Reviews

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

franzi_issi's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

madi_mae1's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

annaknight241's review against another edition

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

3.0

damnedmuddle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

alina_marcoci's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

lovelyday2day's review against another edition

3.0

I had a hard time getting into this, overall liked the second half better. Some beautiful writing and language around grief.

gracaventura's review against another edition

4.0

Book of two halves. At first, I had no idea what all the fuss was about. It was slow, plodding and, at times, boring. Then it picked up. The writing became quicker and there was more enticing.

laurenrussell's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This took awhile for me to really get into, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it (i don’t think it was the books fault). this book to me is a case study on grief. the alternating chapters on past and present paint a vivid picture, especially how knowing the past makes the present so much more devastating. i honestly was not expecting how impactful this was, I even teared up at the

hamlet playbill reveal and how cruel it was for agnes to learn

it’s weighing heavy on me. i wasn’t sure what i was getting into! 

as always, maggie o’farrells writing is superb. before reading, i had read reviews of it being bulky and wordy but i think it comes down to preference. the writing is deeply immerse and paints a mood vibrantly. one of my favorite parts of this book was the chapter on the flea, and how it tracked the flea’s journey in a domino-effect. the descriptions of grief are unmatched. i’m not really sure what to say—i feel empty lol. 

a heavy but rewarding read. 

yeszehr's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

__ak7__'s review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

4.25