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schorlett's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Death, Child death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abortion and Abandonment
the_aesthete_nerd's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Hamnet makes you think why you are doing this to yourself while you are reading it and falling apart, one line at a time. And once you finish reading, you have this overwhelming urge to share it with the entire world.
Hamnet is the story of Agnes Hathaway, her children Susana, Judith, Hamnet and their absentee father, William Shakespeare. But the Bard here is only an accessory to Agnes' life and her trials and tribulations. It's about how the Bubonic Plague tore apart families, how when the statistics record thousands of death, we forget that a single death can disrupt lives, scar and change people for a lifetime. It's about struggling and coping with loss. It's about how the greatest play ever written can be the residue of a father's grief and guilt.
Maggie O'Farrell's writing is haunting, devastating and at times it's such a raw, intimate portrayal of relationships, that it almost feels vulgar to invade their pure, private space. She will rip you apart, make you feel feelings you thought you never had and bring tears, which were long silenced by depression medications. She is a magician of words and with this one it seems, she wields her wand with the sole purpose of devastating you. I love how she renders the Bard powerless here by not naming him once, by ripping him of his identity and portraying him as just a son, a husband and a father. I love how Agnes and her children take the stage here and show us that regular faces, not recorded or remembered in history are as much part of the building blocks of the human experience as the ones that stands the test of time. That William Shakespeare could have been just a mediocre glove-maker, had it not been for Agnes and their children. That the greatness of love, loss and grief transcends the boundaries of time.
Having said that this is not a light read, looking at the very cover of the book is making me feel traumatized now. It should come with trigger warnings in BOLD letters: grief, abandonment, loss of child.
It's no doubt a 5 star read, if only you have the stomach for it.
Hamnet is the story of Agnes Hathaway, her children Susana, Judith, Hamnet and their absentee father, William Shakespeare. But the Bard here is only an accessory to Agnes' life and her trials and tribulations. It's about how the Bubonic Plague tore apart families, how when the statistics record thousands of death, we forget that a single death can disrupt lives, scar and change people for a lifetime. It's about struggling and coping with loss. It's about how the greatest play ever written can be the residue of a father's grief and guilt.
Maggie O'Farrell's writing is haunting, devastating and at times it's such a raw, intimate portrayal of relationships, that it almost feels vulgar to invade their pure, private space. She will rip you apart, make you feel feelings you thought you never had and bring tears, which were long silenced by depression medications. She is a magician of words and with this one it seems, she wields her wand with the sole purpose of devastating you. I love how she renders the Bard powerless here by not naming him once, by ripping him of his identity and portraying him as just a son, a husband and a father. I love how Agnes and her children take the stage here and show us that regular faces, not recorded or remembered in history are as much part of the building blocks of the human experience as the ones that stands the test of time. That William Shakespeare could have been just a mediocre glove-maker, had it not been for Agnes and their children. That the greatness of love, loss and grief transcends the boundaries of time.
Having said that this is not a light read, looking at the very cover of the book is making me feel traumatized now. It should come with trigger warnings in BOLD letters: grief, abandonment, loss of child.
It's no doubt a 5 star read, if only you have the stomach for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Child death
Moderate: Mental illness and Pandemic/Epidemic
madzie's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
O'Farrell offers an enticing idea about the life of Shakespeare's family and the death of his only son but falls short of the execution of her idea. Certainly, it cannot be argued that O'Farrell has a command of prose with vivid descriptions and creative language. However, her writing style cannot save the lack of a through point in the novel that leaves it mind-numbingly dull. Novels with little to no plot succeed with their interesting and relatable characters. Therefore, due to O'Farrell's characters being undeveloped and uninteresting, with a lack of exploratory and meaningful relationships with each other, the entire novel becomes a bore. In fact, the climax of Hamnet's death (not a spoiler) is hardly impactful because I have little care for any of the characters or their relationships with one another.
Unfortunately, Hamnet's death even becomes laughable due to the use of an absolutely unrealistic trope which shows O'Farrell's lack of care or research in her novel. The rest of the novel holds up similarly with the overuse of tropes that do not fit the genre and instead make the novel campy. I really was looking for this book to paint Shakespeare's family as people, rather than spectacles, who face a nonsensical tragedy. Instead, O'Farrell's reliance on tropes and leaving Shakespeare nameless do the opposite, making one of the most famous writers even more mysterious and even more magical rather than human. O'Farrell is excellent at depicting grief at the moment but neglects to write about how deeply it continues to affect people over time and how it can rip apart families and relationships, instead relying on surface-level points and exposition. Further, her use of multiple timelines seems senseless as there is no purpose or reveal, and instead makes the novel even more boring and approaching annoying.
The novel's ending demonstrates the potential it failed to reach. Big ideas and feeling attempt to break through, but after nearly 300 pages of not exploring those themes in depth, setting them up, or creating a relationship between the characters and reader, the end makes it seem like the idea would have fit a short story better than a full-length novel. Additionally, the conclusion only draws further attention to how the themes O'Farrell introduces are unfocused. Topics, such as family relations and women in society, seem to be abandoned, with no real exploration into what O'Farrell really wants her audience to reconsider. In the end, O'Farrell's famous novel, while driven by its excellent writing style, fails to deliver on its promises, lacks any purposeful direction, and leaves me longing for any deep feeling.
