Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Hamnet

Am Anfang habe ich die ganze Zeit darauf gewartet, dass das Kind endlich stirbt, damit die Geschichte losgehen kann. Irgendwann habe ich mich dann aber in der tollen Sprache und immersiven Geschichte verloren und war einfach glücklich dabei zu sein. Maggie O'Farrell beherrscht die Mythenmetzsche Abschweifung in Perfektion. Aber dadurch zieht sie die Lesenden auch mit, immer tiefer in die Geschichte hinein. Alles ist so lebhaft beschrieben und so gut mitzufühlen, dass es schwerfällt, das Buch aus der Hand zu legen.

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tashaa_t's review against another edition

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dark 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? It's complicated

3.25

As much as I found the writing style extremely beautiful, I didn't find the plot particularly interesting. I enjoyed the characters and their relationships with one another, and how they grow and change through the tragedy but it did feel like not a lot really happened. I would have liked to know more about Hamnet, I feel his death did not really hit as hard as it could have as we hardly know him before this happens. The book is definitely more about his mother Agnes.

I would be interested in reading more by Maggie O'Farrell after this, as I did really enjoy the way she writes.

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nehaanna's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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laurajordensharris's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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squintyfarmer's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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ashleyfayewall's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

Gorgeous. I wanted to read this so much slower but I couldn’t. Her writing is phenomenal.

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midwifereading's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Everything about this book feels real. Shakespeare is never once mentioned by name, and that's because he's not the center of this story. Instead, we find Agnes, his wife, at the center. Everything revolves around her--an intelligent, intuitive, and strong healer and mother who could not save her son.

Hamnet is a book about grief. Especially the grief of losing a child. It's very human, very rich, and very poetic. There's a dreamlike quality to it that suits the story, and it should be ready on a gloomy, rainy day.

O'Farrell paints a vivid picture of both the characters and the setting. The book has a strong sense of place and time, and the setting is almost a character itself. In addition, each character stands out as a richly colored portrait with depth and color and feeling. I found myself utterly lost in the pages.

I loved it.

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