"Riotous, insanely readable and just the best fun... The novel builds to a fantastic climax of dark calamity... There is so much exuberance and heart and wonder in this novel that the only thing I want to happen next is for Atwood to rewrite the whole of Shakespeare. (No offence, Will.)" -- Viv Groskop * Observer *
"A triumph... The book illuminates the breadth and depth of the whole play. The troupe's workshops on it fizz with perception as Atwood transmits the pleasurable buzz of exploring a literary masterpiece. There won't be a more glowing tribute to Shakespeare in his 400th anniversary year" -- Peter Kemp * Sunday Times *
"Atwood reinterprets the play as a heartbreaking novel, told in gorgeous yet economical prose" -- Editor's Choice * New York Times Book Review *
"Surpassingly brilliant... without question the cleverest "neo-Shakespearean novel" I have ever read... the learning and the critical analysis are worn exceptionally lightly, always subordinated to wit, invention, characterisation and slick twists of plot... wonderfully ingenious" -- Jonathan Bate * The Times *
"An absolute triumph... ravishing... I am not ashamed to say that I didn't just have a lump in my throat by the end of Hag-Seed, I had tears on the fringed curtains of mine eyes" -- Stuart Kelly * Scotland on Sunday *
"At its heart Hag-Seed is a love letter to Shakespeare and a passionate treatise on the power of language, poetry and the arts. But it is also a study of loss and love and the power of forgiveness to heal when all seemed lost" -- Marnie Gilmore * Daily Express *
"Atwood never loses sight of the original... Hag-Seed is not only a fine example of the shape-shifting versatility of Shakespeare's texts, but a successful novel in its own right... Hag-Seed displays Atwood's inventiveness at its shining best, a novel that enchants on its own terms and returns you to the enchantments of the original" -- Rebecca Abrams * Financial Times *
"The novel shines a thrilling new light on The Tempest's themes of revenge and forgiveness... as well as making a strong case for art's ability to "set you free" by helping you understand yourself." -- Helen Brown * Sunday Telegraph *
"An unqualified success... an enlightening and exciting exploration of Shakespeare's themes... A wonderfully intelligent book" -- John Harding * Daily Mail *
"Margaret Atwood throws a handful of theatrical glittery confetti over Shakespeare's The Tempest ... A compelling tale of a bereaved father -- haunted by the memory of his lost daughter -- who learns to face up to "the plain, unvarnished grime of real life", transforming it into something buoyant, resonant and hopeful" -- Eithne Farry * Sunday Express *
"Atwood at her bewitching best" * LA Review of Books *
"A wonder... a work of genius... a sheer delight... In this shimmering tale that celebrates Shakespeare's tricky genius, his immortal reach, Atwood has given us something for everyone" * Globe & Mail, Canada *
"A slyly inventive, intricately constructed homage with plenty of its own points to make" -- Hepzibah Anderson * Mail on Sunday *
"An inventive riff on Shakespeare's last solo play... done with gusto and extravaganza... gives the old play, yet again, new life" -- Alexandra Harris * The Guardian *
"Hag-Seed is the fourth novel in Hogarth's Shakespeare series marking the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death, and by far the best. Everything in the play has a place in the novel -- and it's a ripping yarn too" -- Fiona Wilson * The Times *
"Atwood's superlative retelling of The Tempest owes as much to Machiavelli as to Shakespeare. It is another outstanding contribution to the Hogarth Shakespeare series ... With a motley crew of inmates, a creative lexicon of Shakespearean-style oaths and the mischievous antics of a modern-day Ariel, this reimagining of The Tempest imbues the spirit of the original with an energetic and poetic transformation. A thoroughly engrossing take on a timeless classic" -- Martyn Colebrook * The Lady *
"Funny and dark, Hag-Seed is as clever and full of layers as Shakespeare's original. The Bard would be proud" * Stylist *
"Hag-Seed, Margaret Atwood's exhilarating reworking of the play for the Hogarth Shakespeare series, mixes high drama, deep feeling and wild fun... in a story that is both realistic and otherworldly" -- Lindsay Duguid * The Times Litaray Supplement *
"[A] wry, clever romp... Atwood knows the play, is sharp as nails and sees the potential in theatre harnessing our Brave New World of computer technology." -- Eileen Battersby * Irish Times *
"An absolute triumph... Among the most intelligent and inspiring readings of The Tempest... I am sorry that the publishers didn't ask Atwood to reimagine all 37 plays." -- Stuart Kelly * I *
