Scan barcode
A review by thebakerbookworm
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm so glad I finally read this one!! It wasn't what I was expecting...but was somehow better than what I was expecting.
That being said, I don't think this book is for everyone. There's a lot of descriptive writing and "flowery" language, the plot moves very slowly, the omniscient POV bounces from person to person—if that's not your thing, you'll probably get annoyed and frustrated with this story. But I found myself captivated by the language and fully immersed into the setting the author was describing. From the beginning, you know where this story is going, you know what's going to happen, there are no surprises, and yet...you are right there with this family, on the edge of your seat, waiting to see how they react, what they will say, how they will feel. I don't know what it was about this book that grabbed me so. If I described the characters to you, none of them would be unique; maybe the most interesting thing about them is that the name William Shakespeare never appears in the story, as if, though he is the most famous person of his family, he takes a backseat here to the rest of them, so their emotions and actions can carry more weight. And yet, for the last half of this book, I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to tell you to read it because, like I said above, I don't think it's for everyone. But if you're fascinated by the Shakespeare family, if you like being grabbed by a mysterious element in a book, if any of the above appealed to you, if you're also obsessed by this cover—don't hesitate to read this book.
That being said, I don't think this book is for everyone. There's a lot of descriptive writing and "flowery" language, the plot moves very slowly, the omniscient POV bounces from person to person—if that's not your thing, you'll probably get annoyed and frustrated with this story. But I found myself captivated by the language and fully immersed into the setting the author was describing. From the beginning, you know where this story is going, you know what's going to happen, there are no surprises, and yet...you are right there with this family, on the edge of your seat, waiting to see how they react, what they will say, how they will feel. I don't know what it was about this book that grabbed me so. If I described the characters to you, none of them would be unique; maybe the most interesting thing about them is that the name William Shakespeare never appears in the story, as if, though he is the most famous person of his family, he takes a backseat here to the rest of them, so their emotions and actions can carry more weight. And yet, for the last half of this book, I couldn't put it down.
I'm not going to tell you to read it because, like I said above, I don't think it's for everyone. But if you're fascinated by the Shakespeare family, if you like being grabbed by a mysterious element in a book, if any of the above appealed to you, if you're also obsessed by this cover—don't hesitate to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content