An update from the review below, I just reread Macbeth prior to watching the Joel Coen adaption. I got even more out of this from a second read..looking forward to my third. I liked the Coen adaption but on reflection I prefer the 2015 adaption starring Fassbender and Cotillard.

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I watched Patrick Stewart read all the Shakespeare sonnets, one per day, on IG. Then I joined the Hardcore Literature book club on Patreon (also on YouTube and iTunes) and have joined along reading the sonnets with that excellent and inspiring club.

Anyway, this all led me to dip my toes back into the plays, having given up after an appalling school experience with Shakespeare 40 years ago.

I have taken my time with this, reading it thoroughly, watching productions in film and on YouTube, listening along on audible and using the very excellent myShakespeare.com on the internet to really understand this play word for word.

The result is that I absolutely, completely and entirely loved it. Without that deeper read I would have missed some brilliant sections. Watching a performance alone sort of sweeps you along and I think it is easy to gloss over some sentences that are more archaic in their language and meaning. The mixture of reading and watching and studying the words made the whole thing seep into my mind.

I can not wait to read more plays. This one was timeless, in that we can see the story played out today in so many settings and ways. The book gave me so much food for thought and I loved it hugely! 100% a five star read…and who would have thought it…after the terrible experience at school.