"Set in a dark, rainy northern town, Nesbo's Macbeth pits the ambitions of a corrupt policeman against loyal colleagues, a drug-depraved underworld and the pull of childhood friendships."
📚📚📚📚📚📚
A gritty take on a classic
I've had this book sitting on my to-be-read pile since 2018 and I'm slowly, slowly getting through it! This is part of the Hogarth Shakespeare series where modern authors re-imagine the classics, and Jo Nesbo’s choice of Macbeth felt like a perfect match for his usual dark, noir style.
The setting is a rain-soaked, crumbling industrial town in the 1970's which really works for the atmosphere. Instead of kings and thistles, we've got corrupt police forces, drug lords and SWAT teams. Macbeth himself is the head of a tactical unit and Lady is a casino owner. It's definitely a clever way to translate the original power struggles into a world of crime and addiction.
However, I found it a bit of a slog in places. At over 500 pages, it feels far too long for the story it's trying to tell. While I liked the gritty vibe, the pacing often dipped and I found myself losing interest during some of the more drawn-out descriptions. It captures the "darkness" well, but it doesn't quite have the emotional punch or tight suspense I was expecting.
It’s a decent enough read if you’re a fan of the author or if you're interested in Shakespearean re-tellings, but it didn't quite blow me away. It does what it says on the tin - a dark, rainy crime thriller - but it lacks that special something to make it truly memorable for me.
Huge thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this book.
📚📚📚📚📚📚
No comments:
Post a Comment