I hated Hamlet, the famous play by William Shakespeare. But, I adored HamNet, the novel by Maggie O’Farrell.
This work of historical fiction has been on my TBR list for a little while, but because of the title, I was reluctant to dive in. Luckily, a friend reassured me that the novel Hamnet has very little to do with Hamlet, and then told me I should read it because it’s wonderful.
My friend was right.
What’s Hamnet about?
Hamnet’s ever-so-loosely based on the life of William Shakespeare and his family. Much of what author O’Farrell creates is speculation: Shakespeare did have a son named Hamnet, who died at a very young age, but there’s no record about his cause of death. A few years later, Hamlet started gracing the Globe Theatre stage.
Interestingly enough, Hamnet really isn’t about Shakespeare. In fact, the famous playwright’s never mentioned by name in the story, which I really liked. We’re meant to infer who he is from his family, and then later realizing who he’s become once he’s left Stratford to pursue a career in London.
This beautiful novel is largely about Agnes, who was Shakespeare’s wife and is more commonly known as Anne. We see most things happening from her point of view. She’s at the center of the story: we see how she and her husband met; how they handle the Black Death intruding upon their family; and how they all deal with the aftermath of losing one of their children.
What I loved about Hamnet
I loved pretty much everything about Hamnet. O’Farrell’s clear, masterful prose is easy to understand and beautiful to read, and the story is evocative, sensory-driven, and heart-rending. Just let yourself fall into the world where Agnes and her family live. Let yourself get lost in this one.
Hamnet is so many things: a poignant study of motherhood, of childhood. A brutal commentary on the depths of grief. An honest portrayal of marriage and family, of parents and children, and the happiness that lies – or doesn’t – in between them all.
There’s a lot about the Bubonic Plague in Hamnet, too. (Year of Wonders fans, take note!) You’d think that after the past three years and after reading The Pull of the Stars, that I’d be so over pandemic novels.
Nope, you’d be wrong. The Medieval Studies minor in me will never be able to read enough about the Black Death that ravaged the world for centuries. But, considering I co-host a dark book podcast, are we really surprised?
Should you read Hamnet?
If you’re a lover of historical fiction, Hamnet is a must-read. If you have a particular interest in the Black Death (like meeeeeee!), then you’ll definitely want to read this novel. And, since Agnes is an apothecary and has a bit of “the sight,” this story will satisfy the magical realism fans out there, too.
Now, for those of you still on the fence because a) you share my burning hatred of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, or b) you have PTSD from trying to analyze Shakespeare’s plays in high school, fear not: reading Hamnet is nothing like reading Shakespeare. There’s no iambic pentameter, and the connection to the play Hamlet is very minor.
My book-inspired recipe for Hamnet
Be sure to check back in for my book-inspired recipe for Hamnet: Savory Thyme and Caraway Biscuits.
