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A review by welkinvault
Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O'Farrell
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
This is a reimagining of the life of Shakespeare’s marriage and children, especially his twins. But the main character, the beating heart of the book, is the twins’ mother Agnes. The most famous character in the novel is never named, instead he is called the Latin tutor or her husband or the father.
This novel has so much detail as though the author had lived the every day domestic life of this family. In a small parochial town, Agnes is unconventional, and has a mystical spirituality.
It is an absolutely lyrical albeit tragic novel, and as an exploration of grief during plague it is wrenching but also timely in these pandemic times.
One thing, apparently in the UK this was called Hamnet. Judith IMO is an insubstantial will-o'-the-wisp character, compared to her sister, it should not have been renamed for the North American readership.
This novel has so much detail as though the author had lived the every day domestic life of this family. In a small parochial town, Agnes is unconventional, and has a mystical spirituality.
It is an absolutely lyrical albeit tragic novel, and as an exploration of grief during plague it is wrenching but also timely in these pandemic times.
One thing, apparently in the UK this was called Hamnet. Judith IMO is an insubstantial will-o'-the-wisp character, compared to her sister, it should not have been renamed for the North American readership.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Confinement