Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

59 reviews

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

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Medical content, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

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

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Content Warnings

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

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

Minor: 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. 

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Content Warnings

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

Minor: Miscarriage, Infertility, Infidelity, and Sexual content

wrackcity's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement and Medical content

have_a_doris_day's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Infidelity and Misogyny

holliesatchell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

ntvenessa's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

A moving fictionalisation of Hamnet Shakespeare's life and death, and the grief that haunts his family, particularly, his mother. It is atmospheric and O'Farrell is incredibly skilled to breathe life into the scant historical details that survive today.

"I am dead:
Thou livest;
... draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my story"
Hamlet, Act V, Scene II

Stunning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Miscarriage, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Infertility, Classism, and Infidelity

kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Medical content

Minor: Death of parent

mmccombs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

I felt chills as I read those final pages, this book was just as good as I hoped. This story felt so grounded in its time while also remaining so timeless and universal. A plague novel is obviously very fitting right now, this made me feel like time was folding in on itself to result in something doubly impactful. The writing was beautiful and every detail felt so well researched, I almost could see myself in the Henley street house, in Agnes’ garden, in the streets of Stratford. I absolutely loved everything about this, I understand the hype!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Physical abuse

lena_and_her_books's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood