Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

99 reviews

booksmoviesandstories's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty and Infidelity

theayeaye's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

5.0

A beautiful meditation on grief, loss and family. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Medical trauma

crispywings's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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

3.5

Good book on the life of Shakespeare, looks at his marriage with a main focus on his wife and her 'oddness', interesting spiritual take, somewhat unsatisfying ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Physical abuse

franceva's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Physical abuse

Minor: Infidelity

madtnation's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Miscarriage

emilystolz7's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

I found this book to be incredibly beautiful, with striking and real descriptions of grief and loss. I am not typically a fan of historical fiction, but this book was full of such beautiful visualizations and characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse

lkbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Infidelity and Misogyny

thenoceurs's review against another edition

adventurous 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? N/A

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

mendthecat's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

Hamlet is centered around Agnes, William Shakespeare's wife: her relationship with her family, her husband and her children. Maggie O'Farrell chooses to emphasize the fact by never writing the name William. This is true for the entirety of the book, except the second part is also an exploration of grief.

It is pretty evident from the book that O'Farrell knows how to write, she does have that kind of style some would associate with literary fiction. However, I feel like she, at times, overdid it with the descriptions and lingered too long on them, to the point where you could skip some parts and not miss out on anything.

Even though I overall enjoyed the book and how some themes were wrought, something was amiss for me in the second part: not enough delving into her children (I'm trying not to spoil anything, but if you've read it you'll most likely know what I'm talking about) and, ironically, some plot points regarding Shakespeare

(his infidelity and brushing aside of it, lack of depth (regardless of the book not being about him. He's still a central part to the story)).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Physical abuse

tj440's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, and Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual content