A review by znvisser
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

emotional reflective sad 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? No

3.0

My expectations for Hamnet were high, and although I recognize what makes people love this story, I didn't feel that strongly about it myself. It took me a while to figure out why that was though, because I also found the writing to be beautiful, most characters to feel real and the interweaving of storylines to work really well. 

What I think went wrong for me: this story was very slow-paced, giving lots of space to scenery and context descriptions. I guess that's what made this story so tangible, while at the same time not engaging me in whatever came next. So while I enjoyed reading while at it, in between sessions I found I didn't care enough to pick it up again and continue. That's why it took me much longer than I hoped to finish this; eventually I decided to wrap it up in one longer session, and I am happy I did because the ending was absolutely beautiful.

There are many reasons to pick this book up. Quite a chance you'll love it; it just wasn't a match for me.  
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