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A review by christinefolan
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
5.0
I finished this book in less than 24 hours because it absolutely wrecked me.
Though I realize its style may be a turn off for some, I felt it more like the uninterrupted train of thought of family members who are dealing with a common theme: grief. In order for the various manifestations of it to be present and felt so viscerally, everything else needed to be quiet. There is is little dialogue to distract us. It’s like looking at a painting from a distance, seeing swirls of colour, only to be punched by individual, beautiful details upon closer inspection.
The grief of Agnes and her husband, who remains poignantly unnamed, gutted me. I don’t remember the last time a book made me cry so much.
This book brought me through a cathartic experience I seldom get from books anymore and I recommend it to anyone willing to be patient and let the story happen to them; someone happy to sit back and simply feel.
Though I realize its style may be a turn off for some, I felt it more like the uninterrupted train of thought of family members who are dealing with a common theme: grief. In order for the various manifestations of it to be present and felt so viscerally, everything else needed to be quiet. There is is little dialogue to distract us. It’s like looking at a painting from a distance, seeing swirls of colour, only to be punched by individual, beautiful details upon closer inspection.
The grief of Agnes and her husband, who remains poignantly unnamed, gutted me. I don’t remember the last time a book made me cry so much.
This book brought me through a cathartic experience I seldom get from books anymore and I recommend it to anyone willing to be patient and let the story happen to them; someone happy to sit back and simply feel.