clea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Child death, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Medical content, and Infidelity
_maia3_'s review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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? It's complicated
3.25
I have very mixed feelings about this novel.
On one hand, despite what many have said, I actually enjoyed the flowery prose (even if the plot did move slowly from time to time), and the drama of the novel is well-developed. It's definitely a vibes-over-plot book, but I don't tend to mind that, and enjoyed the small historical details the novel had to offer. The flashbacks in the first half are well-executed and tension is kept measured throughout. O'Farrell writes poignantly on love and grief, especially the effects it has on different people.
On the other, I was and still am very conflicted about the fictionalisation of real people, especially when they are as 1) iconic and 2) scant with historical evidence as Anna Hathaway, her children, and William Shakespeare. The ending was the worst offender I feel, as even though the story wrapped up satisfyingly, it felt lukewarm given the knowledge that most of us have going into the novel - this is Shakespeare. Named or not, this novel exists as a comment on his legacy somehow, and I don't know how to marry it with my enjoyment of the novel.
That is to say however that I did, in fact, enjoy the novel - a lot of these are personal gripes that will probably not impact others. This is a good piece of historical fiction that I would happily recommend, but not for those who are looking for anything concrete or definitive on the Shakespeares, as, as O'Farrell herself puts it, the novel is a product of her own "idle speculation".
On one hand, despite what many have said, I actually enjoyed the flowery prose (even if the plot did move slowly from time to time), and the drama of the novel is well-developed. It's definitely a vibes-over-plot book, but I don't tend to mind that, and enjoyed the small historical details the novel had to offer. The flashbacks in the first half are well-executed and tension is kept measured throughout. O'Farrell writes poignantly on love and grief, especially the effects it has on different people.
On the other, I was and still am very conflicted about the fictionalisation of real people, especially when they are as 1) iconic and 2) scant with historical evidence as Anna Hathaway, her children, and William Shakespeare. The ending was the worst offender I feel, as even though the story wrapped up satisfyingly, it felt lukewarm given the knowledge that most of us have going into the novel - this is Shakespeare. Named or not, this novel exists as a comment on his legacy somehow, and I don't know how to marry it with my enjoyment of the novel.
That is to say however that I did, in fact, enjoy the novel - a lot of these are personal gripes that will probably not impact others. This is a good piece of historical fiction that I would happily recommend, but not for those who are looking for anything concrete or definitive on the Shakespeares, as, as O'Farrell herself puts it, the novel is a product of her own "idle speculation".
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Grief
Moderate: Child abuse and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Animal death
eam006's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Grief
Minor: Infidelity
lizzym126's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Grief, and Child death
Moderate: Medical content, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Infidelity
felijhn's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Child death
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Animal cruelty
madzie's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
O'Farrell offers an enticing idea about the life of Shakespeare's family and the death of his only son but falls short of the execution of her idea. Certainly, it cannot be argued that O'Farrell has a command of prose with vivid descriptions and creative language. However, her writing style cannot save the lack of a through point in the novel that leaves it mind-numbingly dull. Novels with little to no plot succeed with their interesting and relatable characters. Therefore, due to O'Farrell's characters being undeveloped and uninteresting, with a lack of exploratory and meaningful relationships with each other, the entire novel becomes a bore. In fact, the climax of Hamnet's death (not a spoiler) is hardly impactful because I have little care for any of the characters or their relationships with one another.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
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
celey's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-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
Incredible. The writing positively shimmers. The emotional journeys are raw and real. A slight element of supernatural forces kept me guessing. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.
Content Warnings
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.daniellekat's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
The writing was too much…too descriptive, too elaborate, too boring. I wished I enjoyed this more but it was a tough one to get through. The author is a talented writer but the power and emotion of the prose was lost for me because every sentence held so much detail. Overall the story was compelling and the author told it through an interesting lens but this was not for me. I can understand the draw and attention this has gotten but if lyrically written character books are not your thing, skip this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Bullying and Sexism
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Birth/labour Plaguejillyrose'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
c_serpent's review
emotional
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
This is a novel about grief and loss and absence. It is not about Hamnet so much as it is about his mother, Agnes.
It is beautiful. It is beautiful. It is beautiful.
Total score: 5/5 stars
It is beautiful. It is beautiful. It is beautiful.
Total score: 5/5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content