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Matt's Summary
Hamnet is a richly imagined historical novel that is set in England during the late 16th century. It offers a vivid portrait of the people and places of the time, as well as a moving exploration of grief, love, and family.
At the heart of the novel is the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes (also known as Anne). Despite the differences in their backgrounds and temperaments, they fall deeply in love, and eventually marry.
Their marriage is passionate, but not without its challenges. Agnes is a free-spirited woman who is often misunderstood and feared by those around her, due to her unconventional behaviour and knowledge of herbal medicine. Shakespeare, on the other hand, is a driven and ambitious artist who spends much of his time away from home, pursuing his career in London.
The novel takes a tragic turn when the couple's young son, Hamnet, falls ill and dies. This event shakes them to the core, and the rest of the novel deals with the aftermath of their loss. O'Farrell weaves together the past and present, exploring the lives of the Shakespeare family and the way they cope with their grief. She also delves into the creative process behind one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Hamlet, and the possible inspiration he may have drawn from his son's death.
Hamnet is a deeply moving and intimate portrait of a family in grief. It is a novel that explores the ways in which grief can transform and reshape the lives of those who experience it.
The novel opens with a depiction of a young boy, who is revealed to be Hamnet, the son of William and Agnes. Hamnet is a lively and curious child, but he is often left alone while his father is away working in London and his mother is busy with her duties around the home.
When first Judith and then Hamnet falls ill with the bubonic plague, the family is thrown into chaos. Agnes does everything she can to save her son, using her knowledge of herbal remedies to try to cure him. But Hamnet's condition worsens, and he dies before William can return home to say goodbye. The grief that Agnes feels is overwhelming, and she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved son.
The novel explores the past and present of the Shakespeare family, painting a vivid picture of life in 16th century England. We see the daily domestic routines of the family, as well as the workings of the playhouses and of society of the time.
As the novel progresses, we see Agnes begin to find ways to cope with her grief. She turns to her knowledge of herbal medicine, using it to help others in the community who are suffering.
The final section of the novel depicts the journey to London that Agnes takes with Bartholomew after seeing the playbill bearing the name of her son. The novel ends with her arrival at the playhouse and witnessing the play being performed and her responses to that experience. I found this to be one of the most absorbing sequences, as well as the part where Agnes is laying out her son.
I particularly liked the way in which the novel is written from Agnes’ perspective and places women at the centre of the narrative.
I found this to be a moving account of love, loss, and the ways in which grief can transform.
After visiting Stratford in February 2022, taking a guided tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace, visiting the church and so on I was able to see where Maggie O'Farrell got a lot of her inspiration.
However from reading Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare I am aware of how little is actually known of the details about his life, family and circumstances. So that backdrop took away some of the effect of the book for me as much is conjecture.
However as far as historical fiction goes I would say this is an accessible and relevant example, especially in the context of the pandemic when the book first appeared.
Some Comments from our discussion
Hamnet is a richly imagined historical novel that is set in England during the late 16th century. It offers a vivid portrait of the people and places of the time, as well as a moving exploration of grief, love, and family.
At the heart of the novel is the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes (also known as Anne). Despite the differences in their backgrounds and temperaments, they fall deeply in love, and eventually marry.
Their marriage is passionate, but not without its challenges. Agnes is a free-spirited woman who is often misunderstood and feared by those around her, due to her unconventional behaviour and knowledge of herbal medicine. Shakespeare, on the other hand, is a driven and ambitious artist who spends much of his time away from home, pursuing his career in London.
The novel takes a tragic turn when the couple's young son, Hamnet, falls ill and dies. This event shakes them to the core, and the rest of the novel deals with the aftermath of their loss. O'Farrell weaves together the past and present, exploring the lives of the Shakespeare family and the way they cope with their grief. She also delves into the creative process behind one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, Hamlet, and the possible inspiration he may have drawn from his son's death.
Hamnet is a deeply moving and intimate portrait of a family in grief. It is a novel that explores the ways in which grief can transform and reshape the lives of those who experience it.
The novel opens with a depiction of a young boy, who is revealed to be Hamnet, the son of William and Agnes. Hamnet is a lively and curious child, but he is often left alone while his father is away working in London and his mother is busy with her duties around the home.
When first Judith and then Hamnet falls ill with the bubonic plague, the family is thrown into chaos. Agnes does everything she can to save her son, using her knowledge of herbal remedies to try to cure him. But Hamnet's condition worsens, and he dies before William can return home to say goodbye. The grief that Agnes feels is overwhelming, and she struggles to come to terms with the loss of her beloved son.
The novel explores the past and present of the Shakespeare family, painting a vivid picture of life in 16th century England. We see the daily domestic routines of the family, as well as the workings of the playhouses and of society of the time.
As the novel progresses, we see Agnes begin to find ways to cope with her grief. She turns to her knowledge of herbal medicine, using it to help others in the community who are suffering.
The final section of the novel depicts the journey to London that Agnes takes with Bartholomew after seeing the playbill bearing the name of her son. The novel ends with her arrival at the playhouse and witnessing the play being performed and her responses to that experience. I found this to be one of the most absorbing sequences, as well as the part where Agnes is laying out her son.
I particularly liked the way in which the novel is written from Agnes’ perspective and places women at the centre of the narrative.
I found this to be a moving account of love, loss, and the ways in which grief can transform.
After visiting Stratford in February 2022, taking a guided tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace, visiting the church and so on I was able to see where Maggie O'Farrell got a lot of her inspiration.
However from reading Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare I am aware of how little is actually known of the details about his life, family and circumstances. So that backdrop took away some of the effect of the book for me as much is conjecture.
However as far as historical fiction goes I would say this is an accessible and relevant example, especially in the context of the pandemic when the book first appeared.
Some Comments from our discussion
- Thought the last chapter was the best where we had the connection between Hamnet and Hamlet which explored how Shakespeare dealt with his grief over the loss of his son.
- So much written about so little
- Very good exploration of grief
- Couldn't imagine Agnes being the person depicted
- Ver clever in the way it was constructed
- Knowing the Stratford area it felt very authentic
- When you lose a child you go mad. Nothing changes. Very well written book.
- Didn't feel a sense of pplace. Could have been anywhere at anytime - no sense of it being rounded in history
- Over-lengthy descriptions and struggled with the book
- Seemed to be two different books in one book - Hamnet and Agnes personal life. Whole novel disjointed
- Bereavment sectoon very moving
- Became most interesting at the end
- Loved the chapeter on the flea
- No struggle - raced through it. Amazing descriptions. Some dreamlike qualitites.
- Parallels with Shakespeare's plays with the gender mixing.
- Enjoyed the references to herbal medicine and the household details.
- M O'F deliberately uts Shakespear at a distance, like a ghost, a device which helps with the link to Hamlet at the end of the novel.
- Would this novel work if it wasn't about Shakespeare?