Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

125 reviews

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

This book deserves all its praise. Maggie O’Farrell manages to use the true life of the Hathaways/Shakespeares to craft a beautiful tale of love, grief, mourning, connection, potential, and remembrances. Her prose rolls ever forward like a cool stream, turning over every rock in its path but still brimming with energy and momentum. Simultaneously both one of easiest flowing reads I’ve encountered, and one of the most heart-wrenching. A rewarding read I think I’ll be returning to frequently, and a great way to close out my year.
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iris3271's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense 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? No

3.75

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amystainton's review against another edition

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dark emotional lighthearted relaxing 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? No

5.0

Wow! Made me cry and feel nostalgic for a time I didn’t exist. Reading this in london was something else. Loved it!
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fanchera's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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jsingh's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

O'Farrell is a good writer. Her metaphors range from good to great. I appreciated this book for the most part. I think O'Farrell has a lot of potential and room to grow. I believe this book could have added suspense and intrigue by playing with the order of its scenes and minimizing the number of perspectives shown; it felt like too many. I think a focus on Agnes, Judith, and Hamnet would have been sufficient. Also, while I believe the book dragged its feet at times, the ending blew me away!
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baruss666's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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renshapedfriend's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book has a very interesting tone in that it feels detached and stilted on purpose but also very intimate at times. Its pace forced me to slow down, which I’m not sure I like, but I didn’t hate. This is a tender story about ordinary magic, love, family, loss, and storytelling. The ending is fantastic.
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xlutiff's review against another edition

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2.0

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clea's review against another edition

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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

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