Reviews

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

sweetie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.0

larissamiller's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

lqueijo's review against another edition

5.0

Sem qualquer motivo sexista, sempre considerei o "women's prize for fiction" muito mais consistente, em termos de escolhas (longlists, shortlists e prémios) do que o "booker prize" de onde tenho colhido grandes desilusões (ainda não li o vencedor deste ano...). Este ano voltaram a não defraudar.
Partindo de uma história simples e verídica - a morte inesperada de Hamnet ou Hamlet, filho de William Shakespeare, Maggie O’Farrell ficciona-a e imprime-lhe aquilo que a torna tão interessante - o relato das circunstâncias vistas pelos seus vários personagens com predominância para a mãe (que é um personagem muito especial). Com uma prosa excelentemente trabalhada (na minha opinião), descrições vívidas, um relato com toques de misticismo ou transcendentalismo e algum devaneio histórico à mistura (principalmente na justificação histórica de algumas passagens) percebe-se o porquê de ter merecido o prémio que ganhou.
Definitivamente, para ler, principalmente agora que já tem edição Portuguesa.

ikoh's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pieridaexx's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

ed_moore's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ is a very slow paced look into the lives of Shakespeares family. It focuses on his daughter Judith’s contraction of the plague whilst he is away in London and places emphasis on those family members with their stories far lesser told by refusing to name Shakespeare at any point, instead referring to him as ‘The Father’, ‘The Husband’ etc. This is at least what it tries to be, it was a clever plot decision however the boom is structured in alternate chapters looking at the children and Agnes in the present timeline, and then how Agnes met William and their marriage, hence a lot of the story is in fact focused on Shakespeare himself and I found myself much preferring the chapters focusing on the children. 

‘Hamnet’ was very readable, its plot not encompassing loads but still proving engaging. I especially enjoyed the later intermingling of the London playhouse life though it plays such a small role and is supposed to be out of focus across most of the novel. I did find Agnes to be not the greatest of protagonists, she was very predictable and unchanging, the extent of her grief also a little long perhaps,  therefore with a book titled Hamnet I would’ve loved a little more of him where it was possible. 

bethaturner87's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

rulychdw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

catkween420's review against another edition

4.0

Historical fiction + plague = a very solid read for me. I like how it was loosely based on the life and family of Shakespeare. Slow at times but I had no problem getting through the story.

malifaux's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I really enjoyed the first 3/4 of it but I feel the ending really let it down.