Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Hamnet, by Maggie O'Farrell

24 reviews

loserbook's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I was relatively nervous about starting this book; everyone had told me wonders about it and the idea that it would disappoint made me hesitant. However, it was not at all. This beautifully written novel on grief and motherhood has become one of my favorite books already. Its lyricism and sentimentalism style pulled me and prevented me from dropping the book at any point, always wanted to know how the current chapter would end just to continue another timeline's story in the next one... The alternating eras, that go from Hamnet's last days to his mother Agnes' younger years and the beginning of her marriage, creates an addictive loop that will make you want to see the mysterious characters' lives without missing a detail.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Child death

Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

maulikki's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Hamnet was a very special read. The language used throughout the book is mesmerising in how rich it is. It took me weeks to get into the storytelling way of the book, but once I got it, it was an impactful read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness

heyitsashleigh's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

beauvisseau's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

The prose is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are intricate and the plot is heartbreaking. One of the best audiobooks I have listened to. How the author managed to put the women in Shakespeare's life at the forefront, not even naming him, was amazing. The magical realism that the writer implemented was charming and fun. The jumps in time made me want to keep on reading, just like the great variation in chapter lengths did. A great representation of 'normal' lives with thematically intricate stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Medical content, Gore, Emotional abuse, Child death, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Sexism, Animal death, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Infidelity

niaaaaa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Minor: Classism and Violence

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Death, Child death, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Infidelity, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

helena_sp_07's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Violence, and Blood

paperbirds's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

ntvenessa's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

A moving fictionalisation of Hamnet Shakespeare's life and death, and the grief that haunts his family, particularly, his mother. It is atmospheric and O'Farrell is incredibly skilled to breathe life into the scant historical details that survive today.

"I am dead:
Thou livest;
... draw thy breath in pain,
To tell my story"
Hamlet, Act V, Scene II

Stunning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Miscarriage, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Infertility, Classism, and Infidelity

alomie's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book had some really beautiful moments, and I especially liked the chapter about the flea that travels across oceans and brings the plauge with it.

Otherwise the book was okay, I was bored and ready for it to be over by the end of the book, nothing particularly wrong with it but I could have just done with less of it, by the end I was rushing through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Child abuse