Hag-Seed: The Tempest, Retold [B1983]

2026 PB Vintage Classics reprint of the 2016 original, in excellent condition. The beloved author of The Handmaid's Tale reimagines Shakespeare's final, great play, The Tempest, in a gripping and emotionally rich novel of passion and revenge. "A marvel of gorgeous yet economical prose, in the service of a story that's utterly heartbreaking yet pierced by humor, with a plot that retains considerable subtlety even as the original's back story falls neatly into place."-The New York Times Book Review.

Felix is at the top of his game as artistic director of the Makeshiweg Theatre Festival. Now he's staging a Tempest like no other: not only will it boost his reputation, but it will also heal emotional wounds. Or that was the plan. Instead, after an act of unforeseen treachery, Felix is living in exile in a backwoods hovel, haunted by memories of his beloved lost daughter, Miranda. And also brewing revenge, which after twelve years, arrives in the shape of a theatre course at a nearby prison. Margaret Atwood's novel take on Shakespeare's play of enchantment, retribution, and second chances leads us on an interactive, illusion-ridden journey filled with new surprises and wonders of its own.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "If you have read Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', you will enjoy this modern take on his play. Atwood is a genius!"; "A clever and light hearted bit of fun."; "This is the second book I've read from the Hogarth Shakespeare Project, and I deeply admire the creativity and unexpected directions of this retelling. This book is presented as a play-within-a-play, a move so deeply Shakespearean I could almost hear the Bard himself going "yass, queen!" as the plot unfolded. The story is deeply self-aware in this regard to both the characters and the reader, and Atwood pulls it off with a sense of genuine earnestness, avoiding a more cynical and eye-rolling "wink-wink, nudge-nudge" tone."