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A review by samsweebooknook
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
5.0
Set in 1596 and inspired by the short life of Shakespeare's son who died at the tender age of 11, Hamnet is the story of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.
I've had this one on my shelf for the longest time but kept putting off reading it. I'm very much a mood reader and knew this one would be a harder hitting story emotionally than many of my current reads. However it's one I really wanted to read by the end of the year and I'm so glad I did.
It was a slow burn for me, and it was only about halfway through that I really felt fully invested into the lives of Agnes and her children, but it was well worth the build up.
The prose is stunning. The almost rhythmic writing transported me back to the 16th centuary with ease. It's an emotional read and hard hitting at times but done sensitively and respectfully. The chapters covering Hamnet's death and the period of grief and mourning afterwards felt so raw and authentic that I had tears in my eyes.
Strangely, there was a hint of magical realism in the storyline and while it didn't feel totally out of place, I did wonder about the purpose of it and if it was really necessary to the story. That aside, this is devastatingly beautiful. A touching and moving story that will be up in my list of favourites at the end of the year.
I've had this one on my shelf for the longest time but kept putting off reading it. I'm very much a mood reader and knew this one would be a harder hitting story emotionally than many of my current reads. However it's one I really wanted to read by the end of the year and I'm so glad I did.
It was a slow burn for me, and it was only about halfway through that I really felt fully invested into the lives of Agnes and her children, but it was well worth the build up.
The prose is stunning. The almost rhythmic writing transported me back to the 16th centuary with ease. It's an emotional read and hard hitting at times but done sensitively and respectfully. The chapters covering Hamnet's death and the period of grief and mourning afterwards felt so raw and authentic that I had tears in my eyes.
Strangely, there was a hint of magical realism in the storyline and while it didn't feel totally out of place, I did wonder about the purpose of it and if it was really necessary to the story. That aside, this is devastatingly beautiful. A touching and moving story that will be up in my list of favourites at the end of the year.