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A review by booksarebrainfood
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
5.0
This book is definitely a new favourite! Incredible.
Plot 1 star: It's always a feat when authors can successfully pull off a character-oriented story with a sustained and not forced plotline. The story centres around the union of Agnes and the "husband" and their family, as well as the demise of one of their children, and the "husband"'s rise to fame to be one of the most influential people to come from England and the inspiration for one of his most famous plays. The novel always has a propelling force and the intertwining of past and present keeps the reader interested throughout.
Writing 1 star: Wow. Maggie O'Farrell's writing is the star of the show here. Not only are her descriptions simply put while also being beautifully detailed, she writes the complex and threatening 1500's in England with a modern urgency that allows you to learn about the fragility of life in those days and how they lived, while also reading a moving story about a family's struggle to coexist and cope with grief. Maggie O'Farrell brings alive the town of Stratford with its bakers, glove makers, and sinister plague doctors. She tells the story of the plague and the journey from the continent and the micro journeys made by the disease to reach her characters. She describes the dangers and wonders of London in its formative years and the burgeoning success of her playwright. The novel is a gift to any Shakespeare lovers and by never mentioning him by name it doesn't feel like she's trying to claim a piece of his legacy.
Characters 1 star: Despite the title of the novel Hamnet and it's affiliations with Shakespeare, this novel is the story of Agnes, born of the forest and struggling to mould to the expectations of her as a woman of this time. I loved the addition of her premonitions and the rumours of her mother as it gave the story a magical texture while still staying realistic. This is the story of a mother's sacrifice and intuition, and how this extends to her husband, this nurturing allowing the playwright to fulfill his potential and create one of the greatest literary legacies to exist. Every character is given a justification, even when ideals clash and tragedy strikes. She deeply humanises some of the people that we brush over in our histories and the result is beautiful.
World-Building/Engagement 1 Star: This novel builds a world within itself, the world of Stratford and its innermost workings, it makes London feel extremely distant, dangerous, and otherworldly. The superstitions and premonitions I mentioned before give this old world texture, and the physicality of the plague does too. Giving a backstory to the family of one of the most famous playwrights and story weavers in existence is an extremely interesting way to engage with our history, and it's very interesting to read about. The simplicity of the writing makes it accessible too so that teenagers could read this and learn more about the famous Bard, while also reading a great story. This is a difficult thing to achieve, and Maggie O'Farrell does it well.
Enjoability 1 Star: Not sure if it's morbid to say I really enjoyed reading this, given how sad it is. But I really wanted to savour every word written that I even read right through to the notes and acknowledgments. It took me a long time to read it because I just wanted to keep enjoying it, and I am really interested in reading more of Maggie O'Farrell's work as Hamnet has definitely made one of my best books of 2020 so far!
Plot 1 star: It's always a feat when authors can successfully pull off a character-oriented story with a sustained and not forced plotline. The story centres around the union of Agnes and the "husband" and their family, as well as the demise of one of their children, and the "husband"'s rise to fame to be one of the most influential people to come from England and the inspiration for one of his most famous plays. The novel always has a propelling force and the intertwining of past and present keeps the reader interested throughout.
Writing 1 star: Wow. Maggie O'Farrell's writing is the star of the show here. Not only are her descriptions simply put while also being beautifully detailed, she writes the complex and threatening 1500's in England with a modern urgency that allows you to learn about the fragility of life in those days and how they lived, while also reading a moving story about a family's struggle to coexist and cope with grief. Maggie O'Farrell brings alive the town of Stratford with its bakers, glove makers, and sinister plague doctors. She tells the story of the plague and the journey from the continent and the micro journeys made by the disease to reach her characters. She describes the dangers and wonders of London in its formative years and the burgeoning success of her playwright. The novel is a gift to any Shakespeare lovers and by never mentioning him by name it doesn't feel like she's trying to claim a piece of his legacy.
Characters 1 star: Despite the title of the novel Hamnet and it's affiliations with Shakespeare, this novel is the story of Agnes, born of the forest and struggling to mould to the expectations of her as a woman of this time. I loved the addition of her premonitions and the rumours of her mother as it gave the story a magical texture while still staying realistic. This is the story of a mother's sacrifice and intuition, and how this extends to her husband, this nurturing allowing the playwright to fulfill his potential and create one of the greatest literary legacies to exist. Every character is given a justification, even when ideals clash and tragedy strikes. She deeply humanises some of the people that we brush over in our histories and the result is beautiful.
World-Building/Engagement 1 Star: This novel builds a world within itself, the world of Stratford and its innermost workings, it makes London feel extremely distant, dangerous, and otherworldly. The superstitions and premonitions I mentioned before give this old world texture, and the physicality of the plague does too. Giving a backstory to the family of one of the most famous playwrights and story weavers in existence is an extremely interesting way to engage with our history, and it's very interesting to read about. The simplicity of the writing makes it accessible too so that teenagers could read this and learn more about the famous Bard, while also reading a great story. This is a difficult thing to achieve, and Maggie O'Farrell does it well.
Enjoability 1 Star: Not sure if it's morbid to say I really enjoyed reading this, given how sad it is. But I really wanted to savour every word written that I even read right through to the notes and acknowledgments. It took me a long time to read it because I just wanted to keep enjoying it, and I am really interested in reading more of Maggie O'Farrell's work as Hamnet has definitely made one of my best books of 2020 so far!