A review by emmacb
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

emotional reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

This book was on its way to a lower rating to be honest. It's not that it isn't beautifully written, so much as that it feels like the description/writing style is more the point than the story at times. I liked the flashback/forward style of the chapters but also found it frustrating... I don't know, maybe at first this book was at the wrong time/mood for me?

However. I don't think it's a real spoiler to say that this book contains
a death
. It's literally in the blurb.
The second part of the book where Agnes and her family were dealing with the death hit me a lot harder, possibly because I've had some of that of my own to deal with recently. I'd have liked to read more of the conversation between Agnes and her husband (also a bit funny how much the book skirted round the fact that he's literally SHAKESPEARE) after she saw the play. Her thoughts were explained, and her perspective if his thoughts and she is the main narrator I guess, but that's got to have been an interesting conversation, and it felt like a shame to miss it!
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