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A review by viewfromthespire
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
4.75
This book is a crescendo if there ever was one.
I honestly didn't like it much at first. The pacing is very, very slow, even for how short the book actually is. It bears saying that very little happens externally within this book. It's mostly an internal/emotional exploration (which is something I'm generally not used to when reading and had to get accustomed to). This is particularly potent during the first third-or-so of the book, which absolutely crawled for me. With the style this book is written in, you frequently jump around between not only different characters' perspectives, but also different moments in time. At the start we get only very brief moments with a huge array of characters, and this makes it really hard to invest in any of them, but also makes it hard to just follow what's happening. However, in retrospect, these choices do make sense (for the most part). I do honestly wish the cast was tighter, and we focused more closely on the key characters, particularly at the start, but even the very little moments that seem totally inconsequential become important later on. As well, the jog between the past and present (when we switch between them) smooths out over time, and eventually the hopping stops altogether. By around the 50-70% mark, I actually enjoyed the time hopping. It gave very important context, and sometimes a break from the trauma of the A-plot, and kept me enticed to continue reading ("what's going to happen next in present day???").
It was around probably page 150 or 200 that this book really started to click for me. It is first and foremost an emotional and character-focused story. I would honestly say it is 100% character focused, honestly. By the 50 or 60% mark you've gotten very close with Agnes, who I would probably consider the main character, andWilliam (spoilered because his name goes unmentioned in the book, but that is indeed who he is), and developed an understanding of who their children and the rest of their family are. So, when things get worse, you feel it. When misfortune befalls the family, when Agnes struggles, when there is a loss, an infidelity, an absence, you feel as if it has befallen you. Maggie O'Farrell's writing is incredibly powerful. This is also one of the most nuanced works I think I've ever read, emotionally speaking. So much is communicated in the margins.
The only other criticism I would have is that in areas the writing really feels like it could have been tightened. There are several sections within this novel that are far, far longer than they have to be. I understand the desire to make your reader feel fully immersed with vivid descriptions, and for the most part, this book succeeds, but there are absolutely passages that tow the line from vividness into over-explaining, and I find myself not more immersed but actually dulled and taken out of it. There are at least four points where I actually skimmed full pages of unnecessary description, with much of it being re-statements of what was already conveyed succinctly in a single paragraph or even a single sentence. There are also sections that, while vivid and interesting, draw a bit too long and include a few too many inconsequential details, and could simply stand to have the fat trimmed off.
With all that said, this is an incredible book. Because of the criticisms I do have, it isn't a five star for me, but I can very very easily see why it would be for anyone else. It really is incredible. It epitomizes the concept of a "crescendo" novel, starting so quiet and slow and unassuming... but gradually, and so smoothly you don't even notice, ascends into an enveloping symphony of grief and emotion, and then carefully quiets back down. The ending is absolutely beautiful and brilliant.
I honestly didn't like it much at first. The pacing is very, very slow, even for how short the book actually is. It bears saying that very little happens externally within this book. It's mostly an internal/emotional exploration (which is something I'm generally not used to when reading and had to get accustomed to). This is particularly potent during the first third-or-so of the book, which absolutely crawled for me. With the style this book is written in, you frequently jump around between not only different characters' perspectives, but also different moments in time. At the start we get only very brief moments with a huge array of characters, and this makes it really hard to invest in any of them, but also makes it hard to just follow what's happening. However, in retrospect, these choices do make sense (for the most part). I do honestly wish the cast was tighter, and we focused more closely on the key characters, particularly at the start, but even the very little moments that seem totally inconsequential become important later on. As well, the jog between the past and present (when we switch between them) smooths out over time, and eventually the hopping stops altogether. By around the 50-70% mark, I actually enjoyed the time hopping. It gave very important context, and sometimes a break from the trauma of the A-plot, and kept me enticed to continue reading ("what's going to happen next in present day???").
It was around probably page 150 or 200 that this book really started to click for me. It is first and foremost an emotional and character-focused story. I would honestly say it is 100% character focused, honestly. By the 50 or 60% mark you've gotten very close with Agnes, who I would probably consider the main character, and
The only other criticism I would have is that in areas the writing really feels like it could have been tightened. There are several sections within this novel that are far, far longer than they have to be. I understand the desire to make your reader feel fully immersed with vivid descriptions, and for the most part, this book succeeds, but there are absolutely passages that tow the line from vividness into over-explaining, and I find myself not more immersed but actually dulled and taken out of it. There are at least four points where I actually skimmed full pages of unnecessary description, with much of it being re-statements of what was already conveyed succinctly in a single paragraph or even a single sentence. There are also sections that, while vivid and interesting, draw a bit too long and include a few too many inconsequential details, and could simply stand to have the fat trimmed off.
With all that said, this is an incredible book. Because of the criticisms I do have, it isn't a five star for me, but I can very very easily see why it would be for anyone else. It really is incredible. It epitomizes the concept of a "crescendo" novel, starting so quiet and slow and unassuming... but gradually, and so smoothly you don't even notice, ascends into an enveloping symphony of grief and emotion, and then carefully quiets back down. The ending is absolutely beautiful and brilliant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity