Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
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Hamnet is Maggie O’Farrell’s interpretation of the parts of Shakespeare’s life that the history books unfortunately cannot provide to us. Not only does this book take a deep dive into Shakespeare’s marriage and family life, but also the death of his son and how this loss inspired him to write one of his most famous plays, Hamlet. 

This is one of those books that is entirely characterization and not much plot, which I personally adore! With that being said, this narrative is incredible. I really loved that Shakespeare remains unnamed in the story; instead, it focuses more on his wife Agnes, how they met, the evolution of their marriage, and Agnes’ role in the family. 

Hamnet is an incredible dialogue on grief, and Maggie O’Farrell’s commitment to depicting the different forms of grief is so appreciated. Of course, the main grief discussed in Hamnet is child loss and how this affects parents and siblings as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives. In addition to this, the grief of the past, of the future, of hopes/dreams, and of motherhood are also chronicled in this story. Not only are these examples of grief realistic, but they are also heartbreaking. 

There were also mystical elements mixed into the story, which added a lot of depth and emotion that maybe would have lacked due to unknown historical facts surrounding Shakespeare’s life and relationships. Agnes’ abilities in particular were interesting and I really enjoyed those parts of her character. 

As the cover of this book mentions, Hamnet is a plague story, focusing on the Bubonic Plague in particular. Maggie O’Farrell was able to paint a very real and disturbing version of the Bubonic Plague without being gory or disrespectful to its victims. She was able to use the plague almost like an additional character, and the finesse with which she did it shows the talent she possesses. 

Overall, if you enjoy historical fiction, this isn’t just a recommendation - this is a must read for you! It very quickly became one of my favorite books this year! It really is incredible. As someone who has lost a sibling, this story really hit me. I loved it.