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toffeebox's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Beautifully written and heart-rending. I loved how the descriptors found its way back to fabrics and gloves which was their family business.
Losing a 0.5 points because the bits after hamnets death felt draggy at times
Losing a 0.5 points because the bits after hamnets death felt draggy at times
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Grief
emerentina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Death, Child death, Child abuse, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity
chefboyavi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
3.75
This came highly recommended to me by multiple people and while I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as they did, I do think it’s a worthwhile read. The writing is very engaging, it’s a good exploration of grief, and I think O’Farrell does a nice job at capturing the feeling of a time and place. I just don’t think I care about the life of William Shakespeare that much. And he seems like an asshole.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Child death
tea_and_reading's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'm not generally the type of person who cries when reading, but this book made me shed a tear or two. If you are interested in Shakespeare or would like to read a sad and touching account of a mother's profound love for her children I would highly recommend this book. This book is beautifully written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Child death
Moderate: Physical abuse
charlottefaye's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I am so glad I picked up this book. It felt daunting going into a historical fiction with so much hype and a different prose to what I am used too. However the book was beautiful and moving. I preferred the first part of the book over the second, discovering Agnes character and her history but overall it was a moving story and one that I am glad I have read. The writing style really added to the story and Agnes was such a wonderful character.
A book definitely outside of my usual reads but I’m glad I read it and I definitely want to check out the marriage portrait next!
A book definitely outside of my usual reads but I’m glad I read it and I definitely want to check out the marriage portrait next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Child death
lindcherry's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child death, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy and Infidelity
jazzaling's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death
el_elizabeth's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Domestic abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
etl's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Death