Cover, Arthur Byron, adapter. William Shakespeare's Macbeth.

COVER, Arthur Byron, adapter. William Shakespeare's Macbeth. Illus. by Tony Leonard Tamai. Penguin, Puffin Graphics. 176p. illus. c2005.0-142-40409-8. $9.99. JSA 

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare's nastier tragedies. Macbeth murders his liege in his sleep in order to become king, and then enacts a series of bloody deeds that culminate in his own violent death. This graphic novel is set on another planet, "a combination of the settings of Larry Niven's Ringworm and Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels." Unfortunately, there are places where the SF setting simply does not work. The characters live in Scotland (the planet, maybe?); refer to the dragons they ride as horses; and--despite possessing advanced technology--live in castles under a form

of medieval feudalism. There are other issues: when the three witches hall Macbeth for the first time. the line "Hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter" is not in the text. Since this is one of the most important lines in the play, its omission is regrettable. The artwork is sketchy, and at times looks like it was done with a computer (some characters/images are obviously cut and pasted onto a setting). This version of Macbeth certainly has its flaws. However, the graphic novel's exotic setting may attract readers who would otherwise skip the play. Macbeth contains violence, and is an optional purchase for libraries with graphic novel collections. George Galuschak, YA Libn., Montvale PL, Montvale, NJ