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    I, Iago: A Novel
    I, Iago: A Novel
    I, Iago: A Novel
    Ebook499 pages7 hours

    I, Iago: A Novel

    By Nicole Galland

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    “Nicole Galland is exceptionally well versed in the fine nuances of storytelling.”
    —St. Petersburg Times

    “Galland has an exceptional gift.”
    —Neal Stephenson

    The critically acclaimed author of The Fool's Tale, Nicole Galland now approaches William Shakespeare's classic drama of jealousy, betrayal, and murder from the opposite side. I, Iago is an ingenious, brilliantly crafted novel that allows one of literature's greatest villains--the deceitful schemer Iago, from the Bard's immortal tragedy, Othello--to take center stage in order to reveal his "true" motivations. This is Iago as you've never known him, his past and influences breathtakingly illuminated, in a fictional reexamination that explores the eternal question: is true evil the result of nature versus nurture...or something even more complicated?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 24, 2012
    ISBN9780062200105
    Author

    Nicole Galland

    Nicole Galland is the author of the historical novels Godiva; I, Iago; Crossed, Revenge of the Rose; and The Fool’s Tale; as well as the contemporary romantic comedies On the Same Page and Stepdog, and the New York Times bestselling near-future thriller The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. (with Neal Stephenson).

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    Reviews for I, Iago

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    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this story for a book that I sort of stumbled upon in the Bargain section of Barnes & Noble. I hadn't heard of it before and I don't think many people have. It's a good story on its own and follows a main character who keeps his identity hidden for much of the book. I liked the time period, the setting, and the atmosphere which I think made it more enjoyable for me. Initially when I read it, I turned around and gave it 5 stars. Looking back now that years have passed, I think I would give it 4. I loved it enough in the moment to give it a 5, but it hasn't stood the test of time for me in my mind now.
    • 4/5
      Most of the disappointment with this novel seems to be among those folks who see it as a supplement to Othello. It isn't really.It is a novel inspired by Othello. Crying about how Galland handles Shakespeare's play is like lamenting that Shakespeare wasn't always completely loyal to his sources.Galland tries to imagine an Iago who is sympathetic and yet still acts his part of the monster we all know from the play . . . and it works to an extent I wouldn't have thought possible. By telling this story from Iago's point of view, we get to see how the monstrous can plausibly grow out of a pretty common mix of self-centeredness, mild anti-social instincts, jealousy, ambition and insecurity.Not comfortable reading toward the end, and does strain our credulity at a number of points (mostly to accommodate famous scenes in the play). But definitely worth seeking out.
    • 5/5
      How do you take one of literature's most vile villains and make your readers like him? Nicole Galland begins in his childhood and lets him tell the story. Iago was a rarity because he always told the truth, earning him little acclaim among Venice's duplicitous and superficial society. With friend Rodrigo, Iago sometimes developed schemes to embarrass and expose the lies of various Venetian noblemen. Iago's father forced him into the military, where Iago was skillful and where his knack for honesty finally earned him respect. He fell deeply in love and married Emilia, a woman both beautiful and intelligent, and who knew how to help him advance in his career. Iago became an officer and because of his hard work and honest ways, earned the respect of General Othello, becoming the moor's best friend and right hand. When Othello began to woo Desdemona, with the help of Emilia and new officer and interloper Cassio, I found myself wondering how Iago would be able to narrate and explain the tragic events that I knew must follow. Did Shakespeare misunderstand? Had Iago behaved well and gotten a bad rap? Or would this character I'd learned to love turn on his friends? How could that happen?I won't tell you here, because you must read this astonishing, insightful, fabulously-conceived and gripping story. Galland gives a depth and richness to the characters that would make Shakespeare jealous. I, Iago is a tasty, meaty novel that will have you hoping there is a plan for Galland to write about all of Shakespeare's villains—and heroes too. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      While this probably the best story I've read in a long time, I can only give it 4 out of 5 stars because I found that I could put it down... If it had been one of those books that forces me to go without sleep to finish it, it would have been without doubt one of the best books I've ever read!

      Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello, gets to tell his entire tale, not just the jealous, villainous plotting as seen in Othello. We see how he is constantly mistreated and underestimated throughout his life and how the negativity festers inside him. In this way, it reminds me a bit of the Star Wars Prequel movies (1-3), which are only really good if you see them after 4, 5, & 6, so that you spend the whole trilogy waiting to see Anakin become Darth Vader. This book has asimilar, anticipatory vibe. I kept waiting for signs, but they were so subtle, you almost miss them until we're right in the action of the play itself, but I found myself rooting for the villain, hoping the ending might be different than I remember.

