Hamnet

I generally don't like historical fiction. My last taste of it was Wolf Hall, which I despised. I'm not a romantic either. I should've hated this book, but I didn't. I loved it.

The characters of Agnes and Hamnet are brilliantly imagined, the rest maybe not so much but this story isn't about the others. The prose is beautiful without being overly pretentious.

Trigger warnings: plague; death of a child.

Superb writing and a sad, sad, story.

read the chapters all jumbled up. it took me a while to realise. it is messed up that Agnes is pronounced like that.

La trama del libro queda perfectamente resumida en el breve párrafo que lo abre: "En la década de 1580, una pareja [...] tuvo tres hijos: Susanna y Hamnet y Judith, que eran gemelos. Hamnet, el niño, murió en 1590 a los once años. Cuatro años más tarde su padre escribió una obra de teatro titulada Hamlet".

Alrededor de esa trama, O'Farrel construye una narración minuciosa, penetrante y con la dosis justa de preciosismo centrada esos personajes. Sobre todo en Agnes, la madre, a la que convierte en un personaje complejo y carismático. No es ni mucho menos una novela histórica al uso, sí un relato cautivador sobre una familia y dos tragedias (una real, otra escrita).

Nota: si al principio te parece más morosa de la cuenta, dale tiempo. Merece la pena.

Bravo! Author Maggie O'Farrell has taken a few known facts from history and woven them into a lovely novel. I was absolutely captivated, all the way through. This story is populated with intriguing characters and the pacing is excellent. It is a memorable story, and I am so glad that I picked it up.

In other words, I recommend it.