Reviews

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

miss_blackbird's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

5.0

I'm black and blue all over, this book absolutely shattered me.

celinerach's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

It is a beautiful book. This novel explores womanhood, motherhood and the inner worlds we all have hidden within ourselves. 

 

 The mastery of this work, is that I knew the boy was dead, but the feelings of the mother, her disbelief that he could really, truly be dead, were transposed onto me. Only once we leave the grave site and the chapter ends can I truly believe that he is gone and we really are saying goodbye to Hamnet.  

Some seem un-happy to have not learnt more about who Hamnet was, but I think this misses the point. The great sadness is that he was 11, so there is so much we will never know, as he never had the chance to grow up. We learn as much as we could and grieve for all that could have been. I think this is the hardest part of grief, the wondering, what they would think, say, look like, now that time has passed and yet they are forever stuck as they were in that past, never to move forward. 

instn's review

emotional sad fast-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

4.25

emmaidiart's review against another edition

5.0

Good god. I’m such a slut for a historical fiction !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was ……. Heart wrenching. I was there, in the characters’ heads. Her prose???? Absolutely magnificent. Like I really felt the love and sorrow in my actual heart. It was painful and beautiful and moving and perfect. I really truly loved. I’m so curious and worried that the movie adaptation will fuck it up lol

ckincade's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

2.75

ashleymccallan055's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

mckennedy's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

saku_3939x'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

3.75

cigarete_smoke's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

yazzzzberry's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0