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zoegupta's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic
madzie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Unfortunately, Hamnet's death even becomes laughable due to the use of an absolutely unrealistic trope which shows O'Farrell's lack of care or research in her novel. The rest of the novel holds up similarly with the overuse of tropes that do not fit the genre and instead make the novel campy. I really was looking for this book to paint Shakespeare's family as people, rather than spectacles, who face a nonsensical tragedy. Instead, O'Farrell's reliance on tropes and leaving Shakespeare nameless do the opposite, making one of the most famous writers even more mysterious and even more magical rather than human. O'Farrell is excellent at depicting grief at the moment but neglects to write about how deeply it continues to affect people over time and how it can rip apart families and relationships, instead relying on surface-level points and exposition. Further, her use of multiple timelines seems senseless as there is no purpose or reveal, and instead makes the novel even more boring and approaching annoying.
The novel's ending demonstrates the potential it failed to reach. Big ideas and feeling attempt to break through, but after nearly 300 pages of not exploring those themes in depth, setting them up, or creating a relationship between the characters and reader, the end makes it seem like the idea would have fit a short story better than a full-length novel. Additionally, the conclusion only draws further attention to how the themes O'Farrell introduces are unfocused. Topics, such as family relations and women in society, seem to be abandoned, with no real exploration into what O'Farrell really wants her audience to reconsider. In the end, O'Farrell's famous novel, while driven by its excellent writing style, fails to deliver on its promises, lacks any purposeful direction, and leaves me longing for any deep feeling.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
celey's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Many challenging topics and ideas are explored in this book. It is all done very thoughtfully.losergender's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Death of parent
maulikki's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
heyitsashleigh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
beauvisseau's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence
niaaaaa's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
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