Shakespeare's Witch by Samantha Grosser
Publication Date: March 20, 2019
Sam Grosser Books
eBook & Paperback; 358 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
A fortune told …
When Sarah Stone foresees Will Shakespeare’s latest play has opened doors to evil, she begs the playwright to abandon it. But Will refuses, aware the play is one of his best. And so rehearsals for Macbeth begin.
Forbidden desires …
After her vision, Sarah fears for her life – she has never known the shewstone to lie, and she turns to her brother Tom for comfort. A strange darkness seems to haunt the playhouse, and when Tom sets out to seduce John Upton, the boy actor who plays Lady Macbeth, the boy sees the hand of witchcraft in his own forbidden desires for men. Then Sarah weaves a spell to win the love of the new lead actor, and John, terrified for the safety of his soul, begins to make his accusations.
The Spirits have spoken … As rehearsals continue, Sarah and Tom must struggle to convince John he is mistaken and that his sins are his own – their lives and the fortune of the play are at stake. But the Spirits have spoken – will the fate that Sarah foresaw come to pass or is their destiny their own to decide?
Set against the first production of Macbeth in 1606, Shakespeare’s Witch is a seductive tale of the origins of the curse of the Scottish Play.
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My Take:
My review of Shakespeare's Witch may be a bit different from my usual reviews. My response to reading the novel was an almost immediate desire to start a dialogue on the themes and issues that are examined in the story. Even though I had a pretty strong negative reaction to a certain aspect of the plot - having mostly to do with the graphic nature of the descriptions -- I was completely drawn into the story. I had to know how this dark, twisty and never boring tale would end.
A long time ago, I got a degree in English Literature and naturally, I read quite a bit of Shakespeare. While reading Shakespeare's Witch, I was constantly reminded of the same themes that we studied throughout Shakespeare's work as well as the work of some of his contemporaries. It isn't often that I read contemporary fiction and start mulling ideas for analytical papers on ideas or themes in the book. But there are so many ideas that warrant further reading and thought that are presented in Shakespeare's Witch. Grosser seamlessly weaves ideas about power, trust, betrayal, love, God, evil, witchcraft, duty (to God, king, parents, husband), and taboo subjects (incest is the most obvious) into the story.
I was particularly struck by her exploration around the fact of male-only actors in the theater -- the craft of acting as well as the gender/cross-dressing aspect and sexuality -- all are addressed in some way. Another area of interest for me was the place that women had in society. They were totally dependent on the males in their lives -- father, husband, employer. The lack of agency in their own life is striking and shades the way women who try to make their own decisions are viewed. I have so many questions about the magic that Sarah engages in - does she truly believe it is real? Is it real? If so, are her actions justified? As for her brother, Tom, I have very ambivalent feelings about him. He seems to be a Faustian character -- he made his deal with the devil and doesn't seem to have empathy for anyone except his sister, maybe. I wonder if I am trying to read too much into certain aspects of the novel, but it certainly made reading it that much more intriguing.
I think Shakespeare's Witch will definitely appeal to a certain demographic. However, the incest aspect will be difficult for some people to read. That the issue is not new to literature by any stretch of the imagination won't help some readers overcome it. So, I would caution readers to be aware that it is pretty graphic. Beyond that, the novel has so much to offer the reader regarding history, theater, and huge themes that humanity has been struggling with forever plus a really interesting group of characters. Any book that makes me really think about tough subjects, themes, etc.- whether I agree with what happens or not - is worth reading, and Shakespeare's Witch definitely does that!
I was particularly struck by her exploration around the fact of male-only actors in the theater -- the craft of acting as well as the gender/cross-dressing aspect and sexuality -- all are addressed in some way. Another area of interest for me was the place that women had in society. They were totally dependent on the males in their lives -- father, husband, employer. The lack of agency in their own life is striking and shades the way women who try to make their own decisions are viewed. I have so many questions about the magic that Sarah engages in - does she truly believe it is real? Is it real? If so, are her actions justified? As for her brother, Tom, I have very ambivalent feelings about him. He seems to be a Faustian character -- he made his deal with the devil and doesn't seem to have empathy for anyone except his sister, maybe. I wonder if I am trying to read too much into certain aspects of the novel, but it certainly made reading it that much more intriguing.
I think Shakespeare's Witch will definitely appeal to a certain demographic. However, the incest aspect will be difficult for some people to read. That the issue is not new to literature by any stretch of the imagination won't help some readers overcome it. So, I would caution readers to be aware that it is pretty graphic. Beyond that, the novel has so much to offer the reader regarding history, theater, and huge themes that humanity has been struggling with forever plus a really interesting group of characters. Any book that makes me really think about tough subjects, themes, etc.- whether I agree with what happens or not - is worth reading, and Shakespeare's Witch definitely does that!
About the Author
Historical fiction author Samantha Grosser originally hails from England, but now lives on the sunny Northern Beaches of Sydney with her husband, son and a very small dog called Livvy.Combining a lifelong love of history with a compulsion to write that dates from childhood, Samantha is now bringing her passion for telling compelling stories to the world.
Samantha has an Honours Degree in English Literature and taught English for many years in Asia and Australia. She is the author of wartime dramas Another Time and Place and The Officer’s Affair, and The King James Men, set during the turbulent early years of 17th Century.
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Blog Tour Schedule
Wednesday, March 20Review at Passages to the Past
Thursday, March 21
Review at Book Reviews from Canada
Friday, March 22
Interview at Jathan & Heather
Saturday, March 23
Feature at Broken Teepee
Monday, March 25
Review at Amy's Booket List
Tuesday, March 26
Feature at What Is That Book About
Wednesday, March 27
Review at Pursuing Stacie
Friday, March 29
Interview at Passages to the Past
Sunday, March 31
Review & Excerpt at Clarissa Reads it All
Monday, April 1
Review at For the Sake of Good Taste
Tuesday, April 2
Review at A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, April 4
Interview at Hisdoryan
Monday, April 8
Review at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals
Tuesday, April 9
Review at Bibliophile Reviews
Wednesday, April 10
Review at Macsbooks
Friday, April 12
Review at A Book Geek
Monday, April 15
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Excerpt at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots
Tuesday, April 16
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
Wednesday, April 17
Review at Bookramblings
Review at Coffee and Ink
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we will be giving away one eBook and one paperback copy of Shakespeare's Witch! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
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Shakespeare's Witch Shakespeare's Witch
Thank you so much for this great review, Landi! We appreciate you hosting the tour!
ReplyDeleteAmy
HF Virtual Book Tours
Wonderful review!
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