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A review by aileen_macalister
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
A truly magical reading experience, I struggled to put it down. Maggie O'Farrell writes beautifully which comes as no suprise considering how highly regarded she is. This is my first of her books and I am 100% sold!
I was immediately attached to the characters in this book and found myself speed reading my way through their life just to know them better. I loved the choice never to call Shakespeare by name giving autonomy to the family he left behind in the English countryside. I also lived how the book exists it two halves and the point at which is divided and the choice to remove chapter separations is just a perfect reflection of how grief impacts the people left behind.
Highly recommend for anyone with an interest in historical fiction, magic in the sense of women and nature and the retelling of Shakespeare's life from another point of view 🌿
I was immediately attached to the characters in this book and found myself speed reading my way through their life just to know them better. I loved the choice never to call Shakespeare by name giving autonomy to the family he left behind in the English countryside. I also lived how the book exists it two halves and the point at which is divided and the choice to remove chapter separations is just a perfect reflection of how grief impacts the people left behind.
Highly recommend for anyone with an interest in historical fiction, magic in the sense of women and nature and the retelling of Shakespeare's life from another point of view 🌿
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Death