A review by bklassen
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

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

5.0

 

I often complain about too many details bogging down a scene. Not every scene in a book needs to go through the step by step process of making a tuna casserole or unlocking your phone. 

And yet, Hamnet contains a myriad of scenes filled to the brim with seemingly extraneous details, about what characters do, what rooms look like, what a character is feeling, etc. Somehow, it works. It could be that this is the type of book to do this. 

It’s a testament to the author that she was able to paint these rich scenes of living in 1600s England and both the beauty and foulness of that time period, that place. Her characters are so fleshed out and yet somehow ethereal, and the slow (not a bad thing – we’ll get to that) pace of the story lends itself to the numerous details sprinkled throughout the book that you feel like you’re there. 

When I say slow pace, many people may roll their eyes or say retort that they don’t like slow books. I agree that it’s not always easy to get into the mindset of a slow book, especially if you’re not in the mood, but if you can, Hamnet is well worth the price of admission. Because though it isn’t fast paced, as you wouldn’t expect Elizabethan England to be, there are so many layered scenes with character studies, foreshadowing, complex relationships, and even some light supernatural elements. The author wants you to slow down and absorb this world, much like a director slowly panning over a scene. Smell the roses. Take a breath. Soak it in. 

Her prose is quite stunning and her characters so gorgeously written that you can’t help but empathize with most of them, even if you don’t agree with them. You see both their good and bad sides. You see the story come together in a way that feels like a Shakespearean play – how apt. 

I thought it a fascinating and yet well done decision to never mention Shakespeare by name, even if he is a main character. It takes the focus from him, a man who is already so famous and venerated that he would take over the whole book if the author let him. However, O’Farrell omits his name and thus you can actually see and know the other characters in the book, mainly his wife, Agnes. Although his children get parts, as well as Shakespeare’s parents and some of Agnes’ family. 

I feel like Madeline Miller fans would love this book, because her writing and character portrayal feels quite similar to O’Farrell’s, even if not the same.