Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

81 reviews

cigarete_smoke's review against another edition

Go to review page

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


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

georginathelibrarian's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I first added Hamnet to my collection on hearing Maggie O’Farrell talk about the story during the digitised Hay festival in 2020 during the covid pandemic. 
To hear her talk about a child that I hadn’t even known existed, despite studying Agnes’s husband at university, a child who may have died of a deadly epidemic, during that time of my own life secluded from our own deadly sickness captured my attention. 
I immediately ordered a signed copy, and then it sat on the shelf as they often do, biding their time until the moment is right.

Finally the time had come to read it, prompted by my book club, and I am so glad I have. It was chosen for April as that is the month of Agnes’ husband’s birth and death, but the story is not just about that famous playwright, it is more about his family, and their grief at the loss of one of their own.

This story captured my attention anew, transporting me to Elizabethan Stratford, and had me riveted from start to finish, a feat that many books have failed to deliver of late.

I warn you, you will need tissues, this is not a happy story, but it is one that leaves a feeling of wholeness at the end, that all is as it should be. 
In the words of Agnes’s husband “give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the o’er wrought heart and bids it break”.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

topodibiblioteca's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

antoniac's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

emerentina's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional inspiring 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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

el_elizabeth's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

bellaa's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-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

This book deserves all its praise. Maggie O’Farrell manages to use the true life of the Hathaways/Shakespeares to craft a beautiful tale of love, grief, mourning, connection, potential, and remembrances. Her prose rolls ever forward like a cool stream, turning over every rock in its path but still brimming with energy and momentum. Simultaneously both one of easiest flowing reads I’ve encountered, and one of the most heart-wrenching. A rewarding read I think I’ll be returning to frequently, and a great way to close out my year.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

schorlett's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

iris3271's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional sad tense medium-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? No

3.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings