A novel about Macbeth, King of Scotland, by the author of the "Lymond" series. 11th-century Europe is full of young kings. Macbeth - part-Christian, part-Viking - has the imagination and determination to move himself and his people out of a barbarian past and into flowering nationhood.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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"A storyteller who could teach Scheherazade a thing or two." --The New York Times
"One of the greatest tale-spinners since Dumas." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
"One of the greatest tale-spinners since Dumas." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
"From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is a book I have read again and again with increasing pleasure. The story of Macbeth as written by Shakespeare paints him as a double-dyed villain. Here we see what COULD have been the true story - an awkward and fatherless boy growing up in Orkney, Caithness and Moray under the hand of a Norwegian guardian, a Scottish mother and a Moray step-father; a gawky but intensely intelligent young Earl of some-of-Orkney, desperate to win the respect of his people and regain his stolen inheritance; and at the end an almost unwilling king of Alba, thrust to the forefront by the death - some would say murder - of his half-brother. Both were grandsons of King Malcom of Alba (Scotland) and sons of Bethoc the king's daughter - Macbeth/Thorfinn fathered by Sigurd, Earl of Orkney, and Malcom fathered by Crinan the mintmaster. The possibility that the historical Thorfinn of Orkney was the semi-fictional Macbeth of Alba is chronicled elsewhere, and Thorfinn, particularly with regard to his Mormaership of Caithness and Moray, is an indubitably historical character. The fact that he was married to the Norwegian Ingjeborg (Groa) is also historically documented, and recounted fictionally by Nigel Tranter in his knowledgeable novels featuring Malcom Canmore - Thorfinn's nephew, whom Ingjeborg married after Thorfinn/Macbeth's death.
Whatever his historical provenance, Thorfinn of Orkney, like all Dorothy Dunnett's primary characters, stands head and shoulders above his contemporaries. This brilliant story of 10th century Scotland, Norway, England and all Europe, even if you don't believe that Thorfinn WAS Macbeth, teaches you so much about what it must have been like to be alive at that time, when Emma of Normandy, Canute's widow, was still the power behind the throne in Winchester, Norway held sway in most of north-east England and William the Norman was poised at the other side of the Channel to reap the seeds that Emma had sown in the fields of southern England. A tremendous novel, and like all Ms Dunnett's books, needing more than one read to grasp the full complexity of the story.
Buy it - and be enthralled!
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Dorothy Dunnett's finest achievement, King Hereafter brings to life Macbeth and the epoch in which he lived so vividly that it puts to shame Shakespeare's hatchet job of one of Scotland's finest kings. Do not be put off by the size of the book, as from the first page the reader is enthralled. Whenever I pick up a Dorothy Dunnett novel, I find myself living the book (which does not make me easy to live with, according to my nearest and dearest). She is truly one of Scotland's greatest writers, historians and storytellers, of a stature comparable to Sir Walter Scott.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Dunnet introduces us to a real MacBeth, complete with historic context - Lady Godiva, King Canute and William the Conqueror all crop up! She has her own theory about MacBeth's identity which diverges from the norm but at no time does she allow this to prevent the book from being both historically accurate and a fun read. Recommended highly and a good intro to Dorothy Dunnett if you haven't read her other historical works.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating period by the best historical novelist
A brilliant, engrossing, exciting read - a great love story amidst all the intrigue and adventuring. Dorothy Dunnett really researches in depth.
Published 10 days ago by David John Charman
3.0 out of 5 stars
IT'S GOOD
It's good ,but I'm finding it a bit of a struggle to get through,probably because I'm not quite used to her style of writting.It is interesting but you have to stick with it
Published 1 month ago by robyn pinto
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding Saga
Dorothy Dunnett has written an outstanding work of historical fiction that captures the spirit and style of the old Icelandic sagas, together with the humour. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2010 by Thormod Morrisson
2.0 out of 5 stars
Note to author: SHOW, DON'T TELL!
I read this on the basis of recommendations from both my wife and a friend. I read it while on a driving holiday around northern Scotland, so it should have been perfect. Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2010 by Mark Poles
5.0 out of 5 stars
happy readers
There's no excuse for not reading! With Amazon's prices and excellent service you can smother yourself with good books. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2010 by bosque
5.0 out of 5 stars
King Hereafter, Dorothy Dunnett
One of the few historical novels I have read that can really transport you into the era in which it is set. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2010 by katie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Man of two identities and two worlds
Dorothy Dunnett was said to have regarded King Hereafter as the best of all her books - and that's saying something! Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2009 by Alyson BAILES
4.0 out of 5 stars
A worthwhile read
Despite the author's name, which might mislead one into thinking this a the work of a romantic novelist, there is plenty here for the general reader. Read more
Published on 1 Sep 2009 by patacake
4.0 out of 5 stars
book
Happy with this - book in condition as described and arrived quickly. Thank you
Published on 10 April 2009 by Mr. S. Krucker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Miraculous reconstruction of Macbeth
Forget Shakespeare, this is the 'real' Macbeth... as Dunnett imagines him. Half-christian, half-pagan; half-Scottish, half Norse; Macbeth grows before our eyes from an... Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2006 by Roman Clodia
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