν είναι άλλη από ένα λουτρό αίματος βουτηγμένο στην φρικαλεότητα και στην παραφροσύνη. Πάνω σε όλα αυτά βασίζεται, λοιπόν, ο Nesbo, και σεβόμενος απόλυτα την πυρήνα και τον ηθικό άξονα της πρωτότυπης ιστορίας, την αφηγείται εκ νέου τοποθετώντας την σ' ένα πιο σύγχρονο σύμπαν, χωρίς, όμως, ν' αλλοιώνει τους χαρακτήρες ή το βαθύτερο νόημα της ιστορίας, αλλά δίνοντάς του μια άλλη διάσταση, προσαρμοσμένη περισσότερο στα σημερινά κοινωνικά, ηθικά, ανθρωπιστικά πρότυπα, με τον μοναδικό εκείνο τρόπο που ο ίδιος ξέρει και που υπηρετεί εδώ και χρόνια ολάκερα τόσο πολύ καλά.
Ο Μάκβεθ του Shakespeare, ως χαρακτήρας και προσωπικότητα, είναι από τους πιο ενδιαφέροντες που έχω συναντήσει ποτέ, μα και απ' τους πιο πολυδιάστατους. Είναι ένας "ήρωας" που αντιπροσωπεύει τον ορισμό της τραγικότητας, που γίνεται ολοκληρωτικά έρμαιο των παθών και των εμμονών του. Έτσι ακριβώς είναι και ο Μάκβεθ του Nesbo, που θεωρεί πως βρίσκεται στο απυρόβλητο και πως οι πράξεις του δικαιολογούνται απόλυτα και πως κανείς δεν μπορεί να τον κρίνει γι' αυτές. Απαιτεί την ηθική του δικαίωση, όχι γιατί κάπου βαθιά μέσα του αντιλαμβάνεται το τι πραγματικά συμβαίνει, αλλά γιατί πιστεύει ακράδαντα πως το αξίζει, καθώς οι πράξεις του συμβάλλουν στην ανύψωση του δικαίου και της κοινωνικής ηθικής που χρειάζεται να γίνει θύμα της βίας προκειμένου να επιστρέψει στο σωστό μονοπάτι. Όμως, στην πραγματικότητα, κατά πόσο ισχύει κάτι τέτοιο; Ποιος είναι σε θέση να κρίνει ποια ζωή έχει αξία και ποια όχι;
Ο Nesbo, χωρίς να επέμβει στα ψυχογραφήματα των βασικών ηρώων της πρωτότυπης ιστορίας, αλλά εμβαθύνοντας ακόμα περισσότερο σ' αυτά, σκιαγραφεί πρόσωπα και μέσω αυτών καταστάσεις στις οποίες οι ίδιοι μπλέκονται, είτε ηθελημένα είτε άθελά τους. Με απόλυτο σεβασμό στο έργο του Shakespeare, αλλά προσθέτοντας σε αυτό τη δική του, γνώριμη, χαρακτηριστική πινελιά, καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει, ίσως, το καλύτερό του έργο μέχρι σήμερα. Άλλωστε, όπως έχει αποδείξει στη μέχρι τώρα λογοτεχνική του πορεία, ξέρει πολύ καλά πως ν' αφηγηθεί μια ιστορία βουτηγμένη στη βία και στο αίμα. Και τοποθετώντας την μέσα σ' ένα τόσο παρανοϊκό πλαίσιο, μα και βλέποντας μέσα από τα μάτια ενός διαταραγμένου ανθρώπου που δεν αντιλαμβάνεται πως όταν θυσιάζεις οτιδήποτε για να φτάσεις στην κορυφή, μόνο να πέσεις απ' αυτήν μπορείς, με τραγικές συνέπειες, νομίζω πως φτάνει στο ζενίθ του, καθηλώνοντας και παρασύροντας ακόμα και τον πιο απαιτητικό αναγνώστη. Ο Jo Nesbo στα καλύτερά του!
Σ' αυτήν την σύγχρονη εκδοχή ενός των εκ των πλέον κλασσικών έργων της παγκόσμιας λογοτεχνίας, συναντάμε τον επιθεωρητή Μάκβεθ -ο οποίος είναι πρώην τοξικομανής, εκτός των άλλων- που, μαζί με την ομάδα του, επιτυγχάνουν να ξεσκεπάσουν μία απ' τις μεγαλύτερες σπείρες εμπόρων ναρκωτικών και να οδηγήσουν στη σύλληψή της. Η μεγάλη αυτή επιτυχία θα του αποφέρει την αναγνώριση που ο καθένας θ' αποζητούσε στη θέση του, δόξα, μεγαλεία, χρήματα, μα και τον σεβασμό όλων όσων βρίσκονται γύρω του. Όμως, παρά που φαινομενικά έχει τα πάντα, η παράνοια τού χτυπά την πόρτα, αρχίζει να πιστεύει πως μόνο εκείνος μπορεί να σώσει τον κόσμο και πως ακόμα δεν έχει κατακτήσει ό,τι του αξίζει, και όλα αυτά μαζί τον οδηγούν σ' έναν δολοφονικό κι αιματηρό κατήφορο από τον οποίο δεν υπάρχει επιστροφή.
