lou's library

I love Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. It’s the book that kickstarted my love for this author when I first read it three years ago. So, when I heard that there was a movie adaptation in the works and that Mr. Shakespeare would be played by the one and only Mr. Mescal, I might have screamed. Dreams do come true, folks. Now, I have yet to see the movie because at the time of writing this it has not yet been released where I live, but you best believe I will be in the cinema the moment that movie hits the screens. Of course, in order to adequately prepare myself for this momentous occasion, I had no choice but to read Hamnet again.

If you know me, you know that my memory is pretty much nonexistent when it comes to the plot of books and movies I have consumed in the past. Ask me about the name of the protagonist of a book I adored when I read it a month ago and I will look at you with pure desperation in my eyes. All I usually remember is the general vibe of the book / movie and how it made me feel. While this can sometimes be annoying, it’s also nice because I can reread books and genuinely be surprised by its plot twists all over again. But before rereading Hamnet, I was a little worried it might not hold up, because I did remember loving it a lot.

Turns out, I need not have worried: I enjoyed it even more upon revisiting it!! In case you’re not familiar with its premise: The book is set in Stratford upon Avon during Shakespeare’s times and centres on his family, even though his name is mentioned not once in the entire book. It focuses less on the playwright himself and much more on his wife Agnes, and his children Susanna, Hamnet and Judith (the latter two are twins). We witness Judith get incredibly ill, and these moments are interspersed with flashbacks to how her parents met, fell in love and married. More happens as the story progresses, but that’s all you need to know to get a general idea.

What drew me to Hamnet the first time around was the incredible premise: I had never read a fictionalised account of Shakespeare’s family life and found the idea intriguing. We famously know very little about his actual life, which I have always found fascinating given the impact his work had and continues to have on the world. And in my opinion, Maggie O’Farrell has done an outstanding job of taking what we do know and interweave it with what she imagines his family life might have been like.

I think Hamnet only works because of Maggie O’Farrell’s incredible prose. A less skilled writer could not have pulled this off, because with Shakespeare, words matter. She rises to the task and tells this story with so much tenderness and beauty and while the first time I read it, I raced through the book because I so desperately wanted to know what would happen, this time around I took my time with it and soaked up every line. Hamnet is a book that rewards drinking in the details, and letting yourself be taken into this wild, beautiful, tragic world.

Something else I noticed during my reread was that I felt I had a better understanding of the characters, and not just of the central ones, but for example of Susanna, the eldest daughter who only plays a liminal role but at the same time holds the key to a lot of the questions a reader might have about the family dynamics at play here. I gained a newfound admiration for Maggie O’Farrell’s skilful characterisations and how they all play a part in the central narrative and make this story truly come together.

I also think the author deserves praise for portraying Agnes, the wife of the world’s greatest playwright (a reputation he was to gain after his lifetime, but he still was massively successful during it), as a headstrong and fierce woman unwilling to bend to anyone else’s will. She has a unique connection to nature and healing and the gift to see right into people’s soul and in my opinion, there is so much dignity in telling her and her children’s story, albeit a fictionalised one.

If you’ve heard anything about this book in relation to the movie release, you’ve probably heard a lot of people say how devastating a read / watch it is. I can’t speak for the movie yet, but yes, this is a very sad book. I personally love sad books, but I get that this is a personal preference, so if you’re currently not in the right headspace for that or do not want to read about loss or grief, then I think it’s best to skip Hamnet.

These are my thoughts on Hamnet, after having read it for the second time! Do let me know your thoughts if you’ve read it or seen the movie. Happy reading!