Member Reviews

So confession time, I know almost nothing about Shakespeare’s writing style or Macbeth. I’ve only read about the plots of some of his plays in passing.

Comparing to Manga Classics rendition of The Count of Monte Cristo to Macbeth, I think I prefer the former for its more easily comprehensible dialogue and, subjectively speaking, an art style that’s more to my preferences.

The art style employed in Macbeth is no slouch though, it’s very versatile with varying approaches to to the character designs. Some characters look tough and burly, others border on pretty and several linger in-between. They have an intensity to their poses and facial expressions that would be at home in any action-oriented shounen (for male, usually a young male demographic) manga publication. Some of the final scenes of the book boast some well-directed action.

I think that this volume, for all its efforts, is easily recommendable to people who either have a familiarity and/or affection for Macbeth, an interest in Shakespeare in general, and would like to see an ambitious attempt at marrying those concepts to a manga while keeping the dialogue purely intact and not re-written, not updated or reimagined.

I usually prefer keeping things pure in that way. I can tell this is a fine effort, but I struggled more than I would have liked to in deciphering every line. This warrants a slower and more analytical approach to reading. I do intend on checking out several more works by Manga Classics after utterly loving The Count Of Monte Cristo though. I hope they continue making these adaptations, though I might be more keen on checking out ones that adapt literature from the 1800s – early 1900s. If your purpose is to get kids/pre-teens into classics, I think some of the other adaptations by Manga Classics may be more suited to that end.

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Manga Classics continues to recreate the great classics in a colorful recreation. I find it easier to read some of these classics in this manga format without taking away from the actual story. Macbeth was one of the more complicated stories by Shakespeare and this manga helped me to better understand the story.

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UDON Entertainment and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Manga Classics: Macbeth. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

This graphic novel tells the classic story of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, but in a way that might spark the interest of a new generation. The illustrator, as well as the writer who adapted the story, told the tale using an entirely different format than the original book, but still managed to capture the essence of Macbeth. Facial expressions help to convey the story, as well as depictions of certain key scenes in the play. This interpretation of the action is helped along by pieces of the original text, giving readers a clear picture as to the plot.

Manga is not for everyone, but I found it to be an interesting medium for interpreting a classic story. Having read other Manga classics before, I had a certain level of expectation and I was not disappointed. I would recommend Manga Classics: Macbeth as a companion to the original play, allowing readers to see the interpretation of the story while reading the words as they were intended.

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This is another great edition of a classic play. The medium of a graphic novel truly enhances the experience of reading the play. I highly recommend this edition to anyone that has struggled with understanding Shakespeare's plays and for teachers that are struggling with teaching drama.

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Shakespeare is going to find a whole new audience. The Manga Classics version of Macbeth will bring this story to people who may not have wanted to read the original.

The Manga version allows so much more leeway for the artists to help the reader understand the story. Shakespeare is difficult to read in the original translation, but this one was much more understandable for me as a reader. The excellent artwork accompanying the text really helped me understand what was happening in the story. The text used is the original unabridged text. However, the addition of fine art made it really come alive.

For example, as a reader, you can actually see the transformation taking place in the character of Macbeth. In the beginning pages, he is shown as a normal, seemingly happy character. But, as the negativity of his desire for more and more power takes hold of him, you see those transformations. His facial expressions dramatically change. His appearance reflects the changes too. Without the art to help envision this, it’s tough to see.

The same happens with other characters. His wife, for example. And others surrounding them. The three sisters are really creepy and you get the sense that they are up to no good right from the beginning. Their antics are emphasized by how they appear and disappear from the scenes.

Overall, I really loved this adaptation. I think it will help bring alive the tales of Shakespeare for a new generation. There’s also a Manga Classics adaptation of Romeo and Juliet available. Other books in the classics series that I have read have also been excellent. I recommend them!

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This was my first experience with a manga version of a classic literary piece. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised at how close it stuck to the source material. The artwork is really nice as well. I could see this being a great way to introduce Shakespeare to the newer generations.

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Macbeth in Manga was a bit of a disappointment for me. Sure, it is a wonderful supplement for reluctant readers, but the overall story loses the beauty of Shakespearean language. Additionally, while the Manga classic did not stray too far away from the plot, I felt like it lost the depth and glory of all that went in the play. I also had a problem with the way the witches were portrayed – while I admit they appear scary, they are not as terrifying as the play itself describes them. Since I teach this in my classroom, I think this particular Manga would be a great asset as a supplement and not as a main text. Thank you NetGalley and Udon Entertainment for this eARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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I will say this: I have actually never read Macbeth. Because I am terrified of classics. But reading this one in a manga format definitely made me not only not be afraid of classics, but thinking about actually picking up this one in the original form and also other classics.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for a copy of this book, I cannot wait to read more.