      THAT is the sign of an excellent story: knowing the outcome, but being so engrossed that you still believe another ending could still come about.

      The weaknesses that keep it from being a 5 star book are small, but enough: 1) As previously stated, the signs of Uago's downfall are so subtle they almost don't seem to be enough to warrant this alteration of his character. 2) There was so much Italian history wound into the story that I was a bit distracted. If I'd known the references, perhaps I would not have noticed them, but I had to do a bit of research as I read to gey an accurate understanding of the setting and some plot points. 3) The need to put the book down, along with my ability to do so was the final straw. At one point, I put the book down for nearly a week; I would never have done that for a truly exceptional book.

      Definitely a book I would recommend (in fact I already have, twice), and perfect for a summer read, albeit more perfect for someone who is a history or Shakespeare fan... And it is complete with a moral! Don't see that very often anymore.
    • 4/5
      This is a retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, although the focus is on Iago who tells his life story beginning with his boyhood in Venice. Really this is an explanation of the how and why of Shakespeare’s tragedy: how and why Iago changed from the honest and loyal friend to the master manipulator found in the play.The development of Iago’s character is certainly the novel’s strong suit, and he emerges a much more sympathetic character than the one encountered in the drama. At the beginning he is, in fact, admirable. He earns the appellation “honest Iago” because he is blunt and straightforward. He has so little patience with artifice that he even refuses to wear a mask at Carnival balls. His wife aptly summarizes his character: “’But subtlety and nuance are not your strengths, Iago. I know how you feel about secrets and lies.’” His sarcastic reflections on society in Venice are witty and readers will find themselves agreeing with his observations. His intense loyalty to and fierce protectiveness of those he loves are commendable. He is flawed, however, in that he is insecure and so has a propensity towards jealousy. When those whom he believed to be totally honest prove to be secretive and capable of deceit, he is hurt, and it is this wounding, which he interprets as a rejection of him, that causes his soul to “run aground.” Iago’s actions are not excused, but he is certainly humanized. We see his pain and bewilderment and come to see that jealousy and revenge are not his only motivations. He behaves according to his personal moral code where those who prove to be untrustworthy are deserving of punishment. In the end he admits that he himself is certainly deserving of punishment, but he questions who is indeed innocent: “I am honest Iago, and I ask you: might not you be dishonest with yourself?” There is much to like about this book. Prose, rather than blank verse, is used but the quotations from Shakespeare are included naturally and do not seem awkward. The author’s nods to several other Shakespeare’s plays are playful and enjoyable to read. For example, Romeo and Juliet is referenced in phrases like “pretty piece of flesh” and “dreamers often lie” and “love a loathed enemy,” while Hamlet is alluded to with “brevity is the soul of wit.” There is also a great deal of dramatic irony, again appropriate to a Shakespeare adaptation. Iago’s insistence that Emilia promise that she “’will never scheme or interfere in other people’s lives’” is in keeping with the irony so often employed by the playwright. Likewise, there is a great deal of foreshadowing, another literary technique frequently used by the Bard.I also appreciated the rich historical detail about life in upper class Venice. Among other things, we learn a great deal about the architecture, politics, economics, and fashion of Venetian society. The Florence – Venice rivalry is well explained. And I now understand why the 2004 Michael Radford film adaptation of The Merchant of Venice has topless women!Those who have ever wondered how Iago came to be the quintessential villain should read this novel. It offers a plausible explanation and even suggests a reason for Iago’s enigmatic last words in the play.
    • 3/5
      William Shakespeare's Iago is a monster, the personification of evil that enjoys the destruction of the lives around him. Nicole Galland in 'I, Iago,'introduces the reader to the man behind the legend. And he is in all senses truly a man of his time.The youngest in a wily Venetian family, the young Iago displays an honest streak that puts him at odds with his peers. An honest man for his time, the young Iago embraces the soldier's life, wins the love of a worthy woman, and earns the respect of his general. And it is here that Galland's complex story depicts the deception and betrayal that set Iago on his quest for vengeance."I, Iago" is a creative rendering of the death of a man's soul. There were times that I felt as if I were staring at a roadside fatality.
    • 4/5
      Loved this re-telling of the classic story. Very well written, and an extremely interesting view of the characters we all know so well. Will definitely read more by this author!
    • 5/5
      Shakespeare’s Othello is one of his four great tragedies along with Macbeth, Hamlet, and King Lear. I especially enjoy teaching Othello, which I alternate with Lear. When I heard about Galland’s novel, I, Iago, which is part prequel and all retelling of the story from Iago’s point of view, I eagerly awaited its rise to the top of my TBR pile. This recently published novel is great fun – especially for those familiar with the play.I won’t go into any of the details of the plot – if the play is not familiar territory, this novel would be a great introduction. But the real fun is in noticing lines and characters from the play as they pop up almost from page one. So, I would advise reading the play first.Othello has some of the great lines from the Bard: “green-eyed monster,” “the beast with two backs,” and, of course, Iago’s final line in the play, “Ask me nothing, … What you know, you know. From this time forth I will not speak another word” (368). Some of these lines Galland alters slightly, but the essence is always there.Galland recounts Iago’s early days from his childhood pranks with his boyhood friend, Rodrigo to his relationship with his father, and the origin of the epithet, “Honest Iago.”Even though I knew exactly how the plot would spin out, the last hundred pages or so were thrilling as the downhill side of the highest roller coaster in the land.Incidentally, I think the 1995 Kenneth Branagh, Lawrence Fishburne, and Irène Jacob Othello is a most interesting and accessible version of the play. 5 stars--Jim, 6/13/12
    • 4/5
      I really liked this book. It was cleverly written and offered a fresh perspective on a character that before we only had a one-sided prespective (from Shakespeare). Quite creative, I recommend it!
    • 4/5
      Nicole Galland writes the autobiography of Iago, having him tell his life story from childhood up to--and including--the action in Shakespeare's "Othello." Whereas David Snodin's "Iago" focuses on Iago's life after the play, Galland's novel spends most of its time on Iago's life before the fateful action in Cyprus.Gelland stays fairly close to the play, and she peppers her novel with quotations from Othello as well as from other plays by Shakespeare. Unfortunately, by covering some of the same ground as Shakespeare's great work, the novel invites comparisons that don't reflect well on it. The tightness of the action in the play seems bloated here. Characters like Emilia get much more space in the novel, but Gelland's Emilia isn't as sharp-tongued as Shakespeare's (though she correctly portrays her as the string that unvavels Iago's plans). Of course, ultimately, I can't say the novel is a failure because it isn't as good as Shakespeare's play. It is an enjoyable novel that succeeds in one area admirably: it sent me scurrying back to Shakespeare to read his great play once again.
    • 4/5
      Othello and Hamlet seem to be the Shakespeare tragedies most often read by high school and college students, at least in my non-scientific experience. In my case, Hamlet trumps Othello in terms of the number of times I was required to read it in my years of schooling but when it came time to choose a play to teach, I couldn't face Hamlet one more time and instead settled on Othello for its relative accessibility and interesting themes. That it has one of Shakespeare's all time baddies, Iago, in it didn't hurt. He's a fascinating viper of a character, conniving, rude, and racist. And yet he must have some good qualities to have reached the station he has. But what are they? And how did they get so subsumed that he is the reprehensible character he is in Shakespeare's creation? Nicole Galland has taken these questions and created an intriguing tale, one in which Iago's character is explained and understood without being immediately reviled by a reader familiar with Othello.Iago is the fifth son of a Venetian silk merchant and as such, is more a burden than anything else. He has never earned his father's approval or pride in anything and is simply used as a pawn in order to advance his father's ambitions. Iago's best friend Rodrigo is the son of a poor spice merchant and the two boys get into scrapes as most boys do. Iago uses his forthright blunt honesty to get them out of trouble, learning that although Venetian society was founded and suckled on artifice, his honesty is different, unexpected, and even grudgingly respected (although never emulated by others). Unhappily sent to the army to replace his clumsy older brother who suffered a fatal accident in his own military training, Iago finds that he in fact excels at shooting and swordplay and he enjoys earning things on his own merit rather than being tied to the patronage system governing the rest of society.Iago pays his dues, serving dull tours of duty with the army and coming back to Venice periodically, finding himself more and more disgusted with the artifice of the city, a native-born outsider more than ever. But on one of his leaves, in the midst of the famous revelries of Carnivale, he catches sight of the beautiful Emilia, a woman no more pleased with the falseness of the forms than he is and Iago falls desperately in love, pursues her with his whole heart, and eventually marries her. Their deep love is only marred by Iago's irrational jealousy when other men pay Emilia the slightest attention. And once he meets and becomes indispensible to Othello, his true and faithful ensign, he has to fight his