Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

11 reviews

theladyelizabeth's review

emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny and Child abuse

sarahholliday's review against another edition

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

4.25

A truly beautifully written story of love, grief, and how we all experience the two in different ways. This is a slow-moving story focused on emotional development, so if you're looking for a plot-driven story this won't be the one for you.

But if you like the idea of pulling back the curtain on a historical time and place to catch a glimpse of what life might've been like, you'll love Hamnet. I appreciated that the story revolves around Shakespeare, but that the famed playwright is a supporting character, largely absent from the story. His rise to fame is put in the context of the demands of everyday life for his wife and family.

Agnes is amazing and I loved her and would fight dragons for her. If you love a wild, do-what-she-wants protagonist, you're gonna fall pretty hard for her.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Child death, and Death

katsnow14's review

dark 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

amymcphrsn's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death

Minor: Misogyny

helena_sp_07's review against another edition

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

---

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

have_a_doris_day's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Infidelity and Misogyny

alomie's review

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. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death

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

lindseyhall44's review

emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

My second five star read of 2022! This book was phenomenal, and I 100% understand why it won the woman’s prize for fiction two years ago. The writing is lyrical and the character arcs are well rounded. Hamnet, by Maggie O’Farrell, is the story of Shakespeare’s son, who died at a young age from unrecorded causes (this author speculates the plague). Although Hamnet is the namesake of this novel, a majority of it follows his mother Agnes, (also knows as Anne Hathaway) throughout her experiences with  marriage, womanhood, and the loss of a child. Her other children and Shakespeare themselves receive perspectives as well, but we really dive deep into the complexities of Agnes. She is often overshadowed in history by the title of “wife,” and I was glad to see her receive the spotlight. 
The grief portrayed in the Shakespeare family was gutrenching, so much to the point where the emotions seemed to jump off the page. It was sad but healing, and I’m definitely considering trying more Shakespearean works. Hamnet is incredibly slow placed, therefore I wouldn’t recommend if you need action and a plot focus. But for all my literary fiction friends, pick this up wherever you access books:) 
*Some events in this book are fictionalized, fyi.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Classism and Injury/Injury detail

lkbooks's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

Minor: Infidelity and Misogyny

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

Minor: Dementia and Slavery