Unfortunately, Hamnet's death even becomes laughable due to the use of an absolutely unrealistic trope which shows O'Farrell's lack of care or research in her novel. The rest of the novel holds up similarly with the overuse of tropes that do not fit the genre and instead make the novel campy. I really was looking for this book to paint Shakespeare's family as people, rather than spectacles, who face a nonsensical tragedy. Instead, O'Farrell's reliance on tropes and leaving Shakespeare nameless do the opposite, making one of the most famous writers even more mysterious and even more magical rather than human. O'Farrell is excellent at depicting grief at the moment but neglects to write about how deeply it continues to affect people over time and how it can rip apart families and relationships, instead relying on surface-level points and exposition. Further, her use of multiple timelines seems senseless as there is no purpose or reveal, and instead makes the novel even more boring and approaching annoying.
The novel's ending demonstrates the potential it failed to reach. Big ideas and feeling attempt to break through, but after nearly 300 pages of not exploring those themes in depth, setting them up, or creating a relationship between the characters and reader, the end makes it seem like the idea would have fit a short story better than a full-length novel. Additionally, the conclusion only draws further attention to how the themes O'Farrell introduces are unfocused. Topics, such as family relations and women in society, seem to be abandoned, with no real exploration into what O'Farrell really wants her audience to reconsider. In the end, O'Farrell's famous novel, while driven by its excellent writing style, fails to deliver on its promises, lacks any purposeful direction, and leaves me longing for any deep feeling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Infidelity
enchantedelfie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Abandonment, Death, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Physical abuse
celey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Incredible. The writing positively shimmers. The emotional journeys are raw and real. A slight element of supernatural forces kept me guessing. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Confinement, Medical content, Gore, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Body horror
Minor: Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Many challenging topics and ideas are explored in this book. It is all done very thoughtfully.delaneyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content and Abandonment
Minor: Physical abuse and Infidelity
pollyhall's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I preferred the story of Agnes and Bartholomew rather than Hamnet.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Gore, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Child death, and Infidelity
bookmark3brodi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
beauvisseau'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The prose is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are intricate and the plot is heartbreaking. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to. How the author managed to put the women in Shakespeare's life at the forefront, not even naming him, was amazing. The magical realism that the writer implemented was charming and fun. The jumps in time made me want to keep on reading, just like the great variation in chapter lengths did. A great representation of 'normal' lives with thematically intricate stories.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Medical content, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child death, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexism, Animal death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Infidelity
bandysbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
Going into Hamnet, I was a bit skeptical. I love historical fiction and literary fiction, but something about it just didn't seem all that appealing to me. Finally, I broke down and decided to give it a try. I'm pretty happy that I did. I don't think this was perfect, but it was a good read.
This story follows Agnes (Anne) as she marries and then settles down with William Shakespeare. They have three children together, one of which dies due to the plague, and eventually becomes the inspiration for Hamlet. While William is in London writing plays, Agnes is grieving and trying to survive. The main focus of the story is really her grief and what she goes through after Hamnet's death.
The writing in this was very lovely. I was surprised at how flowery it was considering the darkness of the content. It was an interesting contrast, but one that I think worked fairly well.
The things that kept this from being a higher rating are as follows:
- The description was overdone at points. Others have mentioned this in great detail, but descriptions always come in sets of three. It wasn't simply good. It was magnificent, beautiful, and lovely. This can work when used sparingly, but it's repeated too much throughout the book.
- Agnes is made into an almost-fae. She's sort of a wilderwoman who is at one with nature, makes herbal remedies, and intuits things before they happen. I suppose it was an attempt to make her standout, but it felt unnecessary. It gave me a bit of Mary Sue vibes initially because she's portrayed as innately better than the other women without much proof.
-Shakespeare is never given a name. I found this to be an odd choice since I'm pretty sure 95% of the people reading this book understand it's about William Shakespeare's wife and children. I don't think it added to the narration by leaving his name out.
All in all, if you like historical fiction and have a particular interest in Shakespeare, you may enjoy this book. Just beware that it isn't written in straightforward narration.
This story follows Agnes (Anne) as she marries and then settles down with William Shakespeare. They have three children together, one of which dies due to the plague, and eventually becomes the inspiration for Hamlet. While William is in London writing plays, Agnes is grieving and trying to survive. The main focus of the story is really her grief and what she goes through after Hamnet's death.
The writing in this was very lovely. I was surprised at how flowery it was considering the darkness of the content. It was an interesting contrast, but one that I think worked fairly well.
The things that kept this from being a higher rating are as follows:
- The description was overdone at points. Others have mentioned this in great detail, but descriptions always come in sets of three. It wasn't simply good. It was magnificent, beautiful, and lovely. This can work when used sparingly, but it's repeated too much throughout the book.
- Agnes is made into an almost-fae. She's sort of a wilderwoman who is at one with nature, makes herbal remedies, and intuits things before they happen. I suppose it was an attempt to make her standout, but it felt unnecessary. It gave me a bit of Mary Sue vibes initially because she's portrayed as innately better than the other women without much proof.
-Shakespeare is never given a name. I found this to be an odd choice since I'm pretty sure 95% of the people reading this book understand it's about William Shakespeare's wife and children. I don't think it added to the narration by leaving his name out.
All in all, if you like historical fiction and have a particular interest in Shakespeare, you may enjoy this book. Just beware that it isn't written in straightforward narration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Pregnancy