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'Manga Classics: Macbeth' by Stacy King, Crystal Chan and William Shakespeare with art by Julien Choy takes the ambitious task of taking the whole text of Macbeth and illustrating it over 321 pages.

Macbeth is loyal to King Duncan of Scotland, but things have changed. Urged on by supernatural forces and his own wife, Macbeth sets out to win the throne. In the process, he loses his sanity, his friends, and his treacherous wife. It all culminates in a big battle, and since this is a tragedy, the outcome seems pretty certain.

I really liked this take on the play. The imagery really helps to flesh out Shakespeare's language. It does feel a bit stilted when speeches are covered over multiple panels, but I suppose that is the trade off. The art is really amazing, and I loved reading the art and translation notes at the end. This was one of my favorite Manga Classics.

I received a review copy of this manga from Udon Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

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L'uso dell'inglese antico è encomiabile, tuttavia ciò ha reso veramente molto difficile la lettura, per cui sono stata costretta ad abbandonare il manga.

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I really enjoyed this adaptation. It remains faithful to the original while at the same time being accessible to a group of people who might otherwise not read anything Shakespeare outside of their English class. The manga sticks to using old English which is a choice that may have worked against widespread accessibility if not for the literal illustrations of the metaphors Shakespeare uses. This might sound off putting to some readers, but it does work really well to bring the story to life visually while at the same time helping readers understand what is being said more clearly.

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The artwork is great, the artist did a good job of illustrating this work.
I wasn't a fan of this and it is probably just me. I thought this would make Shakespeare's classic Macbeth more understandable and more readable. It didn't. The prose was just as confounding as the original. After a few pages i just flipped through to look at the pictures, which again, were well done.

The copy i had did give instructions on how to read: back to front and right to left which took some adjustment, but it was nice to include those or i would have been completely lost.

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If I would have had this rendition of Macbeth when it was a required read in high school, I may have actually been more interested and understood what was going on with this book. Shakespeare was always a little difficult. Even just reading this along side, I feel would have made it a better experience.

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This is another great one for Manga Classics. The art is amazing. This would be great adapted into a classroom to help with teacking the story.

Thanks Netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this.

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Despite its popularity, MacBeth has never been one of my favorite Shakespearean plays. Too bloody and gory and gloomy for my taste. But if you like a dismal adventure with plenty of violence and mayhem, MacBeth has plenty of that! And this manga adaptation rings true with the moods and poetry of the original play. I like that the exact dialogue of the play is used in this manga, and the artwork beautifully illustrates all the action and drama.

Each character has a memorable and striking appearance, and I found it especially interesting to see how MacBeth's demeanor changed after he commits murder. His posture and facial expressions are different, and shadows gather around him in the darker colors of the artwork. It's a subtle but effective way of showing the development of his character, slowing falling into madness and despair.

The witches were especially frightening and creepy with all their dark arts and ugly meddling. Their faces were hairy and eerie, and it weirded me out! All of the paranormal scenes were chilling, and that is just how powerful the illustrations are.

I love the heroic characters, with their square jaws and clear eyes. Just from seeing their facial expressions, I could really imagine their dialogue being spoken in distinct voices.

I'm so in love with all the Manga Classics series, and this one is excellently done!

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

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The art is beautiful! I'm glad I got to read this manga for free, this website has great opportunities. The story was just like the original. I highly recommend this if you've read the classic, or you enjoy manga. The author did a great job turning the book into a manga. 5 out of 5 stars.

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A great adaptation of Macbeth. The art is beautiful and makes it easier to understand the dialogue/scene if you’re not familiar with the story.

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Another excellent Shakespeare classic adapted into a Manga Classic. The art was attractive and detailed. The story was true to the original and was clearly portrayed in a way that made it easier to understand. My favorites scenes were all of the ones that had the witches and the ones that really showed Macbeth's descent into madness.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Udon Entertainment, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read a digital copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I thought the artwork was fantastic but I wish the text had been contemporary English. Alas I dont have much more to say. Brilliant artwork and if the language used had been contemporary this would have been five stars from me. I will not be leaving a full review on review websites because I think my review is subjective.

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Manga Classics: Macbeth by William Shakespeare keeps the original text from the play, complementing it with gorgeous manga artwork. Macbeth is one of the Bard's most famous dramas, and my personal favourite of his dramas. As much as I love both the play, and manga style artwork, this book didn't resonate with me so much. It was good, don't get me wrong. I think it just really messed my mind up to have the classic text with this quite modern artwork. However, if you're a fan of the Manga Classics series, or of Macbeth, definitely check it out!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Udon Entertainment for providing an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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