Θέλω να πιστεύω πως η πλειοψηφία των αναγνωστών έχει διαβάσει το κλασσικό έργο του Shakespeare, ή αν δεν το έχει κάνει, πως γνωρίζει, με τον έναν ή τον άλλον τρόπο, την κατάληξη αυτής, που δεν είναι άλλη από ένα λουτρό αίματος βουτηγμένο στην φρικαλεότητα και στην παραφροσύνη. Πάνω σε όλα αυτά βασίζεται, λοιπόν, ο Nesbo, και σεβόμενος απόλυτα την πυρήνα και τον ηθικό άξονα της πρωτότυπης ιστορίας, την αφηγείται εκ νέου τοποθετώντας την σ' ένα πιο σύγχρονο σύμπαν, χωρίς, όμως, ν' αλλοιώνει τους χαρακτήρες ή το βαθύτερο νόημα της ιστορίας, αλλά δίνοντάς του μια άλλη διάσταση, προσαρμοσμένη περισσότερο στα σημερινά κοινωνικά, ηθικά, ανθρωπιστικά πρότυπα, με τον μοναδικό εκείνο τρόπο που ο ίδιος ξέρει και που υπηρετεί εδώ και χρόνια ολάκερα τόσο πολύ καλά.
Ο Μάκβεθ του Shakespeare, ως χαρακτήρας και προσωπικότητα, είναι από τους πιο ενδιαφέροντες που έχω συναντήσει ποτέ, μα και απ' τους πιο πολυδιάστατους. Είναι ένας "ήρωας" που αντιπροσωπεύει τον ορισμό της τραγικότητας, που γίνεται ολοκληρωτικά έρμαιο των παθών και των εμμονών του. Έτσι ακριβώς είναι και ο Μάκβεθ του Nesbo, που θεωρεί πως βρίσκεται στο απυρόβλητο και πως οι πράξεις του δικαιολογούνται απόλυτα και πως κανείς δεν μπορεί να τον κρίνει γι' αυτές. Απαιτεί την ηθική του δικαίωση, όχι γιατί κάπου βαθιά μέσα του αντιλαμβάνεται το τι πραγματικά συμβαίνει, αλλά γιατί πιστεύει ακράδαντα πως το αξίζει, καθώς οι πράξεις του συμβάλλουν στην ανύψωση του δικαίου και της κοινωνικής ηθικής που χρειάζεται να γίνει θύμα της βίας προκειμένου να επιστρέψει στο σωστό μονοπάτι. Όμως, στην πραγματικότητα, κατά πόσο ισχύει κάτι τέτοιο; Ποιος είναι σε θέση να κρίνει ποια ζωή έχει αξία και ποια όχι;
Ο Nesbo, χωρίς να επέμβει στα ψυχογραφήματα των βασικών ηρώων της πρωτότυπης ιστορίας, αλλά εμβαθύνοντας ακόμα περισσότερο σ' αυτά, σκιαγραφεί πρόσωπα και μέσω αυτών καταστάσεις στις οποίες οι ίδιοι μπλέκονται, είτε ηθελημένα είτε άθελά τους. Με απόλυτο σεβασμό στο έργο του Shakespeare, αλλά προσθέτοντας σε αυτό τη δική του, γνώριμη, χαρακτηριστική πινελιά, καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει, ίσως, το καλύτερό του έργο μέχρι σήμερα. Άλλωστε, όπως έχει αποδείξει στη μέχρι τώρα λογοτεχνική του πορεία, ξέρει πολύ καλά πως ν' αφηγηθεί μια ιστορία βουτηγμένη στη βία και στο αίμα. Και τοποθετώντας την μέσα σ' ένα τόσο παρανοϊκό πλαίσιο, μα και βλέποντας μέσα από τα μάτια ενός διαταραγμένου ανθρώπου που δεν αντιλαμβάνεται πως όταν θυσιάζεις οτιδήποτε για να φτάσεις στην κορυφή, μόνο να πέσεις απ' αυτήν μπορείς, με τραγικές συνέπειες, νομίζω πως φτάνει στο ζενίθ του, καθηλώνοντας και παρασύροντας ακόμα και τον πιο απαιτητικό αναγνώστη. Ο Jo Nesbo στα καλύτερά του!
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