A review by louvs
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

went in expecting a story about shakespeare’s son but ended up absolutely loving the story of his wife - for me agnes was the absolute star, her characterisation was so brilliant: i loved her old english folklore- witch-esque aura, the portrayal of her motherhood, the story of her relationship to her family and children and husband. i loved the world-building of agnes’ world too, an immersive sixteenth century stratford! but everything else was definitely secondary to her though - i honestly wanted to get more from the shakespearean context but that’s more a fault of my expectations rather than the novel itself, because ultimately it wasn’t about him or his plays. and i’m such a sucker for beautiful prose too but even for me certain parts felt a little overwritten - but still, a very beautiful, tragic, enjoyable read