Reviews with content warning for Grief - Hamnet

5 stars, yet it took me a whole month to finish this book — I wanted to savour it slowly, and I didn't have those special occasions frequently enough when I felt ready to immerse myself in the story. Maggie O'Farrell has such a way with words. I'll never forget this experience.

Content Warnings

august_ambrosia's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

oh my god. easy 5 stars. ignore how long it took me to finish this book i was trying not to get invested and sob (it didnt work btw) but ooohh my god. o'farrell writes so BEAUTIFULLY. this is lyrical prose on another level. absolutely adored it i wanted to underline and highlight so many sections but alas i was reading in a library book. but i will be ordering my own !!!!! just... spellbinding. the way she describes everything so vividly, its like i can smell and see and touch everything. everyone feels so alive. the little note that the midwife had a jar of pennies at the bottom of the garden. we dont know her name but we know she wont tell anyone about them. everyone is SO ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!! there was something so terrible about reading it knowing the ending. (the ending that is on the blurb, btw. i didnt go in with any other 'spoilers') but its a beautiful exploration of grief and siblinghood and love!!!! and complex relationships, and flawed people, and a whole world is created with the tenderness of the descriptions. the cats and the boy with the monkey with the fleas. susanna!!!! the other women, and agnes. and the way we are told how to pronounce her name. and the horror with which the glover's son falls to the ground after reading his sister's letter about his daughter's illness. the description of grief is heart wrenching tbh. won't ever forget the passage where

agnes considers her three children. susanna? at the neighbour's house. judith? upstairs. and hamnet? (he is dead) and hamnet? (he is dead, he is dead.) but hamnet? where is he? (and his lifeless body rests in her arms.)

but i will end this long, rambly review by just saying. ohhh hamnet. dearest hamnet. it shall not be. he wills it so. its a story about a boy who, full with love and life, does the impossible. and meets the inevitable.

Content Warnings

maevebm's review against another edition

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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? Yes

3.0

Overall, I found the prose beautiful. The plot was lacking though. While the story had somewhat of a natural progression, I found it unbelievable at times and the characters’ motivations weren’t compelling enough.

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emmerylynn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

Not my go to genre, but I really enjoyed the writing. I felt immersed in the world through the striking and careful details. The author captured the characters’ emotions so precisely.

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bellaa's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective 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? No

4.5

it didn't give me that five star feeling
once again reinforcing that I have no specific taste, highly recommend this if you are ok with child death and absolutely no plot
I wish I could upload pictures so y'all could see the way I absolutely sobbed at

the description of his father coming upon the scene of his death, seeing Judith alive and being so happy, then realizing who was missing

. as my mom said, "you need some happy"
my happy is not having to read the words "william shakespeare" throughout this entire book

Content Warnings

savmthompson's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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ivyroseopal's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

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contemporarymeepsie's review against another edition

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emotional informative inspiring 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

4.5

Hamnet tells the fictional story of William Shakespeare's real son who died when still a child and inspired one of his greatest tragedies, Hamlet.
I really loved this book. I thought Maggie O'Farrell's decision never to name Shakespeare and instead only to ever refer to him as 'the father', 'the husband' or 'the writer' etc was inspired. Hamnet is forgotten in history where as Shakespeare is widely renowned and remembered. This was a thought-provoking way to invert this by making Shakespeare as a character detached from the real playwright, and emphasise Hamnet's importance in the story.
I loved Agnes as a protagonist. I thought her characterisation was in-depth and interesting. I wanted to learn as much as possible about her. After Hamnet is taken the scenes of Agnes' all encompassing grief is so well written I could really emphasise with her and the gnawing hollowness she felt. O'Farrell has a real talent for describing emotions down to a T, so that you feel everything the character feels. Even in the first few chapters when Judith first becomes sick and Hamnet is desperately trying to find anyone to help; as a reader you feel his isolation resonate from the pages.
It is a truly harrowing book and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations. If I had to critique one thing, my only issue was that part 2 is one long section broken only by paragraphs and page breaks rather then in chapters like the first part. I can understand why this was done as it only accentuates an overwhelming sense of grief and the never-ending monogamy of continuing to live after your child's death. However it is over 100 pages long and I found it difficult to find good places to pause reading each night. That was my only problem. It's the only reason I didn't give it a 5. I would definitely reread and recommend this book.

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