Wit abounds in this readable Trump-speare mash-up. Exquisitely thought out.

Macbeth and Trump. Who knew? Yes, the two brought together make for a dark but deliciously diverting Shakespearean tale of corrupted power, fawning obsequiousness, and bloody-thirsty politics. You can see the parallels already.

It is the way the writer puts the Trump administration, family and surroundings into the Macbeth tale that is highly admirable and inventive. To appreciate this fully, you'd need to know the original play, though as someone with a passing knowledge of it (I have read the play and seen it performed but still feel I missed references) I would say that anyone familiar with just the Trump administration would still revel in the murky machinations that are clearly recognisable from reporting.

I won't go into all the fabulous comparisons Doescher makes between Shakespeare and Trump, but he uses Macbeth and the wider canon freely (Mar-Iago, Tempest Daniels and Pox Network made me laugh). Language itself is a tool put to excellent use as readers will delight in wordplay (Sir James DogComey of the Deaf Beehive).

The soliloquies that the Bard is famous for are put to good use, as we get insights into Desdivanka's mind. And the anachronistic problem of mobile phones and social media in an Elizabethan setting is smartly overcome - it is still both contemporary but yet not. Even Orwell gets a mention - with 'ThoughtCrimes' and 'Doublethink' and 'plusgood' - Lady Kellyann Boleyn features here.

Taking in the first two years of Trump's presidency, key events are recognisable. I wanted more when I got to the end, I wanted to see the whole story played out. The author's political opinions are rather clear, and the readership will likely be made up of those who are in line with this. I took great delight in seeing these characters portrayed as they were, and in knowing a good proportion of the world views things similarly.

The afterword was rather fascinating, seeing how the author and his collaborator met and found their shared interest, eventually bringing this story to life. There is mention of an online Readers' Guide and interview.

Genius. More please!

With thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance reading copy.

This was hilarious satire at its finest. I absolutely loved reading this. It fell like I was in the middle of a Trump Shakespearean tale. I found myself laughing out loud on this one. Told in iambic pentameter, it tells of Trump’s first two years in office. Full of political characters, drama, laughter, and disasters, this is one relatable to all looking for a laugh fitting current American policy.

MacTrump is a fantastic, entertaining piece of political parody. The best political parody. There is no other political parody that comes close to the amazingness of Mactrump. It puts all other political parodies to shame. Bigly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for my copy of MacTrump in exchange for my honest review.

While clever, this book is very much directed to a specific population: those familiar enough with Shakespere to catch the references and Liberals (or Democrats or Progressives). This book will also have a limited shelf life, fading into oblivion as time unfolds and new material is found to write about.

MacTRUMP by Ian Doescher won't be formally published until October first, but put it on your to be read list, especially if you appreciated his William Shakespeare's Star Wars books, where Doescher used meter and verse to recreate the Star Wars saga as Elizabethan drama with titles like The Empire Striketh Back and The Jedi Doth Return. In this new book, described by the publisher as a "tragicomic tale of ambition, greed, and ineptitude," MacTrump has surprisingly succeeded to the throne and seeks to govern with advisors like Stephen Bannox, plus offspring Desdevanka, Donnison, and Erikson. He enters to acclaim ("A-thump! A-thump! A-thump! Here comes McTrump!"), but the streets of Washingtown are soon filled with protestors: "'Tis the daughters of the Fiefdoms pleading for the right./For the right!/Raise the flag and plant the standard, Wave the signal still!/Wave it still." Like Shakespeare's own work, this parody contains pithy phrases, humorous allusions and appeals to universal emotions.

***Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

I found this "retelling" of MacBeth to be very clever! The parallels between real life and Shakespeare's MacBeth are crazy!

MacTrump is humorous and entertaining of the President's errors. Although they couldn't out all of his stupidity into this book they covered some good stuff.

Very clever satire of the Trump presidency. Shakespeare satirical adaptations can be very challenging, but Doescher and della Quercia pulled it off perfectly.