Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

84 reviews

theseasoul's review against another edition

DNF’d due to a sex scene in chapter 4 that I was uncomfortable with. Too bad, I was loving the gorgeous writing up to that point! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

niaaaaa'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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Violence and Classism

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

yooniereads's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

elisabeth_with_an_ess's review against another edition

hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

Not to be a massive Shakespeare fan-girl on main, but oh my goodness. Oh my gracious. Oh my goodness gracious me. This is a beautiful book. It has been messing with my sleep schedule for the past week, and I have no regrets. 

Most of the reviews I've seen focus on the fact that Shakespeare's name is never used in this book, so as someone who has had a massive crush on the man for the past decade (I know I'm pathetic), I was worried that this book would be some sort of anti-Shax manifesto about how he was a horrible family man. But if you've had the same fear, rest assured... O'Farrell's characterization of him is by far the best I've ever seen. It truly felt like she knows the same man I do, and that was a beautiful thing. 

But enough about him. Every single character is written with such sensitivity and real "humanity" that I feel as if I have lived in Stratford with them my whole life. I love every single one of them. Well. Okay, there are two that I hate, but even those two are written with understanding and grace. Beyond the characters, the words themselves are lyrical and stunning.

Read. This. Book 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism

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

---

Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: Sexual content

sophie_e_s's review against another edition

dark 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Murder

atamano's review against another edition

emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content

mapscitiesandsongs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.0

I enjoyed my reading experience overall, but I have one major problem with it: It's not really about Hamnet. I went into this book thinking the majority of the book would be either in Hamnet's POV or would, at least, be about Hamnet. Instead I got a book that's basically about his mother Agnes, which isn't a bad thing per se. It was really interesting seeing her get to know Shakespeare and her inner thoughts were quite intriguing, but I imagined something different from a book titled Hamnet. I also don't think the origin of the play is that prominent in the story even though it's clearly stated in the description that this book is about Hamnet and how the play gets developed because of his death. Another strange thing is the incoporation of magical realism of some sort. Additionally, all of the characters, besides Agnes, were flat and one-dimensional. So when Hamnet dies, I just didn't care. There is no connection, because we only get to see him for a few short chapters before he dies and the rest is basically about his mother. The ending was also quite rushed and underwhelming in my opinion. We find out that Shakespeare wrote said play about his son (which we have know for the entirety of the book!) and then it just ends. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

szinkle's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual content