Hag-Seed: William Shakespeare's The Tempest Retold: A Novel (Hogarth Shakespeare)

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The beloved author of The Handmaids Tale reimagines Shakespeares final, great play, The Tempest, in a gripping and emotionally rich novel of passion and revenge. A marvel of gorgeous yet economical prose, in the service of a story thats utterly heartbreaking yet pierced by humor, with a plot that retains considerable subtlety even as the originals back story falls neatly into place.The New York Times Book Review Felix is at the top of his game as artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. Now hes staging aTempest like no other: not only will it boost his reputation, but it will also heal emotional wounds. Or that was the plan. Instead, after an act of unforeseen treachery, Felix is living in exile in a backwoods hovel, haunted by memories of his beloved lost daughter, Miranda. And also brewing revenge, which, after twelve years, arrives in the shape of a theatre course at a nearby prison. Margaret Atwoods novel take on Shakespeares play of enchantment, retribution, and second chances leads us on an interactive, illusion-ridden journey filled with new surprises and wonders of its own. Praise for Hag-Seed What makes the book thrilling, and hugely pleasurable, is how closely Atwood hews to Shakespeare even as she casts her own potent charms, rap-composition included. . . . Part Shakespeare, part Atwood, Hag-Seed is a most delicate monsterand thats delicate in the 17th-century sense. Its delightful.Boston Globe Atwood has designed an ingenious doubling of the plot of The Tempest: Felix, the usurped director, finds himself cast by circumstances as a real-life version of Prospero, the usurped Duke. If you know the play well, these echoes grow stronger when Felix decides to exact his revenge by conjuring up a new version of The Tempest designed to overwhelm his enemies.Washington Post A funny and heartwarming tale of revenge and redemption . . . Hag-Seed is a remarkable contribution to the canon.Bustle