jealousy often when others think that Emilia is Othello's mistress.But his jealousy extends to anyone he loves and respects and that certainly encompasses his general, Othello. Iago finds himself jealous of Michele Cassio who becomes necessary to Othello as well and even of the beautiful Desdemona when Othello falls in love with her. When his jealousy gets the better of him, causing him to become secretive, growing in cunning, and to start learning and exceling in the art of deceit, his character moves towards the man Shakespeare created, making him desperate for revenge against the losses of those things, the lieutenancy promotion, Othello's regard and trust, his reflected glory-aided social standing, he considers rightfully his and no others'.The climax, for those familiar with the play, is no surprise, although Iago's own silent interpretation of events might be. He is both the ambitious, terrible, and conniving villain of Shakesepeare and the pitiable man who could never win his father's approbation or interest, the expendable pawn always striving to be better and to be recognized for his talents. Galland has managed to create a believable, human portrait of an Iago with failings that cause horrific tragedy and his own downfall but whose motivations aren't simply purely evil. I actually set the book down at one point and couldn't remember where I had left it. I was both frantic to find it and keep reading and almost glad I couldn't because at that point I found Iago to be a wholly sympathetic character and I knew what was coming. If I didn't find the book, Iago couldn't possibly go on to wreak inevitable havoc.Readers of Shakespeare will appreciate the subtlety with which Galland has created her characters. They retain what they must of Shakespeare's creation but they are also presented so as to make Iago's story here less black and white but deeper shades of grey. Readers unfamiliar with Shakespeare will not suffer from their lack of knowledge of the play as the narrative pacing and tension are pulled tautly and steadily toward the end, ratcheting up both the knowing and unknowing reader's unease skillfully. Galland builds her plot and her characters beautifully. Ruinous ambition, unchecked jealousy, all-consuming desire for revenge, all the elements of Shakepeare's original are here, explained and exposed, fascinating and engrossing. A sympathetic Iago? Yes. Still the monster that Shakespeare created? Well, still yes. And he is Galland's greatest accomplishment in this tour de force of a novel.
    • 4/5
      This is the third novelized version of a Shakespearean play that I have read in recent months, and it is by far the best. Two of these have been based on Iago, the villain of Othello. I found David Snoddin's Iago to be a bit of a bore: too many peripheral details and characters and a stilted, overwrought style. Galland's I, Iago hits just the right note for lovers of historical fiction.Galland begins her study with Iago's imagined youth. As the least favored of three sons, his life is driven by an overbearing, unaffectionate father and a desire to please the same. A boy who loves his books, Iago is taken from school at a young age and placed in training for the Venetian militia. Part of his task is to make up for the embarrassment of his eldest brother, who died of an accidentally self-inflicted wound. In time, he gains a reputation as a fine swordsman and becomes ensign to Othello, an exotic Moor newly appointed as general of the Venetian army. From here the story proceed to its anticipated end.Galland fleshes out Iago's history with some of the play's secondary characters, including a boyhbood friendship wtih Roderigo, a spice merchant's son who refuses to give up his suit of Desdemona. While Shakespeare's Iago seems to be trapped in a stale and perhaps loveless marriage to his wife Emilia, Galland creates passion and devotion between the couple. As for Michele Cassio, he becomes even more of a foolish, pompous fop than Shakespeare allows. And Venice itself plays a much more significant role in this novel, its splendor, pettiness, materialism, and competitiveness on full display.Overall, I, Iago was an enjoyable read, and Galland succeeds in providing enough motivation for the main character's evil deeds that, although he remains a bit of a monster, he is at least a humanized and therefore more recognizable monster.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of Shakespeare's Othello although once the story reached the point at which Shakespeare's play begins, I found myself dreading the ending. Galland deftly crafts a multi-dimensional Iago, a man who is both capable of terrible things but also of eliciting sympathy from the reader. Having read Shakespeare's play, I have always thought of Iago as one of the worst villains in literature but Galland shows that he cannot be quite so easily categorized. I also found the depiction of Venetian society and military endeavors interesting to read about. I'm not usually a big fan of retellings but this is definitely an exception.
    • 5/5
      It's somewhat remarkable that two writers should choose to delve deeper into the whys and wherefores of Shakespeare's greatest villain, that their books should appear within months of each other and that I should be sent both as Early Review books. Should there be a third on the horizon, I don't think I'll request it. That's, in part, because it's hard to imagine anyone doing a better job at the formidable task of creating a back story for Iago than Nicole Galland has done with [I, Iago]. I've written about David Snodin's [Iago], elsewhere. Suffice to say I found it less than satisfying. Nicole Galland's approach to the story is to take the events and characters in Othello and rewind all the way back to a day in his boyhood when Iago learned a valuable lesson in the merits of honesty after he and his friend Rodrigo were caught playing a childhood prank. The story is told from Iago's point of view and he goes on to tell us of his relationship with his cold and demanding father, his training in the army, his first years in the service and the making of his reputation as a soldier, a swordsman, and, above all, an honest man. One by one, the other characters in the play are introduced until they're all gathered just off stage, waiting for the cue to begin, once again, the terrible sequence of events that we know as the Tragedy of Othello. This is all masterfully done. Even knowing what Iago is about to do, Ms Galland manages to get us on his side and make him not only likable but admirable. We understand what drives him, what draws him to Othello, why he is so stung when the lieutenancy he expects to be given goes to Cassio instead. His courtship and marriage to Emilia is movingly portrayed as a romance of loving, intelligent and equal minds. If that seems an impossibility, given what we know will happen to her, let me assure you that not only does Nicole Galland make their relationship romantic, even sexy, but giving them that back story just makes their ending all that much more horrible and tragic.Let's face it: no one's ever going to write a better version of Othello. But what Nicole Galland has managed to do is create a novel that borrows characters and events and yet feels entirely original, vital and compelling while still true to the source. And I can't imagine anyone ever doing a better job of that, either.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed the look into Iago's life that this book provided. It started with him as a boy, compelled to always speak his mind, and say what he felt was the truth. It was interesting to see the way Iago's personality developed upon marrying, and then upon meeting Othello. This book really showed the bond the formed between the two men, and over the course of the story, it became clear how much Iago valued Othello's friendship. The story developed as Iago felt he was slighted when Cassio was promoted over him. Both Cassio and Desdemona played a part in forming Iago's new nature as "villain." He felt his friendship was being stolen, and I enjoyed his sort of slow descent into madness. The plot did slow down a little toward the middle, and though I know a lot of the scenes helped Iago's character development, I did some skimming and found myself wishing the book were a little more concise. Overall, I enjoyed a closer look at Iago.
    • 4/5
      A clever, thoughtful novel, this is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello from the viewpoint of Iago, the villain of the play. Like many of Shakespeare’s plays, the motives of the characters in Othello are open to interpretation. Volumes of literary commentary have been written about Othello, but by retelling the story as a novel, this book takes a fresh look at the character of Iago and his motives.We all know what happens, of course. Iago plays on the jealousy and insecurity of the Moor Othello, the general of the Venetian Army, and his innocent wife Desdemona. Things get out of hand, of course, since it is a tragedy. Othello murders Desdemona, and Iago murders his best friend and his wife.The novel starts, not with the beginning of the play, but with the childhood of Iago, and fills us in on the backstory of his character that is missing from the play, thus giving us a better understanding of his motives. The second half of the novel covers the action of the play, but since it is told from the first person perspective of Iago, we do not see any of the action in which he is not involved, and are not privy to the private thoughts of any of the other characters. This is very effective. My take on Iago, as presented in the novel, is that he loved Othello, and was jealous after being passed over in his promotion, and at the attention given to Desdemona.I was also impressed with the author’s use of dialog. She used modern English, of course, but it has the flavor of Shakespeare’s dialog, with it’s use of word play and puns and double entendres.The novel is clever, carefully planned, and well written. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      "I knew to the depths of my soul that nothing I did was errant, that in the greater sense, I acted out of righteousness, however vengeful and indirect it seemed." In Nicole Galland’s wonderful, “I, Iago”, Iago ponders the intricate web of deceit, defamation and lies he weaves that will culminate in an inevitable calamity of heartache, pain and bloodshed. The reader, of course, knows what’s coming. William Shakespeare’s “Othello” is well known in its original form, but has also been adapted for modern audiences in film. Iago is the center point upon which all of the characters in Shakespeare’s play orbit. He is the masterful manipulator. He’s a debonair deceiver. He’s the ultimate enigma. Two recently released books look to shed light on this most puzzling character. What drives the manipulator of men to create a situation where his best friend, his wife, and his admired General all wind up dead?While David Snodin’s “Iago” focuses strictly on the aftermath of the events in “Othello”, and attempts to unwind the character through a continuation of the story, Nicole Galland takes a more courageous approach by exploring Iago’s personality from his modest upbringing in Venice right up through, and including, the well-known events as they occur on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus.Galland leaps right into the heart of the enigma in the first lines of her novel: “They call me “honest Iago” from an early age, but in Venice, this is not a compliment. It is a rebuke. One does not prosper by honesty.” Gallands’s smooth handling of Iago’s first-person narration immediately struck me. Despite a certain expectation of awkward Renaissance-era language, Iago comes across comfortably and familiar. He’s born the fifth son of an extremely demanding and cold father, and instantly the character of Iago starts to take shape. He grew up in the shadow of siblings who were all destined for greater things than he. Even if it was only because they’d been born sooner.Honesty and truth, naturally, are running themes throughout the novel. As he grows older, Iago becomes a bit of a minor celebrity in Venice, establishing himself for bluntness, honestly and forthrightness. He’s consistent in his need to remain truthful, even as he learns how to twist and modify his words to elicit the response and action he so desires. The truth becomes slightly less than truth, but thoroughly manipulative and certainly foreshadowing the coming disaster played out in Shakespeare’s portion of Iago’s tale.Repeatedly, Iago finds himself among the social elite of Venice, where his utter disdain for the social game becomes a practice ground for Iago’s oral manipulations. In seeking to identify the motivational factors that make Iago who he is, Galland puts on display Iago’s distaste for the ‘frippery’ and fakery of Venetian society.While Iago’s childhood friend Roderigo is introduced early in the story, Galland teases out the other key Shakespearian characters throughout the first half of the story. Galland portrays a wonderfully romantic, albeit short, courtship between the Emilia and Iago. The remaining characters seamlessly integrate into Iago’s life; the highlight of which is an enjoyable first meeting of Othello himself.We learn of Iago’s intense propensity towards jealousy. The drivers are miniscule, but exposed throughout the story and combined with sporadic but fierce bouts of rage, Galland continues to foreshadow the inescapable conclusion.This jealousy extends even to his relationship with Othello. The two fall into a comfortable ‘bromance’ as Iago becomes Othello’s anchor point in connecting with the very foreign and incomprehensible Venetian superficiality. It takes little for Iago to question Othello’s loyalty, an insecurity we see in all of his relationships, eventually. Iago reflects, "it was some twisted fear in me, the residue of childhood insults from my father, that could make me doubt Othello even for a moment. " Iago is extremely self analytical. It's constant. Through the eyes of someone who also has a constant anxiety-ridden self-dialogue, I found this very understandable.We are introduced to Desdemona and slowly see Othello fall for her, shortly followed by Iago’s indignity at Othello breaking the “bros before 'hos” philosophy, despite its one-sidedness because, of course, Iago is married. He’s simply overcome by resentment, as the Florentine, Michele Cassio, becomes Othello’s confidant in wooing Desdemona.At times Iago is fully aware of his conniving, and realistic enough to be disgusted with himself. At other times, he rationalizes. He hides behind the auspices of wanting to protect his friend and general, while the jealousy and resentment burn slowly like a fuse to an explosive. His honesty is what enables his deceptions to work so effectively but also empowers things to run so wildly and quickly out if control. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, though found greater enjoyment in the early goings as we meet the young and still developing personality, while exploring society and life in Renaissance Venice. Galland beautifully describes 16th century Venice, in all of it’s mercantile, military and societal glory. Likewise, she does a marvelous job of putting flesh on the bone of this remarkably likable character. For this, I give the book 4 out of 5 stars.The second half focuses on the manipulations and their effects among Othello, Emelia, Desdemona, Cassio, and Iago himself. Still well written, I find some of the plot devices a bit wearisome, repetitive and somewhat annoying in that same way I can’t watch ‘Three’s Company” or “Friends” because of the weekly miscommunication that causes riotous sitcom mayhem.The book is smart and is, at its heart, an enjoyable character study. One needn’t have deep familiarity with the Shakespeare original to appreciate and enjoy the story.I received this book as part of the Amazon Vine reviewers program.

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    I, Iago - Nicole Galland

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