Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

21 reviews

jenny_wren's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This is a lovely book but it's just so sad! It speculates on the origin of William Shakespeare's Hamlet based on the very little known about his family. Its written with a dual timeline which explores the early days of marriage and then the later years as parents to young children- Hamnet being one of them. 

I enjoyed this story but found it a difficult read. It's sad- heartbreaking actually but is sensitively written and pulls on the heartstrings! Set in the late 1500's it feels authentic. You can imagine what life was like then, and how hard it was. This is a boom that will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy

helena_sp_07's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Violence, and Blood

sib_reads's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, and Death

Moderate: Medical content, Child abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content

hgallagher's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Chronic illness

holliesatchell's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Child death, Death, Medical content, and Terminal illness

caitlin1066's review

dark emotional 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

4.25

A book I’m sure will become a modern classic in the future. The writing is so lyrical and beautiful and devastating. So many characters but, unusually, I found them easy to remember and recall throughout the novel. A book with little plot but pure pain and heartache, though no tears were shed. A really beautiful book about the family of Shakespeare who have been all but forgotten. And how the death of his son caused the writing of Hamlet (not a spoiler! It’s on the blurb). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, and Grief

miserablesplendor's review

emotional sad slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Pregnancy

Moderate: Chronic illness

redbirdreading's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, and Grief

eliseisreading's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse

molliepop'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? It's complicated

5.0

Truly heartbreaking, such an excellent piece of prose that's hard to find fault in. Cried on multiple occasions and have not done so with a book in a long while 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, and Pregnancy