madzie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Unfortunately, Hamnet's death even becomes laughable due to the use of an absolutely unrealistic trope which shows O'Farrell's lack of care or research in her novel. The rest of the novel holds up similarly with the overuse of tropes that do not fit the genre and instead make the novel campy. I really was looking for this book to paint Shakespeare's family as people, rather than spectacles, who face a nonsensical tragedy. Instead, O'Farrell's reliance on tropes and leaving Shakespeare nameless do the opposite, making one of the most famous writers even more mysterious and even more magical rather than human. O'Farrell is excellent at depicting grief at the moment but neglects to write about how deeply it continues to affect people over time and how it can rip apart families and relationships, instead relying on surface-level points and exposition. Further, her use of multiple timelines seems senseless as there is no purpose or reveal, and instead makes the novel even more boring and approaching annoying.
The novel's ending demonstrates the potential it failed to reach. Big ideas and feeling attempt to break through, but after nearly 300 pages of not exploring those themes in depth, setting them up, or creating a relationship between the characters and reader, the end makes it seem like the idea would have fit a short story better than a full-length novel. Additionally, the conclusion only draws further attention to how the themes O'Farrell introduces are unfocused. Topics, such as family relations and women in society, seem to be abandoned, with no real exploration into what O'Farrell really wants her audience to reconsider. In the end, O'Farrell's famous novel, while driven by its excellent writing style, fails to deliver on its promises, lacks any purposeful direction, and leaves me longing for any deep feeling.
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Infidelity
bookycnidaria's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
celey's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death of parent, Confinement, Medical content, Gore, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Body horror
Minor: Infidelity, Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Many challenging topics and ideas are explored in this book. It is all done very thoughtfully.loserbook's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Grief, Pregnancy, and Child death
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
maulikki's review
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, and Terminal illness
heyitsashleigh's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
beauvisseau's review against another edition
- 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
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
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Child death, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Animal death, Infidelity, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy
Minor: Classism and Violence
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- 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
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 against another edition
- 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
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