Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

20 reviews

abbyarm's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Chronic illness

bookycnidaria's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

jillyrose's review

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Grief

Moderate: Grief, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, and Infidelity

aj_langley'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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse and Chronic illness

bookmark3brodi's review

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

seanml's review against another edition

informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I'd never read Maggie O'Farrell before this. Her prose is immaculate. For a book with so many quiet moments, her fluidity perfectly captures the wandering  mind and all of its hiccups and shortcomings. The lack of formal acknowledgement of Shakespeare allows the audience to focus on the principal characters until it matters most. That's all; wonderfully written. 8.5/10.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness and Infidelity

Minor: Alcohol and Miscarriage

dorsetreader's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, and Grief

lldavey's review

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? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

moonybombadil's review

emotional inspiring 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Violence and Child abuse

jenny_wren's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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? No

4.0

This is a lovely book but it's just so sad! It speculates on the origin of William Shakespeare's Hamlet based on the very little known about his family. Its written with a dual timeline which explores the early days of marriage and then the later years as parents to young children- Hamnet being one of them. 

I enjoyed this story but found it a difficult read. It's sad- heartbreaking actually but is sensitively written and pulls on the heartstrings! Set in the late 1500's it feels authentic. You can imagine what life was like then, and how hard it was. This is a boom that will stay with me for a long time. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy