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A review by apfelkistenbuch
Judith und Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
5.0
lives up to the hype, maggie o'farrell is an incredible writer and has created a wonderful, strong main character in agnes.
the family
eldest child susanna is going through puberty and appreciates things being in order; judith is a creative mind that is not interested in academics like her siblings & loves cats; hamnet a clever boy but easily distracted, with a fierce love for his twin.
agnes herself has always been a wild child with vast knowledge of herbs and the human body; just by gripping someone's hand she is able to detect their illnesses and to see their future. her husband (who we realise is william shakespeare, but whose name is not once spelled out in the book) is, like his son, clever, but suffers under his fathers violence. only when he leaves to london can he realise his full potential.
timeline & pacing
o'farrell approaches the eventual loss of hamnet by giving us glimpses into different times, showing backstories to truly understand what lead to this moment.
we see agnes' childhood, the secret love between her and william, their life as a little family when susanna is born, and eventually, agnes' life with the children once william has left for london. we follow hamnet as he runs through town in desperate search of someone to help him treat his ill sister and, unlike him, we know where the members of his family are at that moment, hoping, praying he will find them before it's too late.
the glimpses into the past are not at all distracting and help to really get to know the characters.
language
beautifully written und wunderschön übersetzt in der deutschen fassung. what else is there to say <33
the family
eldest child susanna is going through puberty and appreciates things being in order; judith is a creative mind that is not interested in academics like her siblings & loves cats; hamnet a clever boy but easily distracted, with a fierce love for his twin.
agnes herself has always been a wild child with vast knowledge of herbs and the human body; just by gripping someone's hand she is able to detect their illnesses and to see their future. her husband (who we realise is william shakespeare, but whose name is not once spelled out in the book) is, like his son, clever, but suffers under his fathers violence. only when he leaves to london can he realise his full potential.
timeline & pacing
o'farrell approaches the eventual loss of hamnet by giving us glimpses into different times, showing backstories to truly understand what lead to this moment.
we see agnes' childhood, the secret love between her and william, their life as a little family when susanna is born, and eventually, agnes' life with the children once william has left for london. we follow hamnet as he runs through town in desperate search of someone to help him treat his ill sister and, unlike him, we know where the members of his family are at that moment, hoping, praying he will find them before it's too late.
the glimpses into the past are not at all distracting and help to really get to know the characters.
language
beautifully written und wunderschön übersetzt in der deutschen fassung. what else is there